Blog

Island Cove Marina: Mike + Maria

May 17, 2018May 17, 2018 sarahlaraephoto

I had the incredible honor of being a part of the union of Mike and Maria. This couple is nothing short of extraordinary. Maria is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. Her sweet nature is only matched by her husband, Mike. Maria and Mike share a love that is full of life and spirit. What was also striking was the love that their friends and family had for the both of them. People literally traveled from all of the world to Chattanooga, TN to be a part of this very special day. And boy was it a fun party! One of my favorite moments were Maria wearing her grandmother’s wedding dress for some portraits. It was special to see her relive her special day with her granddaughter. It was also special to see how all of her friends and family came together on the dance floor! Maria did another outfit change into the most beautiful tutu I’ve ever seen and the party reached a new level! To top off the night the 2 marine biologists boarded a bedazzled canoe and rode off into the night together! It was just magic!

Engagement, photography, Wedding

Birmingham Engagement: Allie + Riley

May 5, 2018May 5, 2018 sarahlaraephoto

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph this lovely couple and fur-family in the great state of Alabama! Birmingham, AL is a beautiful city with a rich history and unique architecture. Allie & Riley have a ton of style and a mutual love of the most amazing pastry that the Good Lord graced the planet with DOUGHNUTS! We started this evening at their favorite doughnut shop in Birmingham, which will be catering their wedding in December! Their sweet natures and relationship flourished in this sweet setting! Then we headed to historic downtown Birmingham that showcased really unique buildings and my favorite thing, great light! Brady, their amazing golden retriever, was so precious! He was one of the most well behaved and beautiful dogs I’ve ever seen! He seriously should have been a dog model! Next it was up to a beautiful neighborhood with a wonderful sunset and view of this wonderful town! I so enjoyed my time with Allie, Riley and Brady and cannot wait to see them for their wedding in December!

Engagement, photography

Mountain River Engagement: Mandy + Danny

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 sarahlaraephoto

Right away I could tell Mandy and Danny were a fun couple who knew how to make each other laugh. This engagement session was full of laughter and shenanigans. We started on top of scenic lookout mountain for some sweeping views and a picnic. Later we headed down the mountain for a romantic canoe ride down the river! It was a magical evening! Even after fighting all the river bugs! If this engagement session is any indication their wedding is going to be creative, heartfelt, and super fun! I can’t wait for the fall!

Engagement, photography

Chattanooga Choo Choo Engagement

April 21, 2018April 21, 2018 sarahlaraephoto

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This is engagement session was all romance and style. The chemistry between Reed and Angela is nearly startling and the honoring of photographing this season of their life was a true honor. I had to stop in the middle of the session and really appreciate my job. I simply love seeing two people who are so in love with each other and show it so freely. We started at the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel where we took advantage of the beautiful gardens and rail cars. Then we headed up the mountain for some beautiful views at another historic landmark, Craven House.

I simply can’t wait until their SUNRISE wedding in just a few weeks! It promises to be epic!

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photography, Wedding

Abby + Joey

April 12, 2018April 12, 2018 sarahlaraephoto

It is a rare and beautiful thing to truly feel and see the love between two other people. As a wedding photographer I’m lucky, I see it more often than most. However I have rarely seen it at the intensity I saw it this past weekend. The amount love that comes pouring out of the eyes of Abby and Joey when they look at each other is enough to melt the coldest heart. During their first dance I literally started crying into my viewfinder because I was just so happy for these two and what they have found. I kept saying to guests, “look how he looks at her”. Anyone can see how madly in love Joey is with Abby any day of the week, but their wedding day was especially intense and joyful!

It was also so special to see the sand ceremony and witness the bond between Joey, Abby and Joey’s son Cohen. Cohen is just as in love with Abby as Joey is I think! Seeing this little family come together was so sweet!

Joey & Abby have some great marriage role models to seek encouragement and advice from. Donna Ames, their amazing wedding coordinator and florist with Receptions by Design, arranged for the DJ to have a dance off of all the married couples to narrow down the couple that had been married the longest. The top 2 couples married the longest number of years were the bride & groom’s grandparents! More than 120 years of wedding expertise between the 4 of them! It was beautiful moment when Abby’s grandmother told her and her groom the key to success was “good communication” and her grandfather gave this advice “tell her you love her everyday”.

Chattanooga The Mill Wedding 68 — Stole the couple away for a few photos by the train tracks!

photography, Wedding

Grandview Wedding: Taylor + Michael

April 23, 2018 sarahlaraephoto

Taylor and Michael traveled all the way from Palm Coast, Florida to my beautiful city to enjoy the scenery and join together in marriage! This wedding was heartfelt and showcased the beauty of both the bride and the scenic city. It was a beautiful, clear, spring day and a perfect setting to start a lifetime of memories in one of the couples favorite vacation spots. There were a few hiccups but this bride took it all in stride and was focused on the most important thing, marrying the man she loves. One of my favorite moments of the day was Michael giving Taylor’s daughter an adorable and symbolic ring during a private moment between the two of them. She was so excited to receive this gift and Michael, or “Buddy” as she called him, was so tender and sweet with her. This little family just warmed my heart from the moment I met them. I also loved seeing Taylor’s bridesmaids juggle multiple phones facetiming with all her family members as she was getting married. Even though they weren’t there in body, they were definitely there in spirit!

After a wonderful exchanging of vows we headed into the wondrous Rock City for some epic photo opportunities. Seeing Rock City on a clear spring day is never to be taken for granted! Then we met back up at the always gorgeous sunset rock for some cake and an amazing sunset. It was the perfect ending to a perfect wedding day!

photography, Wedding

Elopement on Sunset Rock in Chattanooga – The Scenic City

December 7, 2017December 7, 2017 sarahlaraephoto

Sarah Larae Photography, A&R Photography, and BellaCross weddings worked together to create this beautiful styled photo shoot. Our stunning model bride wore an exquisite gown from Mrs. Dress Collective and carried a vibrant bouquet courtesy of Athens Flower Shop. This shoot also featured inspiring, sweeping views on Chattanooga’s own Lookout Mountain. This team operated seamlessly and we had an absolute blast creating these whimsical and romantic images. We would all love to work and make your day as special as this one! See links below!

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https://www.facebook.com/bellacrossweddingandeventplanning/

https://mrsdresscollective.com

https://athensweddingflowers.com

https://www.instagram.com/a.and.rphotography/

Wedding

Romantic Ringgold Wedding Chapel Elopement

May 24, 2017May 24, 2017 sarahlaraephoto

It was my honor and pleasure to be a witness to the wedding of Lila & Ryan! It was an intimate and magical ceremony and yes, I cried! This couple deserves every drop of happiness this world has to offer and I know they will make a lifetime of memories! The historic chapel in downtown Ringgold, GA was the perfect setting for such a romantic and spontaneous wedding! It was so romantic to see these two steal away to get married with only the preacher, chapel owner, my assistant and myself to witness it! Definitely an unforgettable experience!

Uncategorized

My Family

March 13, 2017March 8, 2017 sarahlaraephoto

I love 3 things…my man, my dogs and sunsets. I love a lot more than that, but I thought that was a good opening line. These were taken at sunset rock on Lookout Mtn a couple of weeks ago. Quick tip from a sunset lush: If it has rained for a few days the first clear day will usually have a killer sunset. We were very late and it was nearly pitch black by the time we got to the rock lugging my tripod, but I still snagged a few of my pups and stole a kiss with the timer on 😉

Uncategorized

Chattanooga is my city

March 8, 2017March 8, 2017 sarahlaraephoto

I had a free 45 minutes in downtown Chattanooga last week and decided to do what I love in the city that I love. This city has been my home for the last 6 years and I fall in love with it more everyday. Growing up in Fort Oglethorpe, GA (just across the state line) I never would have thought I would love living here, but life is full of surprises. The photo in the top right describes Chattanooga’s rebirth to me. To me, Chattanooga sort of sprang from the mud and rock in the last 10 years. It has still has some growing to do (I’m talking about you music scene), but it is well on its way to blossoming into one of the best cities I could ever imagine