Charlotte NC Wedding Photographer. Lindsey Lee Hartsell

Yes, a very excited blog post title....I"M JUST VERY EXCITED!  Julia, Joe's sister is getting married!  But, bigger than that, this means that she has met the love of her life.  And that, well, that is just VERY amazing and a God answered prayer.

I have been loving Julia since she was 18 years old....we met through Young Life on a camp trip where we had an immediate connection for fun, silliness, seriousness, reading, purple lipstick, and honest conversation.  She was headed off to college that fall, but I couldn't have made it through my first year on Young Life staff without her love and support from afar and visits when she came home on breaks- which was a little break for myself at times, too.  Some friends are immediate, and for forever.  And that was us.  It was fun. It still is.  Her sophomore year in college I started a Y league volleyball team and we were looking for players.  Julia said "Hey! You should ask my brother to be on it".  So I did and the rest was history!  I have my sweet friend to thank for meeting my amazing husband.

Julia had some living to do, so nobody was too worried about her meeting her future husband- young, in college, traveling, working at different summer jobs....but there does come a time after college where you want the ones you love to meet THE ONE they are supposed to love.  We pretty much knew Matt was going to be around for a while, if not for forever, when he got Julia a puppy.  Yup, I would say that was pretty much the "no going back now" moment:) The puppy was like a promise ring, haha!  This may seem silly, but Julia had wanted a puppy HER WHOLE LIFE.  Not cracking on my in-laws(too bad;)), but WHO NEVER LET'S THEIR KIDS HAVE A DOG?!!( I might be getting some hate mail now from parents near and far that don't want their kids to have dogs, but you know what I mean!) We knew it was meant to be when Matt got Julia sweet little Maple and pretty much made her life complete. Literally.  I mean the girl had only been wanting a puppy for 20+ years.  I am so thankful for someone that 'gets' my lovely sis the way Matt does.  He lets her simply be herself, and that's all anyone wants for their family.  To find someone that loves you for exactly who you are, but encourages you to be the best you that you can be.  Matt does that and I know he is one lucky lucky lucky dude to have her by his side.  They are going to do amazing things together...have many adventures....give me lots of cute nieces and nephews(no pressure)...live life to the fullest...and have each others back for forever.  I am one happy lady knowing that the story God was writing for each of them collided.

Enjoy some of my favorite shots from our engagement session.  It was hot, sweaty, humid, gross, sticky...but amazing, amazing fun together.  Happy Friday!