Sacred Heart Cathedral & The Julianna Wedding || Katie & Christian

A Sacred Heart & Julianna Wedding to Swoon Over

I have photographed portraits at The Julianna and I have photographed a lot of weddings when the Julianna was The Stables at Hunter Valley Farm, but this was the first Julianna wedding I have photographed since it was renovated to be The Julianna and I am SO here for it. The changes and additions and property as a whole are so stinking pretty. They still have one of the best sunset spots in Knoxville, as you can see in Katie & Christian’s sunset photos below, and the variety of portrait backdrops is extensive!

But Katie & Christian did not choose to have their ceremony at The Julianna, rather, they chose to have their ceremony at Sacred Heart Cathedral. I have shot many ceremonies at Sacred Heart Cathedral but haven’t been there in a couple of years. I have so much to say about them that I think is critical if you are a Catholic wanting to get married in the Catholic Church. Catholic weddings in general are known for their long ceremonies and strict rules. It is not uncommon that Catholic churches force your whole camera team to stay in the very back of the church the entire ceremony with little to no movement. I don’t know if you have ever been in a Catholic church but they are notorious for their long aisles and unless you have a 400mm zoom lens, you can’t see any emotion that is happening during the ceremony. Not to mention you rarely see the couple’s face at all because the majority of the time you are facing the priest with your back to your guests or you are sitting down off to the side. Sometimes we are asked to not photograph at all. Sometimes we are asked to sit down in the back and not move at all. The reason behind all of these rules is to protect the sanctity of the ceremony. To prevent distractions and allow the Holiness of the moment to lay over everyone in the church. They are just simply protecting the pinnacle and the reason behind the whole day. I get it. There are photographers out there that don’t get it, that don’t understand it, and blatantly break these rules with disrespect and rudeness. Those photographers mess it up for us all. So while I understand why the rules are in place, I am so torn because these rules do not allow me to serve my couple well. They don’t allow me to adequately photograph their ceremony so that when they are looking at their photos a decade from that day, they can transport back to that very moment and the overwhelming emotion they were feeling. They can sit back in that chair, kneel back on that bench, break bread and drink the wine, sing the liturgy, and replay every single moment. It breaks my heart when I can’t provide that for them. However, I can say with the utmost gratitude that Sacred Heart has come to meet in the middle with us “camera crew” with rules in tact that still protect the holiness of the ceremony while also letting us serve our couples well! I could not believe my ears when their coordinator was telling me that I could walk up the sides and photograph Katie & Christian’s facial expressions. I mean, my jaw may have literally been on the floor. AND not only that, but she was SO kind about it. I cannot tell you what a massive difference this made in Katie & Christian’s ceremony photos! Thank you beyond words to Sacred Heart for making your rules something that we both can work with!

Now that I have talked your head off about Catholic ceremonies 😂, see for yourself the awesome ceremony photos I got this past Saturday for the Youngs!

Vendors used by Katie & Christian:

Ceremony: Sacred Heart Cathedral

Reception: The Julianna 

Coordinator: All About Weddings

Florist: LB Floral

Cake: Publix 

DJ: Knoxville DJ 

Hair & Makeup: The Effortless Beauty

Wedding Dress: White Lace and Promises

Wedding Dress Designer: Stella York

Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie Official

Men’s Attire: Bellario’s Tuxedo

Stationery: Minted 

Caterer: Bradford Catered Events

Transportation: Tennessee Luxury Coaches

I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel. I shoot anywhere! Click here to contact me with any questions you have about pricing or booking! If you liked what you saw above, go ahead and follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see my daily updates of the latest sessions!

See more from Amanda May Photos:

In-Home Newborn Session

Castleton Farms Engagement Session

Knoxville Botanical Garden Wedding