I’m an eternal optimist.  Classic glass-half-full kinda guy.  But…

Yesterday prior to leaving my room at the El San Juan Hotel and Casino to shoot a wedding, I had a series of blunders that nearly choked the smile from me.  No bueno.

Check out the video!

I love small towns.  I grew up in one.  It’s the tight-knit community, the laid-back atmosphere, the warm feeling of “home” that draws me in.  I now live in Lexington (just a big town) and get to travel to some pretty large cities with my photography, but it’s getting to the places like Paintsville in eastern Kentucky that brings that breath of fresh air.  A sense of peace and gravity.

To Ashley and Brandon—your wedding was perfect.  I enjoyed my time with your family and friends, and I hope that you’ll stay in touch.  I kind of feel like we’re family now!

Many thanks to the amazing vendors that *made* the day:

Signature Events in Pikeville (ceremony decor)

Special Occasions in Pikeville (rental)

4 Star Catering in Whitesburg

Randy’s Backstage Hair Productions

The Rose Tree in Ceredo, WV (dress)

Williams Floral in Paintsville

Classy Limo in Ashland

Aunt Emme’s Bake Shoppe

Country Music Highway Museum (reception venue)–Tony Tackett is INCREDIBLE to work with.

Paintsville Lake Mountain Homeplace (ceremony venue)

Here are some of my favorites:

And here’s the slideshow!  When you’re finished with it, I’d love it if each of you would leave a comment and then connect with me through Facebook and Twitter.  Oh, and lastly—click HERE to preregister to see all of the images.  You’ll be emailed notification once they’re ready.  Thanks for everything, y’all!   -shaun

This wedding was pretty dang sweet.  Cannon-Marie and Jon are both super-cool to begin with, but pairing them with an outdoor wedding on the gorgeous grounds of the Cardome Center in Georgetown, KY was perfect.  Weather cooperated and we had a bright (albeit hot) day, full of real, laid-back moments with their friends and family.  Here are some of my faves:

I love how this turned out.

Timeless.

Portraits with friends should be friendly, right?

Love this one.

My second shooter Betsy Whiteman nailed this shot.

How refreshing was it to hear the ukulele and vocals for the processional?

Also second shooting with me was Magnus Lindqvist.  I love this candid moment he caught while the father of the bride was giving his speech.

I’m very impressed with Ben Evans and his company Onsite Photo Booth Rentals.  The image quality is great.  The prints are heavy stock.  The bride and groom have an assembled album with the guests pics at the end of the night.  Guests get a copy of their prints,  but additional copies are available for download and purchase online, too.  It’s a perfect setup.

Perfect ending to the day.

Thank you, Betsy and Magnus, for helping out!  I’ll see you this Saturday!

Click the play button below to enjoy the highlights slideshow.  Please leave a comment below once you’re finished, and please stay in touch with me through Facebook and Twitter!  To see all of the images, click HERE.  They’ll be up in a few days.  You’ll be notified once they’re up and you’ll receive a gift credit to use toward prints.  Cool, right?  Thanks for stopping by!  -shaun