{Craig and Autumn}

I have known Autumn since before I was married to Rachel. They used to be roomates in a house of Mill St and they got married last weekend! I'm going to be posting some more images soon, but here are a few from their casual portrait session we shot a few weeks ago!

Every single couple has their inside jokes and funny things they do, lets face it, if us guys were not funny, and the girls didn't laugh, life would be so much less exciting. So one of my favorite things to do on our casual portrait shoots is to encourage them to be themselves, as if it was the 1st month they were dating. Looking back at when I was dating my sweet wife, I went to great lengths to make her smile. We would even go into Walmart, and I would hide inside HUGE 70 gallon tupperware container and she would drop a dvd case as a "cue" when someone would get close. Then I would pop out and make a loud noise and scare the people who were walking by. I'd trade off with her sister and we would have a blast. Simple fun, laughing and being silly. (I know, I know, I was 24 then and young!)

Its those times that remind me of why we were attracted to each other from the beginning.

We were fun people and while we have spent the last 4 years growing closer and serving each other, the initial sparks of fun, and silliness came out and made us smile. Thats why I spend so much time at these shoots doing these kinds of shots. It may take an hour to get to this point, which is why our casual portrait sessions usually last several hours, depending on the couple and the light and how many cool things we come up with.

Life is so fun, and its so important to capture it now. Its been rightly said, "never forget the joy of your youth". I am a firm believer that if everyone remembered these things about their wives or husbands, there would be less excuses about "drifting apart" and pain that comes when marriages separate and end. If only we can remember how much fun we had, and remember that life should be more simple, serving our spouses, respecting as if we were still on the 1st date, and having as much passion and energy for making them laugh as we did in the early years. Thats just part of why I do what I do for a living. I hope your marriage is blessed beyond your dreams Craig & Autumn...