This last year was a rough one for me.  My husband, James, had a hip replacement in June and caregiving was a lot tougher on me than I imagined.  Immediately following his surgery I had 2 big weddings on back-to-back June weekends, followed by a two-week family trip to New England in July.  I shot a wedding the day after returning from my trip, and before I knew it I was in the throes of Fall wedding season and Christmas Card craziness.  I have had a lot of mental health struggles recently, which reached a paramount around Christmas/New Years as I started taking a new medication for anxiety and depression.  Every day has been a challenge, but things are now steadily improving.

The reason I mention this is because in a bizarre way, this couple has been with me through some of the toughest times of my life, probably without even knowing it.  We had our initial consultation within days of James’ surgery, so I was understandably off my game and little scatterbrained.  At the pit of my depression we took their engagement photos on what was one of the darkest weekends of my life.  Their presence and kind spirits truly cheered me up in a way that I couldn’t otherwise find myself.  I decided to take the month of February off to reset, but first we had their final venue walkthrough on a rainy day during that first weekend of the month.  It took everything in me to get up and get out there on time, but I did it.

Today is my “first day back” after a month long sabbatical.  I’ve been shooting for fun here and there, but today is their wedding, and it’s going to be a long one.  I’m so excited for them and for the opportunity to capture their day, but I am also excited and proud of myself for how far I’ve come in the last 6 months.  I am in a better headspace now than I’ve been in years, and while it’s still just a starting point, I’m excited for the rest of this busy year of work and to manage things differently than I have in the past.

Well, it’s time for me to go, but please do stay a while and enjoy some of my favorite shots from their engagement session this past December:

Estefania and Leo are some of the kindest, sweetest, respectful, considerate, and most polite couples I’ve ever worked with.  Every step of the way, they valued my opinion and respected my professional boundaries, all while supporting and caring for me every way that they could.  I have a feeling I will be attached to them for a long time! 🙂