Nashville Bar Mitzvah Photography: Sneak Peek of Blake’s Hockey | Themed Celebration at The Temple and Hillwood Country Club

This past Saturday, Blake became a Bar Mitzvah at The Temple in Nashville, and I had the honor of capturing the very first images of his incredible day. During the service, family members read the Aliyahs while Blake read from the Torah. His brother delivered a heartfelt speech and his parents offered blessings, creating a moving and memorable ceremony.

After services, the celebration moved to Hillwood Country Club for a hockey-themed reception. Guests entered through a custom “team tunnel” just like at a real hockey game. The food stations were cleverly named “concessions,” and Nashville Predators’ mascot Gnash even made a surprise appearance that had everyone cheering.

These sneak peek photos show just a few of my favorite moments so far — the Torah procession, the Aliyahs, speeches, a high-energy Hora with all four family members lifted high, and the candle-lighting ceremony. Enjoy this first look at Blake’s unforgettable celebration.

Huge thanks to Jess of Finn + Olive Events for coordinating every detail seamlessly behind the scenes and making sure the day ran smoothly from start to finish.

Vendor Credits:
Planner: Jess – Finn + Olive Events
Venue: Hillwood Country Club
DJ + MC + Party Crew: Magen Boys
360 Photo Booth: Spangler Entertainment
Bubble Hockey + Lounge Furniture: It’s Time to Bounce
Balloons: Wilco Events
Swag Station: Hey Hey Creative

75th and 80th Noah Liff Birthday Party - Allis & John

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to photograph Allis and John's birthday party at Noah Liff Opera Center. Allis and John had turned 75 and 80 years young. They were also getting ready to celebrate their wedding anniversary. All their children and grandchildren were present to celebrate. Prior to the party we did individual family photos and one BIG family photo. Everyone was a delight to work with and I was so happy that I got to be the one photographing. Please enjoy this sneak peek of Allis and John's 75th and 80th Noah Liff Birthday Party.  

Surprise 80th Birthday Party - Libby & Moshe

Last Saturday I got to photograph a surprise 80th birthday party for Libby and Moshe. Their family and friends from all over the United States met at the Park Cafe in Nashville, TN to celebrate their favorite couple. Songs were song, poems were read and toasts were given to the birthday girl and boy. These retirement parties and milestone birthday parties are quickly becoming my favorite thing to photograph. It is amazing to see the lifelong friendships and families connections that have lasted for generations. Libby and Moshe are truly blessed and I can honestly say that I too was blessed by getting to photograph these connections. Happy Birthday, Libby & Moshe!

Fire Chief Retirement Party - Debbie Campbell

I work a lot with Caprice and Enchanted Florist in the Nashville wedding industry so when she contacted me to photograph Debbie's retirement party at Riverwood Mansion, I was more than happy to do it. Debbie was retiring from her job as a District Chief of the Nashville Fire Department. She served for 32 years. It was also her birthday and the anniversary of her father retiring as chief. Debbie is LOVED. The line to hug and congratulate her never stopped. Members of the Nashville Fire Department that worked with Debbie sang her praises and showed up straight from work. The main reason that I was invited was to capture the moment that Debbie was given her surprise gift, a custom Gibson Les Paul. A few years ago she and her crew had extinguished a fire at the Gibson building that could have been devastating and Gibson wanted to thank her for that.

Not only is Debbie the first and only female Fire Chief in Nashville, she is such a lovely person. I walked away from this event wanting to be the kind of person that Debbie is. Someone that has affected others lives so greatly that they come in droves to celebrate her and wait just to give her a hug. Congratulations Debbie and good luck with your new endeavor, Enchanted Homes. 

Vendors:
Location - Riverwood Mansion
Florals - Enchanted Florist
Catering - 8 Lavender Lane Catering

70th Birthday Party in Albany Kentucky - Glen

This year has been the year of photographing non wedding events and last weekend I was hired to travel outside of Nashville to Albany, KY for Glen's 70th birthday.  The party took place at the couple's lake house on Dale Hollow Lake and was executed, planned, and designed by Glen's daughter. Karen is professional planner in California and she transformed her mom and dad's garage into a stunning dinning hall. 

Besides the fact that this was a gorgeous location, it was amazing to photograph such an intimate event for a man that is obviously very loved. "Lifelong" friends (some for 50 years) gave toasts and shared stories. Kevin Ashworth of Louisville's 610 Magnolia prepared a private feast in the couple's kitchen and the night ended with good friends, Walker and Kays, playing Jazz on the back patio. Happy Birthday, Glen! 

Planning & Design: Volare Events
Catering: 610 Magnolia
Print Design: Script Mercantile (Katherine Ross)
Flowers: Monticello Florist
Lighting/Draping: Nashville Audio Visual
Rentals: Music City Tents
Linens: La Tavola
Jazz Band: Walker & Kays

Personal Vacation Photographer Dollywood - Beechler Family

Once upon a time, 50 years ago (last year), a man and a woman were married. They went on to have three children and later 7 grandchildren. One of their daughters, Tami, decided that since they all lived in different cities and states and haven't all been in the same place in years, they should have a family reunion and vacation together to celebrate their parents' 50 year wedding anniversary. They rented a cabin right outside of Dollywood Theme Park, purchased weekend passes for the park, and planned for a weekend of spending time together and honoring their parents. 

One thing that Tami wanted was for everyone to be able to enjoy each other and be present. She didn't want anyone to have to worry about taking photos with their cameras or cellphones so she hired me to be their personal vacation photographer! This seriously was one of the best projects I have ever had. I spent two days following the Beechler clan around photographing them praying, eating, playing, singing (a lot of singing) and laughing together. One of my favorite moments was when the old family photos were brought out. The younger Beechler's found their parents', aunts', and uncles' teenage fashion hilarious. Most of what I did was photojournalism but one afternoon we spent a little bit of time doing portraits of everyone at Chimney Rock Picnic Area.

I loved all the time I got to spend with these people. They welcomed me into their family, told me multiple times to put my camera down and join them for meals, and shared their lives with me. It was such a blessing to get to work with them and I feel really honored to be able to capture their time together knowing that they will be able to relive that time through these photographs.