I had such a wonderful and intimate session with these two at Wrightsville Beach! Amanda really wanted to do something special for her husband, Michael, so this was a surprise for him! Not only are these gorgeous people super in love and not afraid to show it, but their love radiates from the photos we captured! I enjoyed every second of editing this session and my heart is full!
Amanda and Michael met while working at Sam's Club together, have now been married 9 years, and have 2 beautiful little girls together! Sometimes when you're parents, life can get a little busy and you don't really get much alone time with your spouse, or have time for date nights; so when Amanda told me this was a surprise for her hubby, I loved the idea and how special it was. Amanda and Michael spent some time out together before our session, and then we met up at the beach. They both looked great, but as part of the surprise, I walked down to the pier with Michael while Amanda stayed behind and changed into a different dress. She then came down the beach in this little red dress, looking beautiful, and we started the session.
Some of the first things they liked about each other when they met were their smiles. Amanda also likes his hands and how he makes her feel safe, and Michael likes that she makes him feel at peace. I thought these were some really important things that their photographs needed to speak.
After I delivered their gallery, Amanda wrote a post that made me tear up a little and reminded me that what I do really does make a difference.
She first quoted, "There's this man. He completely stole my heart, and I hope he never lets me go."
And then Amanda went on to write, "Marriage is hard. Sometimes we make it harder than it needs to be. Most of the time I make it harder than it needs to be. But the guy holding me close and keeping me from getting swept away in the waves makes every moment worth it. He holds me from more than just an ocean wave. He holds me together when life wants to do nothing more than tear me apart. He holds me tight when I can't keep myself together anymore. And he holds me even tighter to show me how much he loves me.
But life happens. And it's not always easy to hold on. This moment on this beach in these waves were exactly what we needed. A moment to ourselves, shutting the world out, remembering what it felt like to love each other just because we wanted to. And I am so glad we had the chance to capture these moments with such an amazing photographer. These are pictures I know we will look back on over and over again through the rest of our lives and it will remind us of where we started, where we were, and where we want to be. In love.
Thank you so much Amandamarie Gillen for this amazing opportunity to reconnect and enjoy each other again! I cannot recommend something like this to every married couple I know enough. Even if you think you're doing okay and you don't need to reconnect. Even if you think you're good and you don't need the reminder of how much you actually love your partner. You do. You do and you will appreciate having the photographs to share in those moments when you really do need to reconnect and you really do need a reminder. Go find Amanda, or whoever you're comfortable with, and capture your magic with the lens. It's amazing what you'll see through someone else's eye. "
I love knowing how important these photographs are, and how symbolic they are of Amanda and Michael's relationship. This is why I love being able to do what I do.
AMANDAMARIE GILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY | WILMINGTON, NC PHOTOGRAPHER