So after 7 years of having my photography business, I’ve never been to any of the many conventions or workshops that I’ve always wanted to go to! Thanks to my friend Natalie Hilliard of Hilliard Photography, I get to go this year! Thanks Natalie for letting me tag along, and being my guide! I’ll be back on March 11! Wish me luck!
I just loved these images so much, I had to post a few more! Ah…Just love these vintage style shots! 
Sentimental Value:
I love shooting at places that hold some sentimental value for you, as a couple: Where you had your first date, first kiss, or where you got engaged. Or maybe its the bar or restaurant that you both love to hang out at.
Visual Interest:
I love to find new locations with lots of texture: think rust, brick, cement, or old barns in the middle of a field. Or maybe a trail in the middle of the forest that has some nice light. Also think about large garage doors or sides of buildings that you might like!
Fits Your Personality:
If you are ourdoors people, try to think about capturing that in your session. Lets choose something outside…with lots of natural elements. If you are city folk….lets head downtown and capture some city scape in your session. If you are a mixture of both, I know a lot of places that have both kinds of elements. 
About us:
Jillian grew up in the small town of Arlington, WA; she was a cheerleader in high school and went out of state to a Christian university. Nathan grew up in the small town of Keokuk, IA; he was a football player in high school and also went out of state to a Christian university. She likes shopping; he likes shopping… with her. He likes the outdoors: camping, climbing and cycling. She likes the ourdoors too: flowers, boats and tanning. He makes a mean breakfast and she’ll maybe learn to cook dinner if he brings home flowers. She drinks Starbucks daily and has a cookie for lunch; he works out daily and eats protein bars. He is a teacher and training to be a firefighter. She is a retail manager at American Eagle. He absolutely adores her and she is completely crazy for him. They both want to travel the world, and have four kids and a picket fence. They love Jesus, love people, and love serving the local church.
Thank you for your consideration!!
Nate and Jill (soon-to-be-Hartman)
Heres’s their True Love Story!
Nathan Michael and Jillian Dawn: True Love Story
Nate and Jill actually met back in 1993 when the Hartman family moved to Arlington, WA to be the Associate Pastors of Arlington Assembly of God. At that time Nate was in 3rd grade and Jill was in 5th grade and there was obviously nothing going on between the two of them except Nate playing basketball with Jill’s brother Guy! The Hartmans moved out of state the next year and didn’t stay in contact with the Willett family so we’ll fast forward to last June when Nate came up to WA to visit his parents for the summer.
When Jill’s mom Susan saw him in church she said she just knew she had to get the two of them together somehow! She talked to Nate’s mom Linda and mentioned that her daughter Jill went to a church out on Camano Island and that they should try to get us together. (At this point somehow Nate and Jill became Facebook friends and at least saw pictures of each other!) Linda mentioned this to Nate and this peaked his curiousity about stopping by the church, so on Father’s Day Sunday he did.
Nate: “When I walked in and saw Jill I immediately had to sit down because my knees went weak! She was breath-takingly beautiful, I couldn’t even look at her without grinning from ear to ear like a little kid!”
Jill: “I got butterflies when he walked into the church and I watched him and his brother during worship…when they left and drove away in a Chevy truck I was definitely intrigued…I thought, ‘who is this boy?’”
Two Sundays later, and the two still haven’t talked…Nate has had it and decided to send Jill a Facebook message to ask her out to coffee. After (literally) hours of deliberation, it went something like this:
From Nate:
So, I visited City Church again today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Pastor Judah’s preaching, the people are super friendly, and sometimes it’s just refreshing to experience God’s presence with people you don’t know, but can feel they genuinely love Jesus. Oh, the pastor remembering your name a week later is always nice too:)
While those are all positives, there was one negative aspect of today. I was really looking forward to saying hi and talking with you. After going 0 for 2 these past two weeks, I realized there just might be a remedy to this little problem. It goes like this:
I think to myself: “It’s pretty lame for me to be waiting on the possibility of seeing you at church as the only means of our communication. I mean, really! Is this Junior High?” So I say, “Why don’t we get together for coffee this week?”
And in response, you might think/say…
From Jill:
I think that’s a great idea. I would love to. Maybe Tues or Thurs evening this week? Let me know what works for you…if you want to do afternoon I have Friday off. I look forward to hearing from you!
Well the first “coffee date” turned into dinner and a movie (The Proposal actually). And from there on out Nate “knew that Jill was the woman of his dreams” and that he was going to marry her! In fact he even told this to his dad after date number two! They spent the rest of the summer getting to know each other and Nate even waited ten long days after “officially dating” to tell Jill that he loved her. They dated long-distance for four and a half months while Nate was living in Texas but they saw each other at least once a month until Nate moved up to WA permanently to be closer to Jill (and his parents, of course).
At Christmastime, Nate creatively surprised Jill with a trip to her favorite place, The Happiest Place on Earth! And decided that was the spot to propose! It was the end of a perfect day at Disneyland, after the fireworks (in the sky of course!), and just as they were exiting to leave, Nate walked in front of a huge Christmas tree in the middle of Main St. and got down on one knee and asked Jill if she would marry him. She said, “Yes!!” and finally kissed Nate, it had been a long five months…And as they say, the rest is history!!! It’s been a ‘whirlwind romance’ from the beginning, and they wouldn’t have it any other way! They’ve set a date for May 29th, 2010.
Story #2: Josh & Rachel
Josh and Rachel
(Written one-sidedly by Rachel) :)
Our story :) It depends on which one of us you ask. We both are in ministry with YWAM Chico in Richardson Springs CA, and that’s honestly how it all began, here at YWAM.
He’d say we’ve known each other for three years. I’d say that’s when we met, and we’ve known each other for two. It probably sounds cliche, but we truly are best friends.
He is one of my best friends. I’ve known him for three years now.
He actually was in Guatemala for the two months I was there while I was there for my DTS (Discipleship Training School) outreach in 2006. We didn’t know eachother as well then. My first memories of him: he was reading in the courtyard of the YWAM Base in Guate, and another he was reading by the fireplace here at Richardson Springs (The YWAM Base in Chico where we live).
We’ve been really good friends since I came on staff here in the fall of 2007. I was struck by lightning, so to speak. He caught my eye immediately when he walked past me. We were both working, he in maintenance and myself in grounds at the time. But I wasn’t ready and I didn’t want to like him. Little did I know… He’s been with me through what seems like everything. I know it really hasn’t been everything, especially in the relatively short time we’ve known eachother. But he’s been there through the moments when I really needed a friend. And I hope he’d be able to say the same about me.
We knew we loved eachother before we started dating which is awesome and I took it to God as did he, for a while before we started dating — and then bam, it happened. :)
We started dating and right after we started talking about marriage. We knew. He went home with me, to my parents house, and asked my Mom for my hand last weekend. He proposed on Tuesday in my office right after morning break. And he did it simply perfectly! :)
God has brought us a long way in each season of our relationship. As aquaintences, friends, and through the romance. It’s definitely been an adventure. It will be an adventure that continues for the rest of our lives, one I’m all to excited to be blessed with. I was his first kiss and I’m happy to say that this man the Lord blessed me with (by truly meeting the desires of my heart, and him what I truly need, not just want)… we’ll be each other’s last kiss! And I couldn’t ask for anything more. I know it won’t all be roses, but I know it won’t all be thorn’s either. And with God’s grace and Him teaching us how to love each other the way we ought too, it will be holy and good, and all that He intended. And that’s quite a thing to look forward too. That we would each grow and be there for each other in the midst of growing and helping one another– truly loving one another.
I had so much fun with Kim & Sean….in the fog! As I got closer and closer to the beach, I decended into a thick cloud of fog….and all though it was foggy, the images ended up rockin my world! Its amazing how just a little fence or a few branches can get me so stinkin excited! :) I love shooting engagement sessions. Two people in love are my favorite! I just can’t wait for their wedding at Swan”s Trail Chapel!
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