photography – Jess Jones Photos Blog

Ever wondered what your partner’s reaction would be to your boudoir session?

Many of the women that I haven’t yet photographed have some concerns. They are worried about what their partners, finances, husbands, or wives would say about their choice to have a boudoir session.

Will they be mad?
Will they even give a sh*t?
Will they be happy about receiving the gift?

Of course every relationship is different, but let me share what I woke up to this morning about this particular relationship.

Testimonial from my 60-year-old boudoir client:

Valentine’s morning felt like Christmas morning this year. I surprised him in bed by rolling in my suitcase with several gifts, the last being the blue velvet covered photo book from Jess Jones Boudoir.

His response: Quiet, choked up, tearful at times as he said softly, “This is so beautiful! You’re so beautiful! I can’t even describe how this makes me feel. I feel such love, commitment, and devotion for you. To know that you did something like this for me, something outside your comfort zone, makes me feels so loved like nothing else could.”

Again, I told him I was worried he’d be upset because he wasn’t the one taking the photos. “Oh, no! I’m so happy you had a professional do the shoot because she was able to capture all your beauty through her expertise.”

He studied each page carefully, slowly with such appreciation. I was so relieved! He wasn’t upset at all. Just the opposite. It was the perfect gift to complement our engagement.

Even now, over two weeks later, he still looks at the book every day. He beams with joy. He studies each picture and he’s always seeing something new. “They become more beautiful to me as I take more time to enjoy them each and every time I open the book.”

He was so excited about how well the book turned out and based on how much time he said I put into the photo shoot, he decided to purchase the balance of the pictures. This is truly a gift that will last the rest of our life together. As he said, “We can never top this Valentine’s Day!”

So, when I say this was a REALLY BIG DEAL, I absolutely mean that in every aspect. What this did for me was help me fully embrace my beauty, my sexuality, my sensuality and my confidence in being and moving in my body. -VB

These photos are not of this particular client, because she is choosing to remain anonymous. I wanted to share her words because some of you might have had the same thoughts.

Has your partner’s reaction ever been a concern for you?

Learn how you can feel more confident today.

When in Maui…| Boudoir | Kihei, Hawaii

I was inspired to share some photos from my Maui trip where a fellow #boudiebabe and I photographed each other in Kihei, HI.

We were in the same boudoir course and discovered that we both happened to be in Maui at the same time. So duh, we photographed each others boudoir sessions early one morning in paradise.

Enjoy!

Eboni + Melvin | National Infantry Museum | Columbus, GA

Eboni and Melvin shared a beautiful and FUN wedding ceremony at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia. I loved every minute of being a part of this wedding.

I met these two last fall when I photographed their engagement session at a record store called Moods Music in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta. We chose that location because these two love Atlanta, they live in Atlanta and they shared their first date at this record store. They both love of music and bonded over discovering new artists.

Eboni’s vintage wedding vision came to life with every detail of the wedding day. From her beautiful dress, her hair style, the lush red roses and to the vintage Rolls Royce that whisked the couple away to their honeymoon.

I love photographing weddings at the National Infantry Museum, because the building looks is so symmetrical and makes a beautiful upscale wedding location.

The bride and her bridesmaids prepped for the big day as well as Melvin and his groomsmen. The ladies chatted and sipped champagne while the guys hung out and drank sips of whisky. Bride and groom both appear fairly calm and collected as they put themselves together for the best day ever.

Photographing each of the groups was easy peasy, because the wedding party looked like they stepped out of a magazine. The bridesmaid’s makeup was immaculate and they wore the most beautiful shade of purple dresses. They guys looked handsome in their grey suits and with matching purple accents.

The time came for the wedding ceremony. Guests gathered into their seats just inside the front doors of the museum. Melvin entered and walked just a few steps behind the pastor. He patiently waited for the bridal party to enter. A nervous smile spread across his face as Eboni appeared just outside the museum doors. The doors opened and light filled in as the bride stepped in to make her way down the aisle. She stopped mid aisle to let her father escort her the rest of the way to her groom.

These two shared their vows to love and cherish one another. It was a classic and beautiful ceremony. After the first kiss the pastor pronounced them husband and wife! Let me tell you that first reaction in their faces was EVERYTHING. These two make me so happy. They made their way back down the aisle exchanging blessings and congrats from their guests along the way.

After, the photo portion was finished it was time to kick off the reception. DJ03 had the party going all night and no one really stopped dancing. Eboni and Melvin entered from the glass elevator that lead them down to the first floor. They came in dancing and didn’t really stop until the night was over. They danced for the first time as newly weds to Who Knows by Musiq Soulchild.

There were a couple of special traditions from Melvin’s fraternity brothers, his father included, that added a personal touch to the celebrations. One of the traditions, is for the newly weds to sit in the middle of a circle while the fraternity brothers serenade the new couple. It was super cool tradish that was something I had not yet seen at a wedding.

The rest of the night was filled with partying and taking turns in the photobooth. I think all the guests had a blast. The wedding was carefully planned and was executed perfectly.

As the evening headed to a close, the couple was whisked away through a pathway of sparklers into a vintage white Rolls Royce where the honeymoon began.

Please enjoy looking through these highlights of The Matthews wedding celebration.

The Vendors:

Venue: The National Infantry Museum

Dress: Carrie’s Bridal

Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal

Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

Coordinators: Lauren Chambers

DJ: DJ O3 Olly Hall 5270132@gmail.com

Florist: Bloomswoods

Makeup Artist: Shon Sanks shonsanks@gmail.com

Hair: Petal Jolie Salon

Cake: Chari Pitts How Sweet It Is

Ryan + Caroline | The Woodlands at Sweetwater Brewing Co. | Buckhead, GA

Before the special wedding celebration at the sweetwater brewing company in Buckhead, caroline and Ryan met at CSU.

I remember the night at the Tap when she squealed because Ryan had walked into the bar with his friends. She had had a crush on him for awhile. We were hanging out after a shift together at Houlihans. This must have been before her nursing program, because she was actually out with us to have fun. 😉

Caroline and I became good friends while at Houlihans during our restaurant days. We’ve had some fun times together. We’ve listened to music together in the hot Tennessee sun at Bonnaroo. We’ve ruined through all her dresses too find the most flapper-esque styles, so we could have a 20s themed photoshoot with our other friend Gaby. We traveled to Cozumel where we went scuba diving and kissed tiny baby monkeys (which was probably a bad idea, but we survived).

Since then she’s become this incredibly determined and driven woman. She knows what she wants and shes not going to let anyone get in her way of her plans…except Ryan. 😉

Ryan and Caroline seem to have one of those relationships that makes it easy to love one another.

They lift each other up.

They cheer on the others accomplishments. They inspire one another.

I’m so happy that my friend has found that in Ryan. They are both beautiful and genuine people and their wedding day was nothing short of authentic.

The ceremony was held at the Sweetwater Brewing Company in Buckhead.

But let’s rewind a bit to the time I arrived at the wedding an hour early. I was feeling good ready for the day. Found a great parking spot. Paid for said parking spot. Only to walk into the lobby to discover there was more than one ac hotel in the atlanta area and I was NOT at the correct one…CUE THE PANIC!

Luckily, my second shooter, Jason and I, made it to the correct hotel with enough time to get all the shots we needed! Phew! But let me tell you that no wedding ever goes without some sort of panic, but it always works out in the end.

Fast forward to the ceremony. Ryan and his groomsmen were hanging out in the upstairs area of the brewery. Beers in hand. This was an amazing place for a wedding. There was a stack of sweetwater cans on the counter that were stacked like a three tiered wedding cake.

The girls were in a empty room with amazing light on the other side of the bar. They were busy helping Caroline get into her stunning dress. Her mother held her veil and helped fasten her dress. I mean, it would hard to find a more beautiful bride than Caroline.

She shared a first look with her dad who is a pretty quiet man, but full of love and pride for his daughter. She read him a sweet letter before he walked her down the aisle.

While I was going back through these photos after the wedding, I got so emotional thinking about all the authentic moments of joy that were shared throughout the day between friends, family and especially between Ryan and Caroline. I’m getting emotional now thinking back on them! The photos were beautiful but there’s an authentic emotion that was captured in them that brings me so much joy.

The ceremony was unique. They music they played was amazing. The grooms brother, Gerald, officiated the ceremony. He did a great job. He made people laughed and shared Gods word. The special part of the ceremony was where they washed each others feet. The River played during this portion and couldn’t have been a more perfect song choice. It’s a beautiful and powerful song.

The newlyweds shared their “I dos”.

I took the couple out to take their portraits before they could go in and party. They were enjoying the moment of calm in all the craziness that was about the the reception.

The wedding party lined up to enter the reception. The crowd cheered and clapped as each member was announced into the party. Last, but def not least, The Branches entered the reception. They jumped right into their first dance to a Work S

ong by one of my favorite bands, Hozier.

Instead of a cake, they had their own beer brewed by sweetwater. They tapped the keg instead of cutting the cake which was so awesome! Future reference: Stand back when kegs are being tapped!

The rest of the night was where everyone could party and let loose! This was a dancing crowd and they were awesome. Looked like everyone was really having a blast! Even the photographers. 😂

The night was coming to a close and like many couples these two had to run through a corridor of friends and family holding sparklers to bring the night to a close. This is always such a fun moment to capture. Caroline and Ryan’s exit was no different they left their wedding on cloud 9 and were whisked anyway to their honeymoon in Columbia.

I was so thrilled and honored to photograph this wedding. Happy to call these two friends. I know you guys will be just fine. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness!

Check out the photos from The Branch’s day!

The Vendors:

Venue: The Woodlands at Sweetwater

Hotel: AC Hotels

Dress: Long story…

Bridesmaid dresses: Shop Revelry

Tuxes: Black Tux

Coordinators: Stella Harper Events [Erin Stapleton]

DJ: DJ Byrd Dillonb33@yahoo.com

Florist: Stems Atlanta

Hair and makeup: Candace Davis icon_stylist2012@yahoo.com

Videographer: Rusticus Films

The BEST Dudoir you’ve EVER SEEN | Maui, HI

Y’all ready for the BEST dudoir I’ve ever photographed? Let’s dive in. (Pun intended)

Jeremy brought his poop hat, ‘Merica Speedo and Pineapples to his dudoir session in Maui. We headed down to the beach in Kihei for his session. The tide was high and the beach was deserted.

Jeremy lives here on Maui with his wife, Olivia (sorry, ladies) and 3 year old daughter, River. Olivia and Jeremy are expecting their 2nd child in August. A boy! He and Olivia own and operate Ohana Ocean Advntures a clear kayak and snorkle experience. In the summers you are sure to see lots of sea turtle and in the winter, whales! Jeremy has a wealth of knowledge of the marine and land life here on Maui and is sure to show you a good time and point out some cool fish and sea life. Jeremy took me out kayaking and we saw all kinds of cool stuff like eels, tropical fish and about ten sea turtles chillin’.

He will also let you know which animals you don’t want as a pet…like the Mongoose. Apparently, you don’t want a mongoose as a pet even though they look like cute ferrets. Jeremy says they’re mean.

The clouds were the only thing throwing a little shade that afternoon. Mr. Rose brought his A-game as he frolicked on the Maui beach. The waves were crashing on the rocks as Jeremy tossed his pineapples like a boss.

So, in honor of Father’s Day…I give you Mr. Jeremy Rose.

Does you or your man need a Dudoir session? Email me!
jess@jessjonesphotos.com with the subject “PINEAPPLE” for a special intro deal!

Katelyn + Caleb | Mountain Shadows | Hamiton, GA

Katelyn and Caleb shared a beautiful wedding ceremony at the Mountain Shadows Community Church in Hamilton, GA. It was a gorgeous forest theme. The church grounds are already beautiful, but Katelyn added her special touches to make it one-of-a-kind. The Georgia weather was pleasantly mild and the sun was shining! It was the perfect Saturday.

I’ve known this family for 12 years and I love them so much! Katelyn is such a gorgeous young woman and I’ve the opportunity to watch her transform into the stunning woman that she is today. Photographing this wedding was very special to me. My last photo memory of Katelyn was when I photographed her senior portraits. She wanted a Lana Del Ray theme and we totally pulled it off. I don’t often photograph senior portraits, but those were some that I’ll never forget!

Katelyn and her bridemaids prepped and applied their make up as I arrived. Mac Steedly was busy working away with the girls hair. He did an amazing job with the flower crowns. The bridesmaids wore a gorgeous shade of lavender and they all had flowers in their hair. Katelyn wore a beautiful flower crown made of eucalyptus and white flowers. The girls had a blast sharing laughs and tears that morning. Katelyn was definitely surrounded by all the love!

Caleb and his groommen were prepping for some special photos of their own. They’re all pokemon lovers, so they each wore their favorite pokemon shirt under their suits to pose for a photo. Caleb looked handsome in his Gentry Shops suit and bowtie.

Katelyn’s dress was gorgeous and was MADE FOR HER. It oozed fairy tail forest wedding. Wasn’t super over the top, but its was lovely and she looked gorgeous. Everytime I look at the photos of Katelyn, I’m like #FLAWLESS.

After she was all dressed and ready for the ceremony, Katelyn shared an awesome first look with her dad and brother. Who were about equal in their enthusiasm. Runs in the fam fo sure!

The ceremony was lovely, the beautiful decor was provided WM Events. Lana del Rey was playing over the speakers as the guests arrived and took their seats. Caleb waited eagerly to see his bride for the first time as she made her way down the aisle. The couple shared a sweet marriage ceremony surround by their closest family and friends. Officiated by Don Butler.

The reception was getting started. Kately and Caleb entered and hopped right into their romantic first dance to Ed Sheeran’s Tenerife Sea. These two are such a sweet and fun loving couple. They seemed to enjoy every minute of their day.

The father of the bride, Jesse, couldn’t let Caleb one up him while dancing with his daughter, so Katelyn and her dad showed everyone their dance skills and boy was it awesome! They started out in a sweet and typical wedding waltz, but then quickly shifted to an AWESOME choreogrphed number to a medly of fun party songs! Check out the video of the whole dance here. That dance set the tone and everyone was out of their seat and on the dance floor! The DJ, George Cotton, did an awesome job getting the party started and demoing the dance moves!

When the time came for the ceremony to wind down the newlyweds were whisked away for their honeymoon through a sea of sparklers! Always a favorite shot for me!

I loved being a part of this special wedding! It was such a blast. I’m wishing Caleb and Katelyn and happy, fun filled, and long lasting marriage! And a fun time in their new state, Texas!

Check out these highlights from Katelyn and Caleb’s day!

The Fab Vendors:
Venue: Mountain Shadows Community Church
Coordinator: Linda Butler
Minister- Don Butler
Event Design: Leigh Clemmings with WM Events
Hair Styling: Mac Steedly
Make up: The Bride!
Dress: An Affair to Remember
Bridesmaids dresses: An Affair To Remember
Tuxes: Gentry Shops Formalwear
Cake: Columbus Corner Bakery
Florist: Sarah with WM Events
DJ: George Cotton

Don’t be THAT guy.

Hey dudes. LISTEN UP.

This post is for you.

Your partner wants to feel wanted and desired. She’s tired of watching the kids all day and working and doing ‘mom things’. She wants to feel like you notice her. That you appreciate her. She wants to feel like she felt when ya’ll first met.

Women want a day of pampering and they want to feel beautiful. Don’t be the guy that makes them feel like they’re not worth it. Women go through their day trying to make everyone happy and putting others first. She deserves a day to herself. She deserves to have her make up done professionally, to be photographed and feel like a model for a day and to see her self in beautiful portraits. Its important for the soul.

Moms are always the ones taking photos and rarely in the photos. She needs portraits of herself. She’ll be a better mom and wife for it. She’ll appreciate her beauty and teach her children to love themselves as well.

Imagine this…

She just left my shoot pumped and ready to take on the world. Hair and make up on point. When she walked out of her shoot after seeing her photos…in her mind she was transported back to the woman you met and fell in love with. She felt amazing, so take her on a date and show her that she deserves to feel amazing and you want to support her happiness.

Don’t be the guy that tears her down after she just floated in on Cloud 9.

-Jess

Give me 4 hours and I’ll give you more confidence than you’ve had in years.

I didn’t plan on writing this post, it started as a Facebook status, but the words just kept pouring out and I couldn’t stop them.

Many of you know I’m a wedding and portrait photographer and I LOVE my job. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love many forms of art and photography. It’s who I am. And I’ve always pushed forward to continue this journey even when I wanted to give up and even when other people said it would be too hard. Or that I needed to “get a real job”.

I’ve been doing this for 11 years. I’ve spent countless hours educating myself, practicing, editing and I’ve spent thousands of dollars investing in this career of mine. I’m mostly self taught, but I contribute a great portion of my photo journey to the dark room at CSU with my 35mm pawn shop Minolta. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of bad edits that I thought were amazing at the time, to a lot of good shots that I am now confident in saying that actually are amazing shots.

I’ve recently been gravitating towards boudoir photography. Why? Because I absolutely love it and I believe there is a great need to show women who they are and what others see in a positive light.

Things change. We get older, have kids, bodies change, relationships come and go. All these things can have an impact on our self esteem, our confidence. Inner sparks get burnt out. Boudoir portraits can ignite fires in you that you forgot that you even had.

Empowering women and building their confidence is my mission. I’ve been given this photography talent and being able to use it as tool to show women how beautiful they are is something I am grateful for every day.

Boudoir is for women ALL ages, sizes and ethnicities. Don’t believe me? I have photographed size 00 to size 24, ages 20-60. Black, white, asian, hispanic. Young and old. Long hair. Short hair. Don’t care. You don’t need to wait till you lose a few pounds, get in shape, get a tan etc…(how damn long have you been saying that anyway?) You’re not getting any younger.

Every woman that comes into my studio says they were nervous and didn’t think the photos would turn out, but guess what? During the session, their nerves melt away, they feel confident in the woman that I show them on the back of the camera. They walk out feeling like they’re on top of the world. 🌎

I’m saying all this, because I want you guys to understand my passion for this art. Boudoir is a special thing that can commemorate milestones in your life as a woman. You deserve it. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. 💃

Start your confidence journey.

#YOLO

Ashley + John Wade | River Mill Event Center | Columbus, GA

Ashley and John Wade Ginn shared a fabulous wedding celebration at the one and only River Mill Event Center in Columbus, GA.

This whole celebration was laid back and The Ginn’s just wanted to have a good time and I think they nailed it! Ashley had two dresses for her celebration. The one she wore to her actual wedding in Las Vegas and her awesome comfy hi-lo party dress that she danced the night away in. This bride was stunning in both dresses.

Ashley’s beautiful sister and mother helped the bride get laced up into her formal dress and placed her veil perfectly.

The huge industrial style windows at the River Mill are always the perfect backdrop with the gorgeous light that they provide. I’m a such a huge fan of the old historic look and love when I can mix the old and new elements in one photo.

John Wade and Ashley met me in the garden for their portraits under the setting sun and the ethereal spanish moss that hangs from the trees in the River Mill Garden. They laughed and danced while I photographed. They both were totally chill and ready to party. Ashley’s gorgeous jewel toned bouquet was created by the talented B. Anderson Florals who never seems to disappoint us with her talents.

The whole family joined us in the garden for portraits and the beauty queen grandmother’s showed us all how to pose to create those flattering curves!

The time had come to get the party started. The ballroom was beautifully decorated with string lights over head and flowing white fabric. B. Anderson floral designs were on every table. She chose some really beautiful evergreen foilage paired with deep magenta toned flowers. The tables had some awesome brass candelabras and vases that lended a cool antique vintage vibe.

The Carson Hand Band totally killed it with their music and had the whole guest list on the dance floor.

The newly-weds shared an anniversary dance with all the couples in attendance and were left dancing with longest married couple in the room, John Wades’ Grandparents, with over 60+ years of marriage! How amazing is that?! Something to be celebrated for sure!

Guest mingled and snacked on the delicious food that was prepared by Jamie Keating. It all looked amazing! Oh and they had a deconstructed smore’s bar! #dead

I totally loved photographing this celebration of marriage and loved seeing tons of familiar faces. It was definitely a Harris County reunion!

Here’s to The Ginn’s! Wishing you guys many many happy years!

DILLY DILLY! 😉

The Fab Vendors:

Venue: River Mill Event Center
Florals: B. Anderson Florals
Band: Carson Hand

Lance + Kristi | Flint River home | Thomaston, GA

Kristi and Lance shared a fairy tale wedding at a secluded home of a family friend along the Flint River in Thomaston, GA. It was one of those places deep in the Georgia woods where you’re not sure if you’re at the right place. The wood cabin was nestled in the trees on the bank of the Flint River.

The yard was beautifully decorated with big light strands that criss crossed over the farm house style tables that were decorated with beautiful green garland and long wooden candle holders. The decor created the perfect forest wedding vibe.

The bride, her mother, sister and daughter, Talley and friend Dayna were upstairs getting their hair and make-up ready for the day. Family and friends gathered at the home helping with final prepping of food and finishing touches on the ceremony area.

Lance, his father, and Lance’s two sons, Rhett and Wyatt, were getting dressed down stairs. Lance and his dad helped the boys get their little suits and ties on. And upstairs, Lance showed me a couple of his best tips for fabulous wedding day hair. I believe the key is “low and slow” ie. Low heat, slow power. I could be wrong. Ask Lance. He has great hair.

The first look was approaching. I took the groom out to the river bank to wait for his bride to come down. I could see his nervous excitement waiting to see Kristi for the first time in her beautiful lace wedding gown. Kristi walked down the hill towards Lance who was facing the river. She tapped him on the shoulder and the look on their faces was pure joy. It was so sweet to see how happy they make each other.

Then the fire ants happened! We had a little WTF moment when Kristi had stepped into some ants. But her groom helped her dust them off and no brides were harmed during the photoshoot. We continued to take the rest of their wedding portraits as the rain clouds started rolling in. We all sprinted back up to the house at the first sign of rain drops.

It was still raining as guests were arriving. The bride was visibly bummed. I was so hoping the rain would let up in time for the ceremony. Miraculously, about ten minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start, the clouds started parting. This is not the first time this has happened at a wedding I’ve photographed, and it always seems like a miracle to me. It gives me chills thinking about the perfect timing and the perfect lighting that followed.

There was still fog hanging in the air throughout the trees. When the clouds parted this amazing warm glow enveloped the ceremony. Lance walked down the aisle with Rhett and Wyatt in each hand. The flower girl, Talley, left a trail of petals for her mother. They all waited for the beautiful bride to make her way down to the ceremony escorted by both her step-father from the house and then father who walked her the rest of the way down the aisle to meet her groom.

The short and sweet ceremony was officiated by a family friend. The couple read each other their vows through tears and laughs. They exchanged rings and shared that sweet first kiss after being pronounced man and wife.

The guests gathered round the homemade beer taps, cheese and charcuterie table. The string lights overhead made the wedding seem like a magical forest wedding. Guests mingled and chatted over dinner. The bride’s sister, gave a really sweet toast to the newlyweds and then read their father’s speech as he looked on. A couple of the groom’s friends said a few words and cracked some jokes to the new couple. Everyone could agree on how happy the two of them were together and were all thrilled to have them together.

Kristi and Lance shared their first dance as husband and wife to Chris Stapleton’s “More of You”. Then both shared a special dance with each other’s children. The band played to get the party kicked off and everyone was on the dance floor having a blast. The new siblings had run off to play some music of their own as they hijacked the drums from the band during their break.

It was time to cut the cake and as all the kids gathered round trying to get the first piece. The couple exchanges bites…nicely.

One of the bride’s friends, Katilynn, had a little fun on stage as she sang an amazing version of “Me and Bobby Mcghee” while everyone danced and sang along.

The full moon emerged from the trees and it was time to take their final exit of the night. Instead of sparklers the guests tossed lavender as they ran through the hall of people. And it smelled ahhh-mazing!

Kristi and Lance dance the night away with their closest friends and family. I’m so happy to have shared the day with these two. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness!

Here’s a peek inside their special day!

The fabulous vendors:
Venue: Family friend’s home
Hair and Make up: Katherine Benson
Dress: BHLDN
Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal
Cake: Sent From Heaven Sweets
Florist: Branches
Band: Loose Change

	Joni Jones on Lance + Kristi \| Flint River h…
	anna hoffman on Krystina + Anthony
	Joni on Shelby + Kory’s Engagemen…
	Joni on Jess + Andrew
	Joni jknes on Sooo, I did this cool thi…