The Mallorys | A Christmas Contest (and a love note to our 2015 couples)

It seems fitting that this is our ONE HUNDREDTH post!! Hurray! It’s been a dream year for us and we want to celebrate. I don’t say it’s been a dream year because it’s been all rainbows and daisies, because it hasn’t been, but because it’s been a year that we could have only dreamed up. Aaron and I were so completely blessed to be chosen to capture FOURTEEN weddings for some of the sweetest couples around. I know I’ve sounded a bit like a broken record repeating over and over again that we feel so honored and we don’t take a bit of it for granted. But it’s TRUE! It is all something only God could have orchestrated and we were grateful for this good, good gift.

Aaron and I believe in marriage with all of our hearts. We believe in it so fully that we entered into it ourselves and chose it for our own lives. We love photographing all seasons that we’re asked to capture, but because we’re newlyweds ourselves, weddings hold a very dear place in our hearts.

To our couples: We understand. We are in the trenches with you. Figuring out how to live with this person you didn’t know was actually still a total stranger. Determining who will do what around the house (I think Aaron has been a bit dismayed to find that he is the cook in our home- but he’s accepted it with such grace and love). We know what it’s like to plan a wedding, but even more importantly, we know what it’s like to plan a LIFE (or try.. God knows how little control we really have). We have loved walking through this season with all of you and we’ll keep walking. Celebrating from the sidelines as promotions come, as big moves happen, as homes are purchased, and as babies enter the world 🙂 We’re here cheering you on. From this day forward 🙂 This is our vow to you. So thank you for choosing us. For trusting us. We LOVED celebrating with you.

I cried at more than a few of your beautiful ceremonies (Leigh Anne and Joey, I still can’t hear Multiply without thinking of you two); I wept at more than one daddy-daughter dance (Matt and Kristian, I love remembering the way you honored your dad and step-dad in such a lovely way!!); We enjoyed SO much good cake (Chase and Lydia- yours was our favorite all year!); We loved the little details you all included to make your day stand out (Timmy and Amy, there has never been an entrance quite like yours!); Rainy days became the most joyful occasions (Trish and Alex & Kelly and Jonathan- we couldn’t have asked for better sports as the rain fell); we were made believers of the blush dress and that she really does bring her own personality to the party (Whitney and Lauren, we owe this to you guys! You ROCKED those gowns); and we captured more beautiful portraits during amazing golden hours than we ever dreamed of (Natalie and Isaac, your portraits are our proof that couples should always say yes when we ask them if we can take “just a few more”). We got to watch twenty-eight individuals choose love and loyalty and commitment and sacrifice and it changed us. Thank you all for allowing us into your lives. It was a treat and we’re so blessed to call you all forever friends!

SO… without further adieu (and before anyone around me in the coffee shop notices me weeping thinking of you all) I want to announce our First Annual Christmas Canvas Contest! (Yes, the alliteration was intentional.) We decided that we wanted to keep celebrating all of our 2015 with a little friendly competition as this year comes to an end. So we chose one of our favorite portraits from each day (which you can see in this post) and posted them in an album on Facebook. Our couples will have until 10PM EST on Friday, December 18th to share to their hearts delight and ask (or shamelessly BEG) friends and family to vote for them. We will share the winner on Monday, December 21st!