Day 29…46 yrs of wedded bliss…

Meet George and Nancy Samra, some of the most instrumental people in our lives over the past decade! This wonderful couple did our pre-marriage counseling in 2001, mentoring us for many years after. The kindest and best of men, George can recite more of the Bible than anyone we know. Nancy is his perfect match…a lamb in the kitchen and a lion in her faith, she never ceases to amaze us. At times, their lives remind us a little of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and it is a blessing to have been adopted into their large family (they have three children and 11 grandchildren).

How did you two meet? George: “Her mother sent her to a Syrian Orthodox Church convention to find a husband. Because I was heavily involved in that same church, I was there. A friend introduced us, but I later found out she was catholic, which was a pretty big hurdle for me. After ignoring her for most of the convention, we got acquainted and I was hooked, which shocked a lot of people because at 37, I was a declared bachelor. The older women in our community had tried playing match maker for a long time.”

Nancy: “I went to that convention to help George’s cousin, Georgette! She was the one on a mission to find a husband and didn’t want to go alone.”

The jury is still out…

What was your first date? Nancy: “At that time, in the Syrian culture, we didn’t date. If someone was interested in courting me, they had to first be ‘approved’. George traveled from Grand Rapids to my home in West Virginia in order to present his ‘credentials’ to my entire family: dad, mom, grandparents, aunts and uncles! He even had to bring a relative to speak for his mother. After grilling him, they approved. For a few months he would drive down on a Thursday and return on Sunday. We met around July 4, were engaged by Labor Day and then married on November 15.”

What was your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? For the first few years we were married, we would fly to Las Vegas. In those days Vegas was run by the mafia, so when George ran around in his suit, he looked like he was “in the family”. One trip, we were going to see Dean Martin’s show and Nancy wanted to arrive early to get a good table. George was hot on the craps table and so he asked the pit boss, ‘to take her down?’ Once he was done, we were escorted down to the show and there were no tables left. They motioned for us to come up on stage and we were seated at “Table X” which was just two chairs, a small table and Dean Martin about 3 feet from us. Dean sang to Nancy all night long! Looking mafia can go a long way.

Tiberius Images is a Grand Rapids wedding photographer that photographs people, places and events. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they serve clients throughout the world and are available for travel.

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Day 28…that was the day we met…

Introducing Eric and Barb Kaniewski, better know as Russ’ Aunt and Uncle! Married for over 30 years, they had one of the quickest whirlwind romances we have heard of yet. Together, they have 3 great kids (who were awesome cousins to grow up with) and 4 grandchildren. We appreciate each them: not jusat for who they are individually, but also for what they stand for as a family. Never one to shy away from their faith, the Kaniewski family walks, not just talks about their faith.

During the day, you will find Eric at Gordon Food Service, where he loves his job as an “Electronic Business Technical Specialist” (try fitting that on your business card).

How did you two meet? Barb: “We met on Valentine’s day in 1979. I was working in the physical therapy department at Saint Mary’s Hospital when he came in as a patient after his 3rd knee surgery. He was a dork-meister and an accountant!”

Eric: “I was just there for physical therapy, but as soon as I saw her I thought to myself, wow, she’s cute!”

What was your first date? Eric: “We spent so much time together because I was at PT 3 days a week for over 2 months, so we got to know each other very well. She was dating someone else at the time, but at one point she mentioned that they were breaking up. I had to ask 3 separate times, but she eventually agreed to go out with me in early April, about 6 weeks after we met.”

Barb: “Not only did I like him, but I was a broke 19 year old living off beans and tortillas… So when he offered dinner at the Kentwood Station and red meat, I said yes! Our first date was in early April, we were engaged in May and married in December of that same year!”

What was your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? Obviously our best Valentine’s Day was the day we met in 1979.

A true romantic at heart, Eric provided Barb with a rose every single Friday throughout the entire first year of their marriage. Beat that gentlemen!

Tiberius Images is a Michigan wedding photographer that photographs people, places and events. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they serve clients throughout the world and are available for travel.

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Day 27….where in the world are we going?

Meet Tom and Mary Scheidel. These two are entrepreneurs in the Grand Rapids area. Tom owns a media and event production company called The Scheidel Group. He’s been at it for over 10 years and his resume is very impressive. His wife Mary is also an entrepreneur by heart, but I’ll let you know what she’s up to in a later post. I met these two at an event for Local First and we had a great time getting to know each other and Tom impressed me with his bowling skills. They are the proud parents of three and have exposed their kids to all kinds of things – including a couple of different trips to Europe!

How did you two meet? Mary: “We met through mutual friends at a party at my house.”

Tom: “We were living in Grand Rapids a couple of years after graduating from CMU. We were at a party where everyone knew a few people, but no one knew everyone. I saw Mary and thought, man I have to meet her!”

What was your first date? Tom: “It wasn’t anything super exciting. We met at the party and then a few days later I called to see if she wanted to go see a movie with me. I think we went and saw “Tootsie”. We hit it off and there was a kiss on the first date!”

What was your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? Mary: “It had to have been our first Valentine’s day together. We had only been dating a few months, but he sent me a stuffed monkey. Around the monkey’s neck was a beautiful necklace. Then later in the day he picked me up and wouldn’t tell me where we were going for dinner. He took me to the Corner Bar in Rockford. Now I grew up a city girl in Grandville and I thought we were going out to the middle of nowhere and was convinced we were lost. What’s really funny is that now we go there all the time and actually live in Rockford!”

Tiberius Images is a Michigan wedding photographer that photographs people, places and events. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they serve clients throughout the world and are available for travel.

Tiberius Images | Tiberius Images Blog | Michigan Wedding Photography

Contact Us Today with your photography needs!