Be Intentional
Make Marriage Happen

I love the start of a new year. But to be honest, I’m not really a big fan of resolutions.

This year I decided to have a motto instead of multiple resolutions. “LESS IS MORE.” I hope to keep that in the forefront of my mind and remember that it’s all about progress not perfection.

With my motto in hand, I decided to use it to simplify blogging. I already decided last year to only blog 2 – 3 times per week, which worked brilliantly, but I could still improve on my consistency. To help me narrow down my focus in the “relationships” section of our blog, I’ve chosen to pick a theme for each month. I read a wonderful quote yesterday by Kamal Farah that has stuck with me.

There is no solution but to live together, not to survive together, but to live.

Vitaliy and I decided when we were married that we would never get a divorce. We won’t even bring up the word. But we also agreed that we wouldn’t live in a lifeless marriage. That leaves us with only one option – to make it work! We all enter marriage with our own expectations and dreams, but the reality rarely matches up. Cultivating a good marriage takes work. As unromantic as that sounds, the sooner you accept it as truth, the sooner you can get to making your marriage everything you want it to be.

One thing that hasn’t changed in the new year is my passion for marriage. Mine and yours. Let’s make marriage happen this year! Regardless of how things are going in your marriage, whether good or bad, we need to be intentional. That’s our January theme – be intentional! If you want a marriage that works, you’ve got to plan for it.

I hope you’ll join us! You can find us on Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you. We’ll be using #beintentional and #makemarriagehappen when sharing our ideas. Before you do anything, share this with a friend who may need some encouragement too because you’re not alone.

#beintentional

Melissa & Lachlan
Annadel Estate Winery Wedding

Melissa met Lachlan while out one night with her sister in San Francisco.

The two sat by the window of the bar watching people pass by and chatting when they heard an interesting accent coming from a group of gentlemen inside the bar. They quickly deciphered the accent and Melissa’s sister approached the group to have a little fun practicing her Australian accent. Melissa tagged along not realizing she was about to be introduced to her future husband. Though Melissa and her sister actually approached Lachlan and his friends first, he likes to hold claim to spotting Melissa through the window of the bar before ever walking inside.

But the magic of their love story lies in the timing. Knowing he only had one more day before returning to Australia, Lachlan asked Melissa for her number and confirmed a date for the following day. One date. And they found themselves in a long distance romance.

Lachlan and Melissa were married at the beautiful Annadel Estate Winery. They were joined by their families for a very intimate, emotional and sweet ceremony. It could not have been more perfect! Every detail included and every person in attendance held significance and meaning in their lives. It was truly a special day in every way.

Lach and Melissa, thank you so much for inviting us to play such a special part at your wedding as your photographers. We couldn’t have thought of a better way to finish out 2013 then with the two of you. It was truly a pleasure and an honor to document such sweet moments for you and your family. Congratulations! We wish you a marriage filled with love and laughter. We can’t wait to get together again soon! We love you both! -V&C

You can also view our favorite memories from their day here – LACHLAN AND MELISSA: THE HIGHLIGHTS.

We’d like to thank the wonderful team of vendors that helped make this day so perfect.

Venue: Annadel Estate Winery

Hair & Makeup: Sisters Boutique

Dress: Gloria Agostina

Photographers: Pictilio

Bride and groom walking together with old barn in the backgroundAnnadel Estate Winery PhotographyAnnadel Estate Winery WeddingAnnadel Estate Winery Wedding PhotosBride and Groom taking a walk at Annadel Estate Winery in Santa RosaWedding at Annadel Estate WineryJust married at Annadel Estate WineryRomantic wedding photography at Gorgeous portrait of bride and groom at  Annadel Estate WineryCouple kissingWedding photos of bride and groom with old barn in the background at Annadel Estate Winery in Santa RosaBride and groom walking toward each other in front of the barn at Annadel Estate Winery in Santa RosaBride and Groom kissing in the midst of the trees at Annadel Estate Winery in Santa Rosa

Merry Christmas

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas yesterday.

I’m determined to keep the celebration alive and the Christmas music playing until after the new year. Anybody else with me? I’m not ready for Christmas to be over. With that in mind, here’s one of my favorite pictures from my recent surprise trip to New York City.

We had just arrived to Rockefeller Plaza. The place was packed with people, the snow was falling and the streets were covered in white. It was everything you would dream Christmas in New York would be like. And then out of nowhere, a sweet local girl came over and offered to take our photo. I was touched by her thoughtfulness. It makes this picture all the more special to me.

So, tell me. What are you doing to keep Christmas alive for a few more days? And what do I need to know about entering my 30s?

Merry Christmas to you and yours. xo

P.S. This is the best we got to a Christmas card this year. Love you all!

Vitaliy and Candace in New York