Sharon Theresa Wheaton – Sharon Theresa Wheaton

Modern Wedding Albums

Did you guys know I’m a photographer in disguise? 😊 Yes, it’s true, I started my career in 2006 as a graphic designer. It’s interesting to look back at that time. I worked at a newspaper, a print house, and a marketing company before I became a full-time wedding photography. I honestly think I became bored working as a designer; working on someone else’s idea became so exhausting. I also wanted to spend as much time as possible with Bowie. When Team Wheaton was born there was no looking back. I’m glad I made the switch from a full-time designer to a full-time photographer; Working with amazing people face to face is so much more rewarding than working a cubical! 📷

Our modern albums are designed by the studio but approved by you. We work together to create the story of your wedding through both of our perspectives. It’s such a neat and easy process, just ask our clients. Thanks to our amazing team at Vision Art, we love our final results! Each page is printed with archival inks on brilliant fine art paper. These albums are so beautifully designed and built to be shared for generations to come. With many sizes and shape options, together we will create a modern wedding album you will be proud to show off to everyone!

Team Wheaton Full Coverage Wedding Collections

Almost all of our Team Wheaton Wedding Collections come with classic wedding albums, but we also offer a la carté options for our Hourly Collections too. Because one of the most fantastic days of your life should never be stuck on a hard drive. We love to share our albums with potential clients because it shows the quality of our work as well how we can put together a story from start to finish with ease. Not one of our clients but love our albums? We can design your store too! We also offer our modern wedding albums for our family and maternity collections.

Cheers until next time friends,

Singing Praises: A Call for Reviews

Greetings from Team Wheaton! (Sharon) – I’ve been having some inner debates on exactly what I want this blog to be. Blogs are so diverse in today’s world I’ve been struggling with this new opportunity to do something a little different. I’m still struggling with how to talk to the faceless friends and potential clients that decided to glance over any over my blog post. At this point, I feel like sharing events in my world, plus all the neat things I’ve been learning as a new(ish) cultural wedding photographer.

We currently spend about half of the year in Nashville and half of the year in Atlanta traveling and servicing all my wonderful clients! Here in Nashville, I have few exciting opportunities on the horizon that I hope to share with you guys soon. Until that time, I think I’ll continue to write my stream of ramblings for the masses and of course, share some of the beautiful weddings we’ve been lucky enough to capture.

Hooked on a Feeling

You guys know that very famous song, “Hooked on a Feeling”? Bowie and I fell-in-love-all-over-again with this amazing song right after the first Guardians of the Galaxy came out a few summers ago. If you are as old (or older) than I am, you may remember this song being very popular in the late 90s. A little show called Ally McBeal resurrected this song from all who may have forgotten it existed from its original release in the late 1960s. With the updated version from Blue Swede, and Ally’s biological clock ticking, the dancing baby was born. It was a memorial moment of 90s tv!

Lyrics: The story of a song

Lyrics have always been a huge inspiration of mine. I am very passionate about music that I love and the story of the song is just as important to me as the rhythm and the melodies! When I find a song that speaks to me in rhythm, I immediately start to learn the words so I can know the little nuggets of wisdom the artist has left for us to find. “Hooked on a Feeling” is a simple enough song to be inspired by with lyrics like:

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

I can’t stop this feeling
Deep inside of me
Girl, you just don’t realize
What you do to me

When you hold me
In your arms so tight
You let me know
Everything’s all right

I’m hooked on a feeling
I’m high on believing
That you’re in love with me

The singer can’t believe his amazing luck that this lovely lady is in love with him. What luck to find such love in life. How lucky our bride felt to be serenaded with such a love song. I was grinning from ear to ear and may have even shed a tear at the adorable display! So here’s my question for you tonight, dear readers: Are you hooked on Sharon Theresa Wheaton? 😉

Reviews

Asking for a review is probably my most dreaded request as a business owner. Bowie and I strive to serve our clients to the best of our ability every time we book a wedding. From start to finish I want the process to be easy and I want the execution to be flawless. These expectations are, in some ways, to hard to accomplish. Being realistic and being perfect doesn’t work together and I struggle with wanting to be perfect all the time. I’ve been very lucky to learn something new about myself with each review I’ve received. Therefore, we push through and ask the tough questions. If you are reading this, and you feel you’d like to give us a review, we would love to hear from you! Any review is appreciated, but if you would like to leave a more in-depth review to be featured on the website, please contact the studio directly. You may also review us on Facebook.

Until next time friends,

Rest Recoup Refocus Completely

Rest Recoup Refocus

Greetings Internet,

If you have been following my page for a while, you may have seen some sporadic updates. Today, that all changes. I have lived in Nashville for over a year now. Over this year, I have had my time to rest, recoup and refocus in my life and business. While I was resting something really amazing happened; I turned into a new version of Sharon Theresa Wheaton.

Pain, Happiness, and Drive

2016 and now 2017 has been very interesting for Team Wheaton. We’ve had some pain and we’ve had some happiness. Having time to grieve this past year has been very helpful, but I still have more growth to experience. I am now focused and ready to work towards my dreams as a strong business owner. No more fear. No more worry and no more regret. My drive is back in full force and I’m ready to share it with the world. I’m thankful for the amazing clients I have had through this refocus period because they helped me understand what I’ve always know about myself and Team Wheaton; we rock, our work is amazing and we are a really efficient husband and wife, wedding photography team!

My new goal is to add decent writer to that list. Will I make mistakes? Oh yes. Will I fix those mistakes and move forward? Absolutely. I will no longer think and worry about being perfect. My plan is to act, make mistakes, fall on my face, look silly and then, get up and get better. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that making mistakes is how you get better. Somehow I forgot that making mistakes is how I made it here, but I will forget no more. I can rejoice with a happy heart, knowing I’ve become a stronger person both personally and professionally.

Lessons from the Hora

To kick off this new day, let’s start with one of my favorite moments at a Jewish wedding, the Hora. The hora is super emotional for me. I like to dig in deep. I must be in the inner circles of the dancing. Needing to feel all the raw emotion of this honorary dance means sometimes getting smacked in the nose with an elbow. The very first Hora I ever shot, I felt like I was in a mosh pit. After being stepped on, smacked on the back and elbowed in the face, I couldn’t get enough. I went diving in for more.

I realized recently that as much as I love this song and dance, I have no idea what the lyrics to Hava Nagila mean. When I looked up the words, I knew a post about the Hora was the perfect way to reintroduce myself to the world. The words are simple but have so much meaning:

Hava nagila
Hava nagila ve-nismeḥa
Hava neranenah
Hava neranenah ve-nismeḥa
Uru aḥim be-lev sameaḥ

These words translated into English are:

Let’s rejoice
Let’s rejoice and be happy
Let’s sing
Let’s sing and be happy
Awake my brothers with a happy heart

and yes, dear internet, thanks to the support of so many people, I have awoken with a happy heart! I will rejoice, sing and be happy!

Until next time, Cheers, Salude, L’chaim!

Committed Team Wheaton

Olmsted Linear Park Engagement Photography

Let’s talk about little bit about commitment. When I decided to become a wedding photographer, I understood that I absolutely have to show up. Calling in sick is not a “thing” if you are a wedding photographer for obvious reasons! I’m very thankful for the clients that I have and it is an absolute must that I am there for them no matter how I feel.

Insert Crazy Story

These two lovely people are from the Atlanta area, however, they currently live in California. They have an adorable meeting story. They were both on a dating site, successfully made a date with each other and then realized they lived in the same building. If I remember correctly they ended up meeting on the elevator in the building. How neat is that? Since they both live in Cali, they had to travel to Atlanta to meet us for their engagement session. The weekend was set to be perfect, however, Saturday’s weather was a bit overcast. We decided together that Sunday would be a better day for us to shoot since we wanted some natural, beautiful sunlight.

The Queasy Evening

Saturday night, Bowie and I are getting ready for bed and I start to feel a little sick. I thought nothing of it and continued on with my nighttime routine. Around 1 am I am in full panic mode. I wake up in insane pain in all my joints and then, you guessed it, the puking begins. My only comfort is that Bowie is not sick. He has to run out to CVS and fetch his wife some emetrol in the hopes that all the barfing will stop. By the time he returns, we are in full shutdown. He is also sick. We thankfully fall asleep, but sleep is broken, sweaty and cold. THE FLU?! How could this happen to both of us at the same time?

Wedding Photographer’s Sweet Reality

The morning comes and our shoot is around 4:30. With only a few hours to get ready for a shoot, we can not cancel due to the fact our clients flew in for our session, Team Wheaton is a mess. We don’t alert the bride and groom because we don’t want to worry them about our condition. St the shoot, I think I lasted about 20 mins before I tell them of our situation. I kept a smile on my face and directed the shoot. As we moved to West Provisions, our second location, I sat in the back seat of the car and I cried the entire way. I felt so helpless. We finished up the shoot and rushed back to bed. Three days later Team Wheaton was back to normal.

Photo Delivery

About two weeks after most engagement sessions we deliver images. Two days later I get a call from the mother of the bride. I feared the worst, even though I liked the images we delivered. To my surprise, the MOB had called to thank me for taking care of everything and praised the photos. I was SO happy, but couldn’t help but tell her our story. She mentioned that she knew and they were sorry that happened. However, she was thrilled to tell me that their confidence in our ability to shoot the wedding day perfectly was further increased by our ability to shoot such great work while we were on our deathbeds! WIN! It might have struggled, and there were many tears, but my commitment to our clients won a special place in the hearts of not only our bride and groom but now the family too.

Check out the images below and ask yourself, are the photographers you’re looking to shoot your special day totally commitment you?

Olmsted Linear Park Engagement Photography

Schermerhorn Symphony Maternity Session

Hello Nashville! Bowie and I have had such an exciting year photographing such a beautiful city. Nashville is full of life, music, beauty and thankfully for us, a few of our past clients. Ola and D were married a few years back at Agnes Scott College and we were so thrilled to be apart of their Atlanta celebration. We were so excited when D contacted us to shoot their growing family here in Nashville, our new home city. We started their maternity session at Shelby Bottoms and then moved to downtown Nashville’s most beautiful courtyard at Schermerhorn Symphony. The symphony attendant was so kind to give us a little extra time in the courtyard, and we are very thankful for his kindness. Check out Ola + D’s lovely Schermerhorn Symphony Maternity Session images below.

We Have Some BIG News!

That’s right friends, family and clients – Bowie and I are moving to Nashville! We are excited to expand our wedding photography business out to Nashville, Tennessee. We will still be serving the Atlanta area but our new home base will now be in Nashville. As excited as we are, you should be too as there will be ZERO extra fees for weddings, engagements, portraits or corporate work anywhere in Georgia. That includes Savannah, Atlanta and everything in between. We are proud to serve our wonderful southern family and still plan to be in Atlanta all the time. Cheers to a great end of the year and look out Nashville, here comes the Wheaton Crew!

Senior Portrait Session |Atlanta

Leah + Grant | Wedding | Grand Hyatt Hotel Buckhead

Greetings fans! We are excited to share such a lovely wedding and couple with you guys today. Leah and Grant were married at the lovely, and recently renovated, Grand Hyatt Hotel in Buckhead! This was the first time Bowie and I had the pleasure of working at this lovely hotel. If there is one thing I can say about this location, other than its beauty, it’s that the staff is fantastic. Anything we needed, any questions we had, all situations were handled with care and excitement. From the top executive right down to the hotel staff, everyone greeted us with smiles and consideration.

We were also very excited to work with a few new vendors this wedding. Terry from Special-T-Events was the head of the show and Flowers by Yona created all the beautiful flowers and reception design. It was a great team and a beautiful day! Take some time and check out Leah and Grant’s amazing wedding. Check out this wedding published on The Knot!

To the bride and groom: Bowie and I were so, so happy to be a part of your amazing day of joy and love. Your family treated us as we were one of their own and we were so happy to be there for everyone. Here’s to an amazing marriage full of adventure, love, excitement and great surprises!

Intercontinental Buckhead | Foundry Puritan Mill Wedding

Greetings from out new website! Sharon Theresa Wheaton is so excited for all the amazing changes to the new site and new business name. As excited we are for the new name change, we are still the same team! Bowie and I are still shooting as a husband and wife team. We are excited and we hope you are too! To kick off the new name we have an adorable smitten couple, Ashley + Jordan, and their lovely Foundry at Puritan Mill wedding. Let’s get to know this couple a little better.

STW: How did you and Jordan meet?

Ashley: Jordan and I met through friends in Athens, GA at the beginning of our last year at UGA. It was love at first sight and we have been together since. The night that we met, we did not leave each other’s side and ended up at a concert at the Georgia Theatre. We shared our first kiss in that same theatre as well.

STW: How did Jordan pop the question?

Ashley: One day after work, Jordan took me back to the very same spot we shared our first kiss. He set up the proposal at the Georgian Theatre. Needless to say, I was completely surprised. We had a vacation planned shortly after the day he proposed and I was sure it would happen over that weekend. Now we can reminisce on the night we met and the night that we got engaged in the very same spot at the Georgia Theatre.

STW: I LOVE it when brides get caught off guard. I know] being a “Type A” girl myself that is almost impossible to be surprised! He did a great job. So, your wedding, what is the most important thing you want to remember?

Ashley: Wow that is a good question! I would have to say happiness. Happy that Jordan and I are taking that next step in our lives, that our families are now joining into one and that we will be able to celebrate this occasion with our family and closest friends. Also, the joy and love that I feel today and continue to feel when I am with Jordan.

STW: Ok readers. I’m 100% positive that you will see nothing but pure joy and happiness BEAMING from everyone at Ashley and Jordan’s amazing Intercontinental Buckhead and The Foundry at Puritan Mill wedding! Cheers to Ashley and Jordan and their amazing love for each other!

Getting Ready: Intercontinental Buckhead

Ceremony: Sardis Methodist Church

Reception: The Foundry at Puritan Mill

Coordinator: Stella-Harper Events

Floral: Darryl Wiseman Flowers

Caterer: Bold American

Hilton Marietta Atlanta Conference Center Wedding Preview

We had a lovely weekend at Hilton Marietta Atlanta Conference Center. We wanted to share a quick preview of Cassie and Alex’s classic Atlanta wedding. Cheers to love!!

Venue: Hilton Marietta Atlanta Conference Center

Planner:The Season Events

Video: Alyson Alpine Tree

Photography: Sharon Theresa Wheaton