The Wanners

I sat at my parents’ dining room table. Winnie played in the living room with my dad. They were hosting a tea party for our old Furbys. Just a normal day. Noting that she was taken care of, I turned to my laptop. I opened the file of images from Elena and Jonathan’s wedding. Everything was routine: I checked the images to make sure they were in focus, looked at two similar images and decided which was best, and selected the images for the sneak peek and blog post. As I clicked through the images, I reflected on the day as a whole. All things started like normal, but when I reached the images from the reception, something caught me off guard.

The details. Every photo told a story through great and small details. Jonathan used his craft of copperplate script to create a beautiful handwritten invitation to their wedding, as well as individual seating cards and favors with a quote by him and a miraculous medal. Fresh fruit filled the centerpieces, garland strips sat on the tabletops, and wreaths decorated various walls throughout St. Francis Hall. Their love of reading was folded into the evening with books adorning the tabletops, library rental slips left out for friends and family to write a memory or word of advice, and the “table call number” place seating cards. I was even noticing details that I didn’t see in person: real cloves decoratively inserted into the oranges; fresh evergreen branches on their “#ORadiantDawn” sign—which was written on the back of a hardcover book cover. Everything was so purposeful and beautiful.

The beauty of their wedding just begins with the details, but overflows into the people surrounding Elena and Jonathan. Elena’s brother filled the room with the beautiful sound of the bagpipe as the couple was introduced and walked into the room filled with their loved ones. Touching speeches from siblings and parents gave all of us an inside peek to their relationships and love for one another. Jonathan’s brother and family presenting to him an icon of St. John. Friends played live music and walked the group through several different line dances. The entire day had this overwhelming sense of togetherness.

In our modern culture, people often seem content sucked into their own world. Seeing a wedding reception break out into coordinated line dances brought us back to what generations before us enjoyed. Watching everyone smile, dance, and mingle was so rewarding for us to witness. Knowing Elena and Jonathan, we are not surprised that they attract people like this. When they first showed up to their engagement session carrying a pomegranate with a well-thought-out explanation for why they wanted to use it in their photos, it was clear that they are deep thinkers. Then to see the beauty of many pomegranates, along with oranges, apples, and grapes decorating the reception hall, we were able to witness the depth of their thoughts.

Elena and Jonathan, God will save the world through holy families. To see how you have approached marriage with this deep, beautiful mindset of the gift and fruitfulness being given to you, is moving and beautiful. The more we are able to turn to God and open ourselves to Him, the more He’ll give to us. Seeing how open you already are excites us to watch God continue His work in you. Your wedding is the biggest party you’ll ever throw, and it’s for the biggest celebration you’ll ever experience. You did such an incredible job creating a beautiful evening for all of your friends and family to enjoy. We’d love to relive your wedding time and time again, and we hope that the photos we’ve captured will help you do just that. We’re sharing some of our favorites in this post, but there are many more coming! We are praying for you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding. Our hearts were truly changed being there!

Love,

Amy and Kyle