As we close the Kissing Project, we would like to thank all of the participants and our readers. We trust you have enjoyed yourselves. We know we have! After careful evaluation, we discovered…

1. People love kissing each other!
2. Everyone has their own story. Some are intimate, others are fun, many embarrassing…but all are romantic.
3. Monogamy is not artificial or unattainable.
4. Life-long partnerships do exist and we will be one of them.

So what does this mean for the future of marriage? Above all else, it confirms that it will survive to see the 21^st century. Much like common sense, integrity and faith, society is attempting to squelch its existence.  But refusing to become extinct, it has managed to remain. If we can find thirty couples, couldn’t we find hundreds more? People by nature are selfish. But in the lives of these couples, we found one common thread…all were attempting to become selfless.

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.

Tiberius Images | Tiberius Images Blog | Michigan Wedding Photography

Contact Us Today with your photography needs!

Day 30 of the Kissing Project…a first kiss on Valentine’s Day

Meet James and Melissa Hoekzema. These two have been involved in our lives for the past several years and we have watched not only their relationship grow, but also their family! When we first met these two, they were a young, newly married couple excited about the future. Add a few years and they now have two lovely girls, Abby – 4 1/2 and Ella – 22 months. These two keep them both busy to say the least! James is a landscaper by trade and has been for several years. Melissa is a stay at home wife and mother who has become quite the amateur photographer. Her photos of her children adorn their home and look fantastic. They both continue to surprise us with their gentle spirits and willingness to serve others. They were kind enough to help us move into our current home just over 4 years ago (we borrowed their truck and trailer).

How did you two meet? Melissa: “We met at Calvary Church’s singles class. I had been going for a few years when HE finally showed up!”

James: “I had been going to Calvary for a while and decided that it would be better to meet people through the singles group rather than by going out to the bar, so I figured I would give it a try. I met her on the first Sunday I attended.”

What was your first date? Melissa: “When we first met it was October but our first date wasn’t until the following January. We had gone to several social events with larger groups, but our first ‘official date’ was to The Honey Creek Inn in Cannonsburg. I was head over heels for him and he told me later that knowing that slightly scared him because he knew how serious I was about dating him. He picked me up, we had dinner and we kept it very low key.”

What was your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? Melissa: “My favorite memory has to be our first one together. James called me early in the day and said I’ll pick you up around 7pm. I asked what I should wear and where we were going. He said it didn’t matter what I wore and where he took me would be a surprise. Well he called back later in the day saying, ‘I’ll pick you up at 6pm and now you have to wear something very nice.’ I was freaking out wondering where in the world we were going. We ended up going to dinner with his parents at Blythefield Country Club! I was a little nervous before he picked me up, but once I knew who we’d be with, I was even worse! It went well though and that night, when he dropped me off at home, he kissed me for the first time.”

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.

Tiberius Images | Tiberius Images Blog | Michigan Wedding Photography

Contact Us Today with your photography needs!

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.

Tiberius Images | Tiberius Images Blog | Michigan Wedding Photography

Contact Us Today with your photography needs!