"i love you more than i have ever found a way to say to you."
honestly, i don't know how to even begin this blog post.
i've known james since about 2008 and immediately just loved his sweet & kind spirit. but when he moved away from boone (where we met, at appstate) and joined the navy, we lost touch for a little bit. but i'm a stalker, and i would see this pretty girl named natalie commenting on his stuff and popping up in his instagram - so naturally, i asked him about her. he told me he was pretty sure (at that point) that she was the one, which for james was a huge deal.
and she is.
i met them down in charleston not long after james proposed and we did their engagement session at cypress gardens and magnolia plantation (right on the lawn where he asked her to be his wife!) - i knew they were hoping to have a wedding in california (where natalie is from) and we talked about it a little, but i figured they'd book with someone local to help with cost.
man, am i glad i was wrong. we talked back and forth for a couple of months before it was solidified that they wanted me to come be their photographer in the beautiful area of carmel valley at the super cool hidden valley music seminar. when natalie told me she wanted to do their first look photos at big sur, i'm pretty sure i started sweating with excitement. i mean, c'mon. really? if you've been, you know it's one of the most magical places in the us for sure... even if it took james and me an hour to find the dropped pin that natalie sent us. literally, we drove around for an hour. at least we were laughing and catching up and enjoying the beautiful morning.
when we finally did catch up to natalie and her sweet sister, they read their teary vows to each other with big sur in the background and a sweet breeze in the air.
their day was full of tears, excitement, beautiful weather, tequila and dancing.
literally a day to remember.
james and natalie: i can't thank you for bringing me thousands of miles to be the one to capture your day. you two are amazing, perfect for each other and have a love that can move mountains. love you & can't wait to see you again!
