I've always considered Tim and I to be competitive. We're not only this way individually, but also against one another. If it takes me one hour at the grocery store, it only makes the trip more fun for him to do it in fifty minutes. If he takes 670 West to get to his mom's house, I like to see if I can beat him by taking a different way. This is all fun and games, of course, until all of the sudden we're not speaking because I also happen to be extremely sensitive and will most likely take losses [against my husband] personally. Who knew marriage could make me so emotional?

Well, we were set in our place as competitives at the last wedding we shot. This couple literally met playing ultimate frisbee and every other person we met at their wedding is from a league they've played in together! The favors were frisbees and there was a tiny little mini frisbee in the pie they cut.

I mean, I hate to admit defeat, but we've got nothing on them.

Amidst wonderful friends and family (many of whom we'd met before at Jeff's brother's wedding last fall), it was so much fun to witness this community of people. Good people abound in this group, and it was fun to be in the middle of them for the day.

I'm not going to lie, Tim and I were really hoping we'd leave with a frisbee (really though, there's been one on my Amazon list for about a year) but I was afraid that if I got my hands on one someone might ask me to throw it, revealing my mediocre skills. Failure by competitiveness, once again :-)

Enjoy!

Rachel

...Maid-of-Honor Toast / Best Man Toast / Groom Toast...

I always love it when the reception schedule for the wedding we're photographing looks like this. It's always a treat to hear from the bride and/or groom at their wedding, smitten and joy filled in this climax of a moment.

The words shared by the groom and this wedding were particularly inspiring to me. He said, and I paraphrase, "I'm grateful to both of our parents, married some 60 years total between the two couples. It is because of you that Jordan and I get to stand here."

It's that cyclical, engendering, never-ending fount of indestructibility. Indestructibility. Life that gives life that gives life that gives life that....

I realized all in a moment the opportunity that my husband and I have - that all couples have - to plant the seeds of tireless self-gift that enable their children and those all around them to do the same.

At risk of a wedding photographer sounding a little obsessed, I will say without restraint that every single wedding I witness is an invigorating slice of encouragement to me. It's an encouragement not only to recommit to my own marriage, but to recommit to every relationship in my life. This groom made it clear how important it is - that each choice I make to serve the other person is one little shard of glass in a life-long mosaic that is a proof that fulness and joy are on just the other side of that sharp pang of self-denial.

So, Matthew and Jordan, here's to the beginning of your many seed-spreading years.

Enjoy!

Rachel