Two Years Strong! A Heartfelt Story and Anniversary Shoot: Courtney + Donnell

So as you all know, we celebrate weddings here day in and day out. Wedding style, wedding inspiration, wedding stories, and everything in-between. But nothing melts our hearts more than a sweet anniversary session. After all, the wedding is a pretty big deal, but staying married is truly the most important…and it’s not an easy task.

Courtney and Donnell are the cutest lovebirds and friends of Munaluchi:). Together, through their company Mr. Baldwin Style, they’ve styled numerous grooms for many of our shoots so we are super excited to be sharing their own personal anniversary session with you today.  To top it off…today is actually their two year anniversary! Cheers to a happy married life and wishing you many, many more!

Enjoy their anni-session photographed by Coterie member, Petronella Photography and filmed by Coterie member Mae B. Films.  It’s super cute!

          

 

Wife: Courtney Arrington-Baldwin

Husband:  Donnell Baldwin

Wedding Date:  9/16/2012

As you celebrate your anniversary, what do you remember most about your wedding day?
The most memorable thing about our wedding was having so many of the family and friends that are important to us all in one place. There was a strong feeling of love and support in the air. We truly felt that all of our guests were happy to be there and to share in the celebration of our love.D: I remember how beautiful the day was. I remember how calm I was. I remember how kind and warm my groomsmen were. They kept me relaxed as we were getting dressed. I remember being excited to see Courtney.

Was there anything you would have done differently for your wedding?
No. We think it was a great day! We are both perfectionists when it comes to details, so surely there were some things that could have been tweaked or improved, but overall we were very well-pleased with our experience and most people didn’t even notice those things. It was truly a blessed day!!!

Describe your engagement session. Did you have a theme? Tell us more about the process.
We did a couple of photo shoots leading up to our wedding but our favorite was the shoot we did for our Save the Date cards. We dressed up in semi-formal attire and a photographer friend captured us in NYC’s Grand Central Station. In the midst of all of the hustle and bustle of the station, our photographer was able to get amazing photos of very intimate moments shared between us. We used a couple props, but the rich back drop inside Grand Central Station provided lots of detail outside of our apparel.

What are your favorite things to do as a couple?
We are both huge music fans, particularly jazz, soul and gospel. We attend concerts often and enjoy stumbling upon artists we’ve never listened to before. We also enjoy traveling to the Hamptons, especially, Sag Harbor, NY. There’s something about it that makes us feel at home when we need solitude from our busy, demanding work lives.

Who cooks?
Courtney does more of the cooking. Donnell does not enjoy cooking – at all. We’re pretty simple eaters so a salad with grilled fish or chicken will satisfy us. We definitely are not foodies, we pretty much eat to live!

How do you keep the spark in your marriage?
We are friends first. We remind each other to “be nice” when one of us is having a grumpy moment. We hang out together most often whether it’s having dinner together, cuddling on the couch, a random date or night out, walking around the city holding hands. If you see one, you will most often see the other. We were both virgins when we got married so this level of intimacy is very new to us. We genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and laugh a lot, which makes it easier to keep the spark in our marriage.

What advice can you give for newlyweds?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. You have to remain flexible. Remember why you got together initially. Remember that first date. Remember that first kiss. Remember there was a reason you two were put together. It’s not about who is right or wrong when you have disagreements. It is about “how can we come together to carry out God’s visions for us ?” “How can I be a better husband, wife, soul-mate, lover?” Also, get a couple of married couples you can hang with. You can get advice, share tips and help each other out! Marriage is work, but you must be willing to do the work to keep it fresh and exciting.

Tell us about the shoot. What inspired it?
Our number one piece of advice is to wait for love. We have heard countless stories of people rushing in and out of situations and relationships based on the fear of NOT finding someone. Enjoy being single. Accomplish all that God has for you as a single person. Date and find out what you do and don’t like. Establish your non-negotiables with each date and have standards that are uncompromised. The inspiration of the shoot was birthed from this school of thought. We waited for love and it worked out in our favor. We just want others to possibly experience what we have as a result of waiting and keeping a standard for ourselves.