Why are we doing a “marriage stories” blog series?

We are passionate about photographing couples and weddings, of course. But we care even more about thriving marriages. We are here for our brides and grooms beyond the wedding day and we are cheering for your marriage! That’s why we have decided to start a blog series this year called Marriage Stories. We will post every other week on Marriage Monday with an interview from couples that we look up to as well as our recent wedding clients. We will still be writing and sharing every other week about our own marriage too. 

We hope that you enjoy and are encouraged and inspired in your own marriage from Brent & Ali’s marriage story!

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How long have you been married?

1 year and 1 day!

Tell us your love story! How did you meet?

We met at a mutual friend’s house. After a few run-ins through friends, Brent asked for my number and we went out on our first date. We went on a couple of dates and I (Ali) decided we were better off as friends. I didn’t really have a reason, mostly just fear of the unknown. About 6 months later, I ran into Brent again at the same mutual friend’s house. He was kind and talkative towards me, when I thought he had every right to be standoffish and rude. I knew that I needed to reach back out. After a few awkward texts, we went out on another “first” date. The rest is history. 🙂

What’s your favorite memory from your wedding day?

Our ceremony was so memorable for us. Brent’s brother, Rob, officiated and our family and friends were surrounding us. All of the plans and details didn’t seem to matter in the moment. It was so special for us to stand before God and our people and commit our lives to one another.

What has been the most surprising thing about marriage?

It surprises us how much we still have to learn about ourselves! Entering marriage, you think it will be all about learning the other person. And in a sense, it is. But as we’ve learned to serve and love each other, we’ve also learned so much about ourselves individually. Our preferences, our quirks, and our communication styles are magnified. We are learning that there is a lot of self reflection in a healthy marriage!

What has been the biggest adjustment/challenge in marriage?

Communication is a learning process! We have learned that the worst think that we can do is have unspoken expectations and assumptions with one another. When we have conflict, it almost always comes back to a misconception of what the other person was thinking or feeling. We are learning that it is good and necessary to “over-communicate”.

What has been your favorite part of being married?

Always being with your best friend!

What’s your best piece of advice for newlyweds?

It will be hard at first. That’s OK. You can’t expect to know everything about the other person immediately. We are certainly still learning and have so far to go. But it is so worth it to show one another grace and show yourself grace. Remember that you are a team. Always come back to that.