Seventy years and for ever!

At the last minute, my boss asked me to photograph an event.  "A wedding?", I asked.  No.  It was for an anniversary.  Grateful for the opportunity for work, I went.  For what I thought was just a regular job, it turned out to be a blessing.

First off let me say, if you don't believe in miracles and God's presence then you've never been to a wedding.  When two people marry, I genuinely believe that God makes them into one.  It is truly a miracle.  Two souls into one.  

Okay, I'm getting off track.  Anniversary party. Grateful for the work.  I cried like a baby.  (pause for dramatic effect).  Yes, at the party I cried like a baby. Don't misunderstand: weddings are precious too.  I still tear up when the Groom sees his Bride for the first time or when the Best Man gives his speech and speaks from his heart or when the Father presents his Daughter to the Groom as he kisses her that last time before she is married.  It is an honor to be a witness to this and I try my best to always capture that moment.  This event was different though; twice I had to excuse myself to go to the back room to "clean my lens" (that's code to wipe my nose and dry my tears.). Seventy year wedding anniversary.  Wow.  Seventy years!  This man truly loved and adored his wife and this woman truly loved and adored her husband.  From the way they looked at each other to the way they held themselves as couple.  You knew that they belonged to one another and that they were married.  I'm sure it wasn't easy and that they were times that they probably didn't like each other.  I guess this is where a couple needs to remind themselves of the following:

                     "... To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in good times and in bad times, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part..."


It's a promise we make to the one that we have been made to one.  It's the words we speak as we look into the eyes of the person we pledge to love.  Not enough married couples think about those promises that are made that day.  I'm not saying it's easy.  What I'm saying is, no one has the perfect marriage.  Love is a choice.  We choose to stay faithful.  We choose to make a marriage work.  We choose to forgive and we choose to stay married.  

That night I witnessed the fruits of one couple's labor and the commitment that was followed through.  They couldn't dance the night away because one of them where dependent on a walker, but they did recreate the tradition of the wedding cake.  As there were feeding each other wedding cake, repeating what a tradition that they once did seventy-years ago, one had to help the other lead their hands to the cake because of their movements weren't as concise.  

At that moment, I thanked God that I was their to witness this incredible celebration.  I thanked God that He created marriage and I was especially thankful at that very moment that Maybelline Cosmetics invented water proof mascara.  

I hope with these pictures, you can see the love that I witnessed that night.

Thank you to Kim Fontaine, owner of Clickety Chicks for not only the opportunity to work but as well to be a witness of something wonderful!