Wow it's been a crazy competition this year between our top voted couples! It's gone back and forth a handful of times and I could honestly say that before I actually sat down and counted the votes last night I wasn't sure who was going to win!
Thank you all for participating and coming to check out my page. I hope y'all stick around to see all the gorgeous photos I've shot recently as well as the winning couple's photos (and let me know if y'all need some done as well!!!).
Well I know what you're here to see so here it is!
The winning couple of this year's Couples Contest is......
Travis and Cayla!
They have won a FREE photo shoot with 50% off prints and products!!
Super excited to shoot these two :) But don't go anywhere- there's something for everyone!
Our second place couple, Austen and Tiffani, receive 50% off a photo shoot with 25% off prints and products!
Third place couple Brett and Corina receive a $50 credit toward a shoot and 20% off prints and products!
And our other five amazing couples- Brandon and Kayla, DJ and Brittany, Chris and Chrissy, Christian and Tiffany, Brent and Erin- receive a $25 credit toward a shoot and 10% off prints and products as well!
Thanks to all our amazing couples that entered this year and I look forward to the rest of the year!
I can't believe it's already been a year since my first couples contest! It's been such a crazy year of shooting such beautiful people, including my first wedding!! This year I hope to keep growing in my photography and be able to capture memories for all you lovelies :)
So let's get to it!
How to Vote: Voting will begin February 3rd, 2013 and end on February 13th, 2013 at 11:59 PM. Everyone can vote twice! There is a poll at the bottom where you can vote (once per computer, so if you want to hit up every computer you can, that's up to you). There is also an album on the Leilani Photography page on Facebook called "2012 Couples Contest" that also has each photo/story for each couple where you need to comment "vote" to have it count towards the couple's votes (simply clicking "like" on the picture will not count!). Make sure you comment under the photo and not the album or the couple's link to the picture. You are able to vote for more than one couple, but duplicate comments on a single picture will be deleted. Participants and voters must "like" Leilani Photography to vote. Invite anyone you would like to vote in both places! The winner will be posted February 14th on the blog and will be notified by email as well.
Good luck, y'all! :)
Our Gorgeous Couples:
Austen + Tiffani
We dated in highschool, yet grew apart. (and by that I mean I grew up
and he didn't lol) But we crossed paths again 7 years later and fell in
love. After 3 sweet years, we are newly engaged and look forward to a
beautiful life growing old together!
Brandon + Kayla
{Nominated by her best friend, Gina!}
Kayla Pack has been my best friend since high school. We have been
there for each other through numerous boyfriends and heartbreaks. Kayla
and Brandon worked at a restaurant together in Gainesville called
Harry's. She would talk about Brandon non-stop, but then tell me she
didn't want anything serious. Well, I
guess its true what they say: love finds you when you're not looking for
it! One night at a Halloween party in 2011 they finally gave up the act
of 'wanting the single life' and made it official (thanks to a little
nudge from yours truly). I knew within a month that they were meant to
be together. In prior relationships Kayla was constantly frustrated and
upset, but not with Brandon. He is supportive, patient, and caring and I
am so happy that my best friend has found someone who completes her so
perfectly. Brandon and Kayla are now engaged to be married! (YAY!) As a
young couple just out of college, a photo shoot is not something they
can afford to treat themselves to. So, as an engagement gift to my best
friend I would like to nominate Kayla and Brandon for the Couples
Contest. I doubt they would ever do this for themselves, but they are so
deserving and I would like to see this couples love for each other
captured through your photography.
Brent + Erin
We met about four years ago,and decided to start dating in April 2010.
Our first date was one of the longest, most amazing date of my life! We
started out having breakfast at java joint, then spent the day at the
beach talking and laughing. We had so much fun we decided we didn't want
it to end so we each went home changed and then we to dinner
and a movie then a bar and played pool and laughed some more! Like I
said longest date of my life but the absolute best! After that he
introduced me to his family and daughter who I love dearly. Then I did
the same he spent my sisters 40th bday with us and got along great with
my family which is a huge deal being I don't have the easiest family to
get along with. After that it was thanksgiving and Christmas and I knew
he was the one! Now almost two amazing years later we are planing to
move in together and hopefully get engaged sometime this year!:) I love
him with all my heart and can't wait to spend they rest of my life with
him!!!
Brett + Corina
It all started when we both decided to go fishing… on the dating
website Plenty of Fish that is. We both went on the site with little
expectations of actually finding “True Love” and more of another social
media to meet people and more so because our friends were doing it and
we wanted to just “check it out”. We conversed for a few days
and decided we wanted to meet at a local bar to discuss different kinds
of beers and what made up each one. That day on my way home from work,
my phone stopped working! So I had to rush home and get on the site to
message him to let him know I didn’t have a phone to confirm but I would
be there at seven and pray that he received it. Throughout the night we
both realized that we were actually having more fun than we had in
awhile and really hit it off! So much so that I stayed out until 1 AM on
a work night! We ended up seeing each other every night of the up
coming week, and seven days later he asked to take me off the market and
to be his. Of course I said yes! Less than twenty days later we went
out with friends on a Sunday and I ended up breaking my neck.. Can you
say accident-prone? Anyone that knows me thinks I need to be placed in a
bubble! He stood by me through that and for the first three months of
our relationship I was in a neck brace. My friends all said, “Man, if he
stayed with you after that… he sure is a keeper!” We are now in the
process of buying a house in Palm Coast (just waiting to hear back on an
offer) and I only have a year left in school! We can’t wait to see
where life takes us from here, but one thing we know for sure is that
love definitely finds you when you least are expecting it to.
Chris + Chrissy
Our story started a little over 2 years ago, we met through a 12-step
program. Both Chris & I have struggled with addiction in our past,
and that common thread has been a strong bond between us. We both have
totally changed our lives; Chris has over 4 years clean and me over 2
years. This is not something we usually tell everyone, but I think it is
an important part of our story, because it shows that anyone can change
their life. We are both Christ followers, and I owe alot of my
spirituality to Chris, he lead me back to the Lord when I had turned my
back on him. I think we both are positive influences on eachother's
lives; he has taught me alot about humility and I have taught him alot
about letting go. We both share a love for the Miami Dolphins and our
Siamese cat named Milo. Also, we are very close with our families, they
are a very important part of our lives. Chris graduated from UWF
with a Bachelor of Design and now owns and operates his own landscaping
business called Coastal Turf Conservation, Inc. I am about to start my
final semester at Metropolitan Community College studying for my Medical
Transcription Associates degree. Sometime in June 2013 I will be
enrolling in a University to continue on for my Bachelor's. This
year has held so many blessing for us - we married on Nov. 11th at the
Florida Agricultural Museum and purchased our first home here in Palm
Coast.
Christian + Tiffany
My fiance and I had a blind date on Valentines day 2010. My mother set
us up, and I didn't think anything of it. Sure enough we started dating
officially and have been so in love ever since. We honestly believe we
are soulmates because we have stayed strong through thick and thin. Our
wedding is set for 10.12.13 and we still haven't taken any couples or
engagement photos. I am a photographer myself but all of my photo
friends that I went to school with live too far away. We would love an
opportunity for someone else to photograph us before our wedding!
DJ + Brittany
It all started seven years ago, when a boy met a girl. She liked him
and he fell for her, but neither would admit it. She had to move away
and they swore to keep in touch. Four years later, he finally talked to
her again and they spent a great year as just friends, their affection
growing with each passing visit. But the heart can only take so much,
and so on February 22, 2011 they made their affections public and
official. The past two years have developed an even stronger bond to
their friendship than ever imagined - a bond of love. Their two naive
souls are now intrinsically bound and sealed with the spark of a kiss.
Travis + Cayla
Boy met girl. They took it slow. Became best friends. Boy really liked
girl, girl really liked boy but not like that... or so she thought. Boy
was persistent after girl, girl was flattered but always said no. Then
after a short time boy's father got sick all of a sudden and went home
to heaven, boy and girl became very close at this time. Boy told girl he
loved her, girl loved him so much but was afraid she would hurt him and
lose boy forever, so boy went away for a little while. In boy's absence
girl realized how much she longed to have boy by her side at all times.
Girl's heart hurt bad without boy, she could not stand another second
without her best friend. Girl rushed to boy and proclaimed her mutual
love with a first and life changing kiss. Ever since that moment four
years ago they have explored and adventured, learned and discovered
challenges and wondrous things of life's journey all by each others
side. Boy and girl have grown together and therefore even more
inseparable so in a very short time boy and girl will be joined as man
and wife, to continue to learn and explore the beauty of purpose and
creation in love and Christ. ***footnote: the two have not had a tasteful photo taken together that's not an arms length away in like 2 years!
It's been a great competition this past week and a half or so, and I'm so glad you all came out to check out my page and these 5 fabulous couples you all voted for. I think next year we'll make it a little shorter, just for fun ;)
Now without further ado, the winner is....
Kevin and Chylsie!
They will receive a free photo shoot with 30% off prints and products!
Now I don't want to leave out the other fabulous contestants! Our 2nd place couple, Austin and Alaina, get 25% a shoot with 10% off prints and products, and our other couples- Jason and Sue, Justin and Catherine, and Billy and Electra- will get 10% off a shoot.
Thank you all for participating and I look forward to what the next year brings! :)