While every waking day is certainly a gift, there are some that just end up being routine, humdrum, forgettable. 

It's life. 

But then come days we simply can't forget. Like for instance, the day you meet your future spouse. Which, in my case, was the very same afternoon I met Deanne, not ever dreaming that 14 years later I'd be shooting her wedding!

It was our family's biennial furlough to the Philippines in the summer of 2000, and we'd been invited for lunch at a family friend's home. Also visiting from Illinois were Deanne's family. All I remember was the incredible mango crema de fruta and the girls outnumbering my brother and I 6 to 2.  In the years since, our paths have crossed a handful of times in various continents and states, no one remembering that day more vividly than me.

It was truly an honor and privilege getting to be a part of Deanne and Andrew's special day. They're two of the most down-to-earth, giving, and talented people you'll ever meet. They've been together nearly as  long as the time since that fateful afternoon, and the love they have for each other and the close family ties they've made were clearly evident throughout their beautiful December wedding.

Here's to more unforgettable days ahead, Andrew and Deanne! 

 

The beautiful thing about love stories is that each one is entirely unique. Unlike any other, it is subject to a time and space all its own.

After being long-distance—she in the Philippines, he on a Navy ship or submarine—they were finally together in one timezone. So, with just under a month of planning, Mark and Carla tied the knot in front of an intimate gathering of close friends and family. 

Part two of the celebration awaits in the Philippines later this year because, hey, weddings can be unique, too.