Woo-hoo! We have a winner!

Three months ago I announced a Wedding Photography Giveaway here on the blog for all couples getting married this summer in the great state of Montana. Choosing the winners was really really easy since I only had one entry to the contest! Today I get to introduce them to you! And here’s the lucky couple…

Tassie and TJ:

Here are some excerpts from their entry:

Their story:

T.J. and I met while attending the University of Idaho.  T.J. was a football player and I was on the track team so we saw each other around the athletic facilities several times before we officially met. While at a mutual friend’s house, T.J. started up a conversation with me. We talked that night for over 2 hours.  We talked about religion, family, morals/values, sports, and life ambitions.  We even found out that we had the same initials (T.J.).  That part has been very confusing for us since we both get called T.J. by our families.  I gave him and a friend a ride home that night and after I dropped him off I felt great.  This was the kind of person I had been looking for.  I knew that I wanted to end up with someone just like him.

We were becoming better friends all the time. One night after a long conversation I told T.J. that I thought he might be my “soul mate.”  To my surprise he didn’t run away at that.  The problem was that I was moving back to Montana so we knew nothing was going to happen.  It “happened” that T.J. and I were going to both be in Spokane for New Year’s Eve.  Just before Christmas I received a dozen roses with a note saying that he couldn’t wait to see me in Spokane.  We spent New Year’s together that year.

The proposal:

For our 4 year anniversary this New Year’s Eve after dinner T.J. asked me to walk over to a gazebo with him which was across a bridge.  I agreed even though it was snowing and I was not dressed for the weather.  I had purchased a new pair of red suede high heels, they were cute but not made for the snow or walking.  But I made the trek with only a couple of near falls.  When we got over to the gazebo T.J. started to tell me how he couldn’t imagine life without me and how he was glad that we are so perfect for each other.  He said that I was his soul mate and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.  Then before I knew what was happening he was down on one knee asking me to marry him.  I of course started to cry and asked if he was serious.  He said he was and I just started hugging and kissing him.  He reminded me that I hadn’t answered him yet and I told him of course I would marry him.  So he put a ring on my finger and made it official.  By the way the ring is amazing.  It is from Ireland and it is a claddagh ring.  Did I mention that it has 34 diamonds.  It is so perfect for me and it symbolized our whole relationship.  I am the happiest person in the whole world to get to be marring my “soul mate.”  We really are meant for each other and I knew it from the first time we talked.   I don’t think life gets much better than that!!!!

Their wedding:

We will be having 400-500 guests and a lot of this is because we both come from big Irish Catholic families.  Our reception is being held in an airplane hanger  because there isn’t anything else big enough to hold that many people.  It is going to be simple but a lot of fun.

Tassie and TJ, I am soo excited to be photographing your wedding for you. Congratulations and Happy Valentine’s Day!