Before I get into all the amazing photos from my Big Day, I’d like to start with how my husband and I met:  It was a December night, I was newly single, and finally able to mingle!  See, I was also fresh out of basic training with the Air Force AND 21!  I had talked a friend of mine to go out with me. We met up with a high school crush that I had reconnected with.

As we sat in the bar at Power & Light (KC peeps know what I am talking about ;), I suddenly had my crush and some other guy buying me drinks.  I thought “this is AWESOME”!  I was a BROKE 21 year old female out of a 5 year relationship with my high school sweetheart.  (Sorry, my husband and I don’t have that amazingly beautiful high school story.)    I ended up going home with my friend and thought I wouldn’t see the other guy again…he said he was from Washington State…so, being 21, I figured he LIVED in Washington State…I didn’t ask further questions.

That guy from the bar called me a few days later…because he LIVED and worked in Kansas City.  I learned his name was Isaac and we went out to a movie.

Our relationship moved quickly.  We met in December of 2008 and we were living together June 2009.  By July 2009, I found out I was pregnant with our daughter, Abigail.  Sometime between July and August, we got engaged!  It was a memorable proposal!  Isaac, who is an engineer mind you, sat me down in front of a spreadsheet.  He then proceeded to tell me how much of a ring he could afford, if I wanted to get married.  So. Romantic.

We were in that place that I think a lot of couples are in…pregnant, not married, needing medical insurance (me, he was fine), so, what is the rational decision of a 22 year old?  We got married of course!

Isaac had been invited to Hawaii for a friend’s wedding, and since we were now engaged, he felt obligated to bring me with him.  Their wedding was early in the week, and we had tacked on a few extra days to travel and explore.  So, instead of doing that…we got married!  It was $300 for Kermit to officiate and take photos.  The first photo is the only one I can find.  We never got them printed, nor have I given them much thought, until I started my own wedding photography business.  I would NEVER change my wedding experience, but it drives me to capture my AeB Couple’s day in a way that they are EXCITED to print and frame them!  That is my only regret, not having a professional photographer take AMAZING photos of my new husband and I and the love between us.

We have been married coming up on 8.5 years.  We went through more in our first year of marriage than most go through in their whole life, and that also drives me to be aware that the wedding is just a day.  It’s an important day, but just a day.  Your happy, long marriage is what I focus my business on.

(Yes, those are the only 2 photos from my “wedding”.)