Paul and Sara’s wedding day was PERFECT! A tad bit warm, but the most gorgeous skies you’ve ever seen in your life! And one of the most personalized ceremonies I think we’ve ever been to.  Dr. Hopper read letters that Paul and Sara had written to each other about why they love each other (they hadn’t seen each other’s yet)…talk about open up the waterworks! The passion and love these two share is just incredible and beautiful and inspiring.

Trying to narrow down some favorite images for a blog post was nearly impossible. We had extra time to shoot with the two of them after the reception (A-mazing!), so I have so many favorites! There will probably be less behind the scenes pre-ceremony images than usual to make room for some other awesomeness Enjoy!

Love this shot Chris got of Sara coming to see Paul for their first look!

So precious.

This is one of my favorites

I climbed on top of Chris’s back to get this shot. It’s really unfortunate that no one else in the field had a camera haha

And this is my favorite from the day! Personally, I think it needs to be a huge canvas

I love how peaceful this image is.

That’s all for today! Thank you so much Paul, Sara, and families! You all are so wonderful

And, while you’re here, you should click on the “Nashville Wedding Photographers” link at the top of the page (in the menu) and go check out our newly designed Nashville website! (Featuring music by the fabulous Jeffrey East!) We finally moved this past Thursday, and have been busy settling in We can’t wait to meet more fabulous vendors and brides down here in Music City, we definitely love it so far!

Have a great evening!

Just a quick sneak peek of two favorites from Paul and Sara’s gorgeous wedding in Bowling Green, Ky this weekend!

Love you all! Have a wonderful time in Tybee Island

It has been such a beautiful day! I hope everyone is having a relaxing Saturday evening after soaking up lots of vitamin D from the wonderful sunshine today I’m scared to even go back and look at how long it’s been since my last post, but thank you all for sticking around anyway! I don’t really have any new pictures to share today, but I’m in a mood to write and ramble about life a little bit tonight. I feel that while this is our business blog, that it’s also ok to sometimes be transparent about the things going on in our life. Our struggles, triumphs, and who we are. So, I hope that’s ok with everyone.

(Excuse the quality...cell phone image!)

Last week I was at my parent’s house for a few days. My grandmother was in the hospital and not doing well, and it has been tough on my mom especially. My grandmother is in a fairly advanced stage of Alzheimers disease, and it’s been hard to watch for the last several years. I don’t want to really go too deep into it…but I have kind of had a hard time deciding how to feel about everything. It’s just been tough. But…fast forward to being at my parents house (I swear this is related…just stick with me)…I noticed this super awesome little table that I’d never seen before, and immediately thought about how perfect it would be in our living room (I figured they had found it on Craigslist). So I told my mom that I was pretty sure I needed it, unless she had plans for it. I wanted to paint it blue (the color of our branding!). Well, it turns out that the table belonged to my grandmother. And that my mom remembered her taking the table outside and refinishing it and working on it. She told me that I could have it, and that I could even paint it if I wanted.

So, being in the crafty mood I’ve been in lately, I traipsed to Lowe’s and found some paint, tracked down the primer, and set to work. [I know....really, should have left the table the way it was...but it's so cute, I promise!] And the whole time I was working on the table (three coats of primer and two coats of color later, and one more layer to go…) I was thinking about how special it was for me to have something with a story. To know that my grandmother once made the same brush strokes on the same table in a different time. About how we both wanted to make the piece our own, and use it in our home. And about how some day, (unless my mom reposesses it haha), this table might sit in my daughter’s house, maybe with the painted stripped down and refinished, or painted another color, or however she’ll make it her own. It was just really cool to me. Our family has never been overtly touchy feely emotional, but this subtle reminder of our similarities and the thread that goes through our lives is just really awesome to me So, thanks mom, and grandma I love it! (Finished pictures coming soon…I need to sand it a little and do another coat of paint).

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Ahem. On a lighter note…haha…I redesigned our website (Bowling Green Weddings) a little bit last week! If you haven’t seen it yet, you really should go check it out! We have some new featured weddings and engagement sessions, as well as updated Jennifer Creed | Style galleries! I was never really thrilled with the last version of our website…it just never seemed totally complete to me, nor did it really portray our style exactly right. But I really am loving everything about the latest version! (For now at least )

I get a lot of questions about who designs our website or what template company we use, so I thought this would be a good time to address that! The Jennifer Creed | Photographer website has always been done through the fabulous ShowIt Sites, and I am so in love. They are the perfect website company. Everything is completely customizable! They do have some templates to help get you started, or you can start totally from scratch. Later this week, I also am planning on showing you more about what you can do with their client+ sites! They are also great because unlike most flash websites, the text is totally indexable (so Google can find you). Pretty much amazing. And I don’t even really come close to using all the features available! (Just an fyi…no one paid me or otherwise coerced me into saying any of this…I just love them )

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Speaking of Jennifer Creed | Photographer….a few words about our business name What’s in a name and all that jazz. When I first started my photography journey, I operated under the name Image Jolie (Loosely French for “pretty picture”).  Which I loved…and was great at the time! But after lots of thought, I decided to change the name and re-brand to Jennifer Creed | Photographer in 2008. One reason was that people had a hard time pronouncing Image Jolie, or were afraid of pronouncing it wrong so they would just be like “Oh yeah…Jenny from….umm…whatever that business name is” haha. But the primary reason was to highlight the personalized experience we want our clients to have. And we want our name stamped on it…it is our seal of approval. Although the business name is my name, it also includes Chris. We’re proud of the fact that we shoot every wedding as a team, and that we are both primary photographers (instead of me and some undisclosed second shooter). And in the end, there may be other photographers with a similar style, a similar price range, etc….but there is only one of Us.

We love cultivating a personal relationship with our clients and getting to know them and what makes them tick, and portraying that through their images. We love knowing our couples from their engagement, to their wedding, then hearing when they buy their first house, and (while we haven’t had this yet…but some day!) hearing about their first children. It’s just so cool to be a part of their memories To know that the images we capture are going to be what gets passed down through the generations. I love it! And that’s why, instead of being Jennifer Creed PhotographY (a common mistake…that I try not to let drive me crazy ), our name is Jennifer Creed | Photographer. Because it’s more than what we do…it’s who we are. I am a photographer. I capture moments and memories. And I love every minute of it

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So dear readers…I leave you with wishes for a lovely weekend! Thanks for sticking it out through my long and rambling mood. But there’s a box of Girl Scout cookies calling my name! This week I am hoping to (*finally*) post some images from a project I’ve been working on since last semester of various groups from the WKU music department. So check back soon!

Misty and Matt are so incredibly sweet together. I’ve known Misty since we were freshmen in college, but hadn’t really had the chance to get to know Matt until recently. All I can say is that these two definitely have that special kind of love…that we-can-handle-anything kind of love. It was so beautiful to see the real “them” come out in front of the camera today….especially Misty, who has told me before she has a hard time not making her “model” faces for the camera. I feel so blessed that they have allowed us to see inside their relationship, and celebrate along with them. We can’t wait for their wedding in July!

Normally I would just post one or two for a sneak peek, but I made an executive decision (because I can! Ha!) that since today was a snow day and I’m mostly caught up on other work to edit more and post more than normal Enjoy!

Uh huh. You know it’s a good day when something like this happens in the first 5 minutes of the shoot!

HAD to post this one because of the location This is the inside of the very newly renovated Van Meter theatre on WKU’s campus. It’s not officially open yet and I didn’t think we would be able to get in, but someone on the construction crew let us in. It is amazingly gorgeous in there!!

Gorgeous.

Something about this just really draws me in…we had lots of awesome moments from this spot, but I am just loving this one

So sweet.

Misty and Matt-thank you, thank you, thank you for braving the cold with us today, and for just being awesome in general Love you all!

Imaging USA was also hugely inspiring for us as a couple. Hearing Dane Sanders speak about getting off auto pilot really hit home for us. It’s so easy in our culture to just kind of sit back and go through on surface level. Our communications limited to a screen, having people telling us what is happening and what to think at super speeds, living just to get through another day….what kind of life is that? Not one I want to live any longer that’s for sure. So we are making more time for each other, to really be in the moment, and to connect with other people on a real level. We’re dreaming big and not giving up

You also may notice our blog has a new design! Belatedly ringing in 2010 with style Lots of new features to play with, like slideshows within a post (that you can also make fullscreen!):

blog logo Steenbergen0390 Steenbergen0670 blog logo Steenbergen0390 Steenbergen0670

So…just a few things we’re excited about We hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, and can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store for you as well!

Today, I am honored to share some of Lindsay and Gerrit’s wedding images with you! Lindsay and Gerrit were married in Bowling Green, Ky on December 20. These two are so wonderful Their wedding was originally planned for April of 2010, but was rescheduled for December when Gerrit found out he would be stationed at an Air Force base in England! So, Lindsay graduated from WKU on Saturday, got married on Sunday, and they moved to England a week later. How crazy!

With all that going on, you’d think things would be a little crazy and stressed on the wedding day, but it was absolutely wonderful! Their ceremony was at a darling little chapel in Fairview Cemetery, and the reception was at the gorgeous Indian Hills Country Club. Lindsay was such a glowing bride, and I had so much fun hanging out with her and her bridesmaids all morning! (Rocking out to Spice Girls and the soundtrack to Wicked!) Chris got to hang out with the super chill guys watching movies and stopping at Zaxby’s (in their tuxes!).

Seeing Lindsay and Gerrit’s faces during the ceremony was enough to bring tears to anyone’s eyes. So in love, and so happy to be there with each other. They could have been the only ones in the room I love our job so much, it’s so awesome to be reminded of my own wedding vows at every wedding Chris and I shoot together. Such a blessing! The wedding party also put up with my crazy idea to take pictures outside in the 20 degree weather…you all rock! And the reception…seriously one of the top parties we’ve ever gotten to capture. So so fun!

But…enough of that, on to the images!

LOVED Lindsay’s bouquet, by Alice Rockhold!

I always love these sweet sweet moments immediately after the ceremony

Haha! Love it!

After the reception, we went down to the Square in Bowling Green for some shots with the Christmas lights. LOVE this one!

I think that will do it for today! (But, you can become our friend on Facebook to see more!) Congratulations, Lindsay and Gerrit, and thank you so much for having us be at your wedding. You all have been so unbelievably wonderful, and we are so excited to hear about your adventures in England!

2010 has just been such an amazing blessing so far! We know it’s going to continue to be awesome Thank you everyone so much for your support! Have a great afternoon!

Yesterday was Lindsay and Gerrit’s beautiful wedding in Bowling Green, Ky! We had an amazing time, just wanted to share a quick sneak peek

I hope everyone is gearing up for a great Christmas! Have a wonderful afternoon!

These are the words…the sweet, awed, and full of love words that Kati spoke to me as we walked towards Tyler for their first look of each other on their wedding day. These two, who may not have known each other long, have been waiting all their lives for this moment today that they would be together, united in God, and ready to pour out their hearts for Him.

Eight months ago, our very close friend Tyler came over for dinner, and brought his new girlfriend, Kati. They sat on our couch giggling and whispering to each other, and finally Tyler looks at me and says, “Sooooo……what’s your wedding schedule look like for October?” Tyler and Kati, seeking out God, were given the desires of their hearts, and once they knew that it was right for them to serve together, knew that they couldn’t wait to start forever. We are so blessed to have been with them through this journey, and as I looked back through the pictures froom today to pick one for the sneak peek, I was just overwhelmed by the beautiful love that colored the whole perfect day. I feel like anything I say cannot even begin to express it….but Tyler and Kati, we love you both so very much. Thank you so much for letting us celebrate with you, and have a wonderful time on your cruise!

It was a ton of fun, and while these are a little different that what you’d usually see from us….we hope you enjoy! These are a few of my favorites.

This one is my favorite We just happened to find this awesome brick wall with “Blessed” written on it! Kelly was drenched, we were tired…but we are Blessed, and it was a great spot to finish our shoot

Have a wonderful afternoon everyone!

Meagan and Chris were married at State Street United Methodist Church in downtown Bowling Green, with the reception at the gorgeous historic L&N Train Depot. Every detail was so lovely, and so them! We are so excited to share some of our favorites with you!

So fun!

Meagan found her beautiful wedding dress at Bridals of Regiss Park. I loved it! The best part of this shot was the look the church coordinator lady gave me

Meagan’s fabulous bouquet by Deemer Floral Co. in Bowling Green

So, we had the nice calm shot of the groomsmen. But after spending the day with them, I really felt like this was more appropriate They were too fun!

We <3 bubble exits!

After Meagan and Chris left the church, we headed over to WKU’s football field for a few shots! So fun!

Then it was back to downtown Bowling Green…love this one!

So precious! Their reception was such an incredible party!

That’s all for today! Congratulations, Meagan and Chris! We are so honored to have been able to capture your beautiful wedding day. We wish you all the best in your lives!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!