Our Engagement Pictures!

We only had to wait four days until we received our engagement pictures.  I couldn't rip open the envelope and boot up the computer fast enough.

I won't keep anyone in suspense and share the goodies right away!

(All images owned by the Sunhats and photos taken by Stephen Martin Photography.)

This is our absolute favorite photo.  Wrigley was so good!  Stephen, our photographer, just had us call her over and he handled the rest.  Right before he snapped a picture, he would ask "Wrigley - you wanna treat?!" and she'd look right at him! 

As I mentioned before, we are a divided household when it comes to baseball.  I had to get a few shots of us in our Cubs / White Sox jerseys.  My late grandfather (who owned the farm) was a huge Cubs fan - we definitely felt him with us that day!

We are so pleased with how they turned out.  However, I have a confession to make.  I cried the first time we went through all of the pictures, and they weren't happy tears.  All I could focus on is how bad I thought I looked in so many of the shots.  I've struggled with my weight my whole life and have put on 25 - 30 pounds since we started dating.  It was all I could see at first.

Thankfully, Mr. Ballcap and my family were quick to shoot down my crazy thoughts.  Our families raved about the photos and the moms got teary-eyed.  It was then that I really saw the beauty and love in the pictures.

Having Wrigley with us meant so much.  Mr. Ballcap got her about a year before we met so she has been a part of our relationship from the start.  She is our baby and means the world to us.  Also, having my grandpa's truck and the pictures on the farm means so much to me.  That truck holds so many memories of my grandparents and my childhood.  Before my grandmother passed, we gave my her a collage of some of the photos and she couldn't get enough of them.  We didn't tell her we were shooting on the farm so it was a big surprise for her.  She looked at them all the time and loved seeing the old farm.

My weight and self-image is something that will always be a tough spot for me, but in no way do I want it to ruin or interfere with this time in my life.  The last thing I wanted was to be upset about our pictures, but thankfully, I've grown to love them so much.

Did you have an unexpected reaction to wedding photos?