Amber and Mike Welk
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
- Dr. Seuss
I have been blessed to watch these two create their own real life Fairytale. I met Amber and Mike 4 years ago when they hired me, on a whim, after seeing some of my work on Facebook. They wanted to celebrate their wedding anniversary with a photo shoot in Chicago and I was more than happy to make the trip. Little did I know the blessing that would come from meeting these two.
After fighting traffic, Google maps giving me wrong directions, and not being able to find a parking spot, I finally arrived at the Lincoln Zoo; mostly unscathed. I was a little frazzled to say the least, but the stress instantly melted away when I met Amber and Mike. Their warm and welcoming smiles and laid back demeanor quickly put me at ease. We IMMEDIATELY hit it off!!! To anyone walking by you would have thought we were friends of 20+ years. We bantered back-and-forth and joked the entire session. I never would have thought that a simple photo shoot would be the starting grounds for an amazing friendship.
This session was different though. These two kids were so in love that they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. They naturally were drawn to each other; the love was palpable and radiated throughout their photos. If I had to ever pick a pair of soul mates, best friends, or true ride-or-die it’d be these two.
I have now been blessed to photograph and celebrate 4 anniversaries with these two. I have photographed them in Chicago, Florida, Indiana, and twice in Michigan Every session with these two is strategically planned out…. countless hours of wine drinking, shopping, Pinterest browsing, and text messages go on before our session day hits. But, after all the back-and-forth they trust me to just do my thing. Mike and Amber have never said “No” to any of my whacky ideas and are more than willing to give any of them a go. Our sessions have never disappointed. The amount of inside jokes, laughing, and overall friendship that goes on throughout the session is something I will always cherish with these two.
Our recent session was in St. Joe, MI and well…it was interesting! We had planned this session a month in advance due to having to work around Mike’s traveling work schedule. Like most other sessions I have done for them, I raided Amber’s closet and helped her online shop for outfit options. But, we couldn’t have planned for nor did we expect the 40 mph winds, bright sunshine, or cool breeze that was going to challenge us. Never the less, these two were in great spirits and were more than happy to use the chilly day as an excuse to snuggle up.
I am truly thankful, honored, and blessed to be able to call these two my clients, but more importantly my friends. I hope to have the privilege to photograph these two for as long as they’ll have me. Their real life fairytale/love story is one I’ll never get tired of seeing.
