Erickson Photography » Fine Photography - Weddings, Children, Family

I had the honor photographing this “stunning” couple and the WINNERS of the Warm 106.9 “WEDDING OF A LIFETIME”. Jeremy & Brittany were engaged this past May at Crescent Bar Golf Course… here now, Jeremy in his own words tell their story that they submitted. This lucky couple was chosen from five finalists by Warm 106.9 listeners during the month of February.

Brittany and I met when her brother played on a basketball team which my dad coached when we were 11 years old.  Brittany was just a little girl running around the gym watching her older brother play alongside me every Saturday at the community center. We really didn’t even take notice of each other as we were just young kids and she was more interested in having her mom chase her around and I was always focused on the game. That is how we initially met…but the real story begins many years later when some mutual friends re-introduced us at a Halloween Party some 10 years later.

I noticed Brittany right away and remembered her as that cute little girl that ran around the gym, but now she had grown into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Once I started talking with her, it was clear that not only was she beautiful but she was smart and talented. We began to date and as we got to know each other “again” it became very evident that she was as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I had been in other relationships before but in short time I realized this girl had to be mine…forever.

After a year and ½ of dating, my dad and I went to pick out a ring, I asked her dad for his blessing, and I proposed May 27th, 2010 on the 8th hole at Crescent Bar Golf Course. She started making weddings plans immediately and we set a wedding date for June 25th 2011 in Cabo San Lucas – a beach wedding had been our dream.

We knew we would have to pay for a good portion of the wedding due to the “venue” we had chosen, however, between her two jobs and owning my own start-up company, we could supplement over and above what our parents had agreed to provide.

We were busy making plans for our future to include the wedding, honeymoon, where we were going to live, Brittany finishing her nursing school, me taking my business to the next level, and our hopes and dreams regarding family and children.

Four months later, on October 3rd, 2010, everything changed. It was 7:00 PM that Sunday evening and Brittany and I were just settling in to make dinner. She went downstairs and when she came back up at 7:05, she found me convulsing and incoherent in the middle of a grand mall seizure.  I had never had seizures before. I was healthy, played sports all my life and even went to PLU on a grant to play college football.  This came out of nowhere. One minute I was OK, the next minute started us on a journey of trials and challenges as the doctors work to discover what has caused my sudden illness.

That Sunday night the EMTs took me to Highline Hospital where I stayed for 3 days. During my hospital stay a “code blue” was called on me 4 times, bringing in the necessary equipment to revive me as my heart rate dropped each time I went into a grand mall seizure. After days of tests, Highline Hospital transferred me to the University of Washington Hospital where I spent an additional 2 weeks while they tried to stabilize me by putting in a pacemaker and flooding my system with medications to slow down the seizures.

Each time I would have a seizure, which happened several times a day, there were huge pieces of my memory over the last year that were lost. And on one occasion after having gone through a bad seizure, I couldn’t recall proposing to Brittany, how I had done it, or when our wedding date was.

I was finally released to go home where I have had to have someone with me at all times as the seizures continue daily. The doctors have never been able to diagnose my condition nor have they been able to completely control the seizures.

Through it all Brittany has stuck right by my side. She spent every day and night with me in the hospital always encouraging me that we would pull through this together. And although I know this has been very difficult for her, she has never once complained about having to help me, watch me, take care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself, and even drive me around, (as I can’t drive due to the seizures.)

As a result we postponed our wedding plans until we could see that my condition was improving. Brittany continued to work, however I had to leave my landscaping business as I couldn’t focus on running it due to the toll the seizures have taken on my body and my brain.

During this trial I know there have been times when Brittany did not know if I would make it, and she has received some well meaning comments that have respectfully said she should re-focus her priorities and not worry about marrying me right now but wait and see what happens. And although she understands this perspective, she has said “even if I marry Jeremy and he died the next day, it is one day that I had to be his wife.” That is true love.

I am now getting stronger and my medications are being regulated to the point where we have re-set our wedding date. I cannot travel out of the country at this point so our Cabo wedding will not be realized, and due to my loss of income, medical expenses, and shortage of financial support we are now planning a smaller, down-sized wedding in August. However, once again Brittany is taking it all in stride.

Being the recipients of the Warm Wedding of a Lifetime would be an awesome privilege, but even more importantly would give “Britty” the wedding she has always wanted and deserves. Her love for me has manifest in self-sacrifice. I desire Brittany to be honored for her selflessness but also recognized for the precious, strong, and beautiful woman she is.

And here are some of my favorites:

I had a great afternoon working with these love birds! We walked around the Bellevue Park, warmed up at the Lodge in Starbucks, and then headed over to the Westin hotel. Thanks for braving the cold and wind that day Jeremy and Brittany! I cannot wait to photograph your big day at the Bear Creek Country Club! To see the sponsors of “The Wedding of a Lifetime” click here.

Cheers, Rachelle