This winter has seemed extra long. Do you agree? Maybe it’s because of all the little teasers of warm weather we’ve been getting here and there only to plummet back into arctic deep freezes. But you know what, I think we’ve finally come out the other side. This weekend’s forecast is all sun and warmth. Sure, we have a few rainy days to get through first but April showers bring May flowers so I’ll take it!
In honour of ditching the winter coats and frolicking outdoors in long sleeve shirts, I give you my current favourite outdoor photoshoot of all time. I mean really, who can resist bright blooms, a lakeside setting and a love story 63 years in the making. Swoon. How sweet are they? She even has a veil and a wardrobe change! How perfect would a shoot like this be up in Muskoka (complete with a videographer of course)? Even better, imagine getting your engagements photos done up in cottage country and doing a shoot like this 60 years into your marriage in the exact same spot? Guys, I can’t even!
What’s the story behind the shoot? Photographer Shaylyn Nelson decided that in an ode to marriage, she wanted to capture her favourite couple in the world on camera, her grandparents. The pictures really need no introduction and will fill your heart to the brim. Scroll below to read what she had to say on the topic and to check out the images. If you just can’t get enough (we don’t blame you!), click here for more.
This is simply a reminder to the world from the lens of a granddaughter who adores her grandparents and the love they share. I want to put hope and the true meaning of marriage back into the beating hearts around the globe. We are living, breathing and experiencing a world of instant gratification and noncommittal tendencies. We are so wrapped up in seeing the “instant-polariod pictures”, and not the huge hand-painted masterpiece of marriage that takes time, patience, passion, attention to detail, and hard work. What happened to being together forever? Why does our world look down on marriage so much now? It breaks my heart and even though I am ONE person…I have felt called to somehow, someway make a change. Nobody is perfect, but LOVE…LOVE is why we are here. Love is real, it’s unique for everyone and it has the power to change our world if we let it.
My grandparents have been married for 63 years. My Papaw planted a rose bush outside of their bedroom window when they built their house. He has always said, “Billie Wanda is the rose of my life…But it does have a few thorns here and there…”, which is the reason he’s holding a bushel of roses in some of the photos… 🙂
Marriage should be forever. It’s finding that person you pick to love and yet, drive you crazy, day in and day out. It’s more than color schemes, gorgeous gowns, perfectly crafted tables capes, and the perfect shoes. It’s growing old, hand in hand, wrinkle after wrinkle. It’s taking two heartbeats and working together to make one. It’s letting love win, always, no matter what.
Whomever is reading this…This right here is my heart. This right here is the most important thing I have ever been a part of and put together. As you read this, I am over here behind the scenes pouring out blood, sweat and tears into this passion project. I’m calling it Love, The Nelsons Project. I’m ready to show lovers around the world that true love still exists. There are so many love stories that we don’t know of out there waiting to be shared. The hard ones, big ones, small ones, beautiful ones, and stories that can change our lives and the way we view marriage. This is my pledge and my mission to find these stories and to document them over the course of the next year.
I want to put together something truly special…so here it goes! My goal is to compile a book of old love stories and that’s where I am asking for your help. I will travel to these couples, sit down and listen to their stories, interview them, and will photograph them together. Do you know of someone who has a love story that is worth knowing about? One that is worth sharing with the world to inspire, and that will help instill the true value and purpose of marriage back into our lives? The sky is the limit here! If I can impact one…just ONE marriage, ONE woman or man who are seeking their forever…my mission in life will be fulfilled. Help me tell these stories. Please e-mail me at hello@lovethenelsons.com and put “LTN Project- Old Love” in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
There is so much more that I want to share here in this space, but please follow along my journey on instagram at @shalynnelson. Our hashtag will be #lovethenelsonsproject #oldlovebook
And to end this post, I’ll quote my Papaw… “Walking through life together, but the trail’s getting short.”