Yane and Ben E-session (Teasers).

Some people are just meant to be.  It's rare that you hear a story that really feels like God bringing two individuals together, but that's Yane & Ben's story.  I loved all the cute details of their story, but I'll just have to share what happened in a nutshell.

A few years back, Yane and Ben first met in passing at church while Ben was in town visiting his brother.  At that time Yane noticed him thinking that he'd definitely be her type, but how unfortunate that he's not from around Atlanta.  They said their hellos and parted ways.  Fast forward a few years later and Ben and Yane were matched on eHarmony.  It was at that time that Yane decided to close her account and while she's browsed her final matches, she stumbled across Ben's profile.  They spent the next few days talking and discovered that their paths have crossed before.... and the rest is history!

Shooting an engagement session in below freezing weather is not recommended.  We saw flakes of snow... one or two!  Although, one day I would like to photograph a couple having a snow ball fight.  Note to self.

We still had a great time and managed just fine reminding each other to think of tropical weather while we looked forward to the next indoor location.  Ben laughed at us the entire time telling us this is nothing compared to Chicago.  He's probably right, and I don't want to find out for myself.  haha  These are just a few teasers from the session.





We grabbed brunch at feast, where they had their engagement party right after he proposed.  They have really yummy food and beautiful decor.

Tara and Jamie E-session Slideshow.

Tara and Jamie's engagement slideshow:

Playgrounds and Engagements.

I spent all morning trying to figure out what was wrong with the album software and photoshop.  What a way to start the morning getting zero progress.  After I hire another photographer and interns, I'm going to start working on my IT department.  lol :P

At least I found myself a photo I can smile about and the day has not gone to complete waste yet.  I don't know what it is about a playground that brings out the playfulness of people or just makes you want to be a kid again.  ;)

I haven't seen one of these before, but how can you not get on it!  I missed this photo while filtering through the session so I didn't get to post it earlier, but this definitely makes it as my favorite photo of the session.

Tara and Jamie E-session (Teaser).

After two rain-checks on engagement sessions (literally got rained in on both times), last Friday happened to be a perfect day for these two.  What do they say... about third time's the charm?  I know it probably would have been more appropriate to post one of the outdoor photos after saying all that, but this one from the tail-end of the session is my favorite of the day.  They look so good together.  :)

Melinda and Ben E-session (Teasers).

This is Melinda and Ben.  They met at UGA right before Ben graduated, so it was only appropriate to do the engagement session in Athens



This was a very special tree for them, because it was under this tree that Ben asked her to be his girlfriend.



Melinda was also a cheerleader at UGA.  She was telling us how after every game that Georgia won, they would have to run up to the bell and ring it.



On the set of Honey, I shrunk the kids.



The stadium was where Ben carried her blindfolded to propose to her.



Taking a break from studying. ;)

Gloria and Frank E-session Slideshow

Frank and Gloria met through teaching Sunday school. Soon after, they began dating and were engaged! After hearing about their clever proposal story, I could not help but share it with one of my guy friends. My friend responded, "Yeah, this guy makes the rest of us guys look really bad." haha I think the more I hear these stories, the more I realize how much thought and effort is needed to orchestrate such a perfect proposal. It's hard to be original. Since I'm not as great of a writer/story teller as Frank is, I'll just give a shortened version his story below the slideshow. (Hope you don't mind me sharing. It's really *that brilliant. But, of course, God is *that brilliant.)



If you can't view this image link, click here.

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Frank's proposal story:

I tried thinking for many months, even soliciting the help of my good bros and sisses, but just couldn't come up with something I was excited to do. Then a few weeks before the actual proposal (on 2/23/09), I was joking around with Gloria. I told her how wonderful she was and how I had no clue how we ever came to be (or in her words, how I tricked her into dating me). In that same breath, she made a comment to the effect of 'You're going to have to trick me into marrying you by luring me to the altar with chocolates and ice cream'. (Gloria eats cookies, chocolates, and ice cream as often as I drink OJ. Okay, maybe not THAT much but she enjoys her sweets.) We both laughed and I warned her that it just may happen. Of course, she didn't think anything of this conversation but I knew right then and there that's how God wanted me to do it. (Quite ironic as I felt God was teaching me a lesson about futility in depending on self even in this piece of my life.)

If I recall, the moment she stepped inside the front door she saw a dimly lit hallway with strange footprint cutouts (made of construction paper) on the ground, beckoning her to walk ahead. On each footprint was an M&M cookie, some Lindt dark chocolate truffles, Ferrero Rocher chocolates (regular), and Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares (both Milk Chocolate with Caramel Filling and Dark Chocolate with Mint Filling). Strings of white christmas lights lined the sides of the hallway off in the distance. As she walked forward, she would see a poster displayed on an easel on her left, saying:

Want to travel to every continent on earth?

------------>

(Free ice cream!!)

(I was trying to include things we had discussed that she wanted us to do together before we died. A couple's "bucket list" if you will.)

As she continued ahead, still following the footsteps and chocolates on the ground, another sign became visible:

Want to learn how to play 'old people' sports?

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(Also, free ice cream!)

As she came near the entrance to the sanctuary, she could see the christmas lights turning to direct her view to the front of the sanctuary. As she turned, she could see the footsteps (and still more chocolates and M&M cookies) leading her to the front of the sanctuary to the altar.

At the front of the sanctuary on the table usually used for communion, I placed one last sign that read,

"Want to start a family? (Try the ice cream)."



(Photo courtesy of Joshua Fu.)

Beside the sign were the same chocolates and cookies, but also three ice cream cartons - one of which being her favorite, Haagen-Dazs white chocolate raspberry truffle, which I introduced to her to early on in our dating relationship. By this point, she was out of sorts, both because she knew what was going to happen, but also because it all felt so surreal. She moved slowly towards the raspberry truffle carton, carefully opened it, and found inside it a ring box. She took it out, placed it in her hand, and studied it for what seemed like an eternity to me (I was standing in a nearby room in the dark, peering out at her throughout the process). Eventually, she opened it and upon finding no ring inside the box, I walked out in a suit - having changed from my casual clothes - with the ring in hand, told her how much she meant to me, knelt on one knee, and asked her to marry me.

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Reading the story over to write my blog just put a smile on my face. So very cool to see how God is always faithful. :) I'm excited to be shooting their wedding, which is in EIGHT days! Hope ya'll are excited!!