“Marty, this is Dewayne. My daughter, Stephanie, is getting married and we’d like you to do the photographs.”
At this point, I’d known Dewayne for 15 years and we had a good amount of trust in one another, so we had scheduled an at-home consultation. This consultation felt more like a reunion as we sat around their dining room table, reminiscing about life and discussing how we could best capture the obviously strong bond between Stephanie and her father, Dewayne, on the wedding day. Ultimately, our careful planning didn’t disappoint.
We arranged a first-look moment between father and daughter on the big day, though the bride and groom agreed that they did not wish to see each other until the ceremony. As Stephanie momentously made her way down the long hallway towards her father, Dewayne’s anticipation was palpable, and tears of sheer emotion began flowing down his cheeks. Their embrace was one you can only find in a father’s arms, and the moment was absolutely beautiful.
The beauty didn’t end there, however. Although the bride and groom chose not to see each other for a first-look moment before the wedding, Cody was waiting right around the corner during the father-daughter moment—close enough that he could reach around the corner to hold Stephanie’s hand while the pastor prayed over them, Dewayne holding Stephanie’s other hand in a show of support. In this moment, the father, bride, and groom held a special bond, and tears of joy streamed down Cody’s face.
We knew as soon as we saw the father and bride walked down the aisle during the ceremony that this union was a special one. As Stephanie made her way towards Cody, his shoulders began shaking and he struggled to hold in his sobs. By the time the vows came around, he was able to hold it together and find his humor.
“To have and to hold.”
“To have and to hold.”
“For better or for worse.”
“For better or for worse.”
“For richer, or poorer.”
“For poorer.”
An awkward silence descended on the audience before a roar of laughter erupted, and everybody was eager to hear what other improvised responses Cody might have in store.
The couple’s first dance as husband and wife kicked off what turned out to be a fun and family-friendly reception, and it was no surprise when Dewayne and Stephanie cried together during their father-daughter dance. During the mother-son dance, Cody entertained the audience when he decided to “cowboy up” while remembering a childhood moment with his mom.
Throughout the reception, we simply couldn’t help but notice the beautiful feeling of solidarity as the two families became one. We were so happy to have the opportunity to capture their special day: all that emotion, laughter, enjoyment, and love.
