Our 2010 Giving Back couple!

When I opened my inbox and read the email that had just beeped through, my heart instantly started racing. The email was from a bride named Jennifer, asking if she and her fiance could be considered to be our 2010 "Giving Back" local wedding couple. After reading, and rereading many times, I knew that they were so deserving and sweet, and there was no way we could say no. They were perfect for us! I am happy to introduce to all of you Jennifer and Tony, getting married on March 5, 2010! Here is their story:

"Hello Candace & Josh,
We first learned of your work through our neighbors Mike and Kelly Sobol. While looking at the photos of their wedding both Tony and I really fell in love with your artistic style and point of view. We would like to share our love story with you in the hopes of being considered as one of your 2010 "Giving Back" couples.

Believe it our not it all started with match.com. I had gone to a wedding of my best friend's and after watching their ceremony I just got so upset and lonely. Thinking and asking why I had not yet found my true love. That night I prayed and prayed to god for my love and I to find each other. I knew he was out there. I could feel him and I just couldn't wait another minute for him to be in my life. It took another week or so for me to get over myself, and the sigma of on-line dating, and finally I joined match.com. Meanwhile Tony had been going on dates for over a year through match.com having no luck and many nightmare dates. I started emailing Tony through the website for about at week and two weeks after I joined we had our first date. The one and only date I had. (Best $75 bucks I ever spent!)

It was the most magically amazing 12 hour date one could ever imagine. We met for breakfast at a little hole in the wall place here in Coventry, called Bee's. It was 10am on a Sunday morning the day before Halloween. Sunny and 60 degrees during the peak of fall foliage. The second he drove in with his jeep wrangler my heart was beating out of my chest I was so nervous! We got out of our cars and finally met with a hug and permanent smiles on both our faces. As we waited in line for our table I said to Tony, "if things go well would you still like to go kayaking?" Needless to say breakfast and our conversation went fabulously. We left the restaurant picked up Tony's two kayaks and went to Mansfield Hallow for what would be my first kayaking experience. We then paddled around the lake enjoying the beautiful leaves, brightly shining sun, and amazing chemistry between us. Even the silences were comfortable. After kayaking we stopped and got two pumpkins for us to carve for Halloween. We carved and talked on Tony's back deck while listening to Jack Johnson. It was amazing how we never ran out of things to talk about. After our pumpkins were finished we went on a hike with his dog, Kayla, an 80lb doberman who i love! We then went out to dinner at Angellino's and wrapped up the night at 10pm after watching Sunday night tv of the Simpson's and family guy. A very simple day nothing extravagant just perfect!

That day was like four dates in one. We discovered so many common interests and interesting connections between each of our lives. We share similar and fundamental views on faith. We share common interests in music and arts. Some of the coincidences just seemed to be signs from above that we were meant for each other. The strongest being that I was adopted as an infant to a family in Manchester and at age 19 my biological family came and found me because my biological mother was dieing of breast cancer. At that time I found out that during the time when I was given up for adoption my biological mother was 35 and a single mother of 3. They lived in Tolland and attend St. Matthew's church. They were very close to their priest, Father O'Keefe. And it just so happens that Tony grew up in Tolland and attend that same church and as baptized, received his 1st communion, and was confirmed by that same Father O'Keefe. He had attended church with my biological family and never known it. Being that we are a year apart in age, had I not been given up for adoption we would have more than likely met in church. It felt as though god had answered my prayers and that either way we would have found each other.

Six months after our 1st date Tony purposed. That was in April of 2006 so we have now been together for over 4 years. There is so much more to our story this was just the beginning. After seeing Mike and Kelly's pictures I was certain that I wanted to write you both and share our story however we were not planning on doing it so soon. This past Monday December 21st my Mother (adoptive and true!) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her doctor projected that she may have less than a year left here with us. This has been tremendously difficult to process. But one thing Tony and I discussed the night we found out was that we wanted to get married as soon as possible so my mother can be there and be healthy enough to enjoy it.

We had previously been waiting to plan the wedding due to finances. I am in school full-time getting my masters in social work, Tony is in social services supervising a Catholic Charities group home for three developmentally disabled gentlemen, and neither of our families are in a position to help finance our wedding. Now that our priority is just to be together and share our wedding with family and most importantly my mother, we are doing everything we can to get it done. Our plan is to try and get married during my spring break at the beginning of March. We are in the process of meeting with Father Stephen Sledesky to confirm our date but we are hoping for either Friday March 5th or Saturday March 6th. We will not be able to have a formal reception we will just be enjoying the ceremony at St. Bridget's in Manchester, CT. We are not sure yet what we will be able pull off for afterward. We might just leave from the church and go to a bed and breakfast for the weekend or maybe just a casual gathering at one of our family's homes.

I know I have overloaded you both with a great deal of information and uncertainty but both Tony and I would love for your help in making our wedding photographs something amazing and unforgettable. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,


Jennifer B. Newkirk & Anthony J. Rogers III"

Jenn and Tony, you are both such sweet, loving people, and we cannot wait to share in your wedding with you!