Finalists: Free Wedding Photography by Cory Ann

Today is the day.

Read the original post here. But basically I will be giving one lucky couple some amazing wedding photogrpahy. They will receive approximately 8 hours of coverage (from the dress going on to the first dance), the disk of their images and a reproduction release and a custom design album and travel. My gift back to the community to someone who genuinly deserves great images for all those memories.

The rules were that they must be getting married in 2007, have a date and location set, let me know those, send in their story and why they deserve kick ass images by me, an image of the couple (so I could post it here), and contact information. And I must be available for their date.

Now the voting rules. I will be accepting votes via e-mail at contest@acellis.com, only one vote per person! Please do not abuse this gift and send me an e-mail from 5 different addresses. If you want someone to win simply send people to vote for them. Please please don't cheat (or I'm likely to get mad and not giveaway something like this again). In your e-mail please simply put their names either in the subject line or body (and write me a message if you like). Everyone may cast a vote - all readers, friends, family, everyone. The deadline for voting is Feb. 21, 2007 and I will be announcing the winner on the 22nd right here on the blog.

If you want to leave comments on the blog I'd love to hear from the family and friends of the couple or readers, if you don't want to comment on here I'd love to hear from you via e-mail.

I am so excited as these two couple both have wonderful, yet completely different stories. I know whomever is chosen I am going to enjoy photographing! Thank you everyone for taking the time and sending in the stories.

Meet the finalists for the Free Wedding Photography Giveaway by Cory Ann (me).

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Jennifer and Bo

Hi,
My name is Jennifer Fauth and my finance's name is Bo Beck. We have known each other for over 2 years now. We both were married before and both very hurt by what had happened. We love each other very much and are excited to start our lives together. I teach Kindergarten and coach Girls Basketball in Herreid, SD. Bo is the Principal, Athletic Director, Head Boys Basketball Coach and teaches Health in Eureka, SD. Bo has 2 girls, Alexis, who is 10, and Katie, who is 9 years old.

Here is our story:

We met Nov. 20th, 2005 at the Holiday Fair in Eureka, SD.

We met through my mom, Pam Zimmerman. We were at the Holiday Fair in Eureka and my mom said you have to meet Bo Beck. So, I ventured my way back to the concession stand, not knowing what he looks like or anything, to get a pop. I looked at him and I knew it had to be him. So, I went back and told my mom I think Bo is in the kitchen. We went to check but he wasn't there anymore. Then, we went to walk around the auditorium and there he was. My mom introduced us and he took me on a tour of the school. We have hit it off ever since!!!

Now the engagement:
I was totally surprised!!!!! First of all, Bo wanted to make it a night I will never forget. He called Dani Schwartz, head girls basketball coach, to make sure it's ok with her and the school. He told her to tell my friends and the girls on the team. Then he called a few people in Eureka to see if they could be there. Bo also made sure his best friends, Ron and Shelley Heier were there too.

So, it was the JV game and I was coaching. The game was in Herreid against Edmunds Central. He was going to give me a technical if I stood up. BUT I didn't stand up, so he had to go to plan B. Plan B was for Glenn Beutler motioned me to come over to the scores table at the beginning of the third quarter because there was something "wrong" with the score book. Well there wasn't'.. that's when Beutler took my hand and led me to the middle of the floor to meet Bo. Bo got down on one knee and told me he loves me with his whole heart and soul and will you marry me? I said yes.. of course.. Everyone in the gym knew but me.. Everyone was crying and screaming. I was so shocked that I didn't know how I coached the rest of the game. There was even an article in the Aberdeen News Paper. It was the most romantic engagement ever!!!

Both Bo and I had a bad first marriage and we want a fresh start. Please consider us as your couple!!! Both Bo and I have come a long ways since our first marriage and we want this day to be remembered for the rest of our lives. Pictures are the greatest thing in the world. We would love it if you would choose us!!!
Thanks,
Jennifer Fauth

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Pennie and Jacob

Pennie: ...we met as Juniors at UNLV in ROTC. I fell in love with his smile and humility almost immediately, but we didn't start dating until after we graduated and went to OBC at Ft Leonard Wood, MO.

Jacob: I remember seeing her and thinking that she was very pretty, but I was never very good at talking to girls. Over the next two years our friendship grew and Pennie and I became very close. It was very possible that after we were done with school Pennie and I would never have seen each other again and would have gone our separate ways, but thankfully she and I started our officer basic courses on the same date and at Ft. Leonard Wood.

I thought I knew Pennie while we were in college, but it was not until we got to Ft. Leonard Wood when I truly realized how wonderful she was and how I couldn't live without her. I soon found myself impatiently looking outside of my room window every five minutes for Pennie's truck in the parking lot as I waited for her to get back from class.

In October of 2005 our time at Ft. Leonard Wood was coming to an end. I finally worked up enough courage to tell Pennie how I felt about her. It was very late at night and I was preparing to go out into the field for two weeks. During this time Pennie would have graduated and gone on to live her life somewhere else apart from me. I knew that I could not let that happen. As Pennie and I were saying our final goodbyes I told her that I loved her and that I wanted to see her again. Unfortunately she thought that meant I loved her as a friend and that I would like it if I happened to run into her some time in the future. I then left Pennie, knowing that I had to convince her to come to Hawaii with me.

Pennie: We took a road trip across country to bring his truck to California to be shipped to Hawaii. We found out a lot of stuff about each other, but I still had my guard up and told him that I didn't think that I'd ever really want to settle down. I met his entire family and I fell in love with him even more seeing him with his family. The time came to say goodbye and he had to leave for Hawaii and I had to leave to figure out what I was going to do now that I was done with school.

I hopped on the plan the day before Christmas and headed to Hawaii; not knowing for sure if it was the right decision but following my heart. It turned out to be great, because I transferred to the reserve center in Hawaii and they put me with a unit that was deploying the same time Jacob was. We had such a wonderful 8 months in Hawaii, living every moment to the fullest, because we knew we'd have to be apart for a while. Jacob proposed after dating less than a year on a mountain overlooking all of Hawaii.

Jacob: Pennie and I spent the next four months together in Hawaii. We talked about getting married but she did not know when I was going to propose. I bought her engagement ring in February and waited for almost a month to ask her because I wanted the setting to be perfect. Oahu had seen record rainfall for 42 straight days, then one weekend when it finally stopped raining and the clouds parted I knew that was when I should ask her. I went to see Pennie and told her to come with me for a drive in my truck because I wanted to show her something. She asked me "Why do you need to show me right now?" After a few minutes I convinced her. I took her to Schofield Barracks to the top of Kolekole Pass. We got out of the truck and walked for a few minutes to a cliffside that overlooked the Waianea Valley. Beams of sunlight broke through the clouds and shined on the green fields 1000 feet below us and you could see the Ocean at the end of the valley; it was beautiful. I then looked at Pennie and got down on one knee and took the ring out of my pocket. I started telling Pennie how much I loved her and what she meant to me. She put her hands over her mouth and said "Oh my God." I then opened the ring box and asked her to marry me. She said yes.

Pennie: Then the moment came for us to say goodbye...probably the hardest thing I have ever done is watch Jacob get on that bus that would take him away from me. But I left two days later and by luck we found each other in Kuwait at our training camp. We had about another week together before I had to watch him get on that bus again and leave me for much longer. I think our relationship will benefit from this time apart. He is the only man that I consider myself with and the only one I could imagine being with for the rest of my life. He makes me want to be a better Christian person. We are best friends and there is nothing that we don't talk to each other about...although sometimes I have to beat it out of him.

Jacob: Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing that I ever had to do. I was very sad and it felt like my whole world was about to end. This has been the longest we have ever been apart in almost four years. Our love for each other grows stronger each day. Hearing Pennie's sweet voice over the phone and knowing that I will have the most wonderful woman in the world waiting for me when I get home helps me to get through each mission and each day out here. I am the happiest man in the world.

And a little input from the family:
-While Pennie was home in South Dakota before heading to Hawaii I remember my mom overhearing a conversation Pennie was having with Jacob. The words, “I love you too” came from my sister’s lips which made my mom about drive off the road. This was the first we had ever known Pennie to be truly in ‘love’ and not afraid to show it in front of our family.

-My grandmother and other relatives were asking Jacob if he had any fear or worries heading into Iraq. He responded saying, “the only fear I have is for Pennie’s safety”!

There are many other things to write about this wonderful couple. They are in my thoughts and prayers everyday as they continue to serve in Iraq. I am so excited for their leave to come home. I am honored to be my sister’s maid of honor and also their wedding planner. Pennie and Jacob will be flying in on April 18th, married on the 21st, and then spend the remainder of their short leave (a little over 2 weeks) with family in South Dakota and California. They don’t want to put anyone out with wedding plans or budget, but we definitely want to make sure it is a beautiful evening that will be a night to remember. The quaint church will be filled with candle light, long flowing yellow ribbons, long stemmed rose bouquets, classical music, followed by a church exit lit by guests holding sparklers, and a reception and dance at a resort overlooking Lake Madison. The beauty of the love, the hearts of the couple and the wedding environment will make for phenomenal pictures and memories for a lifetime!

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There were dates submitted that I was not available for. I will be sending e-mails to a couple of you with a little surprise from me. I do appreciate the time you took to submit.
CA