Hope

Wow, guys. It's been way too long since I've blogged! This session gives me all the feels and seriously makes me happy!

So I'm about a month behind in this blog post, but I'm so glad I sat down to type out some of my thoughts. While this blog features this dreamy engagement session and shines a light on these special people, I wanted to tie it together with what's going on today. I hope these images bring a smile to your face and that you can share in the celebration of these upcoming nuptials. It sure is something to be positive and happy about!

Lydia and Bo wanted a Stone Mountain engagement session and I was so STOKED (to say the least) for it! Some place new to shoot is always exciting! To get the best light we decided on sunrise. And it was more than worth it! I love, love, LOVE talking style guide with my clients because (from what I've learned) I believe it makes a major difference in the images that I'm able to capture. Lydia and Bo took my simple advice and they absolutely blew me away. To give us plenty of time to walk up the mountain (in the dark), we got there around 6:15 EST so you can only imagine what time we had to get up! Even without coffee (or breakfast) we MADE IT. What a climb! What was supposed to be a very cloudy morning turned out to be breathtaking.

I brought my nifty pop-up changing pod so they could change into outfit number 2 on the mountain. (Also not pictured is my equally nifty husband/personal assistant. Couldn't have done it without him! Don't worry, he reminds me of this regularly!) We had too much fun with this pod (as you probably saw on my Instagram/Facebook story)! Afterwards we were absolutely famished. We got pizza on the way to our next stop: Callaway Gardens. The azaleas were starting to bloom a brilliant pink and the weather was so nice for the middle of March! Oh, and the tulips! They have always been a favorite of mine. We also checked out the beautiful butterfly garden. There was plenty of time to talk about their future plans, and that's another reason engagement sessions are so special and exciting to me! I enjoy hearing about it all.

With all that's going on in our world right now it's so easy to get caught up in the negative of our situation. COVID-19 has made me take a step back and reassess...well...pretty much everything. Life hasn't just slowed down. It has seemed to have come to a halt. Social distancing. Unemployment is skyrocketing. People are falling ill and many have lost their earthly battle. Some sick over the economy. Vacation plans. Wedding plans. Ruined. It makes me wonder why we rush life and take this wonderful gift for granted. I know that it's unintentional, but it's true nonetheless. We cram in SO. MANY. ACTIVITIES. Social events to attend, never-ending work, and general attempts to keep our calendars full.

I hope this blog post helps you to see hope, peace, and love as captured in these images. I want us to remember to keep the bigger picture in mind while also taking a moment to be sad about the permanent mark that this pandemic is placing on our lives. I hope you can see Bo & Lydia's laid-back kind of love through these images and that they remind you of a special time in your own life; perhaps when you first fell in love. What is so special about these photos? The bond between them and the commitment that they are choosing to make to each other forever. What joy! It is most definitely something good to talk about and anticipate. A wedding has always been a great celebration!

June is still the plan for their wedding day, and we have strong hopes that it can happen! In addition to their up coming wedding, Bo and Lydia are building their first home! They've even planted the cutest little fruit trees in their newly developed yard!

I know a lot of our plans have been turned upside down due to this pandemic. As much as we want to be in control, we simply are not.

I hope that things will soon change, as we are all anxiously awaiting normalcy's return.

But if not, He is still good.

Our God is bigger. Take heart.

Rejoice & be glad for all the little things. Especially your life and what value you have.

Even though the world may seem in chaos and turmoil, know our ultimate hope is in Christ.

It's a blessing to be a part of Bo & Lydia's life and a wonderful privilege to be a part of this shoot. I truly look forward to all that is to come with this lovely couple!