I'm Jenna, the woman behind the camera at Jenna Cole. My first and middle names are really Jenna Nichole but I like to keep things short and easy to remember so I gave myself a nickname for my middle name. Innovation and originality are two traits I'm always striving to embody, whether in my personal or professional life, and I want to work with clients who want the same thing from their photography experience. I don't just want to shoot your session or wedding, I want to work with you to design the best photo experience possible!
Dress up in your fanciest clothes and meet me in the grungiest location you can think of. Theme your shoot around a word or idea, like "bright colors", and bring props that make your photos pop. Silhouettes at sunset, your new puppy, a 50's theme... let's create something that describes you.
You can read more about my personal life at That Wife, add me on Twitter, or find me on Facebook. Thank you for visiting and for commenting (I read them all and they make my day!).
I'm currently located in Dallas, TX but will be relocating to Chicago in August 2010.
The reception!
A few of my favorite details…
The bride and groom supplied calling cards next to their guestbook with their new married address, phone numbers, etc. I’d never seen anything like it but I thought it was a brilliant way to spread their contact information to family and friends.
The toasts were sweet, just enough of a roast to get reactions like this from the bride and groom.
Who gave this kid a glass of champagne!?!?!?
No cake-smashing-in-the-face for this couple, but a little bit of encouragement from the crowd caused Jeramy to get a frosting tipped nose.
Natalie was so sweet during her dance with her dad, if you look close you can see the tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks. I had the “Butterfly Kisses” song stuck in my head for days afterward. 
I can’t take credit for this shot… it was actually taken by the best man! He begged me to let him take a few pictures, and after interrogating him regarding the number of drinks he’s consumed and making him promise to wear the camera strap around his neck, I let him play for a bit. It was actually a great idea because the sight of his best friend playing wedding photographer really made Jeramy laugh!
Fierce competition for the bridal bouquet. The poor MOH never had a chance.
That tongue! Natalie knew Jeramy was going in with his teeth.
Jeramy removed the garter with his friends and family cheering him on, and stood up to celebrate with his teeth, only to find his new father-in-law staring him down from behind. Very funny moment.
To be honest, I’m really only including this picture because I like her necklace. Gorgeous right?
I took a break to switch lenses and eat some cake, and when I jumped back in the fray Natalie looked completely different!
The getaway car, which belongs to Natalie’s mom. Jeramy oh-so-conveniently sent his keys off with one of his groomsmen (haha, I know it was an accident Jeramy!) and so the couple were forced to take the car with them for the wedding night, when the original plan was just to use the car for the photos at the end of the night.
Happy marriage Natalie and Jeramy! I’m still a bit bummed you didn’t wear your new sunglasses down the aisle Natalie, but your eyes and smile were so radiant as you made your way toward your new husband that I can’t blame you for wanting to have the best view possible. Jeramy you have the best smile and I love watching you watch Natalie. It’s obvious that you adore each other and I loved spending your wedding day with you.
Best,
Jenna
June 23, 2010 - 4:18 pm - These are great! I can totally see the changes over the past year - you're working hard and it's showing! Love the one of the guy who caught the garter - he is pretty excited :)
June 23, 2010 - 7:27 pm - I love the wedding bouquet moment. It's a priceless picture when you catch such a brief and funny moment like that. Great shots. Some of the black and white onces of them dancing have a grainy feel, is that on purpose or was the light lacking?
June 23, 2010 - 8:47 pm - As mother of the bride at this wedding, I highly recommend Jenna Cole photography. Jenna is a delight to work with, and her work speaks for itself. However....any of you brides out there looking for a wedding cake, I cannot recommend Elegant Cakery in Southlake. The cake we received was noting like the cake we ordered. The dividers of flowers in styrofoam were not supposed to be there. The layers were supposed to be cut in angles to give it the uneven look. When we voiced our displasure, they were not the least bit appologetic, and instead made the comment that this cake was valued at twice the price of the one we paid for. That is some expensive styrofoam and flowers!!!! Also, they said they did not have Natalies phone number to call to verify what color of flowers she wanted (and remember she didn't want any flowers), yet made numerous calls to the groom's phone while they were on their honeymoon to inquire about their cake plate that had not yet been returned. Use at your own risk.
June 23, 2010 - 9:26 pm - Their wedding looked so fun. That CAKE was amazing! I loved that photo of their first dance...so sweet!
June 24, 2010 - 8:29 am - Patty, so sorry to hear about this trouble! Thank you for leaving a review for any brides who are looking for vendors to use. Thank you for your kind words about my work, it is pleasure to hear that you love what I've presented here.
June 24, 2010 - 8:33 am - It's on purpose due to lack of light. :) I like to switch between using available light and flash at the reception. The diptych of the two first dance photos were taken with a very high ISO, which is what gives them that grainy look.
June 24, 2010 - 8:47 am - Beautiful! So many favorite photos I can't even list mine. Oh and that necklace is fabulous! I also love the grainy look! Especially in the one spotlighting on her gorgeous ring!
June 24, 2010 - 9:41 pm - Jenna, They look amazing!!
June 24, 2010 - 9:45 pm - And, the cake is beauitful... They are very talented. Customer satusfaction just isn't high on the priority list. Simply weren't pleasant to work with, and that's very important on your wedding day! The picture Jenna took does make it look fantastic though :)
July 9, 2010 - 2:16 pm [...] picture from Jenna Cole’s blog is really cute. (PS if you haven’t heard of her you should check out her blog, its awesome [...]
Natalie and Jeramy were married on a sunny, slightly windy, Friday in June. You’ve seen them on Jenna Cole before, as they did an engagement session in Deep Ellum with me and brought their sweet puppy with them. They were married at Paradise Cove in Westlake, Texas, with a wedding day that can be described as wonderfully Texan in so many ways. What a delight it was to spend the day with them!
Venue: Paradise Cove
Officiant: Jim Dunn
Florist: Lakeside Florist
DJ: David Mayo
Cake: Elegant Cakery
When the coordinator delivered a gift wrapped in pink for Natalie from Jeramy I was expecting perfume, jewelry, you know something typical…
I did not expect her to pull these sunglasses out of this box! She said she was going to wear them down the aisle and I got excited (she didn’t though ).
This sweet junior bridesmaid painted her nails extra special in order of Natalie and Jeramy.
The moment when the bride slips on her dress is one of my favorites of the day.
Natalie stayed sequestered in her dressing room to make sure she wasn’t seen, but I was able to track down Jeramy and get him outside for some portraits.
This view is the reason why brides choose to marry at Paradise Cove (one other reason must be the coordinators as they were particularly awesome!).
Natalie alternated between beaming and floating down the aisle.
One reason I loved the coordinators at Paradise Cove was how efficiently they handled the timeline and kept the day flowing. After the ceremony they ushered Natalie and Jeramy into this little alcove, and sent guests up toward the reception. It really helped us get to our portraits quickly which was extremely important as we didn’t have much time before the sun set completely.
The bridesmaids hate windy days because their hair and skirts fly all over. I like them because they make the photos exciting.
Ah, portrait time. Hooray! I’ve had some weddings with a very limited amount of time for portraits and I kept thanking Natalie and Jeramy for the amount of time they gave me. I also thanked them for how natural and relaxed they were in front of the camera. The secret to great wedding day portraits for the bride and groom is just forgetting that the camera is there and enjoying each others company.
I was in love with this majestic tree.
THAT SHOT! My favorite from the batch. Natalie, you’re smokin’.
Every wedding at Paradise Cove needs a dramatic sunset shot.
The happy couple are due back from their honeymoon tomorrow and I wanted to have this post up for their return. Welcome back you two!
Pt II, the reception, will be posted on Monday.
June 18, 2010 - 6:42 pm - That windy shot with the tree is amazing Jenna!
June 18, 2010 - 9:03 pm - What a beautiful venue. Her dress reminds me of the vera wang dress from last season that had the pretty black sash!
June 19, 2010 - 2:27 pm - Oooo... gorgeous wedding! Loved the tree, the pictures of them laughing, but the very last with the sun setting sky is my favorite! I love silhouette shots!
July 6, 2010 - 2:05 pm - GORGEOUS!!
Congratulations is in order for Draya and Jake, winners of the Wedding Redux contest! I’m really looking forward to developing the perfect session for them. They are finally going to have professional photos that they can look forward to showing to their family, friends, and maybe even one day their children. Look for the results from their session sometime this Fall!
Jessica and Carl had so many sincere comments from friends and family that I’ve decided to offer them a 50% discount on a Duet session and 25% off of any prints or products that they might order if they would be interested in booking with me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to work with both couples in the future!
June 14, 2010 - 1:09 pm - Jenna we are beyond excited!!!! Thank you doesn't even sound like enough. But it's all I can come up with right now so Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!!!! And everyone who voted we are just amazed and grateful for all the votes. Jenna you have the best readers ever!
June 14, 2010 - 1:35 pm - Congrats!
June 14, 2010 - 1:59 pm - Where did all the stories for each entry go? I have been searching your site and can't find them! Can you link to them?
June 14, 2010 - 2:38 pm - Man, I guess I need more internet friends! What did we get, a whopping 7 votes? :) Congrats to both couples, they really had heart-wrenching stories... so much so that I didn't vote because I couldn't decide between them. I hope their photo shoots provide them with the beautiful pictures they were missing.
June 14, 2010 - 5:18 pm - D-I didn't keep them up because they featured work that wasn't my own and I was a bit worried that people would see those photos on accident somehow and think that was my work! If you know the couples involved go ahead and contact them directly! Helena-I don't think you did as much campaigning as they did. :) Hope to see you in Chicago anyway!
June 14, 2010 - 9:35 pm - Yay!!! I was sooo rooting for these two :-) Congrats!!! Can't wait to see the photos!
June 15, 2010 - 8:34 am - I am very sad about not winning a new session with you Jen, but I am honestly excited for Draya! I could not imagine going through what she did, she definitely did have worse pictures, and surprisingly her pictures made me appreciate the few good shots I did get... Thanks for the opportunity to all of us! Good luck to the happy couple and have fun! You definitely have the best photographer out there!
June 15, 2010 - 9:33 am - Wonderful! I would have been happy for any of the deserving couples, but congrats to Draya & Jake!!
June 15, 2010 - 10:43 am - Yeah! I wanted them to win!
June 15, 2010 - 1:22 pm - Congrats!! Can't wait to see your fabulous new photos!
June 14, 2010 - 1:07 pm [...] in Uncategorized Visit Jenna Cole to find out who won the Wedding Redux contest! I posted a teaser from my latest wedding this [...]
A reader named Amanda emailed me and asked if I ever invite people to shadow or second shoot with me, and I said I would be very interested in setting something up, but I didn’t have any shoots scheduled that she could come along for. She was kind enough to round up her friend Vicki (convincing her to wake up and get ready for a 7:30 am session, my favorite time to shoot!) and we went out to Rock Creek Park and explored a little bit. I even brought my little one and managed to hold him in the Bjorn, feed him a bottle, juggle my Shootsac and camera, AND take pictures at the same time. It was pretty impressive if I do say so myself.
Amanda emailed me some feedback regarding the time we spent together:
i stumbled upon jenna’s blog late one night and instantly fell in love with her style and beautiful images. i decided to e-mail her and see if she would be up for a mentoring type session where i could shadow her and just observer her “in action”. i didn’t know if i would hear anything back from her {especially since it was around the time of her little one’s arrival}, but to my surprise, she got back to me and was up for it! i was ecstatic! we met up early one morning for a few hours in arlington and i can’t even begin to tell you how amazing she is. i am a very visual learner, so i learned so much just watching her shoot & her interaction with the model. she instantly puts you at ease and you feel like you’ve known her forever. she made sure to take time and answer any questions i had about anything; lensese, camera settings, business. she even gave me a few awesome tips and some of her own advice. she has so much knowlede and experience, i loved getting to pick her brain a bit! i really learned so much and this experience with jenna was priceless, it really helped me grow as a photographer and changed the way i shoot. amanda onstott
So kind, thanks Amanda! Here is a photo she took, I hope she won’t mine me sharing it here!
I’m going to be doing a little mini workshop of sorts with some friends this weekend, a sort of “momtog” lesson for the women I’m friends with who have dSLRs and are wanting to learn how to really get the most out of their cameras. Depending on the feedback I get back from them I may consider making them a regular occurrence for a small fee, available to dSLR users who just want to better understand how to utilize the fancy equipment they’ve invested in. If you are in Chicago or Dallas and would be interested in such a thing please email me!
June 14, 2010 - 7:27 am - What a great idea! First off, isn't it amazing the things you can do even with a baby! You think certain tasks are so hard without a kid and then you have one and it's like, man that was so easy back before kids! You'll continually surprise yourself at your multitasking capabilities! Secondly, LOVE the last shot of the boots, love them all, but that is awesome! And that Vicki is beautiful! Amazing legs! haha
June 14, 2010 - 7:37 am - This weekend? As in June 18th or 19th?? Where do I sign up??
June 14, 2010 - 7:53 am - I think this is a great idea. If you are able to keep the prices reasonable, I could see this being a very sustainable venture with other moms and aspiring photographers. You could probably even arrange something through the YMCA, the JCC, Junior Leagues, Slipper Club (in Dallas) or similar community groups as "one-off" events or multi-session classes with a nominal fee.
June 14, 2010 - 8:14 am - I don't have any more room this weekend (I've collected quite a large group of interested friends!) but depending on how it goes I'll host another and let you know!
June 14, 2010 - 9:55 am - I'm here in Dallas and I would greatly appreciate a workshop like that. I took classes in college for photography but have lost all of my knowledge now in the digital age.... lol Just got a D-SLR and would love some refresher help and also a lot of "new stuff" help. Thanks!
June 14, 2010 - 12:05 pm - I would totally be up for something like this in Chicago!!
June 14, 2010 - 1:50 pm - jenna! your shots looks fantastic...of course! :) thanks again for a great morning, you are amazing!
June 14, 2010 - 6:28 pm - I'm interested if you decide to continue doing this. Please keep me informed!
June 15, 2010 - 12:20 pm - I am a new mommy and I want a great camera to take pictures of my little one.. Which one would you recommend?
June 16, 2010 - 10:10 pm - Angel- If you're looking for an entry level dSLR and you'd like to go with a Canon (I think either Canon or Nikon are awesome, it's all about holding them in your hand and seeing how they work), I always recommend buying the cheapest Rebel you can find, unless you want video, and then using any money you have left over to buy a prime lens like the 50mm 1.8 or even the 50mm 1.4 if you can afford it. The lens that will come with your camera, called a kit lens, will be great for when your kids are zooming around, but if you really want to take great portraits the 50mm is the way to go!
June 21, 2010 - 9:36 pm - I'm in central Iowa, but would love to wander over to Chicago some time for a mini class. My Husband is going to grad school as well (but we'll be long distance) so I'll have plenty of time on my hands to dive head first into photography.
June 22, 2010 - 3:27 pm - I, too, would be up for this in Chicago.
by Jenna
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