I’m finally bringing one of the MOST requested episodes to you. That’s right, in this episode, I was joined by my husband Dwayne to spill the tea on our love story: how we met, how we fell in love and the defining points in our relationship.

We share lots of light hearted moments and also a few challenging and tough seasons we went through as a couple. You’ll get a glimpse into our first date (if you’re a true crime fan, you might have ran the other way) and our first almost kiss that I rejected because of the location - it wasn’t a place I wanted to share a first kiss at.

Their love story:

• Our childhood and paths before we met each other
• How we met each other at work and our first interaction with each other
• The spooky first date experience we had and how I turned him down for a first kiss
• Our memories from dating to engagement time
• How Lydia dropped hints about getting engaged
• How Dwayne designed the engagement ring and asked Lydia’s dad
• The story behind our proposal
• Our quick wedding planning process (with the help of mom)
• Favorite memories from the wedding day
• How miscarriages affected us (and still do)
• Our children, Wesley and Lilah Jo
• How we found our church home and how this has impacted our family
• The newlywed game

For full show notes, resources and links, head to: https://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2021/04/29/its-time-for-our-love-story-lydia-dwayne-so-tell-me-your-love-story/

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my https://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/ or on @lydiajoyphotography to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping! 

Are you guys ready to hear part two of Sophie and Brad’s love story? There’s a lot we hadn’t covered yet in part one so you’ll be getting all of the details of the proposal, engagement, wedding day and beyond in this episode.

Sophie and Brad talk about their proposal. Brad knew he wanted it to be a surprise and a conversation he had prior to the proposal made Sophie worry he was about to end the relationship. Fun fact: I found out about the upcoming engagement the night before it happened! Sophie’s sister was even in on helping Brad cover up that he was going to be proposing that day - it’s such a fun story!

Sophie and Brad talk about their backyard wedding, their reflections on the wedding day, their past 5 years of marriage and why you need to marry your best friend! 

Their love story:

• Brad’s decision to propose to Sophie
• His planning process for the proposal
• What the day of their engagement was like 
• Why they decided to do a backyard wedding
• What their wedding day was like 
• How the past 5 years of their marriage has been
• Their experiences of saving up to by a house while being self-employed
• How they still feel like newlyweds years later
• Why it’s important to marry your best friend
• Their reflections on their wedding day and photos
• One of the funniest things Sophie remembers from the wedding day
• Sophie and Brad’s advice on your wedding day

Quotes:

“We pretty much knew we were going to get married. Her family was all for it. My family was all about it.” - Brad

“That day was such a gift. It was just gorgeous! The weather was amazing but it was so fun.” - Sophie

“Marriage is challenging and it has problems that everyone experiences but it’s definitely important to marry your best friend.” - Sophie 

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping! 

I am SO excited to bring you today’s love story because these two are longtime friends of mine and I adore their relationship. In this episode, I had on Sophie and Brad. Sophie and Brad first met as teenagers in a youth group service. 

They remained good friends while dating other people but after coming home from living in Australia, their love story officially got started. Sophie’s family often hosted a Sunday dinner for friends and family and after coming back from her trip her mom advised her to try things out with Brad. Her mom even pushed them to sit by each other during the dinner and Sophie credits this to their relationship! 

This is part one of their love story and the next episode will be sharing everything that happens after their first kiss and their first time exchanging their love for one another. 

Their love story:

• How long Sophia and Lydia have known each other
• What Sophia’s life was like growing up
• Brad’s memories of his childhood
• Their first encounter as teenagers on Myspace
• How they met each other at a youth group service
• How Sophie and Brad started to get to know each other
• Sophie’s experience of moving to Australia 
• How they got reconnected while Sophie was living abroad
• Sophie’s story of how her mom pushed her to try things out with Brad at Sunday dinner
• The moment when Sophie knew she wanted to be with Brad forever
• Their reflections on their first kiss
• How Brad knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sophie
• How Sophie and Brad exchanged their first “I love you” to each other 

Quotes:
“I had never experienced this before and I had to make this girl mine.” - Brad

“Once we clicked as a relationship I knew right away I wanted to marry him.” - Sophie

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping!

Shelby and Cole have quite the love story to share in today’s episode. Cole recalls the first moment he saw Shelby and his jaw literally dropped, he knew he had to meet her. He had to get creative to get her phone number and he shares what lengths he went to to make it happen. 

These two chat about their first date, their dating relationship and why they decided to move in together. Cole tells the story of picking out Shelby’s engagement ring and what their proposal was like at a local brewery. He also shares a pro-tip for other men who are looking to get down on one knee! 

They talk about how their wedding plans were interrupted by COVID and what their wedding plans are since their original wedding day didn’t work out due to the pandemic. You’ll get to hear their new wedding plans and where they hope to honeymoon together once this is all over! 

Their love story:

• What Shelby was like growing up
• What Cole’s life and childhood was like
• How they met when he changed his major to teaching
• How Cole got Shelby’s number by partnering up for a group project
• Why they decided to move in together
• His experience of picking out her engagement ring
• Their proposal story at a brewery and Cole’s pro-tip for proposals
• How they decided to move the date for their wedding due to the pandemic
• Their thoughts on postponing their wedding plans
• What their plans are for their wedding ceremony, reception and honeymoon

Quotes:

“I kind of blacked out, I got the ring out and said something that resembled, ‘Will you marry me?’” - Cole

“All of our vendors were really amazing to work with even though it was a difficult time with everybody losing money on spring and summer weddings.” - Shelby

Links:

001: Matthew + Taylor

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping! 

I am SO excited for you to hear today’s love story with Alyssa and Colin. These two actually met through an online dating app (thank goodness for technology, am I right?) and started dating shortly after. Colin knew pretty early on that Alyssa was the one for him and he tells how he candidly told her “I love you” pretty early on in their relationship.

Colin and Alyssa talk about their engagement story, which almost got ruined when he had to do it a day sooner than planned! They share all of the mishaps that they faced from the proposal up to the wedding day including their rehearsal dinner location getting burned down from a fire and her wedding dress getting mysteriously stained.

In the end, Alyssa and Colin ended up with a truly magical and intimate wedding day despite the limitations caused by the COVID pandemic. The two share their advice for other couples who are wedding planning during COVID, what their wedding day was like, their plans for a future honeymoon and another wedding reception! 

Their love story:

• What Alyssa’s life was like growing up
• Colin’s childhood and what he was like growing up
• How Alyssa and Collin met on a dating app 
• Where they went on their first date 
• Their relationship progression and how they got more serious
• When Colin knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Alyssa
• When they first told each other “I love you”
• The time leading up to the proposal and what he did to propose
• The issues they’ve run into during the wedding planning process
• How COVID has affected their wedding 
• Why they decided to still get married on their wedding day 
• What they ended up doing for their reception
• Their advice for people who are wedding planning during COVID

Quotes:

“In the end, the marriage is what counts.” - Colin

“It will be the happiest day of your life truly no matter what the circumstances are.” - Alyssa

Links:

Fishtown Date-Night Blog:
https://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2019/10/11/fishtwon-date-night-alyssa-colin-philadelphia-pa/

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping! 

Today we’re hearing the love story of Leigh Ann and Ed. The two talk about their first date in a dive bar and how it actually took them over nine months to see each other again after that initial date. When the two started dating, Leigh Ann was kept on her toes wondering when she was going to get her first kiss with Ed. The story of their first kiss was hilarious and I can’t wait for you to hear about it. 

As their relationship progressed, Leigh Ann began to wonder, when was he going to say the words, “I love you” to her. One of my favorite parts of this story is that Leigh Ann, being the awesome and bold woman she is, said it first. You will not believe Ed’s response when this happened. Ed shares the moment he knew Leigh Ann was the one and they talk about their proposal which was definitely worth the wait! You’ll hear all about their wedding day, their relationship progression and all of the special moments in between!

Their love story:

• How their honeymoon was in Hawaii
• Leigh Ann’s childhood and life before meeting Ed
• How they met on Plenty of Fish
• Their first date in a dive bar and how their relationship started out
• How Leigh Ann said “I love you” first and why he didn’t say it at first
• When Ed knew that Leigh Ann was the one for him
• What their proposal was like 
• How they felt about their wedding day
• The special moment Leigh Ann shared with her father on her wedding day
• How Leigh Ann and Ed feel about their wedding photos
• Lydia’s favorite aspects of weddings

Links:

New Jersey Date-Night Blog:
https://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2019/10/27/leigh-ann-ed-new-jersey-date-night-session/

Wedding Blog: 
https://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2020/01/26/leigh-ann-ed-delaware-wedding/

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping!

The love story behind Amber and Nick started out a little differently than most. In this episode, you’ll get to hear how these two officially met after Amber asked a classmate about Nick. Shortly after meeting, the two started dating and were inseparable ever since.

Amber and Nick share what their life was like before they met each other. They talk about the moment that they knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Nick shares how he felt before the proposal (and why he chose Disney World to do the deed!) You’ll hear their thoughts and feelings about their wedding day, their plans for the future and so much more!

Their love story:

• Amber and Nick’s recollection of their lives before meeting each other
• How Nick and Amber got connected 
• Their first date at an NFL game
• The moment that Nick knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Amber
• When Amber knew that Nick was the one
• Nick’s plans for proposing at Disney World
• The emotions that Amber felt about the proposal
• Why they changed the date of their wedding
• How Amber and Nick felt on their wedding day
• Their favorite moments of the wedding day
• How many kids Amber and Nick want
• Their answers to the newlywed game

Quotes:

“There was just this connection that I had that I didn’t have with anyone else I had dated.” - Nick

“Everything, for the most part, went smoothly, there were a few hiccups but I was overall happy. It was a fun day.” - Amber 

Links:

Wedding Blog: https://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2019/06/08/amber-nick-landenberg-barn-pennsylvania/

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping! 

Hey y’all! Welcome to the first-ever episode of the So Tell me Your Love Story podcast. I am so happy that you’re here. I am the host and the main storyteller behind the camera for Lydia Joy Photography. In this podcast, we’ll be taking a deep dive and getting an inner look at the incredible love stories of my clients.

Today we’re hearing from Taylor and Matthew about their 10-year long relationship journey that got them to where they are today. You’ll hear how Taylor remembers first seeing Matthew on a high school band trip (it actually took them over a year before going on their first date!)

The two talk about how they overcame long distance and always ended up back together. Matthew shares the moment he knew he was ready to spend the rest of his life with Taylor. She shares the one condition that would’ve made her say no to a proposal. They shared so much great advice for cherishing your wedding day and how to navigate the wedding planning process so listen closely and enjoy our first love story! 

Their love story:

• Their favorite part of their honeymoon in St. Lucia
• What Taylor’s life was like pre-Matt and Matt’s life before meeting Taylor
• How they met on a high school band trip
• What Taylor did to make the first move on Facebook
• Their first date at the high school talent show
• How Taylor felt about Matt after their first date
• Dating on and off throughout high school and going into college on their own
• Getting back together in college and adjusting to a long-distance relationship
• What their relationship was like leading up to their engagement
• When they realized they wanted to spend their life with each other
• Why Taylor doesn’t like surprises 
• How he surprised her with the proposal 
• Their advice for the wedding planning process
• How they felt on their wedding day and their recollection of the day
• Capturing your memories through photos and videos
• How married life has been so far and their advice on communication
• Their answers to the newlywed game

Quotes:

“It’s that quality that everyone sees in their significant other that they know they’re going to spend the rest of their life with. It’s that trademark part of a person. There’s nobody in the world like Taylor.” - Matt

“It is the most nerve-wracking thing, besides standing there waiting for your bride at the end of the aisle, you will ever do in your entire life.” - Matt

“I think it hit me when we got in the limo and the ride was supposed to be like 25 minutes and it felt like 2 minutes.” - Taylor

Links:

Engagement Blog: http://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2019/07/14/matthew-taylor-longwood-gardens-kennett-square-pennsylvania/

Wedding Blog: http://www.lydiajoyphotography.com/2020/04/23/matthew-+-taylor-||-bohemia-overlook-wedding---north-east,-md/

Did you LOVE this episode? I’m so stinkin’ grateful that you’re listening and following along. I’d be so happy to hear from you!! Connect with me on my website or on Instagram to follow along with my personal life and to find out when the next episode is dropping! 

HEY HEY! It’s me, Lydia, and you may know me as the ice-coffee lovin’ hot-mess mama of two and the woman behind the camera at Lydia Joy Photography. As a photographer whose passion is found in capturing real and genuine emotion, it's become my mission to tell a couple’s story, and to tell it WELL. I love that I have the ability to do this through the lens of my camera, but I am so thrilled to be taking this a step further. On this podcast, you’re going to be hearing from couples with incredible stories that will having you both laughing out loud and reaching for that box of tissues. I absolutely adore “love” and the unique stories that each couple brings and I am even more excited to be sharing those stories with YOU! So, if you’re a hopeless romantic or just enjoy hearing stories told from the heart, then you’re in the right place. I can’t wait for you to join me as I ask couples the question: “So Tell Me Your Love Story”