Bridal Session Cherokee Creek Farm Jonesborough TN
Since I have been shooting professionally as an Adventure Wedding Photographer, I have not had the opportunity to shoot many Bridal Sessions. It’s not that I avoid them, in fact, I think they’re pretty fun. So, when Rebeka asked if I would do her Bridal Session, I was excited to jump on it!
A few months passed from the day of Rebeka’s Adventure Engagement Session, and she emailed me. She was ready to set up a date for the Bridal Session. I asked her a few questions so that we could work out the perfect location for us to do the shoot. Rebeka was looking for something elegant, but rustic. Not woodsy, but classy. I showed her Cherokee Creek Farm, in Jonesborough, TN.
It seemed to fit what she was describing to me. I shared their page on instagram with her and she was sold! So, we set a date for the shoot!
Nearly a week before our scheduled shoot date, I set up a Zoom call so that we could make all of the arrangements and be on the same page. I prepped her for the shooting conditions. With the beautiful February weather *sarcasm* we needed to be prepared for some potentially muddy conditions.
At the Cherokee Creek Farm, we would take most of our pictures in the in the main Farm House. This historic home was built in 1830 and was restored as a wedding venue in 2018. On the 33 acre property, we would do a little exploring along the creek and out buildings to capture the rest of the images.
Cherokee Creek Farm in Jonesborough, TN
When the day arrived, I showed up to the venue about 30 minutes early, as I always do, just to walk around a bit and plan all of my shooting locations. Every bride is different… Every location and dress and moments are different. For that reason, I always have to be on my toes and ready to move on to the next shooting site if need be.
I try to do a full walk through of each shoot and location before the couple ever shows up so that I can be fully ready.
When Rebeka, her mom, and her sister-in-law showed up, I took them around the farm house and escorted them up to the Bridal Suite. They had brought with them two dresses. One of them was Rebeka’s beautiful elegant V-neck Satin Cummerbund Ball Gown that she found at David’s Bridal in Johnson City, TN, and the other was her mother’s gown from her wedding.
We started off the Bridal Session with hanging both dresses and capturing them side by side. This was a special request of both Rebeka and her mother. Their plan was to cut some of the lace from her mother’s gown and use it in some of the wedding day decorations.
Once Rebeka slipped into her gown, we moved our way through the historic home capturing all of the natural light that the large windows could provide. It was quite hazy outside because the forecast was calling for snow, so it created a perfectly diffused and smooth light in every room.
Despite the cold, Rebeka was a trooper and we went outside to get some shots near Cherokee Creek and some of the surrounding buildings. Cherokee Creek Farm has more than 30 acres to explore and it is so easy to find unique places to shoot every time I go there!
All in all, I think the shoot was a success! Rebeka was the perfect model for this moody Bridal Session at Cherokee Creek Farm in Jonesborough, TN. If you would like to get more info about the Cherokee Creek Farm venue, follow the link here.
Review and Notes
In addition to shooting her Bridal Session, I had the pleasure of shooting Rebeka, and her fiancé Carter’s, Engagement Photos on Roan Mountain in the Fall of 2020. Check out the blog I posted about their beautiful session here. Here is what she had to say about that experience:
“I was impressed with Hunter before we even met in person. Working with him is like working with a friend you’ve known for a while and his work speaks for itself. We are so grateful to have had him capture our engagement session and will love these photos forever!”
(SIDE NOTE FYI: Most wedding dress alterations are done not at the time of purchase, but closer to the time of the wedding. This is a good idea, because some people purchase their dress many months before the wedding and that is plenty of time for body sizes to change. No one needs the stress of a dress that does not fit properly on the day of the wedding! So most Bridal Sessions are done closer to the wedding date.
(It is also a great time to test out your Make Up Artist and Hair Stylist.)