Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Winners of the "Win Your Wedding Photography Contest".

I am very pleased to announce that the following winners have been chosen by our panel of judges for the "Win Your Wedding Photography Contest"! The following are the winners and their stories.

1st Place Wedding Couple
Tiffany Cottrell & George Clarke




"Our love is connected to grocery stores and the mall.

 We met when I worked at a local mall, and he was friends with my boss. It wasn’t the safest mall, so he would often walk her to her car at nighttime. One night he just randomly blurted out to her that he was asking me out. Her response was “When you two break up, and she starts crying, you won’t be able to come into my store anymore!” Of course he asked me to go see a movie, regardless of her threat of being banned from the store, and the rest is history.

On our first date, we arrived much too early to go the movie. We ended up killing time for an hour in the grocery store nearby. Both nervous as heck, and the only thing to break the ice were bread and the produce section. I kept telling myself that if he commented about coffee being on sale one more time, I was leaving. I mean, I love coffee as much as the next person, but he was bringing it up every five minutes and acting so jittery.

Two years later, we were still together and money was tight. After a stressful day of studying and working, the last thing I wanted to do was go get groceries. I snapped and said that he didn't love me, even though I knew this wasn’t true. He then proposed to me with a ring he quickly made out of twist-ties in the produce section, saying it would have to do until we could afford the real thing, and I still have it in my jewelry box to this day.

Flash forward to this past Christmas Eve, four years later- my youngest sister is working in the clothing section of a local grocery store, and we're rushing to grab milk before its all gone. She guesses that he has purchased me an engagement ring (of the non-twist-tie variety) for Christmas, and starts sobbing, while I look through the socks and tomatoes oblivious.

The next morning, he’s sick as can be, both with the flu and nerves. We start opening the presents, and in the excitement, I gave him his “big” gift (a video card) half way through, even though we had agreed to save the big presents until very last. He nervously says that I shouldn’t have to wait for my big gift, and pulls a medium-sized box out from the tree.

I was ecstatic when I opened the lid, and found a huge pair of fluffy blue slippers with a polka-dot ribbon. I love slippers, and honestly look forward to getting a funky pair each year for Christmas. He kneels on the floor, and offers to help me put them on. The right slipper slides on perfectly, no problem. When attempting to put on the left one, I pulled my foot back, and yelped “Ouch! Something bit me!” He tells me to see what it is, and I pull out a tiny ring box. Not being a genius first thing in the morning, I think I am getting a new pair of earrings, since I had been dropping hints for a new pair.

He takes the box from my hands, and I notice him down on one knee. I was able to actually say yes for quite some time, but I shook my head and cried so hard, he knew what the answer was, and he started to cry too.
I’ll never ever get rid of those slippers, no matter how shabby they become.
Although we have no way of knowing what life will bring for us once we are married, we know it will be filled with trust, happiness, and coffee always being on sale in Aisle 5."

2nd Place Wedding Couple
Karen Endres & Marty Greenwood

(submitted by Madeline Endres - mother of the bride)



PICTURE PERFECT

My daughter’s getting married, in August, on Natal Day
I wish her all things wonderful, special in every way
Christ Church, Public Gardens, Fortress Halifax, Fireworks
………all will play a small part
BUT the photos by Patricia Sampson forever will be engraved
………in our hearts

When Karen first introduced Marty, her new beau
My “mum alert” kicked in; be he friend or foe?
You see, my daughter was just fifteen in grade ten
While Marty, grade twelve, was in the class of “older men”

Ah, there were times I did little but fret
Their trip ALONE to Toronto caused me some sweat
Then, later on, many a time my head did shake
Weren’t they too young to just each other date?

During these thirteen years they have not rushed
Life, step by step, a progressive must
They’ve attended many important things in life
Before, now, merging as husband and wife

Their focus on education pleased Dad and Mum
This they balanced with a measure of good fun
After academic labor each has a respectable job
Recently a house to live in, and, oh my god, a DOG!

In July 2006 from Calgary a call came to the house
Suddenly, Karen’s Dad went still as a mouse
With flowing waters and mountains behind
Romantic Marty had one thing in mind
To propose to his sweetheart, but not before
Karen’s Dad and Mum opened the “welcome son” door

Now the time is here to plan this special day
With your help, Patricia, it will be memorable in such a fine way
These young lovers, together since 1994
Deserve a wedding captured by your photos for sure
They have proved their love is on firm ground
These caring citizens of Dartmouth town.
Madeline (Mum) Endres

3rd Place Wedding Couple
Amanda Angowski & Stephen Gaudet


Hello Patricia! How are you? Umm well my name is Amanda Angowski, I am 21 years old. I live with my high school sweetheart Stephen Gaudet, he is 24 years old. We have a little girl who will be 18 months old this month and her name is Sierra.

Stephen and I met when I was in High School and I had no idea he lived about 5 minutes down the road from me. I had just started talking to a girl months before that and we were going out for coffee one weekend. Savanna, my friend and I, were sitting in the Tim Hortons parking lot and this little red hatch back Civic drove up and I saw the most handsome looking guy that I had ever seen. I looked at Savanna and said "Who is that?" Savanna lived beside him and the weekend after that, Savanna had set it up with him for us to meet at Tim Hortons the following weekend. That was 5 years ago. 3 years ago, Stephen proposed to me and told me that I meant everything in the world to him and that he would like to spend the rest of his life with me if i thought that was okay. Of course I said yes!! 2 years ago, Stephen and I bought a little house in Enfield, Nova Scotia, yes very young but very much in love. Now we have Sierra and she is the most important thing in the world to Stephen and I. Now we are planning our wedding for September 6th 2008, and we are on a very tight budget. Stephen is going to school for 8 weeks for his 2nd year apprenticeship in electrical and I am a full time toddler teacher at a daycare in Hammonds Plains. We have my dress, the bridesmaids dresses, and a couple of other things for our wedding, but the photography part is where we are very much stuck. We want to have pictures to show off our special day, and to have memories for the rest of our lives, but every place we talk to is way out of our price range and we cannot afford the prices we are getting. Im just hoping that you will choose us as your special couple that you would like to help out. I'm hoping that we get a phone call. Thank you for your time!!!

I'd like to thank everyone for their submissions and for sharing their stories with us. It was a really tough decision as all of the stories were beautiful! If I could, I would photograph all of your weddings for free :) I'm really looking forward to meeting all of the winners and getting you in front of my camera! 

I'd also like to thank Christina Sands Garragan at Endless Beauty Hair Salon (website) for donating hair services to the winners, and to Brian Larter (website) for volunteering his time as an assistant/second shooter on the day of Tiffany & George's wedding.

Patricia

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