Arkansas Engagement: Kristen + Peter

Happy Friday, y'all! So happy that this favorite day is here and that we are this much closer to Christmas! Today's couple is Kristen Forst and Peter Czaplickin and their e-session captured by a TWP favorite, Melissa McCrotty Photography, is to die for! They are all set to get married on June 1, 2013 at Pratt Place but until then. . .

Aren't they presh?! And full of fun, too! Here's a little back-story, as told by Kristen (the beautiful bride to be):
Peter and I met close to 18 years ago. The first time I remember seeing him was at the city pool, and I instantly had one of "those "childhood crushes. The following school year (I was in 6th grade, he was in 7th) I always remembered liking him and one of the memories of that time was dancing with Peter to Boyz 2 Men at the school dances! Boyz 2 Men were the BIG thing at the time, and to this day, every time I hear any song of theirs, it takes me back to the school cafeteria! After that year, we always stayed friends, but were involved with different things and never connected on a romantic level. Maybe because that was such an early time in our lives? Peter graduated, and one year later I graduated, and he went on with his life, as did I. We didn't see each other, nor did we even talk for 5-6 years and on one very out-of-the-ordinary -evening, that changed. A friend and I stopped at a party, when I ran into Peter again. That night we shared our first kiss ever...(and like Peter said at the engagement session!) it was on a trampoline! So romantic!! lol! From that point on, Peter and I would keep in touch over the years on a regular basis but really just as friends. He traveled everywhere for his job and I lived in Missouri. We would run into one another on weekends, when we were both visiting our parents back home.... and that's when we would share a few "bathroom make-out moments" as Peter would call them and late nights eating cheesy waffle fries but I honestly didn't think much about it. We always would give each other a shout-out, over the course of the next few years, but each of us had our own lives and we were doing our own thing. But, we did always stay in touch and kept up with each other's lives.

Now fast forward to my sister's wedding..... I was coming home quite a bit at this point, with all of the wedding planning. Peter was actually working in Russellville and staying with his parents, so of course, our paths crossed several times over the few months leading up to my sister's big day. A week before my sister's wedding, we said goodbye to one another and he was driving to Atlanta for work. He tells me, at this point, that he's coming back for the wedding. I thought this was just a crazy idea, or maybe I was just too oblivious to it all, but I couldn't imagine why he would drive back from Atlanta just for my sister's wedding! But, surprise, surprise, he did come back for the wedding! We danced, and had a great time with one another. I kind of knew something was a little different but didn't want to look too far into it because he definitely knew how to "schmooz" me. Then Peter mentions something about having some time off and coming up to visit me in Springfield...I was a little skeptical at first still but invited him up. From that weekend on, we have pretty much been inseparable. For the longest time, I thought our relationship was just this weird-friend-flirty thing (but in a good way!). We were friends for so long, and it took us over 10 years to actually connect. Peter is the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. He's a heck of a guy, and he's the reason why I tell all my girlfriends to never settle. The perfect guy is out there! He's my everything.

Special thanks to Melissa McCrotty Photography for sending over this fabulous Friday feature!!! We love it and cannot wait to see the images from their June wedding!

XOXO,
Anne-Claire