On Friday night, I was privileged to capture an emotional love story during Andie and Drew’s Engagement Session at Coxhall Gardens and Holcomb Gardens in Indianapolis. {Warning: If you do not have tissues handy, go grab some!}
THEIR STORY…
Andie and Drew met at a bonfire. Being shy, Andie didn’t approach anyone naturally. But, for some reason, she felt comfortable around the guy who continuously had a smile on his face. She started a conversation with Drew, something she never did, and the conversation flowed easily. A month later, they started talking again. They saw each other a few times, and the tenor of their conversations remained unbridled and natural. From then on, they saw each other every day. They laughed together, shared stories, and went on adventures for the next year.
On March 29, 2017, Drew asked Andie to spend the rest of her life with him. He dropped to one knee on a sandy beach in St. Thomas while vacationing with his family. He remembers being worried that the ring was going to fall into the ocean while he was proposing. As Andie joyfully accepted Drew’s unexpected proposal, the St. Thomas beach-goers applauded and cheered.
Days later, Drew was sworn into the Army with a leave date in a months time. Drew and Andie had a few big decisions to make. They had to figure out if they would have a wedding ceremony and what their living situation would be if they got married. Since Drew would be on active duty for at least four years, they would have to wait if they wanted to have a traditional ceremony.
They decided that they could not wait four years to pledge their lives to each other. Before he left, they wanted to start this new journey with the foundation of marriage. Before he left, they wanted to profess their love to one another. Before he left, Drew and Andie wanted to say, I do.
On Friday, May 5, 2017, Andie and Drew had an intimate courthouse ceremony and started their lives as husband and wife. They found an apartment that she could call home while he was gone. They bought a puppy to keep her company. And they could not be happier with their decision.
Andie beautifully described her wedding day by saying, Most people wouldn’t call this a fairy tale. But to me this was more than a fairy tale. It was more than spending a full year figuring out how I’m going to spend thousands of dollars. It was more than trying to find the perfect venue and the perfect flowers and decorations to fit the event. Today was the most amazing day. Today I said I Do to my best friend, my partner in crime and the one I get to spend forever with.
The title of this post is a bit of a misnomer. The two were celebrating their one week wedding anniversary when we met for this session. It was a joy to experience this new and exciting time with them. Their wedding / engagement session at Coxhall Gardens and Holcomb Gardens was filled with laughter and love that is evident in their images.
Drew leaves for training on May 23. He will be on away for 4-6 years. Andie is going to finish college while he is on duty. They will desperately miss each other, but they are confident that they can withstand any storm. After all, they are now Mr. & Mrs.
I feel truly honored to have captured their love during our engagement session at Coxhall Gardens and Holcomb Gardens before Drew leaves for training. I hope these are memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. But more importantly, I hope they help them through the next 4-6 years of their marriage.
