I have to give Mikaela props. Planning a wedding isn’t an easy task anyway, but I’m learning that when you’re planning a military wedding, the word ‘challenge’ doesn’t even begin to describe it! Almost each time I talk with Mikaela, something about their plans has changed. That doesn’t bother me in the least (I’m the photographer, and I’m here to support!). But as a recovering control-freak-slash-over-planner myself, I can guess how overwhelming it could be to plan and prepare, and then find out you need to change those plans and preparations. Time after time after time. But she seems to be handling it with poise and grace (though she may laugh when she reads this!) and at the end of the day, she knows what’s most important–that she and Josh are getting married to spend their love and lives together. As long as that happens, everything else will fall into place.
Mikaela and Josh have been together since high school, including nearly 2 1/2 years of Josh’s service in the Marines. They’ve weathered storms that only couples in long-distance-relationships can understand, and they can’t wait to be together for good! When it became apparent that they’d need time to process paperwork so Mikaela can join him when he’s stationed overseas next year, they decided that a quick courthouse ceremony in the summer made the most sense. The ‘big’ wedding will still take place in December–and what could be better than two weddings??
Josh is currently stationed in North Carolina, so even after booking their wedding with me, we knew an engagement session wasn’t going to be very likely. But when Mikaela first approached me about me shooting their courthouse ceremony, too, portraits were the very next thing on my mind–what a perfect opportunity to spend time with these two and get them in front of the camera, all while documenting their ‘official’ I Do’s.
The sun was high and hot, the sky was clear, and there wasn’t a whisp of shade to be seen–but that didn’t stop us from getting in a quick session in the New Mexico desert before the ceremony! (The gopher holes in this field almost DID stop us, though–I was careful to keep Mikaela on a very small patch of ground so she wouldn’t end up ankle-deep in dirt, burying her beautiful blue dress shoes!).
Enjoy scrolling through their portraits, and take special note of how sweetly they smile at each other!!
I just have to pause here to say, I love this picture–it’s so classic! I’m pretty sure there’s a picture of my grandparents floating around somewhere like this, when my Nanny was seeing Poppy off to war.
Mikaela and Josh, congratulations! I hope the rest of your plans come together smoothly now that you’re ‘official,’ and I’m so looking forward to celebrating with you in December!
Hugs,
Erin
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