Amanda & Stephen
McClain Lodge Engagement Session
Lindsay Vallas Photography
When one of my best friends, Amanda, asked me to take their engagement photos, well of course I was stoked!! What a privilege it is to document such a beautiful love! What can I say about these two lovebirds? Well, they make the perfect couple. They laugh at each other’s jokes and the smiles never cease. Their laughter is contagious to anyone that’s around; what a great characteristic! Amanda’s dad built McClain Lodge, formerly Luckett Lodge, so we decided to have their engagement session on the beautiful land!
How did you two meet?
‘We went to the same church when we were kids. He and my older brothers were in a Sunday School class taught by his dad, and his step mom taught his sister and me. But that’s not how the story ends because we never even met each other way back then! It’s funny to think about my future husband being one room over every Sunday when we were so young. God DEFINITELY has a sense of humor…especially with me it seems! 🙂 Fast forward twenty years…Jessica (Stephen’s sister who lives in Italy) saw a funny post I shared on Facebook that I guess insinuated that I was single, which was not my intention AT ALL! It was literally one of the funniest things I have ever seen, and at that time almost all my girls could identify with [looking at you Linds 😉 ]. So Jessica messages me on Facebook and asks me if I’m single because she had always wanted to set Stephen up with me. A day later, May 20, 2015, he texted me and we’ve talked every day since! ‘
Serious photos are hard to get with them…gotta take advantage of the moment! haha
‘When he texted me the first time, he was out of town for work, so we didn’t actually meet until May 30, 2015. We met over coffee at Cups in Brandon at 3:30pm. We talked like old friends for three hours and only left because I had to go to work!’
‘The proposal was absolutely perfect! If you ask him, he would say things didn’t go as planned, but I love it! It happened on May 20, 2016; our one year text-a-versary! 🙂 He was able to incorporate two of my most favorite things: the beach and horseback riding. It was our first day in Kauai with three of our close friends. We planned a horseback ride on the most beautiful island. After eating lunch, we mounted the horses to ride down to a secluded beach that will forever be my most favorite beach :). My horse “Drifter” was less than cooperative with the crashing waves-so much that I didn’t notice that Stephen had gotten off his horse. He walked towards me and when I noticed what he had in his hand, I about had a heart attack! In a good way! He asked me to marry him, and of course I said YES!!! Afterwards I think I asked him if he was serious ten times. It was so surreal and I still can’t believe I get to marry my best friend.’
I ‘lush’ you is their thing…so sweet.
‘Mine is Chik-Fil-A, but we eat anything….and he eats the leftovers. ;)’
“Hello” by Lionel Ritchie and “Hello” by Adele
‘Jesus, family, friends, animals, and kids!’
Meet Elvis (aka ELBIS)
