This photo shoot of a couple celebrating their 63 year engagement will make your heart melt
Ah, young love. It’s the best type of love and you’re never too young to experience it. This story is living proof that if you see something and you want it, go for it because it might not be there for you to experience later on. Always remember to take the leap of faith and experience some risks.
Meet Joe and Wanda Nelson, they’ve been married for 63 years. Back in 1949, Joe saw Wanda for the first time ever. She was walking down the street as Jose was driving in his car alongside the road. He didn’t want to risk never being able to see her again, so he stopped driving, pulled over and decided to ask her on a date. He went for it.
After dating for some amount of time, settling down to get married and starting a family of their own was in the cards for them. This resulted in them having grandchildren, particularly a granddaughter named Shalyn, a Texas-based photographer. Shalyn wanted to create a special piece to celebrate true love and for her, there was no better example in the world for her than her grandparents.
“My Mamaw loved every minute. It was so cute to see how excited she was to get all dolled up. I went to Macy’s to try to find my Mamaw a dress and ended up stuffing the top with my coat at the time to make sure there was enough room in the dress for her,” Shalyn spoke of the shoot.
She also added, “This right here is my heart. This right here is the most important thing I have ever been a part of and put together.”
“They are without a doubt the best people I know. I call them my heroes.”
Shalyn isn’t stopping here. The photoshoot of grandparents Joe and Wanda is just the first of an ongoing project that Shalyn has in the works, titled ‘Love, The Nelsons.’ The idea behind this series is to authentically and truly document old love.
“I’m ready to show lovers around the world that true love still exists, and there are so many love stories that we don’t know of out there waiting to be shared,” Shalyn shared. As a part of the photography project, Shalyn had her Joe and Wanda write love letters to each other and read them out loud.
In a part of Joe’s letter, he wrote: “Dearest Wanda, it’s been a long time since I have written you a letter. I think it was when I was working in Canada, that I wrote you last. Anyway, I still love you just as much, probably more. I love you as much today as the day I married you. And just think, the license only cost $2. The best bargain I ever made.”
Shalyn hopes that ‘Love, The Nelsons’ is used as a reminder that at the end of this life, when all’s said and done, love is what matters the most.
