The AMAZING Marriage Project

Love, Stories Documented  //  13th February 2013

You know when you walk down the street and you come across the sweetest couple walking hand in hand and giggling and laughing at each other? Sometimes they are an older couple helping each other step-by-step and other times they are younger and basically pulling each other across the street. Either way, they always seem to have a zest for life and most certainly exude love that adds an extra beat in our hearts! Those moments when we witness the love that these couples share always has a way of stopping us in our tracks and reminding us to slow down and soak in this life!

As we mentioned with our What If post on Monday, we have had this idea brewing for awhile, but we finally decided to take some action and start The AMAZING Marriage Project. We want to photograph married couples who love unconditionally. We want to hear their stories and learn about the good and the not so good moments that they have used to learn what unconditional love is all about! We want to take the knowledge that we gain from these AMAZING couples and share it with the world. To be honest, we are not quite sure what the end product will be… maybe a book, a documentary, or even just a blog series. But what we do know is that we are SO eager to learn, to document these AMAZING stories, and to share everything with you!!!

 

Here is where we need your help! We are looking for 15-25 married couples that would be willing to allow us to photograph them, interview them, and even shoot some video of them in an effort to document their love story in this moment in time! (We have asked our good friend Jeremy Mitchell of Jeremy Mitchell Cinema to help us out with the video portion! ;) Whoop Whoop!) We are looking for couples who have been married for 1 day up to 100 years (ok, we know the longest married couple has been married for about 80 years… but we can dream right?! ;) ). We are hoping to photograph couples that may have gone through some tough times in their lives (who hasn’t right?) but have chosen LOVE and HAPPINESS above all else. We would love to find couples who are so excited to share their stories in hopes to make a difference in the lives of others!

 

Hopefully at this point you are thinking…. YES, I know the perfect couple for this project. Now go nominate them! ;) Please. It is super easy! Click Here. Don’t worry, the couples will not be asked to pay anything. This is a personal passion project for us and this is just one way that we feel like we can touch the lives of others and learn more about what goes into an AMAZING marriage! After a short nomination period, a selection committee will help us decide which couples to choose for The AMAZING Marriage Project. More details can be found on The AMAZING Marriage Project Website.

 

Photo Contest: Win a FREE Photo Session!!!

Engagement, Life, Love, Stories Documented, Wedding  //  1st January 2013

Happy New Year!!!  Wahoooo! We just did a little cheers with our mimosas and good friends Natalie and Hugh…to making 2013 the most AMAZING year yet! We are so excited to think about 2013, but first we are taking a good look back at 2012 with hugely grateful hearts!

It is so incredible to look back over 2012 and think about all of the AMAZING couples who have touched our lives in such a special way! Every single photo session that we have done has left a special mark on our hearts. We always take so much away from each session… unconditional love and joyful happiness are two of our favorite takeaways! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for trusting us as your wedding, engagement and anniversary photographers! This year we even took a sense of adventure away from many of our sessions!  It is crazy to think that we photographed in Paris, Barcelona, Mexico, Punta Cana, Southport, NC, Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, Baltimore, Altoona, PA, Montoursville, PA, Rye, NY, Winston-Salem, NC, and so so so many more locations! Wow! We are so so so grateful for every couple we have had the honor of photographing and for the every adventure they have taken us on!

This year, we wanted to do something EXTRA special for our couples to say THANK YOU for such an AMAZING year! We are hosting a Facebook Photo contest (that is live now!) and we are giving away (not just 1) but 2 photo sessions!!! We pulled 1 photo from every couple’s session we photographed this year and put them on Facebook. The photo that gets the most votes by Monday, January 14th will win a FREE photo session that can take place anywhere in the United States! ;) (Yes! We will travel to wherever our couple would like to go! Who knows… maybe if they talk us into it we would even go abroad?! ;)) The official rules are on the Facebook Contest site. And there is something AMAZING in this for all of the voters too! We will choose 1 person from all of the voters at random to win the 2nd FREE photo session! AMAZING, right?!  Honestly, we are so so so grateful for all of the AMAZING people our business has brought into our lives, this is just our little way of giving back to all of you!

Now, don’t wait… please go vote! And share the contest with all of your family and friends too… maybe if they win the photo session they would share the love with you!?! Who knows!

Thank you again for making 2012 such an AMAZING year! Our hearts are so full of gratitude! Happy 2013!

Naval Academy Wedding Photography: Jen and Scotlin’s Love Story

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding  //  28th December 2012

There was something incredibly calm about their day. Jen was as relaxed as can be! As the craziness of “bridal time” (regular time fast-forwarded) surrounded her, she stayed calm knowing she would soon see Scotlin at the end of the beautiful Naval Academy Chapel aisle.

Scotlin stood at the end of the aisle looking calm and ready to go. The moment where he would finally see his bride walking down the aisle in her gorgeous dress was finally here. As soon as he could see her, his face lit up with a big smile! This was that moment he had anticipated for so long!

Jen and Scotlin’s wedding was not only a celebration of their love and their union… it was a celebration of their strength and courage. Scotlin had recently returned from a 6 month deployment where he and Jen had very little contact. As hard as those months certainly were, they knew they had so much to look forward to in the weeks ahead! Their love certainly shined through and now they are celebrating with a wedding, a surprise honeymoon to Italy (AMAZING!!), the completion of their new home they built… and even a new puppy! So much happiness!

Jen and Scotlin, we are so grateful to have been a part of your gorgeous day! Thank you for the opportunity to celebrate along side you! Congratulations on all of your excitement ahead! We wish you nothing but the very best!!!

Thanks to all the awesome vendors that made Jen and Scotlin’s wedding AMAZING!

Naval Academy Wedding Photography: Liz and Ryan | Photo Booth: Liz and Ryan | Invitations and Stationery: Allison Barnhill Designs | Hair: Sherri Hoover, Bodywellness Salon and Spa | Florist: Intrigue Designs | Venue: United States Naval Academy | Reception Venue: Annapolis Marriott Waterfront Hotel | Bakery: Fiona’s Cakes | Transportation: Towne Transport | Bride’s Attire: Mary’s Bridal | Bridesmaid’s Attire: David’s Bridal | Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse | Wedding Bands: Zachary’s Jewelers

Enjoy more of Jen and Scotlin’s Naval Academy Wedding Photos in their slideshow below and be sure to leave Jen and Scotlin a comment to congratulate them!

Love Story: Casey and Joe’s Baltimore Wedding

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding  //  19th December 2012

When we walked into the Bridal Suite, we were greeted with a room full of beautiful ladies calmly sitting around and chatting! Casey was in the middle of having her hair done and she pretty much jumped up and down with excitement when we arrived! Her smile beamed as she clapped and screamed! ;)  As the morning went on, those moments of excitement became more and more frequent! It was getting real and she was soon going to be a Mrs.!

Casey’s excitement, energy, and emotion was so contagious! She would smile and there was nothing else we could do but smile and jump up and down with her! ;) She could not wait to see Joe and I am pretty sure I became just as excited to see him! Haha. (Well maybe not “just” as excited!… but I could not wait for them to see each other)! During the moment that they saw each other for the first time, the emotion poured out of them. As tears streamed down Casey’s face and they held each other tight, my heart beamed with happiness (and yes, tears were in my eyes!).

Their emotion is contagious, my friends! I think Joe’s best man said it best during his speech. He said he was so grateful to have both Casey and Joe in his life because he knows when he shares exciting news with them… they are going to be 1 million times more excited for you than you ever were for yourself! ;)

I think I can confidently say that everyone who shared in Casey and Joe’s day have hearts that are beaming with joy and excitement for these two! I know for sure that we do! Casey and Joe… you are AMAZING! Thank you for including us in such a special day! We are beyond excited for you to begin your lives together as husband and wife! Thank you for filling our hearts with so much joy!!

See more of Casey and Joe’s AMAZING day in their wedding slideshow below:

Love Story: Allison and Tom’s Dream Vow Renewal

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding  //  7th December 2012

Wahooo! Today, my friends, is a day that we have been SO EXCITED about for such a long time! Ever since the day Allison asked us to be a part of her and Tom’s 10 Year Anniversary Vow Renewal, we have pretty much dreamed of being able to share their magic with you!

On a beautiful evening in September, Allison (yes, of the AMAZING Allison Barnhill Designs) and her husband Tom renewed their wedding vows surrounded by their incredible kids (Avery and Logan) and their closest family and friends. The setting was absolutely like nothing we have ever seen before and it literally had us feeling like we were living a dream! In fact, at one point I said to Allison, “I am so thankful to be a part of your dream… because you have a really beautiful way of dreaming!” ;).

Between the handmade paper flowers, the “library” with a book of stories that the guests shared about Allison and Tom, the invitations that were sculpted into real books, the ombre aisle runner made out of rose petals, the book carved with A & T (by our very own Caitlin! ;) ), (the list of AMAZINGNESS goes on and on)… One of my favorite parts of the whole evening was watching Allison and Tom dance to the final song of the night next to Avery and Logan and so many of their friends and family! There was a lot of love that went into that special day and so so so much more surrounding them on that dance floor that evening! YES, it was a dream and thankfully we have photos to share the magic with all of you!

Allison and Tom, words cannot begin to describe how grateful we are to have been there with you to celebrate your love and document this small chapter in your AMAZING love story! You are such an incredible example of love and passion and we are so grateful to call you friends! Thank you for sharing that love with us and giving us the opportunity to share that love with the world too! You are AMAZING!

Leading up to the Renewal, we joked often that Allison pulled together a “dream team” to execute the details of this special day… but it is pretty much true and we are so honored to have been a part of it! Thank you to everyone who had their hand in making Allison and Tom’s dream a reality!

The Dream ;), Stationery, Paper Flowers, Lanterns: Allison Barnhill Designs  | Photography: Liz and Ryan | Flowers, Lighting and Decor: Intrigue Design & Decor | Venue: Governor Calvert House | Hair and Make Up: Up Do’s for I Do’s | Cake and Cupcakes: Fiona’s Cakes | Music: MyDeejay | Transportation: Limousines, Inc. | Furniture: 2hands Studios | Dresses and Attire: Annapolis Formal | Officiant: Rev. Laura Cannon | Ceremony Music: Chesapeake Strings | Scrabble Boards: Oh My Chocolate | Scrabble Board Design: Stephanie Bausman | Chairs, Linens and Glassware: Party Plus Baltimore | Day of Planning: Historic Events | Carved Book Art: Caitlin Engels