And the FREE WEDDING FINALISTS ARE... Tue. January 15, 2008 gossip
First of all, the wedding I was booked for on May 10th just let me know that they are hitting the road and getting married somewhere tropical so I'll be shooting their wedding a few months later on a beach somewhere, but I am now OPEN on May 10th. So if you are a bride who contacted me for that date, or want to have me shoot your wedding on that date, shoot me an email to jessica@jcsphoto.com
Anyway, without further ado, I want to share the 2nd Annual Free Wedding Contest finalists with you. There were originally going to be three, but I ended up receiving four entries that I believe merit finalist status. The winner this year will be decided by a committee of ten people I have handpicked for their stellar judgement, kindness, charitable nature, and unbiased judgement. All ten of them are far better people than I am, and are more worthy to choose. I will however, cast an 11th vote if necessary. More info on my team to come in the next couple of weeks.
If you missed out on the original entry for this contest, it is here The winner will be receiving wedding photography by me, travel expenses, an album, and a DVD of their files. Plus a couple of other goodies from people who have very generously emailed me!
So there are four couples I want to introduce you to.
Couple #1: Catherine and Steve
Wedding Location: Tupper Lake, NY
The story, sent in by Catherine:
Steve and I met in August, 2002 when we moved next door to each other in the dorms of SUNY Geneseo. For me, it was love at first sight. We both began actively pursuing a friendship that quickly grew to be much more. About a month after our first meeting, Steve asked me on our first date. That fall I was filled with joy as I floated through my days. I distinctly remember walking through campus on a crisp, clear fall day thinking, “My life is perfect and I can’t imagine being happier.”
Things quickly changed when, less than a month into our relationship, I woke up several mornings in a row with numb feet. Soon the numbness spread through my entire body and I could not use my hands. Steve drove me to the emergency room and sat by my side for hours while various doctors poked and prodded me. Eventually I was able to see a neurologist who told me that I was just stressed, there was no solution and that I should go home.
For the next month Steve stayed by my side, dressing me, tying my shoes, fixing my hair and cutting my food so I could eat. His patience and understanding got me through the toughest days. Eventually my body returned to normal and we continued in our blissful state of love.
The following spring I suffered another attack, this one affecting my ability to walk. I saw another neurologist who diagnosed me with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that could eventually leave me paralyzed. Steve and I had many late night discussions about the future, both mine and ours, and I told him that I understood if my MS scared him (it sure scared me) and that he could leave the relationship if he needed to. Instead of taking the easy road, he stood by me, and continues to stand with me today.
We will be wed in Tupper Lake, NY, my home town. It will be an outdoor ceremony, in honor of our love of hiking. I plan to walk down the aisle, but I know that if I need a cane, walker, or wheelchair, Steve will be there to greet me at the altar. No matter what happens in our lives, our love will conquer all.
Couple #2: Anna & Chris
Wedding Location: Monroe, Louisiana
The story, sent by Anna's sisters Jennifer, Lisa, and Lacey:
We hope this letter finds you well and not too over-whelmed with letters. We are sorry that this is coming in at the last possible moment, and hope that it is not causing you additional stress. That being said, we hope that you will enjoy getting to know our little sister through this brief and inept description. We found out about your amazingly generous offer through your blog and felt that we just had to write.
So, without further ado, we would like to introduce you to our little sister, Anna. She is the fifth child in a family of eight; five girls and three boys. She is an amazingly beautiful young woman – outside and in. She goes to school full-time, teaches piano to 17 students who adore her, and also serves at a local restaurant on the weekends. Chris is a guy we’ve known his entire life. We even used to babysit him! He was born just three months before Anna in a small town in Mississippi. He is one of those guys that everyone asks to be a groomsman in their wedding. He won us all over (including our dad) from the beginning of their relationship, with his sweet charm, goofy personality, and plain-simple-love for Anna. In 92’ our family had to relocate to Louisiana and just seven years later Chris’s family moved to the same small town! It was if they were meant to be together all along. They have literally grown up together, and are like two peas in a pod. When they were fifteen, they were deemed by anyone who was “in the know” – an item. Amazingly enough, through their high-school years, they didn’t fall into the typical teen-age drama of insecurities, constant break-ups, and co-dependency. So secure were they in their relationship, they felt it important to give each other plenty of room to breath and grow. Despite the fact that they made a difficult, yet mature decision to spend two summers apart, their relationship did not falter, but grew deeper and deeper. They, quite literally, fell into love.
Anna has always been a very motivated and determined young woman. She worked through high school as a babysitter, and bought her first, beat-up car at only 16 years old. She paid for her own insurance, cell phone, clothes, etc. Though our parents had no money to help, she decided she wanted to go to college after graduating from high school. So, she saved and used all of her money that she received as graduation gifts, to pay for college. When her car broke down and was not repairable, we were all very concerned about how she would pay for a new one. We knew Anna was very careful with her money, but what we didn’t know was that she planned ahead and had saved more than enough for a new car. She has done the same in preparation for her wedding. She knew that there would not be much money available for her wedding, so she started saving years ago. When their other college friends are out on weekends, she and Chris work or stay in, and deny themselves little treats and special things they truly deserve, because they want their wedding to special for their friends and family. However, finding ways to make this event special and unique comes with its own set of challenges. She is the fifth child in our family to get married in a six year time period. We have all gotten married in Monroe, Louisiana – at the same church, with the same decorations, the same disc jockey, cake maker, and photographer; the last wedding was less than a year ago. Though she has been very willing to take our suggestions to heart and “make things easy”, she has very sweetly struggled to make her own wedding unique.
Our parents both work full-time jobs, and still have three children living at home; there is no room in the budget for anything other than the ordinary. Not only has Anna so selflessly asked for no monetary help, it has been of the utt-most importance to her to keep cost to a minimum for her attendants.
We would love to show you Louisiana in the fall, with all its beautiful bayous and cypress trees.
We would love to share our huge family with you and our unique Cajun-spin on Southern hospitality.
We would love for you to be the photographer at our little sister’s wedding.
We love our sister more than anything and feel that she and Chris have worked so hard to live quiet, peaceful, and responsible lives. They have been an amazing example of sweetness and humility to all who know them. They are the first to volunteer for any project that needs to be done, and the first to be invited to a party - because they are just so wonderful to be around. I’ve never heard them complain about hard work, or expect special treatment for anything.
Though not earth-shattering, they do have an amazing story. It is a story is of something beautiful, rare and true. It’s of first love, first kisses, and falling in love with your best friend.
She and Chris would be greatly honored by your gift.
Couple #3: Jessica & Drew
Wedding Location: Ojai, California
The story, sent by Jessica's friend, Alex:
I happened to be browsing wedding bee (my favorite site these days!) and read about your photography contest. I am a bride-to-be, getting married in July 2008, but already have booked a wedding photographer (although you are amazing! just not in my budget!). I wanted to nominate my girlfriend Jessica DiCristina who is more deserving than anyone I know. This story is not for anyone to have pity, but just to explain the kind of person that Jess is.
I know Jessica through nursing school, we both just graduated this month (finally) and I was blessed to have created an everlasting friendship with her in the process. Jessica has had more tragedy in her life than most people will ever see. On November 15, 2003, her boyfriend Mathew Pavelka, was the first police officer to be killed in the line of duty for the Burbank California Police Department. Her world came crashing down when she recieved a phone call at work that something had happened to Matt. Matt had been a police officer for only 10 short months, when he answered another officers call for backup that day. It had been a routine traffic stop that got out of control, and 2 men opened fire on Matt and the other officer. Matts life ended that day and Jess felt like hers had as well. At his burial, Jessica had a gold band seperated into 2, one for her and one for Matt, that she placed on his finger before he was burried and the other on hers, so that she could wear it in honor and rememberance of him. Here is a short story about Matt and his murder.
http://www.bcea3143.org/pavelka.htm
In the midst of this tragedy, Jessica continued to work towards her goal of becoming a Registered Nurse while working full time at the local hospital. By chance, she happened to meet Andrew (or "Drew") while working at the hospital. He resembled Matt in that he, too, was a redhead, tall, cute, and funny. He also was in the same line of duty as Matt, was working as a Paramedic, and starting the fire academy. Initially, Jess wasnt ready to have another man in her life, especially someone who so closely resembled Matt, There paths crossed again when Drew found Jess on the internet one day (the world famous Myspace). She had remembered him, and since some time had passed since Matts death, she felt ready to at least talk and see where things went.
In a very short time, there was an immediate connection, and in no time she had fallen in love with Drew, and him the same. Even through she was still grieving the loss of her boyfriend, she was still able to give of herself to someone else, and I am so glad that she did. Drew is an amazing person, and has brought so much into her life. They understand eachother so well, and one second of being with them (or hearing them talk on the phone) you know they are meant to be. Drew stayed by Jess's side throughout her years through school, and was her #1 supporter. Drew planned his engagement to Jess for months, he had called me about it several times, and it was so hard to keep the secret from her! He planned a trip to go to Maui, mapped out the spot he was going to do it, bought the most amazing ring, arranged for a limo to pick her up from her house, called her boss and requested the time off for her without her knowing, I mean he went all out. She was so shocked, I remember she called me on her second day in Maui, and sobbed through the entire engagement story! She said it was the most perfect day of her life and she couldnt be happier.
Her and Drew have not picked a wedding date yet, but are doing everything possible to cut costs. Jess is the most humble person I know, she is not at all flashy, she isnt into designer clothes or purses, she is simple and very conservative. They have picked a venue, and are considering having the wedding on a Sunday morning just to cut costs, as well as using an ipod for music as to not have to pay for a DJ, forgo the liquer and maybe even not have a cake. As a bride to be myself, I see how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement, and all of the things you feel that you "have to have," and I have never seen Jess once fall into that trap. She could care less what color her flowers are, or what kind of chairs are used, all that matters to her is that she is marrying the love of her life, and that it is spent with her family and friends. When I told her about the Monique Lhuillier dress that I fell in love with (with an $8,000 price tag) she showed me a $200 Davids Bridal dress that would be just fine for her. That is just how she is, and one of the reasons I love her so much.
Jess lives at home with her mother and brother, in a manufactured/modular home in Moorpark, California. She made the decision to live with her family until her and Drew are married, just because she wants to do things "right." She is such a great friend to me and so many others. She has a great insight on life because of what she has gone through, and she is always there for me when I need her. She truley lives each day at a time and really values the things and people in her life. She is the first person I call when I need advice or support, and she is always sure to put a smile on my face and make me feel better.
Jessica is more deserving than anyone I know (she is way more deserving than myself even!) and she would be so honored and humbled if she was chosen for this awesome gift!
Couple #4: Kelli & Matt
Wedding Location: West Virginia
The story, sent by Kelli's mother, sister, and aunt (all three sent in an entry, not sure if it was planned or not) This particular excerpt is from Kelli's mom, Sue:
This is my daughter Kelli Fraley and her fiancé Matt Williams. Kelli and Matt went to high school together. They dated and went to their Jr. prom together. They graduated in 1997 and went their separate ways. Neither ever married. Kelli went to work for Bob Evans Restaurant as a server and then as a trainer.
Matt went into the Air Force. His dream was to become a pilot. Not having a college education Matt couldn't take the training he needed while in the Air Force. So after serving his 4 yrs. he went out on his own and got his pilot's training and license. While being home to visit his parents at Christmas Kelli and Matt met in the mall the day after Christmas. They have been a couple ever since.
After much hard work, and many loans, he's now a pilot for Continental Airlines and has many thousands of dollars in loans to pay back. He is just starting out as a pilot which pays very little to start out. Kelli doesn't make much money as a server and corporate trainer for the restaurant chain either,so they were depending on their Dad and me to help with the wedding.
Kelli and her Dad, Robert Fraley had a very special relationship. Although I know my daughter loves me, she and her Dad had a special bond that was indescribable. From the day Matt and Kelli told us they were engaged, he told her to plan a big wedding and he would take care of it. Her Dad and I had been divorced for nearly 10 yrs.
He knew I couldn't contribute much in the way of money, but I would be doing the cake,and the flowers. I also was going to pay for her gown. He had planned to walk her down the aisle, and had already picked out the Father/daughter dance song for the reception.
On Sept. 16th, 2007 Robert was killed in a tragic mining accident. Needless to say Kelli is devastated, and her plans for the dream wedding have crumbled. There are no words to express how this has affected my precious daughter. Her life will never be the same. There is no way that I can make her life complete again, but a beautiful wedding would surely help ease some of the pain.
These two are such a hard working and deserving couple, I pray you will choose them as winners in your contest.
So what do you think? Who should win? Leave a comment--it can't hurt to cheer for your favorite! The winner will be posted on this blog sometime on January 21st!!!
gossip
