blog

Photo books are a beautiful way to celebrate your anniversary

Let me create an anniversary photo book for you and your love.

Do you have a wedding album? If you do, you know that being able to look back at that book and remember all your favorite moments from that day is incredible. It’s probably one of the only things you have left your wedding. I mean, sure your dress is stashed away in a bag or box. Maybe your flowers are preserved as well. But your portraits really bring back all your memories in a flash! Your first dance, all the little details that made the day special. Your photo album lets you revisit that day any time you want! You can show it to your kids and your grand kids some day!

Photo albums aren’t just for wedding days. Wouldn’t it be beautiful to add the next chapter of your story? Even if you don’t have a wedding album, it’s not too late to start now! Why not begin a new tradition with a photo book that highlights the life you’ve built together since the day you made your vow to each other.

Weddings are beautiful, happy occasions. Love is fresh and new and here you are at the beginning of something exciting. Anniversaries, on the other hand, mark another year you’ve worked through life’s ups and downs together. Some of those years are really hard! Some are full of joy! Either way there’s a story being written – a story about two people fulfilling the vows they made to honor and love one another for better or for worse, for richer for poorer…

There’s no fanfare or big party, but your memories continue to compile with each passing year and you find you love each other more deeply than you thought possible. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s even MORE worthy of documenting in a photo book than the day you started that journey together!

Meet Christopher & Liz

Liz caught me at church one day and told me she wanted to set up a photo session to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They wanted to capture this time in their life as they start their foster parenting journey. It’s an important milestone in their life.

A short time later I sat on their back patio, and took a walk down memory lane. I enjoyed listening to them talk about how they met, their engagement and what they’ve been up to in the last year. We discussed locations that were meaningful to them and decided that going back to the place where Christopher popped that all-important question, would be really awesome. 

An anniversary photo session

So one morning in early fall I met them at Caledonia State Park where they escorted me to “their bench”. It was a large log roughly hewn into a seat perfect for the two of them to admire the view of the creek and woods together. 

Autumn had just begun and already the leaves were starting to show their colors. It was surprisingly warm for our session. A definite contrast to that day he got down on one knee!

I had a few activities & games planned for them to take their mind off the camera and redirect it to each other. They were great sports and their photos really show their beautiful bond and fun-loving personalities. These two are obviously best friends and fit together so well. Something that was confirmed when I read their responses to the survey I sent them prior to their session.

Before we parted, Christopher handed me two folded sheets of paper. I had asked them each to answer a series of questions about their relationship through the years. From early thoughts and feelings for each other, to today’s hopes and dreams for their future.

This was the gold that would bring their anniversary photo book together. Their story. It was so moving to read their words. They told of a beautiful love that grew out of friendship. It spoke of a mutual admiration and respect. Their relationship has not only endured but grown stronger through very real struggles and pain. It’s been strengthened especially by a foundational faith in God and selflessness toward each other.

What’s Your Story?

Chances are, your life hasn’t happened exactly like you dreamed it would either. Have you and your partner learned any hard lessons together? Are there unforgettable paths have you walked hand in hand? What do you appreciate most about each other now? 

I’d love to hear your story, and help you capture it in a photo book you will cherish for always! I call these my Sentiments Sessions, because we go deeper than your typical photo session to capture your relationships & true emotion through both photography and your own thoughts and feelings.

Here’s how it works: I’ll give you both a list of questions to answer individually, then you’ll share your answers with each other, privately, at the beginning of your photo session. 

After the session you’ll provide me with the parts you’d like to include in your photo book, and I’ll highlight those sentiments in your “sentiments album” along-side your selected images from your photo session. You get final approval before I print it!