I have a daughter. The sun rises and sets with her (It does with my son too; I adore both of my children, but there is something a little more resplendent about my baby girl; I hope you understand what I am trying to say. I don’t have a preferred child; I love them both equally. There is just something really special about my little doll. Maybe it’s just that she is so feminine, so into all things pink and pretty, so into glitter, sparkle, and pizzaz!). Larkin is only five, but in those five years of life I can assure you I have thought about her wedding day a time or two. Maybe because I attend so many or because I love weddings so much, regardless, I have to wonder. I have to think, what her day will be like. What choices she will make. What man she will walk to and hold on to forever. I know she is young and is learning basic ABC’s right now, but I hope she is also recognizing what it feels like to know love, be loved, return love, and to really feel it when she is in it!! I hope her father, brother, and grandfathers model how men should treat women; I hope the man she marries is deserving of her sweet and sparkly heart and soul. I pray she marries someone who will love her and take care of her as much, if not more (if that is even possible), than I do!! And I hope he cherishes her and carries her heart carefully their entire life!! We have time, she is still little, but it’s never to early to pray that someday the perfect person will make her the happiest she has ever been.
I feel blessed to be a part of all the weddings I shoot. I am so grateful that brides and grooms and their families trust me with their wedding day memories. My heart is so full when I book, shoot, and deliver images and albums because I am so genuinely grateful for the blessing of being a part of the experience. It feels almost sacred to me, like I am allowed to share the most important day weekend after weekend. My heart fills over and over and I am so profoundly grateful.
Ilissa and Cody’s day made my heart overflow. It was peaceful. There is a certain ebb and flow to wedding day, a rush and then a still. Their day was mostly still, mostly moments of taking it all in. Mostly just being present, in each second, drinking in the love and happy, the smiles and hugs. A complete stranger could have come to that wedding and told you that whatever event was happening on that Temecula Winery was special because of the way he felt being there!
At the end of the evening I made my rounds saying thank you and goodbye. I found Sandy, Ilissa’s mom, and gave her a big hug. I felt a little emotional just because it had been such a tangibly sweet day. I thanked her for sharing it with me and told her that it was so distinctively special. She said, “Oh, really? Thank you!! I was praying it would be! I prayed that it would be meaningful and memorable. The message the minister gave, the toasts from friends & family and just pure celebration with those closest to us just captured all our hopes!” Meaningful and memorable. How very lovely. It was so sweet to hear that, and to experience an answered prayer.
To Ilissa, Cody, your families and friends, thank you, from my heart. Thank you for sharing this day and time with me. I was so touched and so grateful to have been a witness to a perfect day. May these images always take you back. May they always remind you that prayers are answered and that happy hearts are shared with those you love. Thank you again for making my heart so happy!!! Much, much, love, KJ
Much love to you both Ilissa and Cody; may you have a lifetime of happiness (and lots of great dancin’)!! xx Kamee