Jena and Josh are a magical couple. That's plain as day to anyone that meets them and sees how they interact together. They're loving, adorable and so kind hearted. I am beyond blessed that I know these two and was able to be a part of their special day! A couple little tidbits: a) Jena MADE her wedding dress! She used her material from her mother's wedding dress as a sash for her own, and the broach she used for the sash was from her grandmother. How freaking cool is that! So original and so true to who Jena is. She rocked it and looked absolutely gorgeous.
b) You'll see a picture down below of the groomsmen brushing something off their pants, it turns out that I put the entire wedding party in a giant red ant pile! (ahhh.. you guys knew I was going to bring it up) -- and I remember one of the groomsmen telling us to stop taking pictures of it, but I totally thought that was a moment in time they'd want to remember based on the sheer bad luck (and eventual hilarity) of it all. Jena&Josh (and their wedding party) were huge champs and took their shoes and socks off and rocked the rest of their session before I sent them onto the reception.
c) Please look at the amount of old cameras placed as centerpieces. Be still, my heart. And since they're in the film industry, Josh put up film lights as lighting for the reception! So awesome and true to their style.
d) They were married at a church in Jena's hometown and the reception was at her parent's gorgeous home that she grew up in.. I've shot several weddings where a portion of the day was at a childhood home and the nostalgia in the air makes the day so much more emotional. I loved seeing Jena in the library of her parents house, in a princess dress in the midst of a day where she'll leave the nest and become one with her husband. Such a sweet notion.
e) The images you see of them on the phone were a couple minutes out of their bride and groom portrait time where Josh's cousin called them all the way from Africa (at least I think it was Africa - Jena, correct me if I'm wrong!) just to wish them a happy wedding day. They couldn't contain their excitement in talking with her and their sadness about her absence.
Josh and Jena, you two are effortlessly awesome. Thank you for picking me. You can see their engagement session here!
As a side note, I thought Jena's initial inquiry to me laid out her and Josh's story a little bit better than my words could ever do.. so enjoy this little story about how they came to be and why they picked me! //
Josh Moody and I met on a film set, as I said, but that’s an oversimplification. After college, I got a job as an assistant and seamstress to a costume designer in Charlotte. Josh and his family have a record label and production company in Nashville and hired both of us to do costumes for his 3rd feature film. Last May, I literally showed up on his doorstep ready to work. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight – both of us were newly single and just wanted to focus on our creative careers. But after two weeks of working 12-hour days in close quarters, we started to notice a little chemistry. He asked me out on set one afternoon while packing up and we couldn’t get enough of each other, even after long days. We were what the other had been praying for for a long time. After production wrapped and I went back home to NC, I made plans to move out to Nashville. I moved in August and we became a two-person production dream team. We were hired to make music videos for his record label and promotional videos for his alma mater, Vanderbilt University. He’s taught me basic sound mixing and camera work. I was also hired by the label to head up their marketing and social media department – and it’s a blast! He proposed January 30th after a lovely dinner where we had our first date and a little guitar serenade with a song he wrote for me, with an incredible Edwardian engagement ring – it was magic and I cried like a baby. We're also both total film nerds and are subtly planning a Wes Anderson-themed reception (our parents would roll their eyes). I really want the reception to have a quirky interiors-brought-outside feel. I'm gathering up as much mid-century furniture and filmmaking equipment to place around as I can between now and then. Looking at your portfolio, I feel like you'd dig that.
// HUGE thank you to Kasey Loftin for tagging along and delivering some beautiful shots. //