I don’t remember much about the pre-marital counseling sessions Gabriel and I walked through nearly 24 years ago, except for two pieces of advice…one I can share, one which has to remain private (e-mail me if you really need to know!) The one piece of advice I can share, and which is something we have repeated to other couples many times since, is to always out-serve each other in love. I think that Gabriel has lived up to this piece of advice far better than I have on numerous occasions, and our lives have been tremendously blessed.
Inviting Gabriel and me to photograph their wedding was not the first request we received from Josh and Michelle…their first request was to provide pre-marital counseling, as their thoughts were turning toward marriage and they wanted their lives to begin with a good foundation. Having not met prior to their request, their invitation was an even greater honor. So for the past few months, we’ve had the privilege of walking alongside Josh and Michelle, delving into topics like expectations, communication, finances, and more. I hope that what we were able to share with them will both useful and a blessing in their lives together. They’re off to a great start!
Josh and Michelle during the “First Look”. So cute!
There is one tradition in Jewish weddings that I particularly love (and which my girls know we want them to use one day…), and that is having both parents walk the groom and bride down the aisle. Not only does it make the most sense, but it such a beautiful way to honor the love both parents have invested in the lives of their children. Yep. We’re gonna do this one.
The room was incredibly dark (which made things very hard on my camera and lenses), so I was very happy to capture this image of Michelle’s parents during a song of worship. Beautiful.
Another Jewish tradition is to have the bride circle around the groom seven times. I’m pretty sure Michelle lost track around lap number five, but Josh kept her focused…
Just Married!
The wedding toasts were celebrated with Root Beer Floats. Sweet!
Josh and Michelle, thanks for inviting us into your lives…not only to capture images on your wedding day, but to walk alongside you as you prepared for a lifetime of love in marriage. Blessings to you both!
by Lorraine Marie
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