Tanner + Cameron – Engaged – Auburn, Alabama

Y’alllll…. I couldn’t think of a better way to bring back the blog than with these two right here- Tanner and Cameron!

Knowing Tanner and now Cameron is the epitome of a “small world” story.

I met Tanner back in my college days while I was a small group leader for the Alabama Lions High School Leadership Forum at Troy University. My first year as a small group leader, Tanner’s older sister, Taylor, was one of my students. I was just finishing up my Freshman year at Auburn, and she was a graduated senior, if I remember correctly, so we were very close in age. We hit it off immediately and the next year, she came back as a small group leader, too! We even got the chance to room together.

Tanner, too, was a ALHSLF attendee, and because she and Taylor BOTH are two of the friendliest and loveliest people you’ve ever met, well… I loved her just as much from the start as Taylor. Both Taylor and Tanner would go on to attend Auburn like I did and years later and as I began to take my photography to a full time career, I would photograph Taylor’s wedding!

Flash forward a few years to a couple years ago when I received a message from Tanner that she was now living close to my small Alabama hometown. And if you know anything about small towns, you know that everybody knows everybody. And not just that, they know most people within the neighboring counties, too! Tanner tells me that not only is she living nearby, but she has started dating someone who LIVES in my small town. I was shocked when I didn’t recognize his name, but to be fair, I had lived out of town for several years at that point, and well… I guess new people do move in occasionally. Haha!

As is the way of the world these days, I’ve watched Tanner and Cameron’s relationship flourish on social media for the last couple of years, so when I saw he had proposed I was THRILLED for my girl, Tanner. Imagine my delight when she reached out for me to be her wedding photographer, too!

But wait…. there’s more. Not just her wedding photographer… her wedding photographer in ST. LUCIA!!!! Yeah, you read that right. We’ll be flying to St. Lucia in May for these two lovely people to wed at Sandals Grande St. Lucia, and y’all…. I simply CANNOT WAIT! Oh, it’s going to be so, so, SO good!

I met up with the newly engaged couple in Auburn, Alabama, back in October for their engagement portraits, and oh did it do my heart so much good.

We started our time together in downtown Opelika where we caught up on life and how things had been going since we’d seen each other last. Cameron began to tell me his journey to living in my tiny hometown and by the end of the day, we realized we had a TON of mutual connections. Really close mutual connections, at that. How were we just now meeting or hearing of each other?! Crazy.

After strolling the quaint streets of Auburn’s sister town, it was time for an outfit change and to jump over to thing we all three have in common- our alma mater- Auburn University. No Auburn photos are completely without Samford Hall, so we took full advantage of a beautiful sunny evening to laugh, dance, and even bring the pups out for their chance in the spotlight!

By the time I returned to my car that evening, I was all smiles.

I love “small world” stories. I love good people. I love old friends. I love Auburn. And love photographing love. Put them all in one day, and I’m the happiest of campers.

Now….. I just have to be patient until May rolls around and we’re all St. Lucia bound!