Anna Catherine + Justin

I'm so excited to share this engagement shoot! I decided to go to some places I'd never shot before, and I was really happy with the results. First, the three of us hit up a local nursery and took some photos among the plants. It was the best smelling engagement session I've ever shot.

Turns out these cool looking dome things are for watering the plants. I found that out when the sprinklers suddenly came on while we were shooting and the three of us screamed and ran out as fast as we could. Unfortunately, I have no photos of that moment. I was truly so confused. 

These two laugh a lot, which I like. :)

Marah + Jared - Henderson, TN Wedding

I loved being part of Marah and Jared's wedding day. It's awesome when I get to photograph couples I actually know. I knew almost everyone in and at the wedding, which is always so nice. This day had the potential to be dramatic since so many people involved in the wedding were fighting some monstrous stomach bug, but in the end everyone made it and no one threw up. That's really good news at a wedding.

Marah and Jared were the very first people to get married at this brand new venue! 

I was VERY excited about this. I got to a lot of weddings and by now there's not much I see that's original as far as exits go. This, though, I have never seen. NERF GUNS!

Marah + Jared - West Tennessee Engagement

I'm so excited I get to work with Marah and Jared for their wedding. Marah has actually been in lots of photos I've taken, but always as an assistant/sister-in-law for birth stories! This is a pretty different situation. We did an entire session and absolutely no one gave birth. It's a whole new dynamic for the two of us. 

Marah suggested that we do their engagement session out at Pinson Mounds because that's where Jared proposed. I was all for it. I think it's always way cooler when your locations mean something to you. Also, it was a beautiful fall morning. That's always a plus. 

Ariel + Trevor - Firefly Lane Wedding

I was so excited when Ariel contacted me after Trevor proposed. I haven't spent much time with her, but all of the time I've spent has shown me that she's super fun to be around. I knew that shooting her wedding would be awesome. Ariel and Trevor are such a fun couple. They are always messing around, laughing, and kissing every chance they get. I love hearing them talk about each other because they obviously make each other so happy. 

This was also only the second wedding at this brand new venue, so that was cool being one of the first people to shoot there. The bridal suite is awesome, and there are several nice places to take photos on the property. 

Kyle grabbed this one while I was with the bride. I thought I would include it just for fun.

Look how happy they are!

She's so pretty - right?

This is officially my favorite father-daughter dance EVER, and the one and only time I've heard the song Butterfly Kisses and not hated my experience.

And the rest of the night just looked like this...

Marigold Autumn - Henderson, TN Birth Story

Another birth story! You guys know how I love birth stories. This process is so amazing to watch and every time I see a birth I get more obsessed with how cool it is. The last time Rebecca was pregnant she was interested in birth story photos, but was living in Texas. We tried, but there didn't seem any way we could make that work. Luckily, this awesome family moved right down the street just a few months ago, and right in time for baby number three!

Last Tuesday I got a text from Rebecca that she thought the baby was coming! I went over to the house around 10:30. The other kids had been cleared out and it was just Richard, Rebecca, and the midwife.

The very first thing I noticed was the calendar. I loved that this day had been marked Baby Maybe!

Just laboring and boiling some water for the birth tub.

I've worked with Sheryl at a couple of other home births that I'd photographed. I really love her midwife style. She stays almost entirely out of the way and just let's the mom do everything herself. She administered antibiotics, checked the fetal heart rate, took Rebecca's blood pressure, but other than that she hung back and let Rebecca do what she wanted. 

Around 1:00 am the contractions started getting serious and we knew a baby was coming!

THIS IS WHY I LOVE BIRTH STORIES! I love this moment when a mom gets to hold her baby, after all of the pain. The relief and the joy on her face make me so happy. Around 1:30 baby Simpson was born, and she was tiny and precious.

So happy to be holding her baby girl!

Dad holding his daughter for the first time.

I left the house around 2:30 and came back in the morning to be there for the big kids to meet brand new baby Marigold. She was very interested in the clicking sound my camera makes.

And here come the excited siblings!

The new Simpson Family!