A beachfront in Maui, whales jumping into the air as a group of tourists excitedly take pictures in the distance, hiking the remains of an erupted volcano. Nate drops to one knee, and asks a very special question of Carol. There are no embellishments needed, no further explanations. Only two words suffice for their proposal story…
Nailed it!
These two share so many things, from a love of hiking, to epic fantasies and adventures, to martial arts. They decided a couple months ago to share even more as they got engaged, and even though they live across the country, they are getting married in our little neck of the woods, because it’s where their families are. I for one, could not be happier. We had the pleasure of meeting them for the first time for their engagement shoot and had a blast. You could see their excitement to begin their lives together officially as a “we” and their easygoing, lighthearted way of looking at things invites all those around to join them in their own little blissful corner of the world.
We spoke about a great many things, including how much they are looking forward to the new Lord of the Rings series that is coming soon and I got to thinking… Normally in these posts I talk about the couple, about the way they look at each other, or funny little quirks, but today, I’m going to do something a little different. My husband and I are an old married couple (I think a decade qualifies me to say that… right?), and as I thought about the Lord of the Rings, and how it is one of the greatest fantasy adventure epics ever told, I started thinking about how it all started. The new series sounds like it’ll be amazing, but the story of The Lord of the Rings could not have ever happened without The Hobbit. This great story that has captivated minds for generations all began with a tale about how someone got a ring.
Nate and Carol, I love how much joy you two seek to find in every situation, the trust you show in others, the love for each other. So now is the different part, I want to talk to you instead of about you. I wish to tell you, as cliché as it sounds, time flies by faster than you ever thought possible. You two are savoring every moment, and that is the best lesson we could give you, keep doing that. The ups, the downs, the victories, the failures. They are each gifts that shape you. If ten years of perspective have taught me anything, each moment is worth it, sometimes frustrating, but always worth it. Keep moving forward, keep looking forward to the next part of the great story that is yours, all that is yet to come. But enjoy now; at every moment, enjoy now. This, right now, is the prelude to the rest of the greatest story of your lives, a story that will shape generations of your family to come, and we are so happy to have been included in our little part of it.
This engagement session at Overlook Park was so much fun, from laughing and quoting Arrested Development, to trying to figure out who the biggest Lord of the Rings nerd is out of all of us (pretty sure it’s Carol), to practicing martial arts moves in the amazing glow of sunset. I could not be happier for this sweet couple and I cannot wait to help them celebrate their big day in a couple months!
