Meet Emily and Ben. You’ll be glad you did! In the short time Eileen and I have gotten to spend with them, it’s become clear they both are amazing individuals. But together — well, together these two can move mountains. That statement is almost literally true. (The photo below of their attempting a 66,000-pound dead lift is only a slight exaggeration.) Emily and Ben are in fact world-class, professional CrossFit athletes, known worldwide for their feats of strength and stamina. We confirmed this. I was originally skeptical when Emily’s sister Allison (whose wedding we photographed last year) began bragging about Emily’s accomplishments. (I mean, family is required to be impressed with our least impressive talents, aren’t they? At least mine are, thank goodness!) Then, during an out-of-state conference, Eileen and I were talking with some fellow photographers involved in the CrossFit world. They actually brought up Emily — our Emily! — in conversation: “She’s up there with the top athletes in the world!” After we also saw her interviewed on ESPN, it became pretty clear she and Ben were too legit to quit.

But as I said, pumping iron isn’t the kind of “mountain moving” we’re talking about here. I’m talking about moving mountains to be there for one another.. to make the world a little bit better place.. having a vision and smashing obstacles. That’s what we observe in and absolutely admire about these two. We watch them globe trotting, bringing home first place medals from international competitions, yes. But we also see the gritty determination they put into running their small business, how they inspire and encourage the community members at their gym well. We see them investing love into their family when they’re home and investing in the people around them when they travel. Our desire is to run our business with purpose like that every day, and we love their example.

Finally, you can’t deny the power of Emily and Ben’s love and commitment. I love hearing their story in their own words:

How did you two meet?
“Ben signed me up for CrossFit almost 5 years ago at CrossFit Decatur. He has been my coach ever since and then I fell for him! We have been dating for about 2 and a half years.”

Emily, how would you describe Ben?
“One of a kind. Unique. Introvert. Intelligent. Stylish. Sexy.” Grrr! (Emily didn’t say “grrr.” I just added that part. :-P)

Ben, how would you describe your bride-to-be?
“Center of my universe. The person I look forward to taking care of for the rest of my life. Beautiful. She knows how to make me laugh. She makes me want to be a better person.”

We can’t wait to celebrate your wedding with you tomorrow! Congratulations, you two.