Justin and Abby met in college, several years ago, through the help of mutual friends, and a relationship quickly blossomed.  I can’t wait to shoot their wedding at The Clinton Library this fall!  Here are some favorites from their fun engagement session on Justin’s father’s farm in Romance, Arkansas……

{SLIDESHOW}

Happy Tuesday!

Later that fall, the two began hanging out, casually, with groups of their friends, and when everyone bailed for an outing to the movies, Cassie suggested they go together.  You mean…..like a date? Zach asked.  It could be date-ish, Cassie coyly replied.  And that, as they say, was that.  The two have been dating-ish ever since, and are now engaged to be married this summer at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock.  Zach and Cassie were both in the bridal party for a wedding we shot last May (Christina and Jared) and I have looked forward to shooting their engagmeent ever since!

We lucked out this past weekend with a gorgeous, albeit slightly chilly, day for their shoot.  Here are a few favorites, and as always, you can see more in the slideshow!

Mallory’s perspective:

Well, it might have all started back in 1994 when I had Mrs. Cranor (Eli’s mom) as my kindergarten teacher!  She says “I knew then that Mallory was the one for Eli!”  Haha, I haven’t quite fallen for this tale, but I do know that God had a plan for Eli and I. Apparently Eli has had a thing for me all the way since junior high, but me, being the oblivious girl I can be sometimes– I never picked up on it. That or I just never believed it. Eli was the quarterback of the football team, he had a serious girlfriend — on and off, and he was older than me. All things that led me to believe I never would have had a chance with him.  Throughout junior high and high school, we had small conversations here and there, but nothing ever became of it. Hgh school came and passed, and then off to college Eli went. My senior year of high school and Eli’s freshman year of college, he sent several Facebook messages to me throughout the year. For every two or three he would send, I would respond to one. I’m not exactly sure what my logic in this was, but I know now that God had a bigger plan. That summer he came home, and would call my house phone because I wouldn’t answer my cell phone or Facebook. My mom would force me to talk to him and say, “Mal, you need to give this boy a chance!” I still didn’t listen. Fast forward three more years. Fate would have it that Facebook once again would be our avenue for communication. Eli was playing football in Sweden and posted a picture of his new haircut. Anyone who has kept up with E will know that he had a period of terrible, long hair. He looked like a hippy with a nappy, and I mean nappy– head of hair!  Anyway, he cut it all off and posted a picture on Facebook that I “liked”. That quick click of the mouse to “like” his new picture opened up the door for us to talk again. A few months of small talk passed before Eli was preparing to come back to the U.S. He knew he would be flying in to Little Rock, which is where I live now, so he asked me to lunch. Timing didn’t work out exactly for lunch,  but the very next week I went home to Russellville and we met up. The next night we had our first date. December 1, 2011 — Eli asked me to be his girlfriend –and the rest,  is history!

Eli’s Perspective:

I did have a “thing” for Mal since about the 9^th grade. The first time I remember noticing her, she was trying to get a basketball out of the ball cage in the gym. She was pretty short then, and there was only one ball left, so it was down deep. She was reaching way down for it when the cage closed over the top of her and she fell in. That was the first time I saw her. The next time I really remember Mal, was when I was playing football and she was pole vaulting in high school. Off-season football and track season always coincided, so I got to watch Mal do her thing while I was doing my football workouts. Needless to say, I was impressed. But it would be a long time before Mal and I would truly meet. I tried a couple of times while we were in college, but Mal wasn’t having any of it. Mrs. Rhonda (Mal’s mom) even tried to put in a good word for me, but to no avail. Then, when I was about as far away from her as I could possibly be (I was in Sweden, she was in Little Rock, 4,834.5 miles apart), she “liked” one of my photos on Facebook. That was all I needed. I sent her a few messages on Facebook, and we set up a date. But my mom got to her before I did. Mal went to see some of her younger cousins at my mom’s school, and mom stopped her and said, “Heard you have a HOT date tonight!” Mal laughed, and that was the first thing we talked about on our date. You can say what you will about true love, and love at first sight, but when I went to pick Mal up for that first date I felt something I’ve never felt before, and I still feel it every time I see her. We are truly blessed.

My Perspective: 

AWWWW!!  I feel so blessed to be shooting their wedding in March!  I adore these two, and I really can’t wait for the wedding on Mallory’s family farm!

This is one engagement session that was hard to schedule!  When Mallory booked me for the wedding, we had originally put down an early December date, but weather and schedule conflicts pushed us back to just a couple of days before Christmas.  I wanted sooo badly to have their shoot posted on Christmas Eve, but shortly after the shoot, I caught that nasty stomach bug everyone keeps getting, and I ended up in bed for about 24 straight hours.  Luckily, I was feeling better before Christmas, but I got way behind with the last minute shopping/cooking/cleaning, and just didn’t have time to post the session before Christmas!  I hope Mallory and Eli enjoy it just as much a day late

Here are a few favorites, and of course, you can see more in the SLIDESHOW!