Here is a little story about Maggie & Jerry.
Rewind about 2.5 years ago, while I was planning my wedding shower. I was checking into venues to have my bridal shower and I stumbled upon Greystone golf course. A beautiful little venue on golf course grounds, but that wasn't what made me book my shower there. It was Maggie, their adorable, bubbly, petite event planner. I knew I just had to work with her! Do you ever just meet a stranger and instantly click with them? That's what it was like when I met Maggie...she was SO nice, so upbeat, extremely helpful and went the extra mile to help me with my bridal shower. A total breath of fresh air during that nerve racking wedding planning of mine. From then on, I kept in touch with Maggie via social media. She went on to do great things and now has a wedding planning business of her very own, called The Wedding Inside Her. Please check her out if you need assistance on planning a wedding! You won't be disappointed!
Fast forward to this past December, Maggie contacted me about doing some lifestyle photos in her home of her and her husband, Jerry, their love, and a special announcement they wanted to make to family and friends around the holidays! Of course, the day of the session just happened to be one of the biggest snowstorms of the year...we were almost about to cancel but I knew in my heart I had to take these photos for this girl. Someone I felt truly went out of her way and gave 100% to me, at a time when I needed it. I wanted to give back the same service to her! So, with that said, I laced up my snow boots and headed north to their adorable home. When I arrived, I was greeted by their peppy little white pup, Oia! Maggie and her husband, Jerry were so inviting and I was smitten with every little antique detail in their home!
Once we caught up and I stopped asking the story behind every unique piece of furniture or decoration in their home, we got started on the photo session. Maggie pulled out a tiny little rocking chair, old blankets and vintage toys...all which were, of course, either hers or Jerry's favorite childhood things. And some blocks that spelled out adoption. I was so thrilled to photograph a session with such meaning behind it. For one, I have two amazing cousins that I have watched grow from babies to teenagers now, who were adopted. The second reason is I am always taking maternity photos for couples who biologically have children, and this time I got the chance to take photos of the same thing, two people in love who are also expecting a child, but this time from adoption! And third reason being, my husband & I have been longing to start a family of our own for awhile now, so anything having to do with a baby coming into this world, melts me. I have learned that for every couple, its not that easy to get pregnant or stay pregnant for that matter. Bringing a child into this world, whether it happens naturally, with a little assistance, or by adoption is truly life's greatest miracle.
The thought of adoption has always been in Maggie's heart. When she was told at the age of 20 that she may have long term issues with conceiving, Maggie felt as if she understood her maternal purpose. She was not one of those girls who obsessed about being pregnant with the big belly and all. Of course, she would absolutely love it, if that happened...but it was more than that for her. Then, Maggie met Jerry, the love of her life, best friend and over all soulmate. Most men don't think about the alternatives of having a child. Just as Maggie struggled with the thought of not being able to ever get pregnant, her incredible husband, was now struggling with the same thoughts. Adoption for Jerry was a new topic of conversation that did not come naturally. It was hard, scary and completely overwhelming! For a while the thought of adoption stayed on the back burner, never turned off, just waiting to simmer. The desire to be a mother and a father was real and a child was something they truly wanted in life. They decided to take a leap of faith. Maggie said it best, " When you choose to push thru fear and the unknown, it is incredible what you will find on the other side. You will find trust, truth and absolute perfect sense. You find that it doesn’t matter how you THINK your life is going to go. What matters is how your life is GOING and who’s going with you!" They are now just waiting for one of the most exciting phone calls of life, that their baby is on the way or has been born! Anyone who has met this couple can clearly see the love between them, how much love they will give to a child and just how lucky this child will be to receive such amazing parents.
The day of their session we did what Maggie & Jerry do best on a snowy Sunday afternoon. We hung out in their charming home and played with their little dog. They cooked one of their favorite dishes together, shrimp tacos and drank some vino! They went out to adventure in the snow and warmed up with some coffee & snuggles.
This session was shot hybrid. Half of the images were shot with my digitalcanon mk 3 & the other half were shot with my canon 1v on fuji400h film.
