This post is loooooooooong overdue, but so worth it. Last year, I had the privilege of photographing two friends’ wedding in Winnipeg, Canada with my bestie Betsy Lackey. We flew in and spent time catching up with old friends, explored, and enjoyed the Canadian autumn weather. It was such a fun visit, and such a fun wedding! We originally met Jon and Gabriella when we attended a YWAM Discipleship Training School in Germany. She was the spunky adventurous girl with the dark eyes and perfect hair. He was the uber uber cool musician/photographer with a stern German demeanor and a hilarious sense of humor. Together, they were the couple all the students hoped to be like one day…. fun, sweet, super cute, AND godly. And on a gorgeous September day at the beautiful Pineridge Hollow in Winnipeg, they became man and wife with all their friends and family there to celebrate with them.

Gabriella and her mom did practically everything for the wedding themselves and it was literally one of the BEST “Do it Yourself” weddings I’ve ever seen. They arranged the flowers and bouquets, made the DELICIOUS cakes, did all the center pieces and decorations, and made all the SUPER CUTE boutonnieres….. Those women amaze me with their many talents. Here are my favorite shots from the day…. (please note that I’ve included a LOT of detail shots because they were THAT fabulous…. I hope you don’t mind.)

Jon and Gabriella, thanks for inviting me into your lives as friends. Your wedding was beautiful and your relationship is something to strive for. Betsy…. let’s do this again soon…

What’s your biggest fear? What’s your greatest dream? Have they always been the same fears and dreams? Why is your biggest fear… your biggest fear? Donald Miller, in a recent blog post, said, ”The great lives are lived in the places we most fear. If we fear being rejected, the great story has us standing at the door with flowers in our hands, if we fear losing love, the great stories have us letting that person go rather than clinging to them. If we fear taking a chance on a dream, the great stories have us quitting our jobs.”

I’ve realized I have one life, a very short one, when considering all there is to do and see. The choices I make unfold the story of my life, and I’ve made it a priority to press into my dreams regardless of how scary they are. I haven’t aways been this determined, or intentional, and it’s not easy. But I’ve realized that I truly am living a story…. now…. in this moment. In the moments when I have the opportunity to choose between what’s easy and what is right, between what puts me out of my comfort zone and what keeps me feeling safe, I’m making a choice to live a good story or not.

I once feared I’d never find the right person to marry…. I could have easily said it was my greatest fear. I also feared letting someone delve that deeply into my heart, because there was a chance they might break it. Two fears rooted deeply within me that could have easily prevented me from seeing my dreams come true. I dated Christopher despite those voices of fear trying to convince me otherwise… I let myself fall in love even though I knew I could have my heart broken…. and I said “I do” as I promised to love him forever, understanding we’re both susceptible to human error. I made choices to take chances on a dream… and I married someone who’s better than any dreams I could have dreamed.

I once feared. I still do. But what scares me more than those fears is the idea of letting my dreams slip away un-pursued. And as Langston Hughes put it so eloquently, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams go, life is a barren field, frozen with snow.”

A photographer by the name of Jeremy Cowart, someone I look up to immensely, has recently taken up a project by the name of  Fears vs. Dreams along with To Write Love on Her Arms. If you’d like to check out the video they made, you can view it here. It’s pretty powerful….

Here’s just a few shots from our wedding day…. you can view more on our fantastic photographers Gavin and Erin’s blog…

Photo Credit, Used with Permission: (Gavin Wade Photographers)

Photo Credit, Used with Permission: (Gavin Wade Photographers)

Photo Credit, Used with Permission: (Gavin Wade Photographers)

Last time I blogged, I was still engaged, still planning and preparing for the wedding, and still losing my mind. It’s amusing now, as I look back on it all, but  I’m thankful life is slowly returning back to normal. Settling into married life is exciting…. still odd when I realize I’m a wife… but exciting none the less. It’s the little things like not having to coordinate who is sleeping at what house, someone to help clean and put things away, building our home together piece by piece, and knowing he’s there as I fall asleep at night. It’s such a fun/crazy/amazing/unbelievable/believable/challenging/once in a lifetime/never trade it for anything/joyful  thing to get married to the love of your life and I feel nothing less than utterly blessed.

To My Sweet Boy,

Today is your birthday, and even though I tell you everyday, I want to say it again… I think you’re amazing. I don’t say that because I’m supposed to…. I say it because I mean it with my whole heart and soul. You inspire me, push me, empower me, and humble me… all at the same time. You inspire me to be more gracious, to fight for what I believe in… and to fight to believe in myself. By striving to be the person you wish to be in your everyday, you shine brightly amongst those around you and others notice. Your patience astounds me, your love makes life more beautiful, and I’m so thankful to have you by my side. You may not think you’re a world changer, but you ARE. You’ve changed mine.

I love you, Christopher.

“We all believe in God’s power to change the world through others; we just struggle to believe in His power to do it through us.” -Pete Greig

Here’s a shot from a recent Coffee House performance of  ”Livin’ la Vida Loca”…. a la Chris.

And here’s one of my favorite shots of Christopher, taken by the famous Gavin and Erin…