It is always a very humbling and exciting thing when very talented film photographers, or any of our favorite wedding vendors, approach Wedding Sparrow to give away their services to one lucky couple. We were thrilled when Vicki Grafton came to us with such a generous offer for our readers - a full film wedding photography package? How amazing! To no surprise, we received so many sweet love stories from couples all over the world. Although we wish we could choose everyone for this amazing prize, we will need your help choosing the winner! Read all about these couples that have been shortlisted and vote in the form provided... easy!
In case you forgot, this is what the winning couple will win...
- 7 hours of coverage by Vicki Grafton with a photographers assistant (elopement coverage would include extended portrait session and or separate lifestyle session)
- Online gallery for viewing/sharing/ordering
- USB of full-resolution images
- 100 4.5×6 prints in an heirloom linen box
- Original film negatives
Couple A - Roelandi & Dehan 
Roelandi and I met at church. We became great friends and did a lot of things together, she took me to a lot of coffee shoppes in Stellenbosch and deep in the mountains, we stated watch movies together (ticking off each new release, one by on). After about two months of really getting to know each other, we were with a group of friends and climbed Lion's Head (right next to Table Mountain) in Cape Town one evening after work (a beautiful view from the top with full moon). On top of the mountain overlooking the city and all the beautiful lights we held hands, from there everything escalated. Soon after this we shared our first kiss (very coincidentally also on a mountain). It wasn't long before I asked this amazing person to become my girlfriend. We've been inseparable ever since, some people thought we were already married! Roelandi and I both have a huge love for nature. She grew up in Tanzania, and I grew up on our family farm (my dad is a tobacco farmer, and her dad is a tobacco seller. HUGE coincidence). Both our lives played out the same, we both eventually ended up in Cape Town. When a good friend of mine told me she's getting married and their building a venue for their wedding on their farm, I already knew this is where Roelandi and I will also be getting married one day. We decided to create a feast for our guests, our tables are going to have minimal flowers, and rather be packed with wooden slabs filled with food. Olive branches and pillar candles will decorate the tables with a wide selection of wines across the entire hall. We aren't engaged yet, but because of our work schedules we had to book our venue. I'm popping the question to my lovely lady later this year :) I'm a wedding photographer, and we also have a lot of friends in the industry, so we had to let them know what's going on before they book a wedding of their own and won't be able to attend our love story! Couple B - Amanda & Michael 
From Amanda: Michael and I live on a rainy island in Southeast Alaska. We met on a dreary January evening through mutual friends at a rollerderby game. I immeditately noticed his kind eyes and compassionate spirit. Our first date was two months later on April 11, when he took me on a "Ketchikan Road Trip." You see, our island has only 32 miles of road from one end of the other. So we talked and laughed and listened to the playlist he made for our journey, as we drove the entire length of the island. After reaching the northern end of the road, wrapped in warm blankets and sipping hot tea, we gazed at the stars. And I knew I had just experienced the best and last first date of my life! Michael's love is intentional, consistent, stable, and supportive. I'm so happy to be marrying my best friend!
From Michael: The proposal was nothing short of an Alaskan dream. We went for a short, but arduous hike to the summit of a local peak. Not the tallest, but 'top of the world' overlooking the archipelago nonetheless. The backpack, normally carrying the hiking essentials, carried a picnic of smoked salmon, fresh-picked wild berries, and champagne...and the engagement ring. As I knelt to unpack the first and smallest item, Amanda was already in tears and saying "YES" as I asked The Question. And I was in tears and on top of the world! From Amanda: Choosing our venue, Nestldown, was a no-brainer: it was love at first sight! It's a family-owned estate in the enchanted redwoods of the Santa Cruz mountains. As a forester with the USFS and Bay area-native, Michael has a deep connection with the redwoods, and I was drawn to the fairytale quality of the estate. It is magical! We envision a romantic, organic and timeless event that's filled with love, personal touches, and a gratuitous amount of candles. We will wed almost two years from our first date on April 15, 2016. Until then, we're counting down the days till our intimate and sacred wedding surrounded by the ones we love. Couple C - Breanna & Kyle 
Kyle and I met in high school, in a theater class that neither of us thought we would ever take. I had just transferred to the high school and was incredibly shy. I walked into the classroom on the first day of the new semester and halted. There were no desks, instead chairs were stacked high against the far wall of the room and students were arranged in a semi-circle. The room was silent when I entered and everyone watched as I walked across the room to get a chair. A cute boy with a sweet smile stood up and offered me his chair, saying he would get himself another. Then he sat down beside me and I looked at him out of the corner of my eye until class started. I tried three times to get out of the class, but as fate would have it, a miscommunication in the guidance office left me stuck in the course for the entire semester. Throughout the class, Kyle and I became friends, making each other laugh all the time and always managing to be put in the same group. Just before Christmas, Kyle asked me on our first date, and we have been inseparable ever since. Last July, six-and-a-half years after we started dating, Kyle and I got engaged. Every year Kyle takes me for a small birthday trip somewhere in the beautiful state of Michigan. We begin the day on the east side of the state for the sunrise and end on the west side of the state for the sunset, stopping spontaneously in between. Last year, the trip included a Detroit Tigers game, followed by fireworks, delicious breakfast treats from a small bakery, and a street art fair. In the afternoon, we drove across the state to Ludington where we dined by the water and shared the best chocolate dessert I've ever tasted. After dinner, we walked out on the pier and sat talking as we watched the sun set over Lake Michigan. Later, as we walked along the beach, there was a man playing guitar, and Kyle asked him to play a romantic song. As we heard the first notes and he started to sing, I whispered to Kyle, "It's our song!" The man played Parachute's "She is Love" and we slow danced to the gentle music. A few spins in, I looked over at the guitar player and laughed out loud. Sitting on a bench just a few feet away, in disguise and strumming his guitar was Kyle's cousin Alex. Kyle told me that this was my surprise, and I thought it was such a perfect gift for my birthday. But as the song ended, Kyle got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. And, of course, I said yes! We are planning our wedding for May 28, 2016 in a beautiful garden in Holland, MI. We want a French vintage wedding with romantic details and a mixture of fancy and fun. Our color palette is a combination of blush pink, dove grey, dusty blue, and soft ivory. Even though we are outside, we want the celebration to feel elegant and timeless. For the ceremony, we envision a chandelier hanging from one of the gorgeous trees scattered throughout the property with petals lining the aisle. I will wear a lace and tulle ballgown and Kyle will wear a black tuxedo with a bow tie. My bridesmaids, including Kyle's two sisters, my two best friends in the world, and my cousin who has been like my sister her whole life will be in long, blush, chiffon dresses and the groomsmen, including my brother, Kyle's two cousins who have been wonderful friends to both of us and his two lifelong best friends, will be in dark blue suits with blush ties. For the processional, my brother will play guitar and Kyle's sister will play the violin together, performing Canon in D. While I was away at college and Kyle and I found ourselves in a long-distance relationship, he sent me Canon in D and told me that he listened to the song every time he missed me, imagining me walking down the aisle toward him when we could finally be together all the time. The reception will be decorated with candlelight and roses. Garlands will drape over the tables and adorn the candelabras. The venue has many sweet, secret places for guests to wander and explore. There is a rose garden with wooden benches and swings hanging from the largest trees. The reception will be whimsical and romantic, fun and special. We want a party with lots of dancing and laughter under the stars. Kyle and I are very sentimental, so we want to include many little details that have special meaning to us. We'll be using my mother's china that her father sent her mother from Vietnam when they were engaged to be married and Kyle, my father, and my grandfather will be building the sweetheart table together. A family friend is making the dress and another is making the cake, and my papa will be our DJ. A wonderful friend will be doing my hair, and two of my best friends are going to be my wedding coordinators. The whole day will be filled with love and meaning. The little things and the people we love mean the most to us. Kyle and I are romantic and cheesy. We are crazy about each other and it shows. We are best when we are together. Again, it's the little things. I schedule his classes and he makes me dinner, I organize his closet and he changes the oil in my car. We are simple, and to put it simply we make each other happy. We want our wedding to capture the joy we have in being together. Best of luck to these amazing couples!
- Only one vote per household per day will be counted
- Voting closes midnight Tuesday, July 14
