Garrett + Ashley | Married | An Iconic Downtown Madison Anniversary Session.

May 21, 2015

Oh boy, I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this session! Wedding days will always, always have my heart, but anniversary sessions hold a VERY special place!! They encompass our WHY–what we believe in–the end goal of a marriage more beautiful than your wedding day. Getting to celebrate alongside couples who have already said “I Do” + want to continue pouring into their marriages!!

Garrett + Ashley are no exception to this : ) These two are celebrating their 8 year anniversary next month + a session with us was a dream for Ashley!! The engagement photos she never really had : ) We LOVED getting to spend the evening with these two, walking around some of our favorite parts of Madison + documenting their love story as it is now, 8 years later : ) Still in love, still laughing, + a lot of growth both individually + as a couple. While we were chatting, I asked Ashley for some advice (since they have been married for 8 years + Caleb + I have been married for 8 months!!) hehe : ) She said transparency. Seems like a simple answer–and it is–but also so deep, challenging, + true. Being COMPLETELY open, honest, + transparent with one another is absolutely crucial … something they are still learning how to do every day!! Amen to that : )

Before we dive into all the gorgeous images from their session, here’s a little more about the Novotny’s : )

1. Where do you two live + what is one of your favorite things about your city?

We’ve lived on the west side of Madison for the past 7 years. We love the convenience + variety that the city offers but yet how it still manages to hold that small town feel.

2. How did you two meet + how long have you been married?

We grew up together + have known each other our entire lives! It was not love at first sight but many, many sights later. Garrett + my older brother Adam were friends, so we spent a lot of time together during our high school years. When Garrett decided to go to college in Arizona, we thought it was a brilliant idea to start a long distance relationship! Long story short, here we are today : ) We have been married 8 years.

3. Garrett, what is one of your favorite things about Ashley? Ashley, what is what of your favorite things about Garrett?

Garrett – Ashley is so crazy organized. She keeps this family on track + I love it.

Ashley – I feel SO spoiled + like I’m one of the luckiest women alive. I absolutely love Garrett’s sacrificial love towards me. A perfect example is he always starts his day by starting mine – making my coffee, breakfast + packing my lunch.

4. What has been a challenge of marriage that you weren’t necessarily expecting? How do you battle that challenge?

When we got married we had lots of people tell us that marriage is difficult. Like all young + in love people, we thought this was crazy! After being married for years, we learned that it is easy to become complacent + that marriage really does take a lot of effort. Digging into God’s intent for marriage, we’ve learned that marriage really is about a different kind of love. Love that is all about giving + submitting to one another. It’s a real battle to put in this kind of effort, but so worth it! The more we give to each other the closer we get.

5. What is one of your favorite things about marriage? What do you love about it?!

Garrett would say the best part is the intimacy. Okay, okay, all jokes aside, it’s honestly just great having your best friend by your side. Growing together, sharing, serving, making dreams happen – it’s what life is all about. It isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it.