Here's the thing - deployments? Kinda sucky. Being away from the person you love for a good chunk of the year? Definitely sucky. Planning a wedding while you're both overseas and not going to be stateside until the week before your wedding? Bat-shit crazy. So, when Jenn + Jess got back in town and we were able to steal one of their not-so-free evenings the week before the wedding, I kinda expected her to show up with a wedding binder in one hand, a shoe in the other, her hair with curlers in it and lipstick drawn all over her face. And yet Jenn + Jess showed up perfect. And calm. And happy. And not-at-all stressed about putting together the last-minute details of their wedding while also seeing each other for the first time in months. And that is why I cannot wait for this weekend to get here. We get to shoot their wedding this weekend, and I can't wait. I'm so stoked to get to shoot these two again because they might be the cutest couple ever.

I think the one thing spending some time in the military teaches you is extreme patience. We had a saying when something unexpected or unplanned happened out of nowhere, which was a regular occurrence, and that saying was "semper gumby." Stay flexible, don't fall in love with a plan. So I imagine after all that Jess and Jenn have done and continue to do in their lives, planning a wedding from a super hot place a really long way away isn't all that big a deal stress-wise. Or, like you said, they're one of the most with-it couples I've ever met.

One thing we talked about on the shoot, which was true for us as well, was that being away from each other as the relationship builds can be somewhat of a blessing you don't expect. Getting to really know someone through emails and skype calls I think gives you a different, sometimes broader perspective - and absence makes the heart grow fond, as the saying goes.

Seriously, their wedding is going to be so much fun, and Friday truly can't get here fast enough. Guys, thank you so, so much for taking the time to play photos with us while trying to get everything else last-minute together too. We appreciate it so ridiculously much - you guys rock!

Oh man, the summer is full effect over here and we are incredibly happy with how much we've been shooting lately. After our lulls, I'm always supremely excited to get to go out and shoot with couples we've met with in the off-season and get ready for their weddings.

When Alyssa was putting together this post last night, she turned to me and said, "Hah, it's a good thing Jenny doesn't really smile or laugh much with Jon." Serious photos are not the order of the day with this couple and that's a-okay with me. Some couples are meant to laugh as often as possible and it's a pretty grand understatement to say we had a good time shooting around downtown with you guys.

Jenny is a baker and these guys love the Swannie House, so it made a lot of sense to hang around the grain elevator & Swannie House area when she suggested it. Sorry we walked into bums' homes and most of the way into less-desireable neighborhoods. But it's all about the memories, right?? We really did have an amazing time with you both, and I can't stop smiling looking at all these.

Yeah - Jenny mentioned how glad she was we were going to show off Buffalo's best areas :) But when we're shooting in the city, we like texture and light, and they maybe aren't always in the prettiest spots. :) But yeah, I loved going through these photos - it's funny - when people find out what we do for a living, they always say how fun and wonderful our job must be. Which it is, but I think most people don't realize there's the decidedly un-fun aspect of sitting in front of a computer editing all day. For all the fun we have out shooting, we really do have a desk job, but man is that okay when we're looking through photos of couples who are just so happy and have so much fun together. And, I know I'm just reiterating you here, babe, but you guys were so much fun.

And I didn't get you guys run over by that huge truck when you were standing in the middle of the bridge, so that's a big win, right? Hey, good light, good times, can't WAIT for the wedding. (I just wondered how many times I've typed "you guys" on the blog. I'll bet the over after I set the number at 3,429).

So, that said, we had a wonderful time with YOU GUYS, which I hope is painfully obvious. I think getting to know couples like you a little better and getting to spend some time making photos with you before the wedding day is just so crucial. I love being able to walk through the door when we start shooting a wedding and feel like I'm getting to see good friends again. Let's hang out soon :).