Alyssa and Ben are two of the sweetest people I’ve had the honor of photographing. Their session was so unbelievably cute. We started out at the coffee shop, where Alyssa and Ben laughed and smiled at each other and they were SO flipping adorable, the baristas gave them a free heart-shaped sugar cookie! Then we all braved the cold and took our session outside where Alyssa and Ben proceeded to swing dance in the snow, casually, like professionals, melting my heart and keeping each other warm. These two were so fun to photograph, and their love for each other was so genuine and evident, so I asked Alyssa to share their beautiful love story with the world!

“I had no idea what was in store for me when I stepped off the plane in Hawaii for a three week class. I found my group of fellow students and was relieved to see that I was at least familiar with most of them, but there were a few I didn’t know—including a quiet blond guy in a blue shirt and khakis (little did I know, that is his signature outfit). The days of the trip went by, until one evening we were all talking downstairs and the same guy came and joined us. When he spoke, I knew I had to get to know him more. I had never heard someone speak so humbly, intelligently, and thoughtfully in my life. This guy—my Ben—and I started to spend more time together, taking walks on the beach, swimming with our friends, and enjoying some killer pork tacos in town. I soon realized that Ben was an amazing, kind, strong man who loved Jesus, his family, and good books.

One concept we learned in our communication class was called “adumbration”—that is, nonverbal foreshadowing. Our professor used the example of when two people are about to kiss, they send nonverbal cues that communicate that they both want to kiss. He ended by joking, “So next time you are about to kiss, you’ll think of me!”

Later that week, Ben and I were walking on the beach under the stars, and we suddenly got splashed by some waves. We laughed, he hugged me, and gave me that look—yes, the one we learned about in class—and all I could think of in that moment was our communications professor’s face. When he leaned in to kiss me, I yelled “adumbration!!” and ran up the hill. When he ran after me, laughing  so heartily at how I had just ruined a potentially very romantic moment, I knew he was a good one.

We started dating shortly after, and have spent the past year learning, loving, challenging and growing. I realize something new almost every day about Ben, and each one causes me to be more and more thankful for him. Though we started dating in a way worthy of a cheesy movie scene, the ways our love has been tested and proven for the last year is the most special to me!”

– Alyssa