Military Homecoming | Charlotte NC Couples Photographer
They say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” And after a year away from each other, I’m willing to bet Stephanie and Billy will support that statement even more.
I met Stephanie in college, and the two us of became inseparable. Stephanie and Billy are high school sweethearts who have been making the military part of their relationship ever since graduating. Billy went to West Point Military Academy, while Stephanie attended school nearly three and a half hours away. As you can see, they’ve been doing the long-distance thing for a while. Shortly after graduating college, the two said, “I do” in front of their friends and family and were immediately whisked away to Oklahoma to follow Billy’s career in the military. They eventually found themselves at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC where they learned that Billy would be getting deployed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for an entire year.
I knew that Stephanie would handle it well, but just how well was unknown. Turns out, she not only did she handle their first deployment well, she handled it like a champ! As soon as they said their “Goodbyes,” Stephanie got to work on applying for, and attending, another semester of college to be certified as a Mammographer. And after several attempts to land a job she loved, she was offered her dream job at a local 9-5 clinic as an X-ray Tech and Mammographer. She not only kept herself busy at work, but also became heavily involved in running and going to the gym. I was blown away!
From the moment Billy left her arms for a year, she would say to me, “I want you to photograph his homecoming. You have to be there.” And I was.
It was a long, sleepless night before Billy’s arrival back home. After a very early, 3am false alarm of a possible delay due to snow in NY, we received final word of his official arrival time back in North Carolina. We were ready and out the door by 7am to welcoming him home.
The entire experience was amazing. The building was full of expectant family members who had been waiting months to have their husband, daddy, brother, or son, back in their arms. Surprisingly, Stephanie was all excitement and less tears. I, on the other hand, was fighting to keep it together. I was not only imagining myself in her shoes, but I was also fighting back my complete and overwhelming happiness for her as she gets to reunite with her husband for the first time in, what must have seemed like, forever.
After a short ceremony, everyone dispersed and Billy bee-lined straight for Steph. It was amazing, and beautiful, and perfect.
But Billy still had one more girl to come home to, his sweet Chocolate Lab, Rylee. It was a happy and crazy reunion. We had a short little family session in their backyard, and then I boot-skooted outa there to give them some well-deserved alone time!
Steph, I love you. Thank you so much for asking me to be a part of this important moment in your lives. I am so, so incredibly happy that your family of three is, once again, made whole.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to stay in-the-loop on everything. We’d love for you to share, like, and comment to your heart’s content! If you are interested in booking a session, please get in touch! We would love to hear from you and have the opportunity to create beautiful, long-lasting images for you and your family!
Chelsea Mowery Photography is a Charlotte-based photographer who specializes in families, children, and lifestyle. Check her out here to know more about her story!
