Dear Karen & Andy,
You’re getting married in 9 days. Woah! NINE DAYS!!! Can you believe it? I am SO excited for you. This is a day you’ve both waited a long time for and it’s almost here.
I’ve known you both, separately, for quite a while. Karen, I remember one of the first times I had an extended conversation with you. It was at a winter retreat at Forest Home. I remember thinking that you would make someone a great wife. I would later find out that that someone would also be well nurtured and EXTREMELY well fed, especially if he were fed your pumpkin pancakes on a regular basis (dang those things are good… can I get a witness!)
And Andy, one of my early memories of hanging out with you was when we were backpacking through Ansel Adams Wilderness. You wore a purple-ish and teal sweatsuit made from some sort of wind-breaking material. I thought it was pretty dorky. Sorry. 🙂 But I also remember listening to you talk being impressed at how smart you are and how you figure things out. As I got to know you more, I would come to understand that behind that extremely analytical mind is a gentle soul with one of the most caring and compassionate hearts I’ve ever met.
I also remember when I found out the two of you were dating! It was the day our church celebrated its 50th Anniversary. I think it was Andy that told me, but I remember exactly where I was standing. I thought, “Of course”. Of course you were dating because you two are totally MFEO (made for each other. c’mon, haven’t you seen Sleepless in Seattle?) Somehow I knew that the two of you would be getting married someday.
And here you are.
You two have been on a lot of adventures together. Some that I’ve even had the privilege to be a part of (although I have to say I’m not sad I missed the one where you backpacked for 18 days on the John Muir Trail. The photos were pretty, but I’ve got NO desire to do that one. You guys are amazing and hard core!). I WAS ecstatic that I got to be a part of this moment.
And now you’re about to embark on this new adventure together. You’re going to be married. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you get to go on this journey together.
Since you guys are such outdoorsy people, I’m so glad we found this little spot for your engagement photos.
And I’m so grateful that I got to be witness to these moments where the love between you two was so evident and beautiful.
And silly.
I can just hear Andy’s laugh when I look at this. 🙂
Dear tree with changing leaves,
Thank you for providing such a pretty golden canopy for these two love birds. The end.
This is one of my favorites of you two. Maybe because your personalities come through so much here. And maybe it’s that glint of adoration in your eye, Karen.
And thank you, you two adventurers, for being willing to jump over fences for me and hang out in dead plants. It sure does make for pretty pictures.
Gurl, you are workin’ those jeans.
OK, these next two are my favorites too.
Whaaaaaat? You guys didn’t tell me that you moonlight as models?
Stop it.
Karen & Andy, thank you for choosing me to photograph the two of you. Karen, you have always been one of my biggest fans, encouraging me in my business, and I always secretly hoped I would be the one who got to photograph you on the day you became a bride.
So many hopes becoming reality next Saturday.
Love, Jen