He’s William.
Born in California, Will was the third bouncing baby in a family with four of them. He spent his formative years in Connecticut, eventually spending several years in the National Guard, a year getting certified as an auto mechanic, and (most life-changingly) a year completing a photography program at the Hallmark Institute of Photography. He received his certificate in June of 2003, having been trained in both film and digital formats, and has been happily honing his shutter-finger since then, with extensive experience in sport, portrait, wedding, and commercial photography.
He's a crazy awesome wizard with loads of magical Photoshop skillz - as well as a super dedicated dad, a mind-bogglingly wonderful husband, a terrific and imaginative cook, a carefree roller-coaster loving, boat captaining, handsomer WITH glasses than without kind of guy.
She’s Janet.
An Army brat, she was born in West Germany, back when there was a West Germany. She was raised all over the U.S., with her parents finally settling down in Alabama when her father retired from the Army in 1991. She went to college in both Kentucky and Alabama for journalism. In December 2004, she left the Deep South behind for the frozen mystery of the Northeast, realizing during her first 100+ degree summer in MA that she'd been strangely misled about the perpetual foliage-filled autumns and crystal wonderland winters she believed "The North" to be. Eighteen plus years here, and she still hasn't seen a moose (dangit), but she's just as enthralled with New England as she was the first day she arrived.
A self-taught photographer, Janet's first attempts at "art" involved close ups of odd things, lots of dreadful blurring and vignette-ing, weird sepia effects and super-saturated or super-de-saturated images, pictures of her feet and her desserts. Basically she could've been the Queen of Instagram back in 1999. (oh look! she has one now!) These days she is rarely far from her trusty camera and is trying to capture pretty much every single fiery colored autumn leaf in her path, all of the amazing snowflakes and icicles that show up every winter, each and every smile her redheaded stepchild gives her, and all the adorable things her sweet dogs do. Her images evoke a sense of wonder and showcase her amazing creativity and talent.
He likes hot peppers, Janet’s hair, fast boats, minivans, Words With Friends, Joss Whedon, sweet potato fries, 2Pac, Doctor Who, laughing, and helping orphaned animals. Especially cats.
She likes Lucky Charms, Star Wars, sweet tea, William’s sense of humor, texting, Christmas music, good books, unicorns, bumblebees, Kennedys, Tom Waits, Nintendo, and bare feet. She's allergic to cats.
They like Noah – his twenty-two-year-old giggly redhead and their scruffy, sweet-hearted, playful dogs, Rumi + Duncan – ‘vintiques’, crafting, swimming, cuddling, laughing, hiking, singing, gardening, taking photos, riding in boats, waking up together, falling asleep together, hot coffee, fireflies, reading, kissing, trying new recipes, living the [kind, frugal, green, delicious] good life.
They met in Easthampton MA in January of 2008, were lifelong inseparable Pop Rocks-&-soda best friends by the end of that year, fell crazy in love in Littleton, MA throughout 2009, moved in together in Sturbridge MA in October of 2010, got engaged Christmas morning 2011 (she asked, he said yes), and danced, kissed, promised, and vowed in Groton MA in October 2012, standing in the chilly autumn New England rain with their immediate family under grey skies and beautiful orange-red trees.
They live on a big blue lake in beautiful New England and they’re living the life they have imagined.
They’re going confidently in the direction of their dream.
They laugh often and love much.
They are the strange they wish to see in the world.
They’re never careful what they wish for.
Their candles burn at both ends…you get the picture.