Sealing Day Session
Carmel, Indiana
7/2020
I can remember exactly what I was doing when her very first message came in- I was watching high school basketball, the SAC Holiday Tournament, and loving every minute of it - on December 26, 2019. She was planning on getting married in May of 2020 and was looking to book a photographer. Her inquiry explained that she was from Canada and needed a photographer who was willing to capture all the events that would be happening stateside- which excluded the reception to be held in Canada. I was thrilled by her request and so the fun of planning began and continued right up until March. March is when everything started to change but even at that point I don’t think either of us understood how much her big, special day was going to have to change and mold to the will of the pandemic. We kept in close touch and as we did it became apparent that her day would look very different than the one she had always dreamed of. And- I knew her faith was the only thing sustaining her as she had to make the rather prayerful and timely decision to move before the border closure and again when she had to set her wedding date- knowing the borders would still be closed and that her family there would be unable to attend. {My heart literally was breaking with each update…}
The week of her wedding the forecast predicted a nasty thunderstorm. I found myself on my knees many times that week as I pleaded for something, anything to go this bride’s way- the weather being one thing that I knew would help her spirits. My weather app was always up and as it got closer and closer the forecast started to change. We live in Indiana so I knew better than to trust the forecast until I was actually standing in the sunshine.
As I was waiting for the couple to exit the temple, the sun shining down on me, this phrase came into my mind “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven” and I knew my prayers (and hers) were going to be answered. And they were- as you can see!
The wonderful weather didn’t change all, or even any, of what this couple had to endure to make it to their big day but it did shed some light on how they handle adversity- with faith, love, and together… always together. All married couples know that these qualities are also what make a true and lasting love story possible. Their wedding day ended up being the perfect beginning to their love story and I feel so blessed to be the one who captured it all. Thank you for choosing me, Abbey & Jake. :)
-Yvette Cherie