Tellico Village Yacht Club Wedding | Molly & Zach

This wedding. Its been one year since I shot this incredible fall wedding at Tellico Village Yacht Club on the Little Tennessee River and these two amazing souls became husband and wife. This wedding has stuck with me for the last year. There have been times in my photography career when certain clients, certain weddings, certain days just stick with me a little bit more. This is for sure one.

Molly and Zach were a unique couple for me. I had never met them before their rehearsal dinner. Crazy! Totally not my normal cup of tea, but Angie Froemel of Absolute Wedding Perfection was their day of coordinator and when Angie is on board…so am I! 😉 Molly and I totally hit it off over our phone call and I knew we’d be the perfect fit! Two cross country moves (she and Zach moved from Austin to Atlanta and I moved from Knoxville to San Francisco) added some extra adventures to our schedules but everything was set and I couldn’t wait to head back home to East Tennessee for their wedding. I was SO nervous for this wedding. Sure, I always have little butterflies before a wedding; its exciting, there’s pressure and I want this to be my clients’ best day ever! But for Molly & Zach…I had dragons in my tummy…not butterflies. I arrived on the wedding day to a little bit of a stressful morning. Let me be the first (really, no, not the first, but let me add to the list) that wedding days are not rosey, sunshine filled, on-time days. They are crazy, hectic, smeared makeup, lost boutineers, missing groomsmen, etc. They are crazy…but come one…that’s what makes them pretty spectacular and memorable! Molly & Zach’s day was actually going very smoothly…there was just something different in the air that I couldn’t put my finger on. Details were photographed, and I had some spare time so I went to photograph Zach. Zach is quiet, I am not…and I think he has a striking resemblance to Tom Hanks although that was disputed. 😉 I remember walking back to the bridal suite and saying to Brandi (my second shooter) “Oh no. He hates me. We totally don’t click. My dragons just started breathing fire in my tummy.” I was terrified…its no lie. But I needed to suck it up and continue with the day. I’d work on Zach, I told myself. I ran back upstairs and began to photograph Molly putting on her finishing touches. At one point, Molly had a very serious expression and she seemed like a thousand miles away. I pulled my camera away from my face and said, “Molly,  you’re getting married today.” That’s it. The day completely changed. I’ve never seen light come out of someone like that before.

Once we were ready for the first look, the day was set. Even when the day turned a little brisk and windy, I simply had Zach wrap up Molly to keep her warm and those may be some of my all time favorite images. The feeling that was missing in the day, the air that didn’t feel quite right, all came together once Molly and Zach had their first look and I’ve never been a part of a more magical wedding day! 

Ps., after reading Zach’s first look impression, I realized it wasn’t me. Whew!

Let me also state that Molly has incredible style! Her Nicole Miller dress is probably one of my favorite to date. Coupled with her personalized jewelry and Kate Spade bracelets this girl just oozed style. I remember styling her details and thinking to myself, the black, gold, cream, and white just screams Chanel. It kinda made Molly giggle when I told her, but it was so classy and elegant.

 See what I mean…glowing!

Such a sweet Father/Daughter first look! There was not a dry eye in the room.

 To read about why this First Look was so special, please go check out Molly & Zach’s section of my First Look Series. And see what I mean about Tom Hanks..no? Just handsome!

My second shooter Brandi Major absolutely was amazing! She captured some dreamy and beautiful photos that are some of my favorites!

Molly and her father, Mark’s, dance was incredibly emotional! Mark sang to Molly as they danced and I was behind the camera just wiping tears away so I could attempt to see what I was doing. I remember Molly’s maid-of-honor saying during her speech that Molly’s best friend was in fact her mother, so it was only fitting that Mom joined Dad and daughter out on the floor for a moment together.

Then Zach pulled his mama out on the floor for a very fun and vivacious number! I just LOVE how they captured their personalities and relationship in their dances!!!

This adorable little group of ladies in their sweaters were…wedding crashers! I just died when I saw them creeping down the stairs from dinner upstairs at the club and casually strolling out onto the dance floor! They had a fun little dance that they said “Made their night!” Loved it!

 

Molly and Zach, I know the first year of your marriage has been magical, and I hope that the next 60 are even more so! Thank you two for trusting me to capture your special day! 😀

Smiles,
Kayla F

Vendors:

Reception Venue, Caterer, Bar: Tellico Village Yacht Club

Ceremony Venue: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church

Wedding Coordinator: Angie Froemel, Absolute Wedding Perfection

Florist: Echelon Florist

Hair: MOPS Hair Designers

Makeup: Suzanne Clayton Makeup Artist
Dress: Nicole Miller from Unbridaled in Austin, TX
Garter: Southern Ever After (Etsy)
Invitations: Paper Source
Save the Dates: CardCandy by Reginald Whicker (Etsy)
Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang for David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid Sashes: Lovelikestyle (Etsy)
Groom & Groomsmen Suites: Vera Wang for Men’s Warehouse
Guest Book Poster Tree: HarveyGrey (Etsy)
Bridesmaid/Bride Robes: JustCottons (Etsy) 

Table Numbers: ilLUMIEnate (Etsy)

Wedding Programs: Simply Modern Design (Etsy)

Maple Grove Inn Wedding | Chelsea & Aaron

There are so many words that come to mind when I think about this couple and their wedding day. Magical, perfect, ironic. The last might be confusing, but how Chelsea, Aaron and I met and how their special day unfolded is really rather ironic. So as not to bore you with details, we met at a Christmas Eve party, hit it off wonderfully and as I was helping Chelsea with some wedding planning questions, she asked if I still came back home for weddings. 8 months later and I was shooting her wedding at Maple Grove Inn (the same venue that Rob and I were married at) and the wedding day forecast was calling for rain. Hmmmm.

However, the rain stayed away for most of the day, giving a nice cleanse right before the ceremony and then coming back out to give us an INCREDIBLE after ceremony session! I adore C&A for SO many reasons! Photography was one of the top items on their wedding list and they wanted to take extra time for photos…LOVE! Not only did they want to do a First Look, but they also asked for some more time after the ceremony to “just spend some more time together”. When the rain began to pick up, I asked Chelsea if she just wanted to go ahead and head to the ceremony, her words “can we go out in the rain?” I died. I’ll just let the photos do the rest of the talking.

Chelsea and Aaron, not only did I absolutely ADORE spending your wedding day with you, but I am truly honored that you asked me to be a part of your day and trusted me to capture it for you! So much love to the both of you!!

Smiles,

Kayla F

Vendors:

DJ: Ogle Entertainment (Robby Mathis)

String trio: Ogle Entertainment (Elizabeth Farr)

Venue & Catering: Maple Grove Inn

Florist: Mulberries (from Chelsea “She is amazing”)

Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal

Suits: Jos A Banks

Bride dress: Boutique Couture, Chattanooga, TN

Dress Designer: Essense of Australia

Invitations: Be My Guest, Roanoke, Va

Rentals: All Occasions Party Rentals

Large program: Silver Linings (etsy)

Favors (koozie): Splendid Sip

Makeup: Angela R Jordan

Cake: Kim Robison Dandridge, TN

Heirloom Boxes

Craftsmanship, locally sourced, and luxurious with a bit of rustic thrown in. I’m absolutely in love with the new Heirloom Boxes that I am now offering to all clients!

The USB & Print Heirloom Box is incredible for housing and showcasing your favorite images and USB all in one place! This box is handcrafted and has two compartments. One perfectly fitting 4×6 prints and the other meant to hold either a USB or sweet momento from your session. The Print/USB box comes with up to 100 4×6 prints of your session/wedding all with a white border. For pricing information, please contact me.

*The USB & Print Heirloom Box shown is stained in Provincial.

The Small USB Heirloom Box is perfect for storing your USB (small fee for lifestyle clients to upgrade to a USB) because, lets face it, its cute AND you can easily find that pesky USB when you need it! 

*Small USB Heirloom Box shown is stained in Dark Walnut.

Here are the 6 different stains that are currently available. My favorite is the Dark Walnut, Provincial and the Golden Oak!  {Colors from Left to Right: Dark Walnut, Provincial, Red Oak, Golden Oak, Colonial Maple, Clear}

I’m very excited for the new products and changes that are coming to Kayla F Photography! This is just the beginning! 😀

Smiles,

Kayla F

Chattanooga Musical Engagement | Diana & Ben

Sometimes, when you meet and fall in love with a couple (yes, I fall in love with my clients), you completely understand why the universe brought you together. Ben and Diana are so incredibly smitten with each other that when you are around them, you feel every ounce of it! They remind me incredible amounts of Robby and I, which only leads me to loving them even more! We also had beers and burgers after their session…I mean…really!?

It has been such a fun planning process with Diana and Ben, talking about their wedding day as well as thinking of ideas for their engagement session! When Diana told me that she would love to have their session at Ben’s parents’ house in Hixson, TN I was SO excited! There is something special about having a session where there is a strong connection. Ben’s mom was so incredibly sweet, bringing quilts and blankets for us to sit on (it was a little soggy) and asking if anything needed to be clipped or cleaned up; I adore strong knit families and both B&D have them!

Ben is also a musician. Music has always played a large factor in their relationship so when I brought up the idea of having his mandolin they were SO up for it. It also gave us the chance to hear Ben sing to Diana…lets just say I couldn’t stop smiling behind the camera! I asked Diana for a favorite song for their blog post…something I don’t normally do (like ever), but it feels perfect for them! She sent me three songs and this one just STUCK with me. So perfect…so THEM. I got chillies listening to it while writing this!

“There are way too many love songs, and I think they’ve got it all wrong.. Life is not the mountain tops, its the walking in between and I like you walking next to me.” – Ben Rector,  “I Like You”.

“Love is friendship set to music.” – Jackson Pollock

Smiles,

Kayla F

New & Notable Editorial | Wine & Spirits Magazine

This last year here in San Francisco has been a whirlwind! Rob and I have just celebrated being in the City for a year, and a lot of reflecting has happened. Moving across the country to one of the biggest cities in the world and where you know not one soul is daunting to say the least. On top of everything that we have gone through this last year, Rob and I had made the decision that I would put 100% of my focus on my photography business and not look for a full time “regular” job. Its been a LONG process. There have been nights where Rob has had to pick me up off the floor, told me to cheer up and stop being so glum. I’ve reached out to those in my amazing photography community back in TN and have received some of the most encouraging and uplifting messages. I’m truly one of the luckiest girls! With a some hard work, and putting myself out there (and feeling very vulnerable) I have slowly built an incredible network of photographers out here in the Bay Area that I can genuinely call friends! They have offered amazing advice, shared secrets and referrals, and given me SO much support over the last year! It’s honestly wonderful to be a part of such a caring network! Ladies, you know who you are.

Through this network comes opportunities that I never would have known existed before. I’ve always felt very confident in saying I was a “Wedding and Lifestyle” photographer (and that is where my heart still and will always lie), but spicing things up every now and then is good for the creative soul. An opportunity arose for a very last minute project. At first, it didn’t seem feasible, but after some work with Wine & Spirits Magazine, I was off on a 3 night adventure photographing 9 amazing restaurant & bars for their 2014 New & Notable feature in SF. Below are some shots I grabbed (with the used images noted) as well as the spreads of the feature.

It’s honestly a completely different feeling to see your work in print. Photos are meant to be printed, shared and touched, so to know that these images will be in the homes, apartments and lofts of thousands of people is pretty crazy! It may not be my usual cup of tea…but man, oh man, I’m loving the taste of this! 🙂

 *San Francisco-based freelance photographer Kayla Fletcher shot out New & Notable Restaurants and Bars. The Tennessee native specializes in restaurant photography, enjoying it most when it ties in with hops or vines. *

ABV

*Selected image for ABV

Dirty Habit

*Selected image for Dirty Habit

Kin Khao

 *Image selected for Kin Khao

La Nebbia

 *Image selected for La Nebbia

Stones Throw

 *Image selected for Stones Throw (super yummy food!!!)

 

TBD

 *Image selected for TBD

 Tosca Cafe

*Image selected for Tosca Cafe

Trou Normand

* Image used for Trou Normand

 

Verbana

*Image used for Verbana

Wine & Spirits spread for ABV, Dirty Habit, and Trou Normand

 

Wine & Spirits spread for Verbana, Stones Throw and TBD

Wine & Spirits spread for Kin Khao

One final and rather *mushy* note. I honestly don’t know what I would have done over this last year without Rob. He is my biggest cheerleader, my biggest support, and believes in me more than I do at times. He constantly challenges me, boasts about me, and is constantly dreaming of new adventures for my business with me. I wouldn’t have done any of this without him right by my side.  We are The Fletchers in Fog City.

Elizabeth & John | Married

“They are your perfect couple.” I couldn’t agree more with this statement made by my amazing second shooter Brandi for Elizabeth & John’s wedding. There was such an effortless to E&J’s big day and I am just beyond excited that they asked me to document and be a part of their day! It just so happens that Elizabeth and I went to high school together (and she so happened to get married on the day of our 10 year reunion…eek!) so when she reached out to me and told me about John, I was SO excited to meet him! 

Their engagement session was amazing and I knew that their wedding day would be even more spectacular! From Elizabeth’s Etsy made dress to the small hand-sewn handkerchief that John carried, they had the most adorable and meaningful little tokens. One of my favorite moments of the day was when John handed me a letter that he wrote to Elizabeth and asked me to deliver it about 5 minutes before the ceremony. Hands down, seeing Elizabeth’s reaction and knowing how these two are with each other, I could only imagine the funny, silly, romantic and true words he wrote to her before they became husband and wife.

Extra time for photos around sunset was like being in a candy store! Elizabeth & John really wanted to spend time with each other and having these few extra moments was SO worth it! 

Thank you SO so much Elizabeth & John for running around a mountain with me and asking me to be a part of your big day! Your love and kindness towards each other and your family and friends is absolutely infectious!! 

Smiles,

Kayla F

Vendors:

Videographer- Jason Russell

Wedding Dress – Katie Jean on Etsy

Hair – Lashes and Lace by Haley

Bridal accessories – Charming Charlie’s & Target

Groom & Groomsmen Tuxes – Savvi Formalwear

Groomsmen accessories – My Personal Memories (pocketwatch) & Peachwik (wood cuff links)

Bridesmaid Dresses – David’s Bridal

Bridesmaids’ Necklaces – Lana0Crystal 

Guest Favors – American Meadows seeds

Invitations – Wedding Paper Divas

Programs – Designed & assembled by bride’s family 🙂

Wedding rings – Markman’s Jewelers & Lamon’s Jewelers

Officiant – Matt Drane (campus pastor at Chi Alpha- University of Memphis)

Guestbook – Peachwik 

Venue – Bluff Mountain Inn

Floral Inspired Engagement Session

There comes a time when it feels amazing to walk in a field barefoot, wear a flower crown and sit amongst candle lit mason jars with your soon-to-be. This was the vision I had for a couple of months of a beautiful couple, in the wilderness snuggled around each other with flowers everywhere! Flowers are always such a large part of the wedding day, and looking back on mine, carrying my bouquet was one of my favorite parts of the day…it was just beautiful and made ME feel beautiful! So why only be surrounded by stunning florals on your wedding day…why not in your engagement session too? I reached out to my wonderful florist, Sassafras Flowers in Knoxville, TN that created my wedding day florals and asked her to be a part of this romantic vision I had.

From Allie at Sassafras:

“I was thrilled with the opportunity to collaborate with Kayla F Photography on this shoot. She gave me very loose parameters, which allowed for wide-open interpretation.  I knew the shoot was going to involve wooded areas, open fields, and little to no manmade structure.  I wanted to create pieces that complimented the beauty of nature instead of competing with it.  The garland and floral crown were inspired by the dark, thick areas of the forest: an abundance of foliage in varying shades and textures with sparsely placed accent flowers.  I wanted the lush greenery and florals to look “at home” in the setting of the shoot.”

Allie capture my vision perfectly and created a stunning floral swag, flower crown, bouquet and small accent pieces. She blew me away with how she took my small vision and brought it to life! I collaborated with Restoration Rentals in need of a small piece of furniture to make the shoot feel more “homey”. The vintage headboard was the perfect accent to set the scene without taking away from the beauty of our location!

Barbara & Danny | Married

February 12, 2013. That is when this incredible lady emailed me about an engagement session for her and her soon-to-be husband. She was referred by some of my ALL time favorite clients…so they HAD to be awesome…right?!! Omgsh…I couldn’t be more right! I immediately fell in love with Barbara & Danny. They weren’t from Knoxville, but they decided to make it their home. They were quiet, they were new, but they were so much of what I was looking for! I remember leaving their engagement session and thinking to myself, “I hope they choose me!”. I was a lucky girl…because they did!

Fast forward to June of 2014. Barbara is a rock. Let me just say this girl had her entire wedding planned within a month. No lie. She is a wedding force to be reckoned with. I have clients that I check in on a good amount to make sure everything is well, they aren’t feeling overwhelmed and they know I am there for any questions that they may have. I was the same way with Barbara, but there was a different feeling to our chats. I knew she had everything together, she just wanted to make sure that what she had already put together was perfect..and it was, it SO was!!!

So without further adieu, here is the amazing day of Barbara & Danny! There was prep, there was love, there was the most incredible light you’ve ever seen…and it was all for them. June 8, 2014 was the most perfect of all days!

I also have to add that my amazing second shooter Anna Hedges of Anna Hedges Photography absolutely rocked my socks off! She’s the bomb…look her up! 😀

Venue: Dara’s Garden

Videography: Silverleaf Cinemas

Florals: Lisa Foster Floral Design

DJ & Entertainment: Ogle Entertainment w/ Special Notes

Event Coordinator: Peggy Love

Catering: Rothchild Catering

Hair & Makeup: Southern Belle Beauty

Bridal Gown: Alfred Angelo

Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo

Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Express

kimmy & kassa | san francisco engagement

I know I say this with every.single couple, but its always true! I just absolutely fell IN LOVE with Kimmy & Kassa! They are two of the most in love and down to earth people I have ever met! They have amazing stories and their lives just so happened to collide into each other thousands of miles from home.

Kimmy is originally from Hong Kong and came to the States to attend college while Kassa is from Ethiopia and did the same. They both landed in the Bay Area to attend Stanford for their Ph.D.’s in Physics. Lets just say…they are smarties! 😀 I was instantly drawn to their connection with each other. They finish each others’ sentences, they love to constantly touch each other and boast about each others’ accomplishments. They genuinely are excited to be around each other and I am so so so excited that I get to document their big day in October in Palo Alto, Ca. Its going to be an amazing day!

elizabeth & john | engagement |

 

A game of scrabble, a school house, a blanket and music, and two of the most in love and FUN couples I have had the pleasure of photographing! I just adored watching Elizabeth and John have fun with each other during their engagement session one early Monday morning in East TN! That’s what they did…they had fun with each other and it was SO refreshing! They giggled, they kissed, they squished each others’ noses, they talked about the honeymoon they will be taking to Maine…they were adorable!

Elizabeth and I go back…like back to the days of high school. I was beyond excited when she reached out to me and asked me to be their photographer! I was ecstatic! There is something incredibly humbling about having someone from your past ask you to document their future (ohhh, that was kinda corny, but you get it). In talking with Elizabeth about her and John and where they are in their lives now, it came to me to have their session at a school house. After some research and some digging, we landed right back to where I had been before, Riverdale Elementary School out in Strawberry Plains, TN. One look at it and Elizabeth was in love! I was so happy when they decided on the school for their engagement location! I had a blast with Abby & Ben there back in December, and was excited to see the school in the summer with green all around it!

The ideas are all Elizabeth & John’s! They are avid scrabble players (Elizabeth even brought their score sheet), they LOVE music and John is a marathoner and has done 2 half Iron Man Triathalons so having his bike included was a great idea! There are times when you know that a couple has it in their cards…these two are definitely one of those couples!

  

 

Elizabeth & John…I’ll be seeing you in 5 weeks! Eeek! 

Smiles,

Kayla F