Cuppa Photography

Four years ago today, surrounded by one seriously amazing group of family and friends, Justin and I were married in the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia. Four years ago, it was Thanksgiving weekend, a weekend we chose with care, not just because everyone would have to travel to our psuedo-destination wedding and would have extra time off from work and not even because Williamsburg has it’s insanely gorgeous Christmas decorations up at that point. We chose it because Thanksgiving is a time to stop and take stock of all that we have to be grateful for, beginning with each other and our community of friends and family. To be grateful for having been given the tools by our parents to be capable of love, to be grateful for the experiences that each of us had individually that equipped us for partnership, to acknowledge the circle of love and support that buoyed us in times of doubt or sorrow. It’s extraordinarily humbling to realize the miracle of our lives…that we live in a place where hunger or war or material uncertainty rarely touches our day to day life, that we have health and sanity and the mental faculties to engage in lively and inspiring conversation, that inherently we’ve always been safe and loved and encouraged.

And, of course, to have found one another. The indescribable sense of being truly seen, to be understood, to know that in this wide and vast world there is one person who values you above all others, who loves you no matter your faults or shortcomings or mistakes or faux pas. To know that, come hell or high water {or cancer or loss or any other world shattering catastrophe}, you are part of an unbreakable team.

That one rainy evening long ago, in a shelter along the Appalachian Trail, a cute boy with a big grin walked into my life and four years ago he promised never to leave it.

Justin, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me…you are the love of my life and the partner that I didn’t even know I should be dreaming of…happy anniversary, my love!

{this image was shot by the uber-awesome Liz & Ryan at our day after session in Acadia National Park last year!

{Why “Cream & Sugar”? Here’s why!}