Sampson’s Hollow || Smoky Mountain Wedding || Kenzey + Jackson

I almost didn’t get to work with Kenzey and Jackson. Their original wedding date was in April and they were inquiring with me this past June. They were one of the many couples that got my long, drawn out email about how Dustin and I were trying to get pregnant and if it happened, April weddings were out of the question. BUT if it didn’t happen, then I was definitely going to need to fill April quickly. So in that first week of July, I was so excited to be pregnant, but so sad to have to tell Kenzey that I wasn’t able to shoot her wedding. That is by far one of the hardest things for me… I HATE having to tell bride’s no even when I know that we are a great fit for each other. It was been nothing short of God’s grace that I haven’t had to do that much during this pregnancy! Once I told Kenzey, she was excited for us but totally bummed that I wouldn’t be able to work it out. A few days, maybe weeks later, I get an email from Kenzey saying that she was thinking about moving the wedding back to December. And in this case, I was available and was absolutely thrilled to get to work with this super sweet and gorgeous girl.

Fast forward to their engagement session in Cade’s Cove that you can see by clicking here! It was a perfect day and we met bright and early to avoid as much Cade’s Cove traffic as possible. I got to meet Jackson for the first time and learned so much about the way that he loves her. They hiked, got their feet in the water, and completely rocked out their engagement session.

Then it was time for the wedding. At Sampson’s Hollow, the ceremony pretty much has to be outside. There is a covered porch where you can escape from unexpected rain, but still, outside. Then in this particular case, half of the reception was on that porch and the other half was inside. I want to say though, it is not a terrible thing to have an outdoor wedding in December. (I’ve actually written about December weddings and why they rock so much here, if you want to read more about it.) To combat the cold, Kenzey and Jackson had the cutest little hot cocoa bar and two stand up heaters on the porch. You would be amazed at how the heat got trapped on the porch and it really didn’t even feel like we were outside at all, until you stepped off the porch that is. But before I give vivid details on the entire wedding, I want to share my favorite part about their day. Coming in super close were the blanket scarves she had her bridesmaids wear and the veil that was her sisters, but nothing could top the ring ceremony. This is the first wedding where I’ve actually had this happen and I absolutely LOVED how the couple played it off. This is my favorite part for a couple reasons, 1) it was funny, but also, 2) I want to share to all my brides out there, that something will probably go wrong on your wedding day. You can either stress about it, or just roll with it… and trust me, rolling with it is so. much. better. So anywho, it came time to exchange rings during the ceremony and the officiant looked at the father of the groom (also a groomsmen) and the maid of honor to hand over the rings. The maid of honor totally plays it cool, takes off her own ring and hands it over… at this point, no one in the crowd is the slightest suspicious. But then the father of the groom has felt in both pants pockets, on the inside pocket of his suit coat, his back pockets, and he looks up at his wife sitting in the front row and says do you have it? She quickly shakes her head and the dad looks back at the officiant and says, I don’t have it. There starts to be a laughter in the crowd and the bride and groom are looking back at the dad and they just started laughing. Then someone from their guests walks up and offers a ring for them to use. They finished the ceremony, walked off, and the coordinator delivered the proper rings before they rejoined us for family pictures. I loved how the couple handled it though. That could have easily turned into a panic, freak out moment, right in the middle of the ceremony, but it didn’t. They laughed it off and now they have a unique funny story to tell people when they reminisce their perfect day!

I couldn’t be more thankful for Kenzey and Jackson! It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with you guys and I hope you LOVE your images as much as I do!

I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel… I shoot anywhere! If you have any questions about pricing or booking with me, click here to contact me now! 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!

Other Vendors used on their big day:

 Venue: Sampson’s Hollow

Coordinator: Gretchen Norton

Florist: Lisa Foster

DJ: Pro-Audio Mobile DJ’s

Makeup: Tara Burke

Wedding Dress Store: White Lace & Promises

Wedding Dress Designer: Casablanca

Groom’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse

Groomsmen Suits: Belk

Bridesmaids Dresses: White Lace & Promises