Making Time for Date Nights

Date Nights, Life in Love  //  8th April 2013

Last week I wrote on our “BIG To Do List” that Saturday was going to be a Day OFF for us. A day off rarely happens. Very rarely! But when we actually write “Day OFF,” that means we have no excuse not to make that happen!

We had a crazy list of activities on our schedule for the week, but we were determined to make sure we took a day for ourselves. In fact, we decided to kick that day off right a night early with a Date Night on Friday night! We are celebrating life, my friends! ;) We got all dressed up and went out for a fun dinner together! We chatted about life and our dreams… and although “work” is heavily intertwined with our lives, we found ourselves smiling and laughing and enjoying every moment of this journey!

Earlier in the week I had an AMAZING conversation with my friend, Jenna, where we referenced one of my favorite quotes: “happiness is a journey, not a destination” – Souza. It was the perfect reminder to soak every single moment in and remember that happiness isn’t somewhere someday… happiness is today, living in this moment and celebrating this special life together!

We continued the weekend with that quote in our minds! ;) As we put the finishing touches on the Date Night Guide and Breakfast in Bed Guide that will be included as a special giveaway to everyone who purchases the AMAZING Life Together Webinar Recordings, we made sure to enjoy the journey! ;) We had a blast creating the Guides and we can’t wait to share them with others!

Learn how to make this AMAZING Banana Nutella Stuffed French Toast in our Breakfast in Bed Guide.

Learn how to make these surprisingly easy but extremely decadent Chocolate-Strawberry Soufflés in our Date Night Guide.

This weekend, mixed with work, fun, a day OFF, date nights, and AMAZING life conversations, was the perfect way for us to prepare for an adventurous couple of weeks ahead! We are getting ready to travel to each Love Inspirer’s home to interview them for the Webinar! As we pack our suitcase, we are so excited and passionate about enjoying this journey! We are so inspired to think that this journey and the messages the Love Inspirers are about to share have the AMAZING opportunity to touch the lives of so many couples!

The best part about it is that you also have the opportunity to touch the lives of special couples in your life just by encouraging them to take some time out of their busy schedule to tune into the webinar! Encourage them to mark Date Night and Breakfast in Bed on their calendar for April 26-27th and make it a priority to spend More Time for Love! We are firm believers that we all have a little something that we can learn from other couples… but at the very least, the webinar is a perfect excuse for couples to take a few hours out of their day to spend together… that is pretty much AMAZING!

We would love for you to help us spread the word about the webinar! It is super easy to sign up at http://www.amazinglifetogether.com. Each week leading up to the Live webinar, we are giving away a recording… complete with the special giveaways of the Date Night Guide, Breakfast in Bed Guide, and the Amazing Life Together eBook… to someone who shares the details of the webinar with their friends! The details for this chance to win will be sent to you directly after signing up for the webinar! The first winner of the recording and all of the goodies is Alison Mish! Wahooo! Thanks Alison for helping us spread the word and for making a difference in the lives of other couples in your life! LOVE THAT!

Have an AMAZING week, friends! And definitely don’t forget that happiness is a journey, not a destination!

More Time for Love Webinar | AMAZING Life Together FREE Event

Life in Love  //  1st April 2013

Marriage is AMAZING, but it is also a lot of hard work. There are so many things in our lives that are pulling for our time and attention that it can be hard to make more time for love and just focus on each other. Liz and I long for the days of dating we had in high school, where things just seemed less stressful. We could just lay on a hammock, cuddle tight, and watch the stars while dreaming about our future. No bills to pay, no worries of how we are going to go beyond the expected and live the life we dream of, and no thoughts of how we are going to get all of our work done. It was these moments, where we could just be together and focus on our love for each other that has helped us build such a strong foundation for our marriage and life together.

So, why does it always seem like a struggle to find the time to just be together? Why is it so hard to make it a priority to focus on love? Why do we invest in our businesses and our education, but yet we don’t take the time or money to invest in our marriages?

Over the past several years in our relationship, we have committed more fully to making love a priority. As wedding photographers, we are constantly reminded of how amazing love is! When we pack our gear and head home at the end of a wedding, we always find ourselves wondering how we can encourage our couples to celebrate that love every day. We want to have a greater impact on our couple’s marriages and every marriage we come in contact with. We want to help couples stay in love as much as they are on their wedding day! In fact, we want them to love more! When times get tough, we never want couples to question how truly AMAZING their marriage is! By making More Time for Love, couples can celebrate their special relationship each and every day!

With these words and these thoughts in our minds, we dreamed of an opportunity for couples to come together and focus on their love… to have an excuse to hold each other tight and just dream about their AMAZING Life Together. We are SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED to announce that opportunity is here! We have been hard at work creating the AMAZING Life Together More Time for Love Webinar and it is happening on April 26-27th! We have gathered some of the most AMAZING couples to come together and share their experiences in hopes to help other couples live a more AMAZING Life Together!

This webinar has become more than we even dreamed it to be! With the help of our Love Inspirers Justin and Mary Marantz, Lara Casey and Ari Isaccson, Ashley and Jeremy Mitchell, Katelyn James and Michael Alsop, Karen and Isaac Stott, this two-day event is going to be AMAZING! We are so excited to think about the lives this webinar has the ability to touch! This event is designed for the everyday couple! It is not industry specific and we hope it will leave every attendee couple more inspired to celebrate the AMAZING life they live together!

The AMAZING Life Together website (http://www.amazinglifetogether.com) has all of the details, including registration! The event is FREE and is the perfect excuse for a date night and breakfast in bed! If you cannot make the live event on April 26-27th or you prefer to have access to watch the webinar at your convenience, there is an option to purchase the recordings too! If you purchase the recordings before April 26th, we have an extra special price and we are giving you some extra special goodies to go along with it: a pre-released copy of our AMAZING Life Together ebook (WHOA! Yes, ebook… we are in the midst of completing our first ebook!!! Whoop whoop!), and exclusive Liz and Ryan Cozy Date Night and Breakfast in Bed Info Guides! Those might be reason enough to pick up the recordings at such a bargain price! ;)

We have been working so incredibly hard on this event because we so passionately believe we all need More Time for Love to focus on what is most important in our lives! We are so excited and honored to have our Love Inspirers join us for this very special event! I can’t really think of any reason not to attend, so please go sign up for the AMAZING Life Together More Time for Love Webinar! ;) Ohh… and please tell your friends, family, co-workers too! How AMAZING would it be if you could help them live a more AMAZING Life Together?

Can’t wait to “see” you on April 26th-27th!

60 Years of Love, Memories and Advice

Life in Love  //  29th March 2013

As we celebrated MiMi and Grandpa’s 60 years of marriage, Ryan’s whole family gathered for an evening of celebration! We gathered around the table with open ears and curious hearts as Mimi and Grandpa shared their favorite stories.

From across the table, Uncle Gary asked, “Wayne, tell us about your most memorable moment during your 60 years together.” Grandpa didn’t skip a beat when we said, “coming back from Alaska.” Thirty days after MiMi and Grandpa were married, Grandpa left for service during the Korean War. He was away for 15 months working on radio control and talking in morse code. I can only imagine how long those 15 months seemed in their hearts! When Grandpa came home, MiMi met him in at the airport. As he came off the plane, MiMi nervously and anxiously awaited the moment they would see each other again! Hiding behind the 180 other men… they finally found each other! That moment 58 ½ years ago, created a memory that is so fresh in their minds they told the story like it was yesterday!

The stories continued… and as I sat there listening to the words of wisdom that flowed from their years of experience, I couldn’t wait to hear more. I wanted to soak in every word so that we would never forget the history of Ryan’s family. I wanted to learn from their 60 years of experience and take in every piece of advice they shared! Grandpa said… “tell him (Ryan) to listen to you.” ;) With Ryan sitting right next to me, I know I will never have to repeat that! ;)

MiMi reminded us of the importance of communication and making sure that we talk about things when they are on our mind. She said that didn’t always happen for them, but that is one piece of advice she learned along the way!

Sixty years! What a blessing! And what a blessing to have the whole family together to celebrate MiMi and Grandpa… where it all began! As Mimi said, “I am too young to be getting this old!” we were reminded that you can never be too young to soak in these moments and celebrate those years of experience that will one day make us “old.” We can only dream of the day, 54 years from now, when Ryan and I are sitting around the table with our whole family by our side, celebrating our 60 years of marriage, sharing the stories of memories we are making today. What an AMAZING thought.

Amazing Marriages – Embrace Silence

Life in Love  //  25th March 2013

The fire gently crackling was the only noise in the cabin as we relaxed in silence. We sat together, and let the still air of the night surround us. I wrapped my arms around you and we took in the moment. Without a word spoken, we silently said I love you.

When was the last time we just sat together in silence? Sometimes I think it is as if we are afraid of silence. We are always quick to fill the air with music, television or conversation. But, in silence comes comfort. Silence strengthens our love.

One of our favorite things to do with our couples during their engagement sessions is to have them stand facing each other, hand in hand. We ask them to look at each other, close their eyes and take a deep breath. As we step back, we let the silence surround them and watch as it works its magic.

This week we encourage you to embrace silence. Sit together in the morning as the sun rises and just absorb each other. Without a word, let each other know how much you love each other. After dinner, turn off the television, and relax together on the couch. Look at each other and without a word, let each other know how much you mean to each other. Embrace the silent moments and have an AMAZING Marriage and an AMAZING week!

AMAZING Marriages: Write More Love Letters

Life in Love  //  18th March 2013

I sit in a quiet room. Alone, thinking. A pen and paper by my side, I try to think of the perfect words to tell you how much I love you. The sun has yet to rise and the world is still silent. I close my eyes and breath softly. I remember the times when we started dating. We would write notes, love letters, to each other and exchange them as we passed each other by in the halls of high school. I can remember the torn edges of the paper, your words neatly written on each line, words that were written with care and fresh love.

There is something magical about a love letter. To write a love letter takes effort, it takes care. It would be easier to send you a text message or leave a note on your Facebook wall. In 140 characters or less I could pour out my heart to you with the perfectly crafted tweet. But all of these are fleeting. They are digital ink in a fast paced world that is quickly forgotten.

A love letter written with a pen and paper takes care, it takes emotion.

“The mere fact that somebody would even just sit down pull out a piece of paper and think about someone the whole way through with an intention that is so much harder to unearth when the browser is up and the iPhone is pinging and we’ve got six conversations rolling in at once… that is an artform.” – Hannah Brencher, creator of More Love Letters says it best.

I sit here and I breathe deep, eyes closed, thinking. Thinking of the laughter we share as we walk to breakfast on an early spring morning. Thinking of the moments we talked on the phone, I in my first year of college, you still in high school. Thinking of the moments we are yet to share on our next great adventure, the adventure of life we take together. Slowly I press my pen to paper. Words written are forever. I wonder, one day, will our children read this? I imagine a time, 50 years from now. We are worn and wrinkled; we have loved and lived life. Our grandchildren surround us as we pull out a letter. A letter we have written, with pen and paper, and full intention. A letter filled with love.

…

When was the last time you wrote a true love letter? A letter for no reason other than love? Today I would like to challenge everyone that reads this to write a love letter to someone you love. It could be your spouse, your sister, your mother, your child. Write with intention, from your heart. Write something beautiful, on real paper, with a real pen.

For those that are married, I’d like to invite both you and your spouse to join Liz and I on a project: One love letter per day for the next 30 days. 30 Letters each. Share the letters with each other before bed, or when you wake up. Then save the letters in a box. When times get tough, reopen the box and reread the letters. They are a record, a documentation of your love in this moment. Words beautifully written that will last forever.

Thank you Mary Marantz for introducing us to Hanna Brencher and the More Love Letters Project. For more information, be sure to check out http://www.moreloveletters.com or watch her TED talk below.