Matt's Story:
Love stories come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are simple, and others are more complex. But they all share one thing in common: They are all beautiful.
Kayla and I first met our sophomore year of high school and from the very moment our eyes met, we knew we had discovered something special. The feeling in our hearts was like nothing we’ve ever felt before. We knew it was true love, despite others telling us otherwise. Over these past 9 years we’ve grown in so many ways together. We have faced many challenges, but we always stuck together, side by side, hand in hand. After all, isn’t that what love is all about?
Our sixth year wedding anniversary was rapidly approaching, and soon we would be on a flight down to our usual vacation destination, Destin, FL. Over the course of our six years together, Destin became a very special place to us. It became “the spot” we would go every April for our anniversary /vacation. But I wanted to go the extra mile this year. I found myself racking my brain trying to find the perfect “surprise” for Kayla. I wanted it to stand out over all the other trips. I wanted it to be the most memorable.
After hours upon hours of “googling”, the light bulb finally went off. We have never had professional images done of us. I remember thinking to myself, how cute would it be if we had them done in our favorite place.
I was filled with excitement; I immediately began to search for photographers in the Destin area. I contacted about six or seven photographers whose style looked appealing to me. Once I received responses from all of them, the choice was obvious. Ashley stuck out like a sore thumb. Her initial response was energetic, and filled with just as much excitement as my e-Mail. She made me so excited for it, I couldn’t contain myself any longer, and I had to break the news to Kayla.
That evening I told Kayla I booked a photographer for a sunset session on the beach in Destin, she lit up with so much joy. The excitement for our trip from that point on really was magnified significantly.
I immediately began bombarding Ashley with questions as fast as they popped in my head. I wanted everything to be perfect and just right for our session. One of the most memorable experiences throughout the whole process was the outfit shopping, and trying to coordinate our colors. I remember sending pictures after pictures to Ashley. She was awesome and very honest with advice. Although it took us awhile, we nailed down our outfits.
The day of the session finally came, and everything was perfect. The sunset and the colors that filled the sky were breathtaking. The session itself was filled with laughter, excitement, and smiles. It was 45 minutes of pure FUN. At one point, we were all singing the same tune, literally. Ashley even showed us some new dance moves, and taught me “the man hand.” There were just too many memories made during the session that we will look back at and laugh about. It was the highlight of our vacation.
After the session, we very patiently waited to see our images. We were filled with excitement and anticipation. She got them back to us in a timely manner, and they turned out beautiful. The best pictures we have ever taken together literally. We spent hours that evening trying to decide which ones we liked best. There were just too many to choose from, that’s how you know you picked the perfect photographer. She certainly didn’t make it easy for us.
Ashley is super fun, and filled with excitement. She is honest and upfront about any advice, or suggestions. She is super personable and easy to work with. She made the whole process from booking the session to ordering the prints seamless. I am so thankful we chose her as our photographer. Her passion for her work shines through an e-Mail, just as much as it does in person. We truly enjoyed our time together, and we will be using her services again in the future. Our session was filled with many memories that we will never forget. Every time we look at our images from this point forward, we will always smile, laugh and remember the amazing time we had during our session.
