Because it still feels too much like winter outside, we decided to cozy things up a bit with this cute wintry love shoot from Live View Studios! I love the pinecone, pine needle and baby’s breath bouquet. The snuggles and cuddles between the couple make my heart happy. Love the addition of sparkly snow, hot cocoa, and homemade gingerbread cookies. Such warm and cozy feelings ensue, and we all know how much I love those!! And the turquoise/teal plaid shirt and sweater? I absolutely looooove that!! :)

Zack and Kendra met through a homeschool high school football league when he and Kendra’s little brothers would play together. Their introduction was one of those “your mom has someone she wants you to meet and you just know the other person is going to be the weirdest person you’ve ever met” kind of situations. But this one turned out to not be awkward at all (in fact it has a really happy ending :). Sparks flew, they both say it was almost like love at first sight, and couldn’t wait to see each other again.

Their first date was a bonfire at Zack’s house. They road horses at sunset and sat out by the fire all night talking about life. They spent many late nights out on the sofa benches at Zack’s house after that looking for shooting stars. One night, not long after they first started hanging out, Zack looked into Kendra’s eyes and told her that he loved her. She was shocked but told him she loved him too. A few minutes later it started to snow and they held each other tight for about an hour in the quietly falling snow. So romantic. Sigh.

One night after work, Zack took Kendra for a ride on his dirt bike for the very first time. When they came back, he told her of the reservations he’d made for dinner and that she had just a couple of hours to get ready. He asked her to meet him back at his house (she lived just across the street) when she was finished.

She arrived a few minutes late and was getting ready to leave with him when he noticed the lights were left on in the 18-stall barn behind his house. He asked if she’d walk down there to turn them off. She asked if he could get his brother to do it seeing as they were already late, but he said his brother wasn’t reliable, and asked again (sweetly) if she would do it.

Grumbling the whole way, Kendra walked all the way back to the barn in four-inch heels. When she got there, she found that the small tack room had been completely cleaned out and lined with Christmas icicle lights. There was a small table covered in a cloth, candles, flowers, and their favorite foods from P.F. Chang’s. She was completely surprised and did not even suspect that he had done this for anything more than a romantic gesture. Little did she know…

After dinner, he asked if she wanted dessert. She nodded and he made a pretend show of pulling something out before dropping to one knee. He told her how much he loved her and that it would make him the happiest man in the world if she would marry him. He pulled a ring from his pocket and she said yes!

The best part? They hadn’t yet kissed. They wanted to wait until they got engaged!! They were up well past three in the morning kissing because they didn’t want the night to end. Swooooooon.

{Behind the Lens with Brent and Anna} Our goal for the shoot was to create something to give inspiration to couples who are planning engagement sessions or just couple portraits for colder months. Many of our couples have their pictures taken during warmer seasons, but for some, winter, or the holidays, may be their favorite time of year, and we wanted to give them some fun ideas to work with. Bringing in the turquoise / white / black color scheme gave it a different feel than you would normally expect for a winter shoot, yet it still had that warm and cozy feel. We also wanted to include our take on a wintry bouquet, with pinecones, pine needles, and baby’s breath as a snowy, little accent.

Kendra and Zach are very sweet together and great friends of ours. They were both so much fun to work with and helped us bring our vision to completion. Even though they’re not ‘models’ (though they could be! They’re seriously so gorgeous together!) – they were very natural in front of the camera. The discovery that we’ve made is that when people are comfortable visibly displaying their love to each other, it seems to require very little coaching when we have them in front of our camera. The resulting images are breathtakingly romantic :)

{Advice for Couples} 1) Remember the reason you are getting married – because you love each other and want to spend the rest of your lives together. 2) Don’t ignore the small stuff – those things are very important. 3) Be quick to forgive. 4) Continue to learn about each other. 5) You don’t want to grow bored with each other, so find things to do together. 6) Touch the other person 10 times a day unselfishly. 7) Always say “I love you”. You never know when it will be the last time. 8) Continue to date. Often! 9) Think about the other person, always, don’t let yourself get caught up in being selfish. 10) ALWAYS communicate with each other, no matter how hard it is. 11) Take responsibility for your actions, don’t place blame. 12) HAVE A HAPPY MARRIAGE!!!!!

Thank you so much, Kendra and Zach, for sharing your love story with us! Congratulations on a year and a half of marriage, and your new, little boy bundle of joy!! Special thanks to Brent and Anna for sharing their love shoot with us today! xoxo

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Y’all know how much I love this blog. Writing love stories of special couples everywhere, and sharing love in pretty ways is my passion and inspiration for getting out of bed each day. So when my good friend and fellow wedding blogger, Katie of Lovebird Productions, sent me her very own love story and anniversary shoot, I jumped at the chance to feature it! Katie is just the sweetest thing and I love her blog to pieces (if you haven’t been to it yet, you need to). Her writing, her voice is so authentic and true, you know she speaks right from her heart. She’s amazing!! Which is why I didn’t want to rewrite her love story in my words today, but to leave it all in hers. It just seemed the right thing to do. And her words are beautiful alongside the sweetest anniversary photos ever captured by Daniel Holman Photography!

Surprisingly, I met my husband at a bar. That is not so surprising if you knew Rusty because he is the life of the party, but I am a homebody. A good book does the trick. It was a random girls night out celebrating some of the last milestones of my college career. I was in my final semester of college, looking forward to graduating and getting out of town for a new adventure. Rusty was working his first big kid job out of college and was having a night out with his guy friends. The bar was extremely busy that night and when a table opened up next to us, one of my husband’s friends snatched it up leaving an empty seat next to me. Rusty sat down, smiled at me and just like that I met my best friend and one day husband. We were complete strangers who happened to have a chance meeting, but when I left to go home that night, I remember thinking how much I laughed and how excited I was that he’d asked for my number. Two days later we made plans to meet up on the weekend. That Saturday night we spent time out with friends, but again, ended up sitting at a table in a crowded bar just talking. We have been together ever since.

A month into our relationship, I knew that it was something very special and different. I was relaxed and happy and changed my plans of moving after college. I took a big risk by sticking around for him. (Hint: It paid off.) We took a spur of the moment trip to St. Louis to watch our two favorite teams play baseball. (I love the Cubs and he is a major Cardinals fans. It can be intense at our house sometimes.) After the game we went to a little Irish Pub and spent the night dancing and laughing. It was just the two of us and that night Rusty asked me to be his girlfriend. I felt like I won the lottery.

A wonderful year passed and to celebrate our one year anniversary, Rusty and I decided to go back to St. Louis. That weekend we spent time shopping, walking around the city, exploring and having a blast. We both thought it would be fun to go back to that little pub that meant so much to us. As we were walking up to go in, Rusty stopped me and grabbed my hands. He told me that he loved me and life didn’t make sense without me in it. He told me that a year ago, when he asked me to be his girlfriend, he never thought this would be the place he would ask me to be his wife. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfect! I really couldn’t believe all the excitement! As we walked inside, Rusty surprised me by inviting our closest friends and family to the pub to celebrate with us. It truly was a magical night full of hugs, champagne, laughter, dancing, and some of my best memories.

Six months later, we married in an outdoor ceremony on a lawn next to a gorgeous lake in Arkansas. With Rusty, I know that I married my best friend. No one understands me the way that he does. He is smart and witty and just downright charming. I cannot get enough of that man. I married up for sure.

Celebrating two years of marriage, even though small in numbers, seems surreal. Some days it seems like the planning process of our wedding up to our two year anniversary has flown by. My husband and I are truly learning how to enjoy those small moments of life that go by so quickly. So when my talented photographer friend, Dan Holman of Daniel Holman Photography, gifted us an anniversary shoot, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Immediately, my mind started churning with ideas of what our session would be like. Being a wedding vendor and blogger, you get the joy of looking at wedding inspiration all day. When it came down to it, I decided I wanted photos of our every day life. I wanted pictures of us in the kitchen making our favorite meal. I wanted us snuggling on the couch. I wanted it to feel real.

This past February we made a big decision and built our first house. We didn’t realize how proud you could be of a material possession. I know some would frown on that statement but our house has become so full of love and memories in just the few months that we have had it. Rusty and I love to cool together and relax and laugh. We made our favorite pancake recipe, took a walk in our neighborhood and watched a little Monday night football. I wanted to look back on these pictures years from now and see how classic and true to our personalities they were and still are.

Dan did such a wonderful job including touches of our home, like our vintage teal bookshelf, and our pup, Jane. Our neighborhood also has a large abandoned field with an awesome windmill where Dan was able to snag a few photos. In two years of marriage, we have learned what is most important. We have celebrated new opportunities. We have mourned the loss of my husband’s dad. We have built our home. We have planted the flowers in the front yard. We have become stronger as a couple. These photos represent our ever changing life and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. No matter what we face as a couple, we are happy to be where we are and even more excited about the years to come.

Thank you so much, Katie, for sharing yours and Rusty’s love story with us today!! Your anniversary shoot was just beautiful and so, so sweet. Daniel Holman did an amazing job!! Congratulations on two wonderful years!! Here’s to many, many more!! xoxo

We love firsts here at Heart Love Weddings. First dates, first kisses, first looks, and first dances (just to name a few). We’re thankful today that this is the first first anniversary shoot we’ve featured! We fell instantly in love with the colors, the adorable couple, and sweet peaches. We love the inclusion of their wedding day props, including the same blue dress the bride wore to her rehearsal dinner! The peach stand in the middle of a peach farm serving sweet tea (a Southern staple) and yummy peach ice cream is just too cute. Even cuter? The images are being turned into a book by the fabulous Peach Blossom Photography for the couple to gift each other on their first anniversary (also known as the paper anniversary)!! We couldn’t love it more!! :)

Jeremy and Aubry were set up by their own sisters, who were friends in high school. One day, Aubry received a random text from someone identifying himself only as Jessica’s brother. She wasn’t even sure who Jessica was! After a few more text messages and phone calls, a first date was planned. Jeremy was very interested and persistent right from the start, but Aubry was too busy with summer classes to show much interest. Once classes were over and fall approached, Jeremy and Aubry were able to spend more time with each other and began to feel that they were meant to be together. In late October, after a night of dinner and carving pumpkins, Aubry asked Jeremy to be her boyfriend! Love it!

Early on Jeremy and Aubry loved to talk on the phone. Every time that Jeremy dropped off Aubry, he would always call to let her know he had arrived safely at home. Oftentimes, they would chat into the night, and then again in the early morning. It was on one of those late night calls that Aubry blurted out “I love you”!

Jeremy knew of Aubry’s obsession with the holidays, especially Christmas. He took her to Callaway Gardens before Thanksgiving for a trolley ride through the Christmas lights. He wanted to have a picture taken of the two of them, but every spot he suggested Aubry said NO! Finally, they came upon the Nativity scene, which Aubry thought was a more appropriate place for a photo. Jeremy approached a nearby couple, whispered in the woman’s ear, and then proceeded to get down on one knee, pulling a ring box out of his left boot! The woman began taking photos like crazy once she realized what was happening and Aubry said YES! It turned out that the Nativity scene was the perfect background for their engagement.

{Behind the Lens with Peach Blossom Photography} A growing trend is the first anniversary session that takes brides and grooms back to the places that either inspired their wedding or the places where their wedding was held. It is a great way to bring back memories of the wedding and all the planning that went into it. Aubry and Jeremy asked me to do their one year anniversary session at Gregg’s Peach Farm in Concord, Georgia. Gregg’s Farm is a few miles from their home and is a place they frequent in the summer when peaches are in season. It was the major inspiration for their peach themed wedding at Dunaway Garden’s last June. Aubry’s colors were peach and blue with pops of green. Aubry wore her blue dress from her rehearsal dinner! As a wedding favor, the Storms had peaches for their friends and family to take home. We used the same buckets as props that held the peaches they gifted last year. At their wedding, they also had sweet tea (the preferred drink in the South), so we wanted to include it somehow into the session. We decided to create a peach stand in the middle of the peach farm that sold peaches, sweet tea, and peach ice cream. I brought along my mason jar mugs, glass pitcher, and straws to help create a fun little stand. Gregg’s Farm is known for its yummy homemade peach ice cream, so we had to include it too! It was a warm summer day but so much fun! The first anniversary gift tradition is paper. The Storms asked me to turn the session into a book as a gift for each other to share!

Happy Anniversary, Aubry and Jeremy, and congratulations on one beautiful year together! Here’s to many, many more filled with love, laughter, and blessings! Thank you so much for sharing your love story with us! Many thanks to Peach Blossom Photography for sharing these gorgeous images with us today! xoxo

What happens when a man and woman decide to put on their wedding day attire for a second time, go to a beautiful farm, and pose before a camera? Romance. And magic happens. When we put it like that, it’s easy for you to understand why it was so easy for us to fall head-over-heels with this sweet-as-can-be love story (and seriously adorable and giggle-worthy proposal from the groom’s point of view) and rustic portrait session with Southern flair. Everything about this feature is utterly swoon-worthy and romantic. Caroline Lima Photography captured the very essence of love between these two lovebirds. It’s the perfect little getaway for your Thursday workday!

Hollis and Mary Jane met when they were just kiddos :) Hollis was 4 1/2 and Mary Jane was 1 (it was her birthday in fact). Their parents were long-time friends, and although they didn’t see each other for 11 years, they reconnected on a little website called Facebook.

Their first meet up years later was at a cafe in Chapel Hill. They had brunch before Mary Jane left for an event. When she gave Hollis a hug goodbye, it was love at first touch for Hollis. He offered her stick shift driving lessons for the following weekend. (Love at first touch…aww!)

Their first date was at City Beverage in Durham. They enjoyed dinner and drinks and shared stories from their youth. Weeks later, their first kiss was…awkward. Their second kiss was great!

Mary Jane says Hollis is a true gentleman! (We believe it :)) She says she didn’t know what courtship was until she met him. (We believe that too :)) He opened doors for her, took her to church, planned elaborate dates in Charleston, Columbia, Asheville, Phoenix, and Raleigh. And above all, he makes her laugh. (Sounds like a keeper to me :))

{From the Groom} It was not exactly the most romantic or glitzy of marriage proposals. Plan A was not even accomplished. There was, however, more than an average amount of anxiety and urgency involved, enough to make for a memorable night. But before I dive head first into the story, I think it’s important to give a brief history leading up to the proposal…

Our fathers grew up together, and our mothers were sorority sisters and roommates in college. My parents were engaged after only five dates, and claim to have been the ones who set up Jane’s parents. Sometime later, Jane and I met for the first time on her first birthday. Despite our family get-togethers every couple of years, we would not begin a romantic relationship for well over 20 years.

Mary Jane and I hadn’t actually seen each other for 11 years before we reconnected over brunch in early May. By mid June, I was hooked, and knew that we were meant for each other. At the end of July, I purchased a ring. Due mostly to nerves, I put off popping the question for several weeks. Now, the return policy on the ring was 30 days, and on the 29th day, I knew that quick action was needed.

The plan was to go out to dinner and then to take Jane out Salsa dancing where I would drop to one knee on the dance floor. However, Jane apparently had had one sangria too many, and on what was supposed to be a brief stop at her apartment, fell sound asleep on her bed.

For the next hour I urgently tried to wake her up to get her to go dancing, but to no avail. The only option I had was to put the ring on her finger while she was sleeping. Surely she would wake up, realize that there was a ring on her finger, and go crazy.

I softly placed the ring on her finger and waited nervously in the room for the next ten minutes, but nothing happened. Then I went to the living room and watched tv at a high volume hoping to stir her… Nothing. I went back in the bedroom and tried to coax her awake. She tried to swat me away and in the process banged the ring loudly on the wall several times. At this very moment, I figured she was the most conscious I was going to get so I asked her to be mine. She said, “yes” and then promptly fell back asleep.

After much effort, I finally coaxed her awake enough to tell her that I thought we had just gotten engaged. She ran out into the light, saw the ring, made me ask her again, and the rest is history…

{Behind the Lens with Caroline Lima} I love when the portrait session is surrounded by nature, I think it gives a clean and organic feel to the images. Also, it makes the focus to be completely on the subject with no distractions.

I suggested this beautiful farm to Mary Jane and she loved it! She decided to wear boots and bring a beautiful quilt to the session, they added a beautiful touch to the images.

My main goal when photographing couples is to make them feel comfortable in front of my camera, this way I can capture them being themselves and the love they feel for each other! I love romantic images!

{Advice from the Bride} plan plan plan! Pinterest is a great, FREE tool! Even if you are a DIY type of gal, you must get a director for day of coordination. You want to enjoy your wedding day and make it as stress free as possible. And lastly, hire the best photographer around. You will not regret it!

Congratulations, Hollis and Mary Jane, and thank you so much for sharing your love story with us! We wish you both so much love and laughter in the many years you’ll share together! And a very special thank you to Caroline Lima for sharing this very special shoot with us today! xoxo

It’s always a happy day when we get to feature work from our friends at Henry Photographers! Getting to share this super pretty beach-y day after session makes this a very happy day! Because not only do I love day after sessions but I am also craving a wondrous day on the beach. And this shoot is the exact beach-y pick-me-up I needed. Especially since it’s filled with a couple very much in love!

Nora and James met in college where James turned Nora down not just once, but twice(!!). The first was after she’d worked up the courage to ask him to be her date to her spring cocktail party. He had had other plans. The second time she learned that he was actually dating someone. (Sad trombone.) When James graduated later that spring, the two lost touch.

The following year, Nora was out with friends at a local restaurant celebrating her graduation. James, now a single man, was at the same restaurant with some of his friends. As Nora and her friends got up to leave, James, who had never shaken the memory of turning down Nora’s invitations, suddenly noticed her from across the room. James made the split second decision to approach her before she left, hoping to reintroduce himself and recapture her attention. Unfortunately for him, Nora was now the one in a relationship. She remembered him, of course, but merely exchanged brief pleasantries with him before continuing on her way.

Two and a half years later, James, who was now living in New York City, received a message on Myspace from Nora. A very brief hey, how’s it going? hope you’re doing well kind of message. Not willing to let yet another opportunity pass him by, James responded with overwhelming (jubilant, creepy? his words) enthusiasm, writing about a page and a half response pouring his heart out about how much he wished he’d gone on that date with her in college. Six months later, she was living in Brooklyn. :)

Sometime later, off Popham Beach, Maine is a small island only accessible during low tide, James and Nora walked to it’s highest point. There waiting for them stood an easel with a painting. Upon closer inspection, Nora realized it was a painting of a man proposing to a woman. Confused, Nora turned to James to find him already on bended knee. Yes, was the only thing on her mind after that.

{Behind the Lens with Katherine Henry} Nora and James have been so great to meet, photograph, and spend time with. We met a year before the wedding when Craig and I went to NYC to shoot their engagement session. After the session, we went to dinner and we knew at that point how fun this was all going to be. Nora and James are the type of people we love to have as friends, they are caring, sweet and so in love.

We were so excited when they requested a Day After Session. I really think this is something all couples should consider. Just think about it, it makes so much sense! On the wedding day, you can be very limited in the amount of time you have for your photography. Sometimes you have under an hour and that just flies by! Couples put so much thought into the location of their weddings, sometimes it’s a special spot they went on a date or maybe where they like to visit on vacations. These locations have so many fun spots to use, but when time is limiting you just can’t get to them all.

Nora and James were married in Ogunquit, Maine, a town with tons of amazing picture spots. On the wedding day, we were able to run to one little spot downtown and then had to quickly get to the reception. There was so much more to explore! For the Day After Session we were able to really explore and take our time. We walked through the woods to find a beautiful beach. This is something we never would have had time to do on the wedding day.

The other advantage is you don’t worry about your dress, since the wedding has already happened. Nora did bring a second dress since she had been envisioning some photos in the water. There are so many beautiful white dresses out there and not enough wedding events to wear them too, so this is a great chance! James also changed his outfit from the day before and went for a black jean look. I loved how both looks worked together.

I hope couples will consider doing beautiful Day After Sessions and really take advantage of the beautiful locations their weddings are held. A Day After Session is not a “Trash the Dress” session for us. How can anyone do that to an amazing gown?! We look at these sessions as more time to explore and capture beautiful timeless images.

Beautiful and timeless, they certainly are. Thank you so much Katherine and Craig for sharing this gorgeous day after session with us today and for unknowingly fulfilling my beach day craving. Thank you also to Nora and James for sharing their sweet love story with us. Congratulations and so much love to you both!

xoxo

I cannot believe that January has come to an end, and brought with it, the end of vintage month. Such a bittersweet moment. Because I’m so excited to share this vintage day after session from Tessa Marie Photography (formerly Light Love Laughter Photography) today as our last vintage feature of the month! The proposal story is seriously adorable, you’re going to love it! :)

Lydia and Josh were introduced by mutual friends at church who truly believed they would be a perfect match. Following their initial first meeting, Josh made every effort to see Lydia at church, before finally asking for her number. Over the next few weeks, the two spent hours talking on the phone and getting to know each other. But when Josh asked Lydia out on a date one night after church, Lydia hesitated. She’d come to see him as a really good new guy friend with no romantic feelings attached. Fortunately for her (and him), Josh had made it his mission to win her heart and eventually wore her down.

Long story short, Josh very quickly did exactly what he’d set out to do. He not only won her heart, but completely swept her off her feet in doing so. He showered her with love notes, gifts, surprises and chivalry. Lydia began to trust him more than she’d ever trusted anyone. He became her best friend. She had never felt so adored and beautiful before in her life. His love for her spilled out from the way he looked at her to everything he did and said. (Annnd I’m swooning, aren’t you?)

Eight months later, Lydia’s best friend came into town to spend the day with her for some much-needed girl time. They had coffee and manicures together and lots of girl talk! All of which was a setup by her handsome hubby-to-be! You see he remembered Lydia saying once that she wanted her nails to look nice when she got engaged. (Ha! I can so totally relate!) So he made sure he scheduled a manicure for her the day of. (How sweet! Boys, you should be taking notes!)

Around five that afternoon, Lydia’s friend decided she wanted to go on a drive around Atlanta. Though she thought it was a little odd, Lydia went along anyway. When her friend pulled the car over next to the park where she and Josh had had their second date though, she knew something was up. Her friend handed her a letter from Josh and pointed to a sign surrounded by candles at the entrance to the park.

The love note instructed Lydia to follow the candles and pick up the puzzle pieces for a special message from him. There were four stations throughout the park, each with a giant puzzle piece with a note on the back of them. When she gathered the pieces together, they formed the words “I have one question for you. You know where to find me.” She knew immediately where he was waiting for her and raced off to the park bench where they’d shared their first kiss. There he was, waiting, on bended knee. She didn’t even hesitate this time to say yes!

{Behind the Lens with Tessa Marie} Josh and Lydia came to me initially to do their wedding. I was booked on the day they set and so I wasn’t able to document their story. Lydia and I stayed in touch and as I was planning to do a styled shoot with Mao of Four Inch Vintage Fold and Rentals, I knew just the couple I wanted to “model” for me. We’d already discussed doing a bridal session for Lydia – and so, without her knowledge, I went ahead and worked with Mao to style the shoot. I had Josh and Lydia arrive not just to a beautiful location at Vinewood Weddings and Events, but to this super cute little styled shoot we’d put together. They were shocked and absolutely thrilled and, I must say, they pretty much, without a doubt, rocked it! :)

I’ll say they did! What a sweet couple and an even sweeter love story! Thank you so much Lydia (you looked GORGEOUS by the way) and Josh for sharing it with us today! So much love and luck as you continue on your married way! :) And a very special thank you to Tessa Marie for sharing their shoot and love with all of us today!

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Photography: Tessa Marie Photography

Venue: Vinewood Weddings and Events

Styling: Four Inch Fold – Vintage Rentals

Florals: Boukates