completely
and perfectly
and incandescently
happy.
[jane austen]

this is my fifth summer watching + photographing couples as they make this commitment to love and choose each other for the rest of their lives. the most beautiful choice. but this is my first summer standing beside those nearest and dearest to me as they make that commitment. it has been a sentimental whirlwind of emotions and preparation. and joy, unspeakable joy. i’ve blogged about erin + david and my excitement to stand beside them on their wedding day, and now it’s time for you all to meet tim + naomi because i am equally excited to stand beside them as they start their marriage (and double as their wedding photographer).

naomi and i met when we were 11 years old. we went to the same church and not too much later sunday mornings turned into sleepovers (where we didn’t really sleep at all) and binging on olives and seven layer dip followed by long talks about Jesus and boyssss. occasionally we try to motivate each other and go to the gym but that has never really been our scene (boston pizza and the movies always call us home). we have this perfect day routine that we try to do every few months (and it mostly consists of eating #noshame). we meet at my house, grab a late lunch of donairs, and then we head to the beach, windows rolled down and country music blasting. we walk and talk and sometimes we get ice cream. and then we catch the 7:00 showing of whatever nicholas sparks movie is currently playing. after the movie we walk across the parking lot to boston pizza and split a plate of nachos and wings and we talk and laugh late into the night. there are not many things that can beat those days.

over the years there haven’t been many boys (and by not many i mean essentially none). we’ve had our fair share of crushes but before tim there were no “real boyfriends.” which wasn’t so bad because tim entered the picture around the tim that naomi turned fifteen. i remember there was one moment early on when naomi’s mom was trying to figure out who naomi had a crush on and she brought tim up to which naomi answered with a resounding “no.” but mother knows best because it wasn’t too long after that that crazy pranks started happening and these two connected over laughter and a mutual love for good-hearted fun. they didn’t date until the winter after naomi finished high school but when they did officially start dating, i think the whole world just said “finally!” and now my best friend has a new best friend and it’s not so bad. so, in 33 days naomi will put on a white dress and walk towards the man that she has loved for so long. and tim will marry this beautiful, silly, kind-hearted, full of grace and full of Jesus woman in his best suit. completely and perfectly and incandescently happy.

without too many more words, here are tim + naomi. together and in love and ready to get married.

I am now booking for the 2015 wedding season, so email me at michelle@michellekarstphotography.com so that we could go for coffee {my treat} to chat about your big day.