Wednesday, February 25, 2015

in which daniel & mary are wed in the chapel of the college where they fell in love :: grove city, pa wedding photographer

What would I do without your smart mouth
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
You got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
My head's underwater
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
|| all of you - john legend ||
Daniel Simpson and I go way back, or I should say, our families go way back. Well I guess not way back...but at least back to when I was twelve, which I'm starting to realize is a lot younger than I once believed. ;) I met him then when our family started going to the little church in Mt. Pleasant where his family attended (and now our families are both still there and are dear friends and...yeah! Time does cool stuff.) Anyways! So instead of childhood friends we were more like "awkward early teenage years" friends. ;) But then -- several years ago now -- Daniel was suddenly all grown up and deep in the throes of deciding on which college he would attend! We were all sad to see him go so far away when he chose Grove City College in Pennsylvania and assured him he would be in for a shock come winter since he was a Texas kid. But off he went and it actually turned out being a perfect fit for him! Such a perfect fit in fact that it wasn't long before we heard that he had found a girl.
Daniel, having set out on his own, hadn't mentioned too much to his girlfriend about all the people he left behind in Texas. But, as is the case when you let another person into your life, she found out about us through the lovely world of Facebook. ;) I soon caught wind that she was becoming a fan of my photography and therefore she got my stamp of approval. ;) We were finally able to meet when she came back to Texas with him during summer break in 2013. I could tell they were a perfect match for one another almost instantly. It's such an interesting thing to know someone but have not even the slightest clue what kind of person would be good for them. And then, all at once the mystery person comes along and you think, "Wow! Yeah! That makes all kinds of sense!" I was happy for my old friend...God had it worked out all along, molding and forming this sassy Pennsylvania girl for the independent and driven Texas guy. :) They were already talking about the timeline of engagement and marriage, trying to balance the logistics before them of finishing college and moving to Texas. In fact, they had their wedding day picked out before they were even engaged! So with the date in mind, and all the "want-to" expressed...now all that was missing was the ring. ;)
The proposal, according to Mary, was the only successful surprise Daniel has been able to pull off on her. ;) She had previously told him that it was really important to her that both of their families be nearby to celebrate which would be difficult to pull off given the distance. She knew that his parents and three of his sisters were coming up to Pennsylvania in October for the weekend of his birthday so she figured it would be happening Saturday, the 5th, the day before his birthday. The Wednesday before that weekend she had an exam in her evening class. So they made plans to go out to dinner after. After the test she went back to her room and got ready and he picked her up so they could walk to the car. She was initially upset that they were walking to his car because she was really hungry and just wanted to get there. As they were walking down he wanted to walk through the grass which also upset her because she thought it was going to be muddy. As they were walking through the field (which thankfully ended up not being muddy) he started walking toward a gazebo which was covered in lights and there were roses waiting for her. When they walked into the gazebo he got down on one knee and pulled out the most gorgeous ring she had ever seen and asked her if she would be his forever. She immediately said yes, but followed up by asking if they were still going out to dinner...hey, hunger is hunger...proposal or not. ;) His sister Susanna popped out from behind the bushes where she had been taking pictures and then his two littlest sisters came running up to them followed by both sets of their parents. They had come early to pull off the ultimate surprise! They took a few more pictures with everyone but finally (much to Mary's relief) all went out to eat! ;) One of the most perfect parts? Gazebos are one of her all time favorite things! :) 
And so they were officially counting down to September 13, 2014 as fiancĂ© and fiancĂ©e!!
Though it seemed like it took forever, the day of being a bride and groom finally came! And how more perfect could it be that they tied the knot in the chapel on the very campus where they fell in love? Not to mention the breath-taking circa 1930 Harbison Chapel is one of the most outstanding places I've ever photographed in! It was such a grandly suitable backdrop to all the other classy and timeless aspects of their wedding. 
Daniel's two nephews Houston and Mark made for some adorable ring bearers. It's clear to see they're mutually some of Daniel and Mary's favorite people...and the boys like them back quite a bit too. :)
You may now begin "ooo"ing and "ahhh"ing over Mary's dress...be prepared, it just gets more and more magnificent every new angle you see. I couldn't get over it all day -- and I still haven't even begun to recover from it's gloriousness. ;)
The flowerrrrrs, the dressssss -- so much gorgeous.
Mary walked down to this powerful number and it definitely brought tears to my eyes...it was such a phenomenal bridal entry song (which delighted me on one hand because my bestie has planned to walk down the aisle to it for the past 10 years!) There are just so many happy feels watching friends get married. Even not knowing Mary too well at this point, my heart swelled watching her walk down to my old friend -- her best friend and love of her life! She was about to be a Simpson!! 
Though your first kiss as husband and wife is one of the most wonderful things that you can experience, it doesn't prevent the trials of exchanging red lipstick. ;)
The newest Mr. and Mrs. Simpson!! 
I told you the boys liked them back ;)
(And the former newest Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, Daniel's brother William and my precious friend and one of my bridesmaids Greta) :)
When I asked Daniel what Mary is like and what he loves about her he said,
"Mary is a very independent, fun loving, sassy girl. She loves to hang out with other people and is very personable with people she has just met. She loves to cook and craft things. She also loves music and singing in the car. 
I love her sass and how much she looks up to me and needs me. 
I love just watching her interact with other people and realize that I get to spend the rest of my life with her. I love how she is beautiful inside and out and
  I love just hanging out with her in sweatpants and old shirts. 
She is my soulmate and we are always talking, either about life or random things that happen. She is very light hearted and outgoing and complements me in so many ways.
When I asked Mary the same thing about Daniel, her response was, 
"Daniel is a very thoughtful person and loves to read and learn new things. He is always pushing himself to new levels. I love that no matter how busy, tired, or stressed he is, he always takes time to care about me and my problems even if they are completely irrational. 
The years that we have been together have showed me what a wonderful and inspiring person he is. I love that every decision he makes he always keeps us and our futures in mind. I love that we can lean on each other for support in everything. I love that no matter how unrealistic or dramatic I'm being, he never gives up on me. I love that we can have constructive conversations and not have to be afraid to say how we feel, because we know we will always be there for each other
I love the leader he is for me, that he does everything he can to keep us on a Godly path for a successful future. I love that he can always make me laugh even when laughing is the last thing I want to do. He brightens up my day no matter how gloomy it is, he always knows exactly what to say and when to say it. 
He is always encouraging me to never give up on my dreams and always supports me. I especially love how family oriented he is, that the way he loves his mom and sister shows me that he will always respectfully love me, and that he is just as excited about our future family as I am. He is my absolute favorite person in the history of forever, but I guess that is why I married him. ;)" 
When I asked them what they liked to do together they said,
"We love doing everything together! We love going on walks and just sitting and reading. We also really love getting addicted to T.V. shows. We love to play games together and just sit on the couch and do our own things as long as we are doing them together. We have oh so much fun cooking together and making a mess of the kitchen and eating together. We love to shop together and make plans. We love crafting together and making things to call our own. 
We enjoy traveling together, especially long road trips. 
Most of all we love experiencing new things together and enjoying God's great adventures for our lives."
Look at the regality! Pretty sure they're royalty and just not telling us. ;)
All the married ladies in the Simpson family! Except for Mama Simpson of course ;) Sarah, on the right, is an original Simpson who has been Mrs. DeGroot for over 5 years now and is also the mother to the sweet ring bearers you met earlier. :)
Oh look at this attractive guy I found! He even let me get a picture with him! ;) Thanks to Susanna for snapping this shot of me and my favorite MisterMister. :)
Rosina was Mary's maid of honor and best friend since childhood. :)
And William was Daniel's best man...and as big brothers tend to do, had plenty of fun things to share about growing up together. ;)
I guess you could say their big brother Rhyne enjoyed the hilarious walk down memory lane as well. ;)
"How many times do I have to tell you?
Even when you're crying you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
You're my downfall, you're my muse 
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues 
I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you
Cause all of me loves all of you
Loves your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning,
Even when I lose I'm winning
Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you."
Can I just ask who said it was okay to play Butterfly Kisses during the father/daughter dance? Isn't anyone worried about the well-being of the photographer's NOT waterproof mascara? Can I get any compassion around here? ;) Seriously though...such a precious moment. 
It's pretty fun how a family of 9....
....can turn into a family of 12 (14 counting those grandsons!) before your very eyes. The Lord gives good gifts. :)
Taking a quick break from tearing up the dance floor ;) 
Hey hey you Simpsons, you! I'm so glad you too found each other way off in Pennsylvania, I'm honored you invited me to come up there and capture you becoming husband and wife, and I think it's pretty cool that now we're all officially married Texans. ;) Hope y'all have had an amazing 5+ months of marriage so far and I pray it just gets better and better as the months roll on! xoxo