Jeff and I get our photos taken once a year, every year.
For two reasons:
First, we always want to remember what it feels like to be on the other side of the camera. It’s important to our process. We always want to make sure our couples feel nothing but amazing when we’re photographing them, so we put ourselves in their shoes on a regular basis.
Second, we always want to remember…
My favorite images that we have of Jeff and myself are from our sixth year of marriage. It was not a special anniversary year and there was no real ‘event’ for the photo shoot. We were simply in Chicago and our fabulously talented friend Dave Wittig made our portraits.
But that’s why I love them so much. They speak to who we actually are together. After six years, we had been through the dark years of marriage – the years when things weren’t so rosy and wonderful. And we had come out on the other side closer, more intimate, and far more committed than we were when we said, ‘I do’ – and we were intensely committed when we got married.
This year is our ten year anniversary. In June, we will celebrate a decade of marriage, and while it seems like a long journey when we consider everything that has happened in these years together, the moments also fade into the backgrounds of our memories far more quickly than I want to admit.
Which is why Anniversary Sessions have become so big on our hearts this year. Jeff and I believe in marriage, and we believe that something as simple as spending two hours together to intentionally document your love has a big impact on couples that are busy.
Jeff and I have the image below hanging in our living room, and every time I walk by it, I remember…
I remember walking along the pier with Jeff’s hand in mine, feeling calm, peaceful, and in love. I remember why I won’t walk through life with anyone else but him. I remember how we fit so perfectly together. I remember how he makes me laugh and how he’s brought out the greatness inside of me.
This is why we want to photograph as many Anniversary Sessions as possible and why we deeply believe that every couple should have them done. The session itself is a life moment to reconnect, but the images afterwards will remind you every day why you’re doing this together.
So when the tough times hit your marriage (like they do for everyone) or when things get crazy or when life takes over and when your wedding seems oh so far away… you will remember.
So if kids come along and the two of you start to get lost… you will remember.
So if you are celebrating something special like a ten-year or twenty-year or fifty-year anniversary, you will never forget the joy.
So if your love is stronger than ever and you have built a marriage that you’re proud of… you will document it for your future generations.
So if your grandkids get married and they discover that your marriage was something oh-so-special, they will always remember where they came from.
So that you will always remember what truly matters most – the two of you. Together.
To learn more about what goes into an Anniversary Session with Jeff and me, contact us here and select Portrait Photography. We’re so looking forward to photographing you!
Hugs,
Erin