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Couple celebrates their 10-year anniversary with a rad '80s-themed photo shoot

ByKaty Anderson for Babble WTVD logo

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Couple celebrates their 10-year anniversary with a rad '80s-themed photo shoot

Couple brings back 80s fashion in epic photo shoot.

This story originally appeared on Babble and is reprinted with permission.

Giggle Monster Photography - Vanessa Hoffmann

The 1980's were a magical time. It brought us cult classics like The Goonies, Growing Pains, and The Breakfast Club. It's when our parents let us run wild, more or less unsupervised (way before anyone called it "Free-Range Parenting"). But the most memorable part of the '80s? The fashion. Wardrobe staples included shoulder pads, short-shorts for men, and neon leg warmers for the ladies, just to name a few. And while most of us would rather not relive the fact we wore those looks out in public with pride, one couple recently embraced '80s fashion with an epic photo shoot to celebrate their 10-year anniversary - and the results are hilarious.

Giggle Monster Photography - Vanessa Hoffmann

Steve and Danielle VanHorn from Dover, Ohio tell Babble that they have always done things in a "slightly less than traditional" way - and their anniversary photo shoot was no exception. Steve chose to rock a mustache (which he grew out right before the shoot) because it "seemed like an '80s staple."

Giggle Monster Photography - Vanessa Hoffmann

He also donned glasses and loafers for some pics, and short-shorts with colorful athletic socks for others. Danielle, on the other hand, looked fabulous in a bright emerald prom-style dress for some photos and a lycra one-piece body suit (complete with tights and leg warmers) for others. The duo says they found their outfits at a local thrift store for a grand total of -get this - $6. What a steal!

Giggle Monster Photography - Vanessa Hoffmann

The VanHorns were also on point when it came to their hairstyles. Steve says that his wife's "naturally big hair definitely played well with the theme." Some of the photos also feature classic glamour shot backgrounds such as laser beams (remember those?!) and the ever-popular double exposure.

Steve admits that he and his wife struggled at times to get through the shoot, because they couldn't stop laughing. "We had to keep stopping to compose ourselves ... the photographer especially struggled to keep it together," he says. "It was a blast!"

Giggle Monster Photography - Vanessa Hoffmann

Steve says the photographer was totally on board with their retro theme, right from the start. "She loved it and was all about shooting it," he shares. (I mean, what's not to love about an '80s-inspired photo shoot?!)

Apparently, this isn't the first time the couple has taken themed photos. In fact, Western-themed photos of the family taken at a beach line the hallways of their home. However, Steve explains that not many people know about this side of him.

"I wear a suit to work most days," he says. "Our closest friends know we're goofs but many people outside of our circle don't know us for being quite so silly."

Giggle Monster Photography - Vanessa Hoffmann

The VanHorns say they had no idea that their '80s-inspired photo session would receive so much attention, but that they "couldn't be happier with the response."

"It's so discouraging to see so much negative news, cynicism, frustration on behalf of people on social media and even in real life," Steve says. "We've always strived to keep the negativity to a minimum, and to spread joy with others."