It feels like I have known Stephen + Lisa since the beginning… well, in respect, I was “almost” there at the beginning! For those that visit my blog you will see these two sprinkled throughout! They are in the top tier of my favorite peeps to photograph! I LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEE THEM! <3 I would write much much more but I know Lisa + Stephen are checking my blog probably every second waiting for me to hit the publish button… so read their love story in their own words below or skip past it and look at the photos first, THEN read their love story! hehehehehee. Special thanks to Brittany Shelton for assisting/second shooting during the pre-events & ceremony
How They Met: Stephen & Lisa met through mutual friends at a sports bar. It was an instant connection…love at first sight…or, as their story goes, love at first shot of Jack. (Stephen was quite impressed when Lisa ordered a shot of Jack Daniels…he looked at his best friend & said “I’m wifein’ ” Haha!). Little did they know, only a few short months later, they’d be engaged. They quickly became inseparable & grew to be each others’ best friend. It didn’t take long for Lisa to decide she was in love with him. Stephen always says he knew from the night they met that his life was never going to be the same after Lisa. The moment Lisa knew she was in love with Stephen came with the heartbreaking news that he had volunteered to deploy. Lisa didn’t have to think twice when he told her…she told him she would wait, no matter what. So there they were…best friends, madly in love, with a deployment on the horizon.
Proposal: Stephen & Lisa haven’t had your normal relationship. They were dating within one month of meeting & already talking about marriage 3 months after that. They’ve known from the beginning that they wanted to spend their lives together, and even though they talked so much about getting engaged…Lisa had even gone & looked at rings & picked out some that she liked…the proposal was still a complete shock to her. In August, her siblings, their significant others, Stephen & she all took a road trip to OBX, NC for their cousin’s wedding. They stayed in a house close to the beach for a week & had an amazing time! The second to last morning there, Stephen & Lisa decided they were going to get up early & go watch the sunrise. They sat up in the lifeguard tower, just taking in the moment. After awhile, Lisa was cold & tired & just wanted to go back to the house. So she, being impatient, started pulling Stephen off the beach. As they got to the trail that leads to the parking lot, Stephen stopped & said he wants to watch the sunrise a minute longer. So they stood there, just holding each other, when he began to tell her how much he loves her & wants to spend forever with her. At that point, Lisa still had no idea! Then he said, “For real this time, will you spend forever with me?” & got down on his knee. Lisa couldn’t speak…she just cried & hugged him. Finally, Stephen said, “So is that a yes?!” Haha. “YES!!!” Lisa couldn’t have asked for a better proposal. She says, lesson learned: she needs to be a little more patient! Haha.
Wedding: After much thought & support from their families, Stephen & Lisa decided to get married in a small ceremony May 17, 2011 while he was home on leave from deployment. Although some may not have approved, it was a very special day, with just their families & closest friends. Their vow renewal was an amazing opportunity they had to be able to celebrate their love & their first year of marriage with all of their loved ones.
