Claire & Pablo's wedding had everything that truly matters... Gorgeous decor (including a lot of details showcasing some of the groom's Argentinian culture), delicious food, excellent music, great weather, and a lot of family and friends. However, the soul of this wedding was all about the love that the couple shared. It shone through in the way that Pablo and Claire looked at each other - like the rest of the world just disappeared. Nothing could make a photographer's job easier. 

Claire & Pablo, it was an honor to share and document these memories for you and your family! Thank you so much for letting us share this day with you.

Vendor List:

Photographer: JAA Studios

Venue: Farmer and Frenchman

Wedding Planning/Florist: Welborn's Floral and Events

Band: Jordan English Band

Catering: Moonlite BBQ

Cake/Desserts: Dalisha's Desserts

Dress: House of White Bridal (Watters)

Hair & Makeup done by the bride's sister!

I couldn't have been more excited about shooting this wedding! Not only because it was at a CASTLE (come on), but also because the first time I met the couple we clicked instantly. I had such an amazing time working with the bride and groom!

It was an unusually hot day for the end of September, but the weather was still great and everyone had the time of their lives.

There isn't much to be said about Alicia & Daniel's wedding, but that's only because these photos speak for themselves! I adore this couple and I had such a fun time at their wedding. Although the day started off with heavy rain (that Ian and I got trapped in), it cleared up just in time for the ceremony and the day stayed beautiful for some great outdoor photo opportunities. Then the party started - I don't think I've ever included this many dancing photos in a blog post but that could just be because there's not a lot of people that know how to have fun like this couple and their guests! 

Congratulations Alicia & Daniel! I know you'll have a wonderful life together. Thank you so much for trusting us with your day!

Vendor List:

Venue: Cathedral of Christ the King/Griffin Gate Marriott

Cake: Leanne's Cake Creations

Florist: Ivory Rose Floral

Hair/Makeup: Marriott Griffin Gate Spa

It was a hot day, but Courtney & Sal were troopers! I was extremely honored to be invited brides family's land in Chrisney, Indiana. Not only was it a stunning location, but we got to shoot right around sunset with some gorgeous warm light. I am so happy with the result :)

These two are such a great couple! I can't wait to be a part of their wedding in October.  

My favorite wedding of the year! Of course, photographers shouldn't say that - I've loved all the weddings I've shot this year equally, OBVIOUSLY. However, this is me being biased. Not only was the bride my cousin, but the wedding was on my actual home-farm! I basically rolled out of bed, walked out the back door, and boom. Wedding. When you're already completely familiar with the family AND the location, it makes the day much less stressful.

I can confidently say that my favorite detail of the day was the flower-decorated arbor (I'm sure you can tell by the overwhelming amount of photos I included of it). It was decorated by the bride's uncle Patrick - WHO, by the way, is NOT a professional florist. He's just one of those people that you constantly feel jealous of because he can basically turn everything he touches into a work of art (did I mention he also did the bride's gorgeous hair?!). The bride's mother is the SAME EXACT WAY and did a bulk of the decorating.

Honestly, I usually try to chat a bit more about the wedding day, but this is one of those events where you just have to skip to the photos and let them do the talking. Congratulations to Matt & Maggie! I absolutely loved being a part of your gorgeous day.

I already told this couple that I wish that I could model every other couple I ever get after them. They were so great to work with, which made our jobs EASY. 

It was my first time traveling out towards Santa Claus, Indiana. Ian was having a great time racing over the massive hills on the way, while I clutched my seatbelt in terror trying to swallow my heart (which was at the time resting in my throat). Luckily we made it without our tires leaving the road (or so Ian claims) and got to start some portraits out on their family's farm. We had some pretty harsh sunlight to deal with, but it was such a gorgeous space for portraits and I absolutely love the result. 

Their ceremony was at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Fulda, Indiana. Honestly, if anybody sees this and is planning on getting married in this church, I WOULD BE HONORED TO SHOOT YOUR WEDDING. I have never been in a church that had such perfect lighting (we almost didn't have to edit any of the photos!) - and it was STUNNING in there! I'd have to say the bride's face right as they walked down the aisle may be my favorite photo of all time (you'll see why). 

The reception was at Santa's Lodge in Santa Claus, Indiana. It was a great space and we had SO much fun at their reception. My personal favorite part was their cake topper - I have to geek over-excited about the subtle Harry Potter shout-out. The lights and sound came from NuSoundz Entertainment (who were GREAT to work with) - I really think uplighting can completely transform a reception space. You can definitely tell how fun this couple was by taking a peek at their guests enjoying the dance floor! 

Congratulations, Aryn and Patrick! It was such an honor working with you. I am so happy that you love your photos and can't wait to put your album together!! Make sure to check out the vendor list at the bottom of the post!

Vendor List:

Venue: St. Boniface Catholic Church/Santa's Lodge

Hair/Makeup: Julie Sanford

DJ: NuSoundz Entertainment

Cake: Kelly Schaefer

Catering: St. Nick's Restaurant

I love them. They are a great chance to get to know the couple before their wedding day, and for the couple to get used to me and my shooting style. I had so much fun with this couple at their session! I love the variety we got with these photos. Since it was raining off & on, we had so many different types of light during our session - we even took some night time shots towards the end of the shoot! My personal favorites are the sunset photos. This is why I beg all my wedding couples to let me get photos of them around sunset - Just look at that light!

I can't wait to spend your wedding day with you, Kayla & Alvin. Thanks so much for choosing JAA Studios!

Brooke & Michael, I know you will be so happy together! You're a great couple that I am completely honored I got to spend time with. Thank you for letting me be a part of your day! 

First of all, Emily & Patrick live in Kansas City but planned a wedding in Lexington. Whenever I don't get to meet a couple before their wedding day I get a bit nervous. I think getting to know each other is such an important part of the wedding photography process! Luckily they were available to chat on Skype and we kept in touch consistently. I was so happy to find out that I was working with such an overwhelmingly kind and caring couple! 

These details kept me swooning all day! Everybody involved combined the perfect ingredients for a gorgeous winter wedding. Honestly, I'm going to skip the description because my words won't do this wedding any justice - it's much better to just jump right ahead and check these photos out! DEFINITELY make sure to check out the Vendor's List at the bottom of this post ;)

Emily & Patrick Dove, I am so honored that you chose Ian and I to be a part of your day. The rest of the photos are heading your way - I can't WAIT for you to see them! :) 

Vendor List

Venue (AND catering):  Apiary Fine Catering & Events

Wedding Coordinator: Lynne Wesley

Cake: Hannah Hogston 

Hair: Danielle Bruckner

Florist: Jennifer Mcray

DJ: David Weathers

Makeup: Sarah Foster

Dress: Hayley Paige

Tux: JOS A. BANK

Fast forward to about a year ago, when Ian and I had the opportunity to move into a new house. While the bedrooms are still small, there's MORE of them. There definitely isn't the space for any time of portrait studio, but just enough for having a workspace that's clutter-free and optimized for creative thinking. I'm talking about my office on a post about my "brand", because I really tried to make it all tie in together. I wanted to be in a space that reflected my brand, so that when I'm spending hours editing I'm drawing in constant inspiration.

So, first I'm going to show you my little office :)

My biggest issue in my old workspace was that it basically had room for a computer ONLY. If I wanted to write anything, I would have to awkwardly position myself in a back-breaking contortionist pose to write on my lap. This is why the desk was the most important part for me. I wanted a corner desk so that I have table space for painting, creating mailers, working on taxes, etc. I picked each desk element separately so that I could build it exactly how I wanted (and it honestly didn't break the bank one bit - ALL HAIL IKEA)!  Above the desk are some Society6 prints, and a workflow chart so that I don't have to go digging through folders to know that all of my client processes are up-to-date!

Ian built this pegboard for me, mostly so that I can keep items for my packaging organized and constantly within reach. I also found a way to keep watercolors and acrylics in order for those rare moments where I actually find time to get some painting done. The pegboard has worked out great for me and is honestly my favorite part of this room (Thanks for the inspiration, various Pinterest boards!)

This little area is mostly for MAILING. A lot of my wedding clients are outside of Owensboro, so a majority of our correspondence is through email, Skype, and mail. That little laundry bag filled with nothing but shred? What I don't show are the two extra trash-bags filled with it that I stuffed into the closet. Honestly, order 10lbs of shred and be prepared for a human-sized box to be waiting for you on your front door.

The opposite side of my office is for shooting small products (like all of my packaging for this blog!). My high table lets me utilize the window and get dreamy light throughout the day. The cabinet is stuffed full of props for portraiture and culinary photography (which is my absolute FAVORITE hobby).

So, onto our brand. The story is simple: I fell in love with some succulent graphics (Creative Market is the BEST), and basically based entire brand around them. I have a degree in Graphic Design that I hardly utilize (after discovering my love for photography), so creating a brand is an aspect to owning a business that I find ridiculously exciting. I wanted our brand to have a clean, but earthy & rustic feel. I used the violet, mint, and green from the succulent graphics throughout ALL of our marketing materials. Once I had my consistent branding, my talented designer friend Andrea Roberson threw together some STUNNING business cards in just one evening. She is seriously amazing!

Warning: If you’re a bride-to-be that will be hiring JAA Studios and want our “congratulations package” to be a surprise, stop here. Our packaging contains a couple of little gifts that are fun to discover when they show up on your doorstep! For everybody else, I’d love to share our Final mailing package that we send along to our couples. I was so lucky to find things that represent our brand, but will also help show our clients how much we appreciate them (for example, a succulent wine-stopper proving that we know just how much they may need to unwind with a drink after their wedding). The informational packet that you see combined with a metal ring contains important information such as USB Care, a print release, and ordering information for prints and albums. When my season got too busy for me to handle designing these in between wedding-edits, I turned to one of my favorite designers: Amy Scherrer at AMS Design. She did a fantastic job designing this informational packet to be consistent with my brand (and is available for freelance hire)!

Everyone who knows me is aware that I’m a “crazy tea lady”. I thought it’d be a perfect treat for the post-wedding bride and groom. Packaging each type with patterned washi-tape was an idea I found on Pinterest and tied into the rest of our mailer nicely!

My absolute favorite part of our mailing package is our “message in a bottle” flash drives. It’s almost difficult to send them away when I deliver the photos!  Once all of the elements come together, I end up with a mailing package that I can not WAIT for each bride and groom to hold in their hands.

I wasn’t planning on sharing our “Welcome” Packages that we give to each client on this post, but there’s one element of the package that was too important to pass up: our Bridal Guide. In this magazine, you’ll find all the information that we could think of to give you a beautiful, stress-free day. From planning out your timeline, to designing your reception, it’s packed with information that will give you the absolute best photos possible. It even helps with Engagement session wardrobe choices, and has a section that shows you all about our albums and prints available.

Okay I had to share one more part of our welcome package: These champagne-flavored lollipops… Because, look at them. They’re so adorable (and delicious)!

And with that, you have the JAA Studios brand. It makes me so happy to finally have a consistently cohesive style with each element of our business! Thanks for taking a look at it - I hope you enjoyed!

Vendor List:

Cake: Jennifer Taulbee

Venue: Equus Run Vineyard

Florist: Devine Day Events

DJ: Johnny Johnson

Catering: Billy's BBQ

Hair/Make-up: Ziyan Salon & Spa

It was a little chilly on their wedding day, especially when we met in downtown Owensboro to get the First Look and some wedding party shots. Speaking of which, can we just take a second to talk about how sweet their First Look was? Probably one of my favorites ever, and it was a great location for it. We all had a lot of fun (despite the chilly weather), and once we went back to Whitesville for some more photos and their beautiful ceremony, it was shaping up to be a wonderful day!

Here is a little preview of their wedding day - Enjoy! Susan & Jeremy, I can't WAIT for you to see the rest! :)

Vendor List:

Venues: Wesleyan Heights United Methodist/Blessed Mother Parrish Hall

Florist: Welborn's Floral & Events

Cake: Terri Hobgood

Pianist/Vocalist: Heather Hayden

Catering: Odelia's

Hair/Makeup: Whitney Foreman/Lauren Higdon

This wedding took place at the Lyric Theater in Lexington, Kentucky. I absolutely loved the look of this venue! The bride and groom did a great job showcasing their personalities through all their details (with a hashtag like #brewingbaumanlove, it's obvious that a love for bourbon and beer was the theme of the night). I love weddings that have a fun & light-hearted mood, and that was definitely present at this one. The groom gave his bride a *special* dance, followed shortly by a surprise tap dance that Mother-of-the-bride AND Mother-of-the-groom choreographed together. Also, I obviously have to mention the amazing BBQ (and BEER CHEESE MAC-N-CHEESE) from "Dad's Favorites Deli" and the towering stacks of delicious donuts from North Lime Coffee & Donuts. It honestly doesn't get any better! Check out a vendor list at the end of the post!

Kate & Tim, I can't thank you enough for choosing me as your wedding photographer... It was such a FUN day!  I hope you enjoy your photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! :)

Vendor List:

Venue: Lyric theater & Cultural Center

Donut Tower: North Lime Coffee & Donuts

Catering: Dad's Favorites Deli

Florist: Stems, LLC

Hair: Leah Bromagen

I am so happy that (even with the weather), we were able to fit all of our photos in.  I felt nerdy at the start of the day, wearing my portable-fan-necklace-of-purple-chicness, but after a few minutes out in the heat, the fan became my best friend.  We were able to catch some light around around sunset, and thankfully things had cooled off a bit to make for some great photo conditions. Somehow all the storms got very close to the farm house, but always seemed to pass around us. They got close enough to make gorgeous clouds and even a rainbow during the ceremony (if that isn’t a good sign, I don’t know what is!!). There were SO many special touches to this wedding. One of my favorite moments was the father/daughter dance - the father had written a song for the bride and had a singer perform it for them.  It was difficult for me to narrow down enough photos for the blog because I am just in love with them all! I can’t wait for the bride & groom to see the rest of their photos!

Kelsey and Taylor, I hope we stay in touch. You were such a fantastic couple to get to know. I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Vendor List:

Coordinator: Margaret Schwartz
Cake: LeAnne’s Cake Creations
Florist: Lasting Impressions
DJ: Bil Bratcher
Catering: Echo Valley Winery
Hair/Makeup: Megan Watson (Haute Roots Hair Salon)
Singer: Emily Stephens

Vendor List:

Florist: Welborn's Floral Company

Videographer: Evermore Productions

DJ: Disc Daddy's

Cake: Maggie's Cakes & More

Venues: Third Baptist Church & Immaculate Church

I loved the shots we got at Yellow Creek Park. I just finished up with these and they look great! Hope you like them as much as I do - Aryn and Patrick I can not WAIT until your 2016 wedding! :)

Vendor List:

Maria Scott Events (Planner/Style)

Reid's Orchard (Venue)

Howl Creative Co. (Paper Goods)

Petal & Pine (Florals)

JoElle Elise Design (Rentals)

Daily's Annex Bakery (Cake)

Magic Moments (Dress)

Beauty Date (makeup)

And a special thanks to my assistant for the day, Amy Stewart. I hope everybody enjoys these photos! 

They learned very quickly that they would have to touch foreheads and smoosh their faces together a lot more than they're used to. It was worth it, because I think these photos turned out great! I hope you two love them - I can not WAIT until your wedding later this year!

They recently adopted a furbaby Tex, so naturally he made an appearance in some of these shots. Kaitlyn had some other cute ideas as well, showcasing Seth's career as a lineman and his recent enlistment into the National Guard. The entire shoot took place on a private farm in Lexington. 

I am honored that I will be spending your wedding day alongside Kaitlyn and Seth! I hope you two enjoy your Engagement photos!

Let me just stray for a minute to swoon about Dalisha's Desserts. If you are in Owensboro and haven't stopped there for lunch (or a cookie), you are absolutely missing out! I gave it a try because one of my closest friends works there (and it is RIGHT down the street from my Graphic Design job at the newspaper), but after one panini decided it was a weekly (okay sometimes several times a week) lunch-spot. I honestly have no idea why they haven't named a cookie after me yet (HA!)

Dreams of funfetti cookies aside, the building is a perfect spot for an engagement session. Devyn & Brent, it was amazing working with you and I wish you a gorgeous wedding and fantastic marriage! I hope you enjoy this sneak peek of your shoot! :)

Since wedding days are so rushed, engagement sessions become the perfect opportunity to experiment with new lights and try new things, and this couple was totally down for it. I hope they think it was worth it! I absolutely loved this shoot and can not wait to spend their wedding day with them! 

The day started at St. Stephen Cathedral, then moved on to the RiverPark Center for the reception. It was obvious from the amount of fun at the Reception that family & friends were top priority for this couple. Food was catered by Odelias, music was supplied by DJ Beth Mitchell, and the cake was by Maggie's Cakes & More. Check the cake out in these photos - it was an awesome mixture of classic & fun, with a 3-tiered white cake and a teeny spiderman peeking out at the bottom.

You were a great couple to work with, Mary & Cameron! I hope you enjoy your photos as much as I enjoyed taking them :)

AANNNDD As an "after-note" I have to include an outtake... Just so show you how much fun we were having ;)

I CAN NOT WAIT for the wedding! Thanks again to Dea & David for choosing JAA Studios!

Karah and Trevor had so much OBVIOUS love for each other, and their son Collin. I know they'll have an amazing life together and I feel ridiculously honored that I was part of such an important part of it! There are SO SO many more photos than this (especially when it comes to the ceremony and reception.. There was just too many to choose from!), and I can't wait for them to see the rest! Enjoy!