2011 Finalists Announced! Vote for Your Favorite Photo

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted your photos for the 2011 Fun Photo Contest! It has been so much fun looking through so many creative, sweet and funny photos, as well as having the opportunity to learn your stories! This was the most difficult year by far to narrow down the entires and choose the finalists since I started this contest. Below you will find photos of the 12 finalists and have the chance to read the stories behind their photos. Cast your vote for your favorite couple at the bottom of the page!

Voting ends at midnight on Saturday, January 22nd. I will be announcing the winner on Monday, January 24th, so if you voted, make sure to check back next week to see if your favorite couple won!

And the finalists are…

THEIR STORY: “This photo was taken on a trip we took with his family by his mom. We were able to get many great pictures together but this one, in particular, stood out. We laugh every time we see it because it seems to capture our relationship perfectly. We like to be outdoors and we always have fun together. He is my best friend. We like this picture because it shows us for who we are. After 5 years we are down to earth and comfortable with one another.” -Elizabeth

THEIR STORY: “Animals, particularly horses, have been my life long passion. Lucky for me, the man I have fallen in love with has developed a love for horses since we began dating. Every year for Christmas, after lunch and gifts, I bring two of my horses to my grandfather’s and ride all the children around in the yard. Afterwards, I take the horses out for a trail ride and ride free of care in the wide open pastures. Luckily, two years ago I had a special someone, Jason, join me for our Christmas ride. This picture was taken after we gave “pony rides” to all the kids in the family. We were galloping around the pastures enjoying one of the hobbies we most love doing together.” -Jennifer

THEIR STORY: “I want to start out by saying that God has truly blessed me when he brought Greg into my life. I never thought I would fine someone who had the same goals in life as me. When I met Greg I finally realized I had met the one I wanted to build a life with. Together, I know we will make both our goals and dreams come true. I love you, Greg! I cannot wait to be Mrs. Holmes!
Ok! Enough with the lovely dovey let’s get to the fun part right! Greg and I love to joke around and do silly things. So when I told him about this contest we were both joking about ideas we could do. Then it happened this past weekend. It snowed in Georgia of course we had to go outside and play. I took my camera and started taking pictures. Then we came to a metal pole that is in our yard. Ok I know everyone is familiar when the movie “A Christmas Story”. While snowing a boy was dared by his friends to stick his tongue to a flagpole to see if it would stick and of course it did! So this is Greg and I recreating that scene from the movie. Just want to let everyone know no one was hurt while taking this picture. We knew better!” -Robin

THEIR STORY: “This photo was taken in our favorite Athens bar, or let’s just say the only bar we ever go to in Athens. Now that we have graduated from UGA, we call ourselves old, and that’s our good excuse for only going to Boar’s Head. Like many other nights, Brandon was trying to get me to dance with him. We all know that not many people dance at Boar’s Head, and it was definitely not a crowded night at the bar…and I was the designated driver. So, the last thing I wanted to do was dance. My sister captured this moment of complete happiness. It is definitely a look that you can find on our faces frequently.
While looking through photos of the two of us, it was hard to pick just one. There were many photos with this same expression, and there were others where his face just sparkled. In those pictures he knew he was ready to propose. Of course, I had no idea. I feel that this picture captures our personalities, the love we have for one another, and the absolute joy that we bring each other. There is not a day that goes by that he does not make me laugh out loud!” -Jessica

THEIR STORY: “Lee and I were attending the wedding of a friend of mine from college. While Lee knows many of them, he felt out-of-place at times, and in order to entertain himself he decided to “creep” in the background of as many of my pictures as possible. He succeeded. This is actually one of my favorite pictures of us.” -Hannah

THEIR STORY: “Justin proposed on Christmas eve right before the first snow I have ever experienced in Georgia on Christmas day. It always rains on my birthday, so Justin thought it was only appropriate that it would snow the day after he proposed. Anyway, we were trying to get a good shot in the snow. I’m standing and waiting as Justin sets the camera timer. Then he runs up behind me, throws his arms around me, and catches me completely off-guard.” -Mandy

THEIR STORY: “This picture was taken on a family beach trip a few years ago. This picture signifies the goofy and fun relationship Mark and I share. Mark and I met over 3 years ago when I found pieces of a severed body. When I returned home after staying away for a while Mark called and asked if I needed a “bodyguard” to keep me from being scared. I gladly accepted! Little did I know I would gladly accept his proposal nearly 3 years later. During a trip to Florida in November to see the space shuttle launch (that never happened) I was terribly disappointed that my strategically planned trip was not going as planned. Seeing my dismay Mark took me to the beach as it is our favorite place to be, and asked me to marry him. The trip didn’t seem so disappointing after that. We will get married in October on Tybee Island later this year.” -Brandy

THEIR STORY: “The picture was taken this past Halloween. Gary really is a volunteer fireman and he is the happiest, most out-going, loveable man I have ever met. His laughter is infectious and he always surprises me…like he did trying to lift me up for the picture! All I could think was “PLEASE don’t let my rear be showing!!!”
We both have been married before so this is going to be a blending of 2 families…7 kids all together (some of them grown, THANK GOODNESS!) Gary has taught me to laugh again, and this picture always reminds me that I can trust in him…after all…look where his hand was! He was making sure my costume didn’t ride up without me having to say a word!” -Maria

THEIR STORY: “This photo was taken at the top of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. We were in the UK studying architecture and religion of the early cathedrals and decided to take a weekend trip up to Scotland. It rained the WHOLE weekend while we were there. This photo was taken in the few minutes we actually didn’t have rain but had gusting winds instead (hence the whole holding onto my hair!). Funny thing is, right after this picture was taken we heard this loud, reverberating BOOM, scaring us half to death and making us jump at least a foot off the ground! Turns out there was a reenactment going on with the cannons! Edinburgh was such a magical experience for us and I just wanted to share our little bit of magic with everyone.” -Meredith

THEIR STORY: “We took this photo after we got snowed in at his house a couple days ago. We got all bundled up to go outside and play in the snow. We built a snow man, had snow ball fights, and took a walk around downtown Oneonta, AL to take in the wonderful white blanket of snow that we so rarely see!” -Casey

THEIR STORY: “We are both from Macon, Georgia. We met, three years ago, when I had just moved back to Georgia from North Dakota. He was a fun, party guy and I needed someone fun and lighthearted. We were just friends for a few months. He brought me out and introduced me to the night life of Macon, Georgia. We dated for three years and decided that we were both too immature to be together any longer. After that, we both moved on for about a year. Around that time I got accepted to Kennesaw State University. I decided to return to school to study Physical Therapy. He, coincidentally, got a job as the manager of a jewelry store in Kennesaw. We were still friends, for a while, at the time of the move. We, gradually, started hanging out again after about a semester of school. We decided that we knew each other very well and had grown up a lot over the past year. He had moved away from the club scene and I was more mature.” -Jessica

THEIR STORY: “‘Catch us if you Can.’ This photo was taken in Birmingham, Alabama on a cold December weekend. This is an excellent illustration of our always on-the-move, traveling lifestyles. While most others would be indoors and at home on a similar weekend, we jump at the opportunity to see another city! In our first two years we have already visited five countries and 17 states together. Our friends and family even joke about how they never know where will be when we answer their phone calls. We are so excited to begin our lives together and see so many more places, experience different cultures, and ‘run’ from destination to destination.” -Leslee

Cast your vote for your favorite couple below. You can only vote once, so choose carefully.

The winning couple will receive a fun engagement session photo shoot in the Atlanta area, a custom photo guestbook filled with photos from the engagement session and an online slideshow. Polls will be open through on midnight on Saturday, January 22, 2011! Good luck to all the finalists!