How a guy from the South met a girl from the North and made a baby named Leonelle West.

As much as Kate hates to admit, our story begins on Facebook. A mutual friend showed me her profile and I told him I was going to marry her. Kate, originally from Wisconsin, was living near Memphis and coincidently, I had a wedding there two weeks later (shout out to Ryan + Charlotte!). On a Friday night, we met and shook hands (normal, right?) and shaking hands quickly turned into holding hands.

We were long distance for our whole relationship. We would write e-mails, send mix tapes, and actually put pen to paper and mail letters. After a year, I proposed to Kate in the living room of the house I bought for our family. Thankfully she said yes!

And so, on a beautiful Chicago summer day in 2012, surrounded by our dearest friends and family, we committed to a life together. We cried, we laughed, we feasted. It was truly the best day. We then traveled the world, made a home, and experienced some of the heights and depths of marriage. In 2016 we joyfully welcomed our daughter, Leonelle West. She is the greatest gift. These days we spend most of our time on walks with our poodle, LeBron; sharing a meal with friends, or reading out on our deck.

We believe in marriage–it’s beauty and it’s power. That’s probably why we love shooting weddings so much. Nothing brings us more joy than the opportunity to capture two people becoming one.

Now that you know our story, let us tell yours…