Fiona & Mitch – 10 Years Married

Fiona & Mitch

I have had the pleasure of experiencing all levels love. The new couples who have been together for a year or so. They’re sometimes more shy with being affectionate in front of the camera naturally, so I’ll give them a little nudge and guidance. I’ll set the vibe with some music and make them warm up. 

Then we have the newlyweds. The fresh married intimate shoot is always so dreamy. They have all their friends and family surrounding them, showering them with love and beautiful words. They’re wrapped up in the day, the moments that lead them to their wedding, and of course, each other. 

And then there are couples like Fiona and Mitch. Ten years married and, although I wasn’t there to tell you, I am almost certain they showed just as much love on their wedding day as they did the day of our photoshoot. It wasn’t just for the photos. It was the in-between moments… the moments that continue happening while the camera is away.  

Fiona reached out about a year ago to plan this session as they were traveling from Queensland to the Baroosa Valley for their anniversary. I remember feeling so blessed to have someone A) book a couples session this far in advance and B) to be apart of such a special memory. 

I met them for a wine tasting at Bethany Reserve Winery and this is where most of our shoot took place. 

While I was photographing for them I could feel their connection. I said “Well whenever I end up with the person I will marry, I know I’ll be messaging you for advice!”

And that’s when Fiona started telling me all their magical secrets. So I decided to blog about it. 

Here’s how it went:

Q: How do you keep the spark after 10 years of marriage? 

Answer:

There’s no short answer to this question, from what we’ve learnt as a couple along the trail of 10 years marriage would be… Evolve.

From the beginning to now, we’ve evolved with the seasons of life. We learnt that honesty in all facets was a must, no secrets, we even have the same pin numbers on our phones and passwords on things, not because we don’t trust, but because we’ve nothing to hide. Respect each other, even through conflict, which we’ve not always be great at, but learnt and still learning, that it’s not ok to say bad things in the heat of the moment. And yes, we’ve had plenty! Apologising is yet another piece to the puzzle, that good ol’ saying from the elderly couple married 50 years “Never go to sleep on an argument!!” True.

Make love, make the effort, it’s the glue to your true ‘connection’. Make time for each other, organise things together alone that you both love doing. Or create something!

Laugh together! Laugh at yourself! Take pride and love yourself, don’t let yourself go. The attraction and chemistry will stay and continue to grow. If and when children come along, it will be the most magical but also testing time of all. This role in life teaches us patience and understanding more than anything else you will ever do. You have to act as a strong team player! There’s definitely no I in team. Support each other, respect and feel what the other is dealing with, and you’ll stay connected. Celebrate their wins, even if it seems insignificant. And caress the lows

But all in all, surrender to the seasons of life, there’s no such thing as a constant spring! Live and love in the moment