Real Couples // 50 Years Together: Alva + Alvin

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Real Couples // 50 Years Together: Alva + Alvin

My grandparents really are my role models for love. They have taught me that no matter what, love will always win. My grandparents have been together for over 50 years! They married, separated for a few years, and remarried again. Even with their separation they still stood by each other's side and continued to love deeply. Ever since they met, they knew they were each other's person. No matter what, they have to be with each other. They really are a cute couple too. They accidentally dress alike...almost everyday. They will say it's an accident, although I'm sure my grandpa plans his outfits after my grandma has laid hers out and goes to shower. He will swear he got dressed first though. When my grandma is out of town, we have to force my grandpa to eat because he forgets without her around. Their need for each other strengthens my belief in the gift of love and how it can truly empower us all. The way they still always hold hands and steal quick kisses from each other when they think no one is looking gives me life. They are a couple to look up to. :)

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Real Couples // A Desert-Fabulous Wedding: Jenny + Chris

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Real Couples // A Desert-Fabulous Wedding: Jenny + Chris

Jenny and Chris follow their own rules. She works in theater and both of them are whiskey loving, desert obsessed, and all around fun-lovin' folk that aren't afraid to "get a little weird." They DIY'd their entire wedding and used an online calculator to figure out how much booze they need, which they ended up doubling out of fear of running out! Their wedding was a little bit Rock n Roll mixed with desert fabulous. A bunch of guests stayed on site in the cabins (this is where the film crew for old westerns that were filmed at the fake town next door would stay) and partied the night away. Chris constructed the photo booth, they had BBQ ribs and pulled pork, whiskey and lemonade, and some kegs followed by an epic dance party.

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Real Couples // I'll Give You the World: Camaro + Cameron

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Real Couples // I'll Give You the World: Camaro + Cameron

We are really glad we stayed through the failed sparkler send-off at the end of the night. We were able to take in every last possible minute with our people and soak up all the love and light. Everyone says the wedding day is a blur for the people getting married but we were truly present for the entire celebration and enjoyed every minute of it.

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Real Couples // Minneapolis Romance: Theresa + Brenda

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Real Couples // Minneapolis Romance: Theresa + Brenda

Theresa and Brenda are examples of strong, modern individuals who do great work in the world: Theresa has a PhD in Child Psychology and is a university professor, and Brenda is an MD who practices medicine. This couple lives in Portland (OR) but traveled back home to Minneapolis to get married and celebrate amidst their loved ones. They are the kind of couple that is not only so happy and in love, but they are also incredibly deserving of the happiness and love they have found. They are kind and gentle, and their joy is truly contagious.

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Styled Inspiration // Crimson Bridal Boudoir

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Styled Inspiration // Crimson Bridal Boudoir

For this photo shoot, I got in touch with Ashley, from Ash+OAK to create a flower dreamcatcher, and I asked her to create something as unique as every woman and to use reds. Red symbolizes strength and confidence, and it is a super sexy color. She included local wild flowers, bold reds, moss, and sticks into the design of the dreamcatcher and the bouquet.

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Real Couples // River Romance: Felisity + Laine

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Real Couples // River Romance: Felisity + Laine

When Felisity saw Laine for the very first time, the word "home" immediately came to mind. There was something that felt familiar about this vivacious actress with the killer smile and fun-loving spirit. And for Laine, Felisity's sense of adventure and affectionate personality inspired her to chase new experiences. During hiking trips and romantic in-home dates, Laine and Felisity fell in love without thinking twice. The way that they look at one another says everything about their relationship. Their engagement session on Missouri's Eleven Point River was the perfect fit for their personalities and created some of the most emotional images I have ever shot. 

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Real Couples // A New York City Adventure: Leonard + Michelle

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Real Couples // A New York City Adventure: Leonard + Michelle

Leonard and Michelle had a full wedding in Korea and then a wedding party in NYC at the Norwood Club, but they wanted to do a portrait session of just the two of them at some of their fave places in NYC doing a few of their favorite things. We hit up the High Line Park and wandered all around their old neighborhood of the West Village. We did some sunset rooftop photos at Leonard’s old apartment (where the kind doorman he used to know let us in!) and finished by getting cocktails at Cafe Gitane in the Jane Hotel.

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Real Couples // Cincinnati Sign Museum Wedding: Megan+Dustin

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Real Couples // Cincinnati Sign Museum Wedding: Megan+Dustin

Having your wedding in an Electric Sign Museum in the heart of Cincinnati and your portraits taken in the middle of a cemetery are some bold moves, but that's just what Megan and Dustin did with their day. Their whole day was cool, creative, and reflected the things they love. They had a small wedding party with just their best friends and kept everything as simple as it should be. I explained to Megan that fighting against the lighting inside of a neon sign museum would be pretty much worthless, and we might as well just embrace the warm glow of the lights — and she was all for it! The whole day was full of positive energy, laughter, and amazingly bright neon lights.

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Men's Rings Online: For Last-Minute Shoppers Who Want Variety

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Men's Rings Online: For Last-Minute Shoppers Who Want Variety

Meet our editor's husband, Adam. Liz jokingly referred to him as "groomzilla" during the wedding planning process because he thought of and constructed many DIY decorations and had strong preferences in terms of the music, food, and the bar to name a few. But one detail he didn't think of until a few weeks before the wedding was his wedding band. In the end he rush-ordered something online that he ultimately didn't care for and only wore on the wedding day. Men's Rings Online exists for this very reason: to provide a large variety of wedding rings that can be rush shipped for free and easily exchanged, all for a fraction of the cost that you would pay using a traditional jeweler.

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Real Couples // Summer Evening Engagement: Aisha + Rachel

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Real Couples // Summer Evening Engagement: Aisha + Rachel

We met at a bar. Rachel's friend bailed but she decided to go out anyways so she was standing by the wall. I walked past her at first but stopped and turned around to talk to her for some reason. Neither of us were expecting to meet anyone that night; neither of us were looking for a relationship at that point actually, but we started hanging out constantly after that night and we've basically been together ever since.

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Real Couples // Spring Frost Engagement: Sally + Sophia

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Real Couples // Spring Frost Engagement: Sally + Sophia

Sally and Sophia are two incredibly fun and in-love individuals who made the trek [twice] to Charlottesville from their home in Washington, DC. Due to some crazy winter temperatures (10 degrees, plus 20 mph wind chill) we ended up postponing the original session date and, instead, met up for a delicious brunch at The Clifton Inn. Many amusing stories were told, along with much discussion over some recent movie theater experiences.

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Real Couples in Video // 18 Years in the Making: Markus + Carl

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Real Couples in Video // 18 Years in the Making: Markus + Carl

When I first spoke with Carl late last year to learn about his marriage to Markus, I knew I was in for a good story. Markus and Carl have been together for 18 years and engaged for 15 of those years. Their love for one another is an absolutely incredible thing to witness in person, and it was hard for us to hold back the tears as they gave their vows to one another.

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The Language of Love: 10 Tips for a Bilingual Wedding

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The Language of Love: 10 Tips for a Bilingual Wedding

Some couples opt to have a wedding celebration in each of their native countries (my husband and I had one in Munich, Germany where he’s from and a second one several months later in California). If it isn’t feasible to have two weddings, another option is to have one ceremony and include as much of both cultures in it as possible.

However, hosting a wedding for guests who don’t speak the same language runs the risk of many people feeling out of the loop. Here are some ways to keep everyone engaged and make all guests feel included.

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Real Couples // A Pacific Northwest Beach Wedding: Geoff + Ederlyn

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Real Couples // A Pacific Northwest Beach Wedding: Geoff + Ederlyn

We became friends again through the power of Facebook (breaking and making relationships since 2004!) and managed a reunion in Las Vegas. Geoff says it was love at first sight. I am a much more emotionally oblivious person, so Geoff took another trip to Seattle where I inadvertently set up the perfect first date. It took a subsequent trip together to Vancouver for me to catch on. 

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Real Couples // Couples' Boudoir: Monique + Rochelle

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Real Couples // Couples' Boudoir: Monique + Rochelle

I've shot many couples' boudoir sessions before, but when Monique and Rochelle first expressed interest in being photographed, I realized this was our chance to do something different, something a little more wild than I had ever done before. I did everything I could to establish a safe environment for the session, but mostly let this amazing couple do their own thing. I did receive one of the best compliments of my life after the session: "Kinzie! You're so easy to get naked in front of!" But really, the magic was all them; I was just there to document the journey. 

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Real Couples // A Seattle Surprise Engagement: Taymah + Brittany

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Real Couples // A Seattle Surprise Engagement: Taymah + Brittany

Taymah and Brittany traveled to Seattle from Chicago for a summer getaway and wanted some portraits done together in front of the Seattle skyline. I took them to one of the best spots to get romantic views of Seattle, Gas Works Park. Little did Brittany know, though, that Taymah had something else extra special in mind. She snuck a diamond ring in their bag and gave me the signal when she was ready to drop to one knee and propose to Brittany right there in front of the perfect Seattle backdrop. I had Brittany facing the other way, and when she turned back around to see Taymah holding out a ring she could not believe her eyes. Their smiles for the rest of the evening say it all. Their love and joy with one another easily spreads to everyone around them, and the glow in their photos does not just come from the sun.

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Real Couples // Rainy Catskills Wedding: Aubrey + Jake

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Real Couples // Rainy Catskills Wedding: Aubrey + Jake

Aubrey is an actress, and Jake is a trendsetter in the Brooklyn restaurant scene. I photographed Aubrey and Jake’s wedding this past October 3rd. It was a rainy and cold day but the camaraderie, love, and joy made the weather not matter. The wedding was held at the Inn at West Settlement, located in the gorgeous Catskills and the fall foliage was in full bloom. The amazing skirt on Aubrey’s dress was handmade by her mom! Aubrey’s jewelry for the event was a ring from her grandmother, and the box that held the ring happened to also have Aubrey’s birth year on it. The ceremony was officiated by their close friend.

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