I first met Ethan and Kady about a year before their gorgeous East Tennessee wedding at the one-of-a-kind RT Lodge in Maryville. Sidebar here: If you live in East Tennessee, and haven’t had the opportunity to visit RT Lodge, you must do so as soon as possible. From their gorgeously private and lush grounds, which contain Secret Garden-esque pathways and wooded trails, to their exquisite food, not just as a Knoxville Wedding Photographer, but as a resident of this gorgeous part of the country - RT Lodge has quickly become one of my favorite places to shoot a wedding or just spend an evening.

Back to Ethan & Kady. :) I met these Georgia peeps at their Ijam’s Quarry Engagement Session over a year ago, and they remain two of the loviest people I have had the pleasure of working with. Their love for one another is genuine, timeless and it shows in their wedding photos.

They chose RT Lodge for several reasons, but as Kady said “It felt like it perfectly fit Ethan's outdoor side while still feeling classy and not over the top fancy. We loved that all out friends and family could spend the entire weekend together at RT Lodge.”

Another reason I love Kady, is when I sent her Knox bridal questionnaire to complete, she returned it with a note that made me laugh out loud, because she is absolutely right, I appreciated the heads-up: My question read as follows: " Q: Please include any additional information that you feel we may ned for your wedding day: …. and Kady’s answer: A: Thought you may appreciate the heads up on the spelling error. I am the worst at grammar. "Please include any additional information that you feel we may ned *NEED* for your wedding day" What an absolute angel on earth for letting me know! <3

From Kady’s Dusty Blue Wedding gown, to the perfectly done details, her wedding inspiration was found in: Show Me Your MuMu, Simple Classy, Greenery, Dust Blue.

Vendor Dream Team:

Hair & Beauty Artist: Hair by Desilee Hardin/ Makeup by Chesni

Wedding Cake / Desserts: Sugar Buzz

Wedding Dress Boutique / Designer: The White Magnolia Atlanta

Bridal Jewelry & Accessories: N/A

Groom's Attire / Designer: JoS. A. Banks

Floral Design: Echelon Florist

Caterer: RT Lodge

Linens / Other Rentals: N/A

Photo booth: N/A

Wedding Favors and other Fun Stuff: Etsy

Music:

August will be 8 years of Tara and Bobby being together, and up until 4 years ago- there was never any talk of getting married, let alone a future family. They were content. But still, back in October of 2018, Bobby arrived home from a trip to visit their friends in Virginia and Tara was on her laptop looking at beach condos and researching grad-school. Bobby said something to Tara that surprised her: "If we do want kids, I guess we should go ahead and get married. Although, that will really nail you to living in Ocala, so think about it". Actually, Tara was in total shock. Her mother even thought maybe he found out that he had a terminal illness or something equally life-shifting. And thus began a days-long bout of insomnia for Tara! Out of nowhere, her entire future was hinging on that decision; should she continue her happy life with her beloved dog, untethered, and possibly move to California? Or, should she commit to marrying Bobby and building a life with him? She knew, without reservation - she would chose Bobby. She would choose to build a life and to grow a family with him. So that Christmas, on their way home from St. Petersburg, FL, Bobby reached in his bag, pulled out a ring and in front of Florida Horse Park on a country road, he said "well, here". No knees, No questions, true Bobby Kennedy style. It was also his birthday (Tara thinks he did that on purpose:))

Fast forward to 2020, and they are expecting their first child, and I had the distinct honor of photographing this time in their journey. FOr their Maternity session, Tara and Bobby decided that since they were already going to be vacationing in the Blueridge Mountains, and they would love to have their pictures taken somewhere in that area. We chose a location near Asheville, NC., at the The North Carolina Arboretum. Tara stunned and glowed in her silky polkadot dress and her perfectly fitting wide-brimmed fedora. Bobby was ever-tender and helpful as we explored the beautiful grounds and gardens at the Arboretum, and we took our time capturing the essense of motherhood-to-be.

Enjoy!

JOURNAL

Latest Posts