It was barely light outside as one eye opened to find my alarm. As my brain came to life after, what felt like, a short sleep… I remembered…. Today’s the day. Lance and Laurie are getting married today!!! From there, a flood of jitters and butterflies fell into my chest and the coffee I was sipping at the breakfast table only made them flap their wings faster. “Today’s the day my girl marries the love of her life.” “Today’s the day Lance has been waiting his whole life for.” I felt the beautiful tension of their love story burst through my nerves… and a flow of excitement and pure joy filled my heart. As I pulled into the driveway… I said a quick prayer, “This is your day God… can’t wait to see you move!”

Quick steps and a “Come on in!” placed me in the living room of the Kohlenberg house staring at this beauty….

Laurie’s a ridiculously beautiful girl even on a bad day… THIS day, however, there was an extra glow that made her absolutely stunning! I had to fight back tears because I was so proud/in awe/excited/nostalgic.

While I spent the morning with Laurie and the girls, Christopher hung out with Lance and the boys. Apparently it was quite the silent and peaceful morning for them… they went about their business and got ready for the big day…. Lance just couldn’t wait to see his bride!

Just look at this guy! I couldn’t help but think about how just grateful he was for this day and for his bride… there was nothing but happiness in his eyes all day.

This was one of my absolute favorite moments of the day. They wanted to be with each other SO BAD. I love how this shot just shows the excitement and anticipation Laurie had for when Lance saw her for the first time. This isn’t just a moment people… this is a moment we, as women, dream of our whole lives…. what our future husband’s reaction will be when he first sees us on our wedding day. It’s a day when we look and feel our best… a day we’ll remember the rest of our lives. And Laurie was GORGEOUS!

The day went without a hitch… and the love and support I felt from all angles definitely left me feeling full and inspired. Something that struck me during the ceremony was how the central importance of their entire event was God. Lance and Laurie’s life and love story is such a stark pointer to the gut-wrenchingly powerful love of their Savior. He is present and active. He is Good. He loves us.

I owe a big thank you to a few people who made my life easier, more beautiful, and basically fantastic! First of all, Laurie and Lance, you are clients to covet and irreplaceable friends… I’m completely humbled and honored that you think so highly of me and your support has been so encouraging! Thank you! Bob Botsford of Horizon Christian Fellowship–you ROCK! Also, Diane of Whimsey Florals was the genius behind all the beautiful flowers. I was IN LOVE with the bouquets she did and would recommend that EVERYONE use her! Lastly, I had two amazing shooters with me… first, Christopher outdid himself this wedding! Not only did he get quite a few Ah-Mazing shots, but I couldn’t have done everything I did without him. Mucho Thanks also go to Amanda Patrice, who battled traffic and a super early morning to come all the way down to San Diego to shoot with me! I had so much fun with you and basically… you’re amazing.

And now, without further adieu… the slideshow.

Click Here to View the Slideshow!!!

Today is Sunday… technically a day of rest. I’ve definitely rested some today after a long day yesterday… but I couldn’t sleep tonight without sharing just one shot from yesterday…. this is one of my favorites from Lance and Laurie’s day. There are a TON more to come… stay tuned and I’ll be working hard to have more show and tell from their wedding in the next few days! Now, goodnight…

Laurie is one of the coolest people I know. For the longest time, I knew her as “Little Angel”, the strikingly appropriate camp name given to her at birth by her parents. We worked at Forest Home’s Junior Winter Camp way back when… and we enjoyed many late nights talking and laughing as roommates. As we grew older our paths parted for a while and the next thing I know I’m hearing talk of a boyfriend from her older brother. Finally the day comes in June… this guy proposes and she says YES!
It wasn’t until I got to spend some time with Lance and Laurie that I really got the bigger picture. I asked Lance to tell me their love story… because I had only heard bits and pieces from Laurie’s brothers. As I listened… I got that oddly familiar tugging sensation on my soul… the kind of sensation that happens when I see God so clearly involved in someone’s life. Their stories make these pictures all the more sweet… like sugar on summery ripe watermelon….
Their families had been friends for years, but neither Laurie nor Lance had ever paid much attention. Laurie was the straight A beauty who got accepted to California State San Luis Obispo. Lance was the strapping young guy who went off to serve his country with the United States Army… and even though their families were close, their paths never crossed….that is… until tragedy struck.
In 2007, Lance was injured in Iraq. He wasn’t just injured… he was hanging onto life. The short list of his injuries included 3 shattered vertebrae shoved into his spinal cord, all the bones in his chest were broken, he had a collapsed lung, his heart was bruised, both his eye orbitals were crushed, his face had been crushed, and it took about 70 staples to hold his face together by the time the many doctors had done their best to fix everything. He spent a lot of time in many hospitals… and doctors didn’t think he would be able to walk again. All this to say… his injuries were tragic and his family back home was devastated. The tiny light in the midst of all this tragedy was Lance’s faith that God was not finished with him yet. He clung to that hope in his pain and suffering, in his fear and disappointment.
His story inspired many people through the email updates his mom so faithfully sent out. And it was through these emails that Laurie fell in love with Lance’s character and faith in God. She noticed there was something different about Lance… something that transcended the fact she had never met him.

They wouldn’t meet until later.
After spending some time in a hospital in Germany, then traveling to Georgia to recover even more, he had the chance to come home for a week to be with his parents in San Luis Obispo. While hobbling around the kitchen in his neck and back braces, he noticed a picture on the family refrigerator. The picture stopped him in his tracks and he asked his mom immediately, “WHO. IS. THAT? She’s BEAUTIFUL!” The picture was of Laurie. (insert sappy “aw’s” now) It was love at first sight for Lance…. and before he left for an insanely long recovery period in a Georgia hospital, he told his mom… “Mom, I know you’re always right about things when we argue, but I’m going to be right about 2 things this time: One, I’m going to be completely better, home with you, and retired from the army by July 2008 (10 months from then). And two, I’m going to marry Laurie Kohlenberg.” She laughed at the thought of both of those things, and saw him off. Little did she know…. he would be completely healed, home again, and retired from the Army all by July 2008. And little did she know, that Lance and Laurie would fall in love… forever.
Again… stories like this, of people whose paths cross simply because they’re following the voice of God… they remind me of how intricately involved He is in our lives. Makes me wanna jump up and down, raise my arms in triumph, and shout His praises into the vastness of creation. (kinda dramatic, but it’s true)
So for this shoot, I was really excited to shoot with a thematic purpose… I wanted to capture the tension of being in love, the sense of heading out on an adventurous journey, and the tender connection between two lovers. We all had so much fun on this shoot, and I’m so excited with the results! Without further adieu, here’s the mini photo story of Lance and Laurie…

Many thanks to John and Christina Kohlenberg for the AMAZING vintage suitcases, and to Christopher for being the best prop/bag carrier of all time!
I can’t wait for Lance and Laurie’s wedding in November… it’s going to be so much fun!
P.S… Lance… you’re awesome.