... Couples Mini Session Giveaway ...

Couples Mini Session Giveaway | Round #2

Welcome to the second round of Sarah Elizabeth Photography's Couples Mini Session Giveaway! The three entrants who had the most fans of my facebook fan page like their picture have moved on.

In this round, 5 secret judges will read over the entrants love stories that they submitted with their picture and will then vote for the couple that they feel have the best love story. The couple who receives the most votes from our secret judges will win the prize of a free mini session with Sarah Elizabeth Photography.

I wanted to thank all of the entrants and fans again who voted for their favorite couple. Thanks to this contest, my facebook fan page reached my goal of reaching 1,000 fans before the 1 year anniversary of the launch of my photography business. With your help, we actually surpassed that goal in just a little under 9 months of our launch date. So awesome!

Without any further ado, here are the top three entrants chosen by you, the fans, and their love stories.

Couple #1 - Sue & Stanley 

I am not a writer or good with words but I had fun writing this anyway..

    Our love story actually began 47 years ago, only we didn't know it until about 6 years ago.

    Stan and I grew up 3 miles out of Belgrade and lived less than a 1/2 mile from each other . Our parents had been friends even before I was born,as Stan says he was around while my mom changed my diaper on their couch.We had always been around each other, his sisters and I would play  all the typical girly games. I always thought of him as the mean boy up the road and to him I was just one of the aggravating girls in the neighborhood. In fact, I still remember a spanking I got because of him. I was probably 7 years old. We were playing at church, he pushed me and when I tried to hit him back I hit a window instead. To this day I still blame him for my spanking.

    We both grew up and led different lives. I married and had 2 children and he had 3. My daughter and his son were in the same class.We often seen each other at school functions or around in town.I would tell my ex when I would see him or we would drive by his home how I thought he had became such an awesome man, raising his children all on his own and how I really admired him for that. At that time it was a honorable and respectable  statement.( I believe in total commitment whether married or dating )

    I had been married for 19 years when I found out my husband had been seeing someone else. I was devastated needless to say and filed for divorce.The odd thing is the day I caught him with her I stopped at the store and seen Stan before driving where he was at with her.Then day I went to  file for my divorce I ran into Stan again,looking back I think it was fate seeing him at those times.Of course I swore I'd never love or trust anyone EVER again.

    A good christian lady told me one day that God told her to let me know that I would be a stronger person and i would be happier than I ever had been before but I didn't think it would ever happen.

    Months later it was  winter and I started seeing him alot in town.We would chat normal everyday comments then after several times of seeing each other ,we started sitting at the table and having long conversations.After a couple more months my best friend Darlene (my rock thru that hard time) ask me one evening when I was at her house visiting if there was anyone I would date. I told her I wouldn't mind to go out with Stan. I had told her he had acted like a few times he was getting ready to ask me but then would stop. So she told me to call him. I told her no way,he had to ask.So with Darlene ,Jeff and Lora cheering me on and telling me it was okay to be the one to ask they gave me enough confidence to dial the phone but guess what..the line was busy.I ended up trying once more but decided if it was still busy I wasn't trying again. And if he said " no " I would never be able to talk to  him again out of pure embarrassment .Well, we are still speaking and on June 16th it will be 6 years since our first date.

   People find it hard to believe but we have never had a fight or argument. I have to admit I am spoiled, he does so much for me and the best thing is we do things together.He cuts my grass ,my wood and  anyone who knew my ex,knows how much my life has changed for the better. He even comes by in the mornings on his way to work when it's cold to  fill my stove  so I don't wake up to a cold house.I could go on and on about everything he does for me but I won't bore you with that.
   But as I was told years ago I am a stronger person and my life is much better and I am happier than I ever thought I could be. I have the man of my dreams and it is no longer my 2 kids and his 3 kids it is our 5 kids. And it is our life.
  Who would have thought 47 years ago God intended for he and I to be together the whole time, we just took the long way around to get to each other. So you see this love story has been in progress for 47 years and doesn't have an end until death do us part.
-Sue

Couple #2 - Tara & Gilbert 

Our love story started in May of 1999. Meeting accidentally cruising thru Potosi, Gilbert asked me if I would want to go riding around sometime. So I agreed and that's where it started from that day after we spent every day together. We decided to get married and what was planned to be a big wedding ended up in fast wedding on November 12,1999 with about 20 people, a judge ,family at miracle lake in Belgrade Missouri. A simple but beautiful and wedding. In July of 2000 we started our family. and it continued to grow till about 2010 when we had our 4th child. Our marriage has always been strong but it wasn't until October 24,2010, that I realized how incredible our love truly was. Gilbert was helping someone deliver a cow when he fell to the ground. 911 was called and he was flown to St Claire hospital and later taken by ambulance to Barnes with his heart at the age of 33. I never felt so much pain and fright ever in my life. I could not loose my first love and I needed him in my children's & my life. He was in Barnes for over a week. That week felt like eternity.Thank God he survived. Going through that with him I knew that we could and would survive anything.Our lives are so fast pace we don't get to take many pictures or do a lot of stuff that doesn't consist of our 4 children I would love to have some pictures of us two so that my children will always have them as a reminder of their parents love. We have been together almost 14 years and I look forward to many, many more. Our hearts truly are 1. Love can endure all things! And we are proof!

-Tara

 Couple #3 - Tia & Brandon

Brandon and I have been together for almost 3 years. I would love to win this photo shoot not only because I LOVE your work but I need some beautiful pictures to put on my walls I hope I win so you can capture some precious memories for me!

-Tia

There y'all have it! Our top 3 entrants for the Couples Mini Session Giveaway!

Winning couple will be announced March 1st.