the journal

After five years in the wedding industry, I’ve seen trends come and go. I’ve worked with brides, grooms, and vendors of so many different backgrounds and cultures. I’ve also noticed patterns in the questions I’m asked during consultations and discovery calls. This is in no way exhaustive, I could probably make this list and then three more, but here are some of Madeline Oakley Photography’s Frequently Asked Questions as your Nashville Catholic Wedding Photographer.

Kayla and Martin’s Sewanee University of the South engagement session was such a dream. I absolutely loved getting to visit the University of the South and it’s beautiful architecture. Even more though, I loved getting to meet this lovely couple and learn about their relationship as we visited different spots around campus that mean so much to each of them.

Road trip engagement sessions are just the best and Georgia and Enrique’s country Louisville engagement session had all the right things: corn fields, vista views, cowboy hats, big trucks, and even a new baby. I was so happy to explore the rolling landscape with them and create a country-inspired portrait session that felt authentic to their Texas roots and their new Kentucky home.

Coffee in hand, summer garden exploring, Catholic engagement session? Yes. Please.  Savannah and I tossed around a few location ideas for their engagement session but when she said coffee and bible studies had played a huge role in the beginnings of Michael and her relationship, that made the decision easy. We put together this Franklin Catholic Coffee House engagement session.

Getting to meet Courtney and Justin was such a bright spot during a very busy May photography weekend! I absolutely LOVE working with my wedding clients to plan out an engagement session that will be fun, relaxed, and of course, beautiful.

They wanted to practice some wedding posing, I wanted to hear about their beautiful Huntsville Catholic wedding this November (and of course take some great portraits of them.) The variable was, we had one very specific afternoon to do this while they were in town from Houston, TX and it rained most of the day leading up to the session.

Ana reached out to me on Instagram about having me out to Jackson, Tennessee to do their engagement session. I’d absolutely love to get out to West Tennessee more (looking at you Memphis brides!)

When I met her and her fiancé Jonathan, it was so clear why they picked the location they did!  Ana and Jonathan were such a joy to meet and work with and their love of Christ, Mary, and each other shown through with this session.

When we started planning K and S’s engagement session, they sent a new-to-me location that I visited the day before and instantly fell in love with. Ellington Agricultural Center has antebellum architecture, a gorgeous arched tunnel, multiple gardens and green spaces, and lush cedar trees.

Cheyenne and Fez’s cozy Cookeville, Tennessee coffee house engagement session was TOO GOOD to keep to myself anymore so here it is, y’all. There are two pieces of advice I give all my couples ahead of their engagement session and
this one is EXACTLY why I encourage those two things.