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ONE FRAME FRIDAY
vows
wherever our journey leads us: living, learning, loving. together, forever.
i have always been enamored by vows. as a little girl who would commonly pinky promise or come up with some crazy ritual with my little sister to signify our promises, i was a queen of promises. now as i have aged, i stopped those silly rituals of trust and have refocused my undying devotion on vows. of course y’all know how utterly captivated i am with weddings, so to me vows are unreal. the fact that there are two people who happen to be best friends and in love, proclaiming their devotion to one another with witnesses present, always puts on big lump in my throat. that photo above, those two people are my parents. a mom and dad who have stuck by one another through the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly, they still hold hands and kiss goodnight and sometimes my dad even opens the car door for my mom. they have set an example of how to stick to those vows and live through your promises day after day.
i have to say, i have been blessed by my marriage, the fact that drew and i were best friends before we even thought about dating had built a solid foundation for our marriage to be built on. (i kid you not, drew once said he thought of me like a sister… yeah, i erased that from my memory when we actually started dating.) we are just best friends who genuinely like to hang out together and tackle life as a pair. i am sure that we will hit those low points that may totally test those words we whispered on our wedding day, but when that time comes i will cling to those promises we made before god and our families. on our wedding day we took some time for our wedding party and parents to lay their hands on us in prayer, it was one of the most moving parts of my day. it was as though their hands were sealing our words and showing us that through the ups and downs, they would have our backs and support us. i remember tears just streaming down my cheeks during that time. that is why you choose the people to stand by you on your wedding day, those are the ones who will hold you to your vow and celebrate your love.
vows are pretty extraordinary if you ask me, far more important than the color of your shoes or what you are serving for dinner. i feel like they are often overlooked when people plan their weddings, but if you ask me, it is the most sacred part of the day. ummm hello, can you imagine sticking to some of those promises you made when you were in elementary school? “i promise to only wear pink on mondays.” “i promise i will eat one package of ramen noodles every day until i die” “i promise not to tell mom that you broke her favorite lamp when we were wrestling..” yeah, let’s just say it’s a good thing some of those promises fell through… but a vow, well, that is a whole new ballgame.
if you are a past bride of mine, you will be the first to admit that i shed a few tears at your wedding. being that i am in the front of the church as you walked down the aisle, i was likely shooting with tears dripping down my cheeks and a knowing smile to you as i remembered what that moment felt like for me. the whole day is overwhelming, here and gone in the blink of an eye. it feels like minutes have passed and you are leaving the dance party with your new husband. don’t dismiss the idea of writing your own vows, think about the words you want to say to start your life off as a team. go out on a limb and write your own, every wedding is as unique as you are. think of those pinky promises you want to make with your husband and jot them down! the blessed thing about weddings is they should reflect you and your relationship, as quirky or simple as your love is. there is no right or wrong, this is a promise you are making to each other, one you will hopefully live through these words each and every day.
i beg you, please, if you remember one part of your day with distinct memory, let it be that moment that you promise your future to your husband. there is nothing more precious than the moment when you proclaim your love but more so your life to being a partner to them. in such a sacred moment, i pray that you take it all in. the promises, the witnesses, the way you look into your spouses eyes and say those words with every ounce of certainty that ever existed. it will be those promises that will glue you together as a pair who will take on the triumphs and challenges sure to come. look at my parents, think of all they have accomplished as a team. think of the challenges and the victories they have celebrated side by side, each day they have done their best to live their vows, some days were certainly more successful than others but there they stand united. so, if you want to pinky promise me when you book me as your photographer, feel free… i might make up a secret handshake while we are at it. i can bet you this, i will be standing on your wedding day with a kleenex in hand and nothing that resembles dry eyes. here is what i promised to my handsome beau:
drew, i vow to love you without caution. i promise to encourage you to chase your dreams, because through them your soul shines. i promise to laugh with you, cry with you, grow old with you in mind and spirit, and always be open and honest with you. i will cherish you for a lifetime, for one lifetime could never be enough.
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