God has taken your heart, Shannon, and your heart, Jake,
and made them mutually and beautifully bound to one another
as part of your path to follow Christ.

 

A classic portrait of a bride and groom smiling at the camera

 

Last weekend, this lovely couple, Shannon and Jake, made a covenant to be an integral part of each other's discipleship for the rest of their lives. The officiant charged them to consider Christ in every aspect of their marriage.  Later, during the reception, the groomsmen and bridesmaids each shared sweet sentiments and some hilarious memories. Both showed how very loved Jake and Shannon are, and exhibited the accountability structure they have in place at the beginning of this journey called marriage: one of the most sacred, difficult, and delightful ventures they could ever undertake. 

 

A portrait of a classy groom holding his lapel.
A wedding portrait by Emily Joy Photography, who is now a wedding photographer in Memphis, TN.

 

December 30th provided perfect Texas December weather: bright, beautiful sunlight, just warm enough to be comfortable and bring out the beauty of the flowing white swags and delightfully designed lavender and purple bouquets and accents. (Also, shameless plug for my second shooter.  Having a second shooter thrilled me, because 1) I’ve been a second shooter, and 2) I’ve been a lead shooter without a second shooter. I thoroughly enjoyed having Madison Grigsby (Jane and June Photography) there to get my back and help me fill out a robust gallery with lots of variety.)


Enjoy looking at this sneak peek, and join me in congratulating Shannon and Jake!

 

A groom holds his brides hand as she swishes her skirt to-and-fro.
A bride's engagement ring displayed on her perfume bottle with tulle and a bouquet in the background
A bride's engagement ring nestled in her purple-themed boquet.
A groom and his three groomsmen enjoying a stroll.
A bride, enjoying a laugh with her bridesmaids.
A groom is blindfolded right before he does the first look with his bride.
A groom smiles and laughs joyfully as he sees his bride for the first time.
A bride and groom smile gently while the bride caresses the grooms face, revealing her engagement ring.
A bride displays her purple, white and green bouquet.
A bride and groom kiss under the awning of the outdoor ceremony structure.
A bride and groom kiss as the wedding party teasingly try to pull them apart.
A bride and groom hugging while the bride holds her bouquet.
A groom leans toward his bride while she smiles at the camera. Her veil streams behind her.

 

So, Shannon & Jake,

Thank you for welcoming me to your special day! I’m honored.

Just before your wedding, I celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary, and I can tell you firsthand that the greatest blessings in life are not the easiest to come by. Marriage will be harder than you know, but you have made a promise, so humble yourself when the time comes to receive advice that would push you both closer to Christ, clinging to one another in honor of the covenant you have just made. It's worth it. So, I repeat: God has taken your heart, Shannon, and your heart, Jake, and made them mutually and beautifully bound to one another as part of your path to follow Christ.


"Be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble...
in your hearts, always revere Christ as Lord."

-Simon Peter


P.S. ...and always remember that your heart is like a cucumber! (Dear Readers who don't get it, ask me sometime! It makes a great maid of honor speech!)


See Shannon & Jake's Engagement Shoot