Family Photos

Happy Fourth of July!!  Usually I am photographing a wedding on the Fourth of July weekend, but this year I had the weekend off.

As is tradition, my family all got together for the holiday.  We watch the parade in my hometown of LaPorte, IN then we congregate at my sister’s house along with friends.  We gorge ourselves with all kinds of summer salads and desserts while catching up with latest stories.  We play games, kickball, trampoline, ride the go-cart, shoot hoops and then eat some more!!  Top it off with some fireworks and it’s a perfect summer celebration!!

This year we added an extra activity ~ family photos!!  My parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this past May so we honored them with the gift of family photos.  Staying married for 50 years is a major accomplishment in today’s world!!  My hubby and I will be celebrating 23 years of marriage this coming December, not even half as long as my parents marriage!

As a wedding photographer I see many happy couples tie the knot every year.  I wish them all the best in their married lives, but know that many of them will not survive the 50 year mark.

Life is full of ups and downs, it is so great to ride the waves with your best friend and partner in life!  It takes work to make a marriage last.  Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking, but preparing for marriage should not go overlooked!

One of the best things my hubby and I did before we were married was premarital counseling.  We established some important ground rules about how to treat each other when we don’t agree.

Dave is so different than I am!!  They say opposites attract, that is definitely true for us as we are definitely opposite!!  Raised with different traditions and habits and wired completely different.  Understanding that the other persons ways are not necessarily wrong, but just different is a process!  Celebrating our differences and giving each other the space and grace to be the person that God intended them to be is the key!  Being flexible and open to change is a marriage saver!

I want my clients to not only have the wedding day of their dreams but a lifetime of happiness in marriage together!!  Here’s to 50 years!!