the movie, “UP!” is a quirky love story that begins with carl and ellie meeting as children, falling in love and embracing the trials of life with that same childlike excitement. the movie recounts the beauty of the simple things they enjoyed together… picnics under their favorite tree, finding pictures in the big puffy clouds, grape soda, painting their house, sitting next to one another in their favorite chairs and dreaming of going one day to paradise falls – the dreamland they had saved their pennies to travel to since they were children. the darling twosome had saved (he had a balloon cart at the zoo and she was a zoo tour guide) in a big glass jug that they had to break over and over again to pay for house repairs, flat tires and hospital bills… and sadly, sweet ellie passed away before they could ever make it to paradise falls. it is then that carl wakes up one day and decides to tie thousands of balloons to his house to float to paradise falls on his own (and you will have to watch the movie to find out the rest)! i will say that at the end of it all, you see that when you find the love your heart has ached for your whole life, you don’t need a floating house for the adventure of a lifetime. :) the idea of this photo shoot came from lynnette and james, the sweet engaged couple featured here. their favorite movie is UP and i really could not pick a movie that could remind me more of them than that one. their love is genuine, comfortable and full of joy. i really do see them sitting on the park bench together, in 40 years, holding hands, laughing hysterically and holding a big bunch of balloons. if the photos don’t convince you that these two will stand the test of time, read this INCREDIBLY touching letter that james wrote to lynnette and so kindly shared with me to share with all of you (break out your hankies, girls):
“Lynnette… I have a confession, I am in love with you. It is not the ‘usual’ love, but the love that makes me remember the little things, the ‘boring’ things. It is the boring things in life that I will remember the most. The memories of jumping over sidewalk cracks to how the clouds talk to us. You make me remember the moments. It is that love that makes me believe. Belief that I was there when you were a toothless kid. Dancing through life, only stopping to hold my hand. Letting me know that anything is possible. I am in love with you, ‘my greatest adventure’. – James”
and so the love story begins…
Um, speechless.
You’ve outdone yourself! Brilliant, my friend.