The sun had already started setting on the horizon as we reached the top of Oak Mountain Park. Although slightly chilled, the weather was just about as perfect as you could hope for. No clouds. No ice to deal with. No wind. Just… peaceful. A perfect compliment to the spunky relationship that is McKenna & Jake. Quirky to no end, there seems to be an unending fountain of joy that springs from these two. (Jake could make McKenna laugh every time I asked him, and I did so quite often!) But underneath Jake’s countless jokes, these two still hold an immense… intensity. A respect for one another and for themselves based on a mutual faith in a creator who oversees every step of their love. It’s a belief that drives their lives towards something greater than themselves. 

And so we ventured, Jake telling his jokes, McKenna giggling and giving affectionate smacks when he said them a little too loudly. It was good for me personally to watch. Healthy even! A great example of how a God-fearing, loving couple should love each other. A couple grounded in healthy minds, bodies, and spirits. They are going to make a great team as their story continues to unfold, and I’m happy to play a small part in helping it happen. Their marriage cannot happen soon enough!

I still remember that first text that started it all. I was sitting in the main office at Triple R Ranch (a FANTASTIC kid’s camp in southern VA), and I felt my phone give a little buzz. “Hey Daniel. My fiancé and I just got engaged, and we were wondering if you would do our engagement pictures? How much do you charge?” I froze. “How much do I charge?” How much do I charge?! Luckily I was quickly able to come up with some arbitrary amount, and they ended up hiring me.

Before I get hired for a wedding, I always spend at least an hour just getting to know my couples. There’s one question I have recently asked every time: “What flavor would you say best describes your relationship?” Elizabeth and Matthew’s response: Asian Zing. To those who don’t know, this is a staple Buffalo Wild Wings flavor packing a large amount of sweet with a little bit of a kick in the background, and after running around Auburn Alabama’s Kiesel Park with these two, I feel that it really does expertly personify the love they share. They are definitely a mixture of calm, savory-sweet mixed with a little bit of “zing.”