Cinque Terre Italy had been on the top of my bucket list to visit since I first heard about it from our good friends who honeymooned there. It consists of five small seaside villages that sit on the Italian Riviera coastline. Thus, when Nazari and I started planning our five year anniversary celebration - we knew it had to be included in our travels.
As we were making our plans - we discovered that our good friends also wanted to go to Europe. And they too were celebrating an anniversary. It was fate.
Besides getting to go on the trip of a lifetime with great friends, another incredible perk was having Jen to help plan the logistics. She is a planner extraordinaire. While booking anything stresses me out, she thrives on finding great deals and making epic plans.
She went above and beyond - finding us a picturesque BNB in the heart of Manarola. It quickly became our favorite of the five villages - as it had a breathtaking path through nearby vineyards, cliff jumping, and the famous postcard scenery that has put Cinque Terre on the map.
Because it was their anniversary, and we were in Europe, in only made sense that we would do a photo shoot.
Dan + Jen recently celebrated 3 years of marriage. They are a power couple in the truest sense of what that entails - and not just because of their movie star good looks. They are two of the most driven and intentional people we have ever been blessed to know. Jen works full time for the University of Pittsburgh while simultaneously obtaining her MBA and still managing to cook dinner every night (something I struggle to do just once a month). Dan is a marketing mastermind and future CEO. He is an expert at many things - from his golf game his video directing skills. Together they attend our couples bible study and lead a Sunday School class of their own, work out together at Orange Theory Fitness and still manage to stay involved in the lives of their friends and family. They bought their first home together 2 years ago and remodeled it into a top notch modern living space that would give any HGTV reno a run for it's money.
They have big dreams for their lives, accompanied by the faith, hard work and perseverence to see them to fruition. Beyond that, that are incredibly humble and gracious. They challenge us with their ability to celebrate other's success in life as if it were their own. After all, if you remember from The Start of Something New (the story of how our business began), it was these two that not only encouraged and spoke life into our ideas, but got us our first two weddings!
While their laundry list of great qualities could easily make someone feel poorly about their own list of accomplishments - that is never the case with these two. They simply inspire those around them to keep learning and dreaming, to ask better questions, and live to a higher standard (with grace).
Happy Anniversary Dan and Jen! Thank you for the example you are to us: In the way you constantly pursue God, each other, and great conversation. We are excited for the adventures ahead, and all the ways God will continue to shine through your lives and marriage!
