THIS is why I love Anna and Jeremy so much. The two photos that surround this paragraph are the reason I do what I do. Happiness. Love. Excitement. Mouths truly in pain from smiles so big.

In my wedding vows to Wes, I said to him that I cannot wait for us to get old and gray so he can see all of the wrinkles he has given me from smiling so much.

Jeremy, I am afraid Anna will also be a sweet wrinkled old lady. Because you obviously make her so the happiest woman on that side of 65.

The both of you have warmed my heart and given my job value and meaning. Your love ignites my passion. I cannot wait til your wedding day. So stinking close!

Enjoy your sneak peak. 

Anna is probably one of the happiest, most excited people I know. I am sure her friends will say the same… but I think they will also say she has a bit of sass to her… I think it is her awesome rockstar hair. And I am so excited that I was able to capture it. 

Armosa has so many exciting things planned this year. Announcements to come, and some exciting changes! We cannot wait to share with you what we have been brainstorming up!

Until then, I hope you continue to follow our journey. We will keep blogging couples in love and our life in action. We are so thankful to share our passion with you!

Be happy and love each other!

T

This couple is as sweet as anyone I have ever met. We finally got to do their engagement session after rescheduling for rain 5 times… and finally the sun came out. And it was worth it.

Wes and I enjoyed getting to know both of you so much and we cannot wait for your wedding. I know it is going to be so fabulous.

I hope you cherish these photos and enjoy your last month together before you become husband and wife. March is right around the corner ;)

Enjoy! 

Be happy and love each other.

T

I can’t say there are many brides I would be overly happy to drive through the night to get to. I love my sleep. I love it a lot. But when I meet Lauralee & Matt I knew they were worth driving over night, swimming across an ocean, and hiking up a hill both ways in the snow to get to their wedding. Luckily, I didn’t have to do all of those things but it sure would have been worth it.

This couple swept in my life and stole my heart. Wholly and completely.

I have always been the kind of person who is afraid to show my emotions. For some reason, I prefer to give off a “big and bad” attitude. haha. I dunno why, maybe a middle child thing, nothing can get me down. I am non-emotional. But seeing how Lauralee was so unafraid to show her emotion and love for her husband made me feel so warm. It made me feel like it is ok to be emotional and to let people see my happiness… through other ways that just squealing all the time.

This couple is going to rock this world. They are going to be one who is an example to everyone around them…. no pressure you two. haha. But just showing how you love each other makes people around you find the same kind of love… it is pure and genuine.

I love your love. And I am honored to have witnessed it.

When Lauralee got to the end of her aisle, and reached her groom… she busted out, “I am just so happy” haha. I don’t think I have ever had a bride that was just so full of joy they physically couldn’t contain it anymore. This moment may be my single favorite ceremony moment ever. I love it. 

Lauralee singing her favorite song… “You don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin” This was the moment I KNEW that loved her…. that and when she said Dolly Parton was her favorite. 

Sorry Lauralee… I just had to…. haha….

Happy Monday everyone!

Be Happy and Love each other,

T

I think I had goose bumps the majority of the morning of this wedding day. It started with a text message early that morning, “Hey, what do you want from Starbucks? I’ll get it” The bride asking ME what I want??? Best way I have ever started a wedding. I got to her house and her best friends and close family were all laughing and enjoying being together. Adam texts, and the whole room is filled with tears. Lauren may have been one of the happiest brides I have worked with. Every time she teared up…. I felt myself full of emotion. I love seeing brides who are so joyous they can’t even contain themselves. The morning was excellent. Then the ceremony came…. whew, the vows. Complete perfection. I love personally written vows. I love it. It is each of them giving a piece of themselves to the other person. So sweet. Then came the reception… wow. wow. wow. Lauren knows how to throw a party for sure. It was a complete and total blast. I could have danced all night long. Excellent food, amazing band, beautiful venue, and a room full of guests ready to get down. It was one of my favorite receptions to date.

Lauren’s kindess to Wes and I is something that I will cherish for a long time. She went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and comfortable. And she shared her emotions with us, and let us see who she is. Beautiful. I love love this couple. I wish them more years of happiness than even they know what to do with.

I cannot describe the wind to you we were all experiencing. I literally couldn’t see the camera because I couldn’t keep my hair out of my eyes. Luckily, I can frame a photo even with my eyes closed ;) Thank you to the wedding party for being so kind to your bride & groom and not complaining despite feeling like your bones were about to break from the cold. You are my heros.

We pulled out of this wedding somewhere between 10-10:30 and hit the road. Ten hour drive to our next event. I just kept telling myself, we can do this, we can do this.

Check back Monday for the next wedding that made me so happy I could cry!  Be Happy and Love each other !

T

When I say that I love a couple, I truly mean it.

The weekend of this wedding was truly a whirlwind. Wes & I, with the company of 2 of our close friends, drove down to Jacksonville, Fl through the night and arrived Thursday morning about 4 am. We slept in the RV in a Walmart parking lot until it was time to meet up with Adam & Lauren.

Lauren had decided since she and Adam were both from Jacksonville to do an extra session there the day before the wedding. I thought this was brilliant. It gave them a chance to get away from the stress of planning and just be with each other. Be close to each other. It brought the focus back to them. Plus, it got them warmed up for the photos the next day.

I absolutely loved the location they brought us to for the shoot…. well, except for the fact she told us when she visited the location with her sister, a lizard fell on her head. (I hate lizards more than snakes… I walked with my hand over my head for most of the session… haha)

After the session, they invited us to have breakfast with their family. This.was.awesome. Lauren is originally from New Jersey, so most of her family were visiting from there. It was so great getting to hang out with them and know them. Some of the nicest people we have worked with. They welcomed us with open arms and truly made us fill apart of the experience. One of my favorite wedding memories yet.

I wanted to share this session to introduce the wedding. This session started the 3 days of non-stop shooting that I will remember always. I am in love with this couple. This bride has a piece of my heart. And I am so so so thankful I got to share in this with her.

Enjoy.  

Wedding is up tomorrow. Come back for it. Lauren knows how to throw a party for sure.

Be happy and Love each other.

T

This is the easiest shoot I have done in a long time.

This couple being with each other seemed as natural as them breathing. The two of them just fit. It was amazing. I loved every single second.

Typically at the beginning of the shoot, I tell couples it is ok if they feel awkward at first, it will get better & they will get more use to it. Well, after my spill… Hart & Colten just fell into place. No awkwardness, no weirdness… just happy, fun, flirting.

I cannot wait for this June wedding simply because I cannot wait to photograph them together again.

To the both of you, thank you for making my job rock. You are awesome & enjoy every second of these last few engaged months! It is almost here!

I love this.

And I am obsessed with this. Thank you for your patience! We are working on getting technical issues with our blog worked out. It has been taking me about 3 hours to blog… and that is NOT normal! So hopefully we will have it all worked perfectly soon! So thank you, and I have tons of fabulous things coming!

Be Happy and Love each other,

T

For two days, I have been trying/wanting to do a blog recap of 2011. Such a fabulous year. So here we go. A proper goodbye.

The year started with a wedding that reminded me of why I even do what I do. The bride warmed my heart in a way that made me feel like Wes and I are exactly where we are suppose to be. She challenged me to love deep & not take any moment for granted. Oh, I loved loved this couple.

I also shot a vintage wedding of a couple who loved each other to the tips of their fingers and toes. This bride was a classic beauty. The kind of girl who can take your breath away and she has no idea. I wish she lived here in Florence so she could be my best friend forever.

Speaking of Best Friends, some of ours got married this fall…. on a sweet fall day. Tears & joy were prominent. We couldn’t have been happier for two people. This blog was soo good it took 2 parts. Part 1. Part 2.

But before they tied the knot, we traveled abroad to witness vows that will forever change how we view wedding vows. I cry every time I hear them. This couple stood at the ends of the earth and promised themselves to each other in one of the sweetest ceremonies I may ever witness.

On September 24th, a dream Wes Wages had came true. A couple received a Perfect Wedding. A wedding donated by some of the best Shoals Vendors and hosted by No’Ala Magazine. Wes wanted to give away a wedding bigger than us… and he made it happen. This couple won out against 4o other couples to win this free* wedding. And the only word that could be used to describe it is…. Perfect.

I will NEVER forget our back to back adventure, driving from Jacksonville, Florida through the night to Florence, Alabama to have a double wedding extravaganza. These two weddings are the next to be blogged. I didn’t know if the stress of the trip would be worth it honestly, but both couples brought the sweetest tears to my eyes & made my heart so full. I will never ever forget these two couples. I cannot wait to share them with you.

This is the year that we didn’t have a SINGLE wedding rained on. It rained one morning in August, but was clear before photos even started. Believe it or not, I pray for weather for your wedding just as hard as you do. And this year… all of our prayers combined were answered. This was one of the weddings I prayed extra hard for. This outdoor intimate ceremony just wouldn’t have been the same without the sun.

Oh, and in August a little boy was born that changed the way I view birth & marriage. I documented this miracle & will never be the same. If you haven’t seen this video…. it is my favorite piece of work I have ever done. Watch it & be excited for the day you too will be parents…. or remember what it felt like the first time you held your bundle of love.

Another adventure, Wes & I started this year was shooting large events nation wide. We travelled from Portland, Oregon, to New York City listening to entrepreneurs share their passion and advice to help other people pursue their passion. We documented events that helped change lives in a totally different way from what we see on Saturdays. It was challenging for us to take things to the next level.

As for personal adventures, Wes & I fell so in love this past year. We followed each other across the States & backpacked Ireland trusting each other that we wouldn’t ever loose sight of what we have together. I couldn’t be more proud of the man that God gave me to love. He rocked 2011. And I am so excited for what he is already scheming up for 12′

Now that we are on 2012, I will let you know that you will get to follow us on another adventure! Tickets are booked & Armosa is taking Thailand & Japan in April! Thailand is the number one place I have wanted to travel… which is a little strange, but it is my dream. And dreams are coming true this year. For us & for you. Take the step & make it happen.

Haha… and for Caesar, if you ask him what the best part of his year was, it was when his friend Weagle got a food allergy & had to give Ces his big box of treats! Caesar has been in heaven ever since. Here are Weagle’s parents right before they had their beautiful baby.

We can’t wait to see where this road takes us. We have a lot of exciting things in store. One thing being we want to do a Q&A with y’all starting soon! We are so excited for this year! And hope you stay tuned! Thanks for joining the ride!

Happy New Year from the Wages.

Be Happy and Love each other,

T

I wanted to share a snippet of my surprise gift from my love! Wes Wages contacted my favorite photographer Gabriel Ryan and asked him to do a shoot of us this past week while we were in Los Angeles. When he told me I completely freaked out with excitement. I have followed Gabriel’s blog for about 3 and a half years now. Right after he and his lovely bride Carlie got married and started their own business. I fell in love with this couple and was over the moon to have them photograph us! Best gift idea ever! So I couldn’t wait to show you just a few! I am so thankful for this Christmas gift that I will be able to have forever.

Remember the first giveaway, I urged you to do your special session! Do it! I am so thankful that I did mine! 

This describes it. Love.

And now without further ado. We will announce the winner of a very special Christmas gift! We announce the first winner through video, we thought it be appropriate to announce the last! Congratulations!

Be Happy and Love each other.

T

Thank you all who have entered our month of giveaways! It has certainly been fun!

I am happy to announce that with your help we were able to donate enough money for 2 water filters for Nicole’s Samaritan purse goal. I am so excited. But I will be honest. I am a little disappointed. I had hoped we could do more, but I am thankful for the faithfulness for those of you who did participate. Luckily, you will be added double time to this entry if you enter again! And this is one you definitely don’t want to miss.

One of mine & Wes’ favorite things is to get away. haha.. I know what you are thinking. Yes, we love to travel. But honestly, one of our favorite times of the year is when we go up and spend the night in Nashville. No agenda, no meetings, nothing but us enjoying each other. And that is what we want to give you.

One night at Aloft Hotel in Nashville , Dinner at Bricktops with two movie tickets, and breakfast at our most favorite breakfast spot (actually where we ate the morning after our wedding) Monell’s. A perfect* date away!

What do I want to know?

Who are you taking away for the night? Why do you want take them?

Here is a photo of Wes and I on one of our very first photo dates with each other. Hanging out at the Parthenon in Nashville. It was the perfect date day with the man I loved… and he finally loved me too. And this day, I knew it.

Merry Christmas everyone. And thank you again for all of the love.

Be Happy and Love each other.

T

*gas and baby sitter not included.

Jessica Simpson

Thank random.org for selecting comment number 10!

Todays giveaway is a bit different from the last few. It is still a giveaway… but it isn’t for you.

Let me explain.

For the last 2 years, Nicole Vinson has faithfully been following our blog and commenting. We have had the chance to get to know her a little through this internet friendship. She, too, is a blogger. She blogs about faith and living a life as an example of Christ. I love the name of it… Bloom where you are planted. She has guest bloggers who tell their story and offer an encouraging or challenging word. She is also a lover of travel & love… so you get some of that goodness as well. But overall she has a heart for people.

This holiday season, she wanted to give back. She challenged her readers to help her raise money for clean water filters to families who are in need through the Samaritan’s Purse. Her goal is to give 10 water filter’s that cost $100 each. You can read more about her project here.

Because this season is more about giving than receiving, Wes and I thought it would be awesome if this weeks gift was to help someone else in need. So this is what we are doing.

I want to hear what you are thankful for this holiday season.

I am thankful for the health of all of my family members. Cliché right? But as I get older and I watch my grandparents get older, every single holiday I have them all here with me is truly a gift. I am a grandparent’s girl, so they mean the WORLD to me. I am also thankful for y’all. Giving Wes and I the opportunity to give is truly a blessing. I am so so thankful for each day I get to do what I love.

So for every comment. Wes & I will donate $5 to Nicole’s cause. For every new facebook & twitter follower we will donate $1. You have until 9pm on the 19th to comment. And if you comment on this blog, you are given double the chance of winning our very last gift announced on the 20th. It is going to be awesome. Truly one of mine & Wes’ favorite things. And no, it is not Caesar Wages ;)

This is a photo of us with Nicole! We finally got to meet her on Tuesday!! It was so great to meet someone so passionate and full of joy! She is doing things to change lives! And I want to help her!

Give back!

Jessica, send me an email with your address through our contact page, and I’ll put your gift right in the mail!

Be happy and love each other.
T