Maddy and Josh were the first of many COVID-19 weddings for me. And they couldn’t have had better attitudes about it. When Maddy and Josh’s wedding plans for April got ruined by COVID-19, they saw so many opportunities. Because of the virus, Maddy’s grandparents and brother would return home from their church missions and be able to be there on her wedding day. They decided they would write vows to read to each other at their ceremony, and they would be married at the beautiful Spiral Jetty at Golden Spike State Park in Utah.
Flash forward a few months to a second celebration day for Maddy and Josh. After waiting for Utah’s temples to open back up, they were finally able to be sealed to each other for all time and eternity on July 25th, 2020. While I was not allowed to be on the temple grounds to capture their exit and group photos (rude), we made sure to set aside a time to take formal photos of Maddy and Josh together at the Draper, UT temple.It’s a perfect lesson in the reality of marriage. It’s not about the other people, the party, the dress, the wedding. It’s about you and your honey forever. It’s about the start of a new family, just the two of you. It’s about making the important things happen and forgetting about everything else.They had a small family meal before, cutting their cake and watching a video made by their mothers before making the drive out to the park to be married. These troopers even made time to attend their online classes in their wedding clothes (I aspire to have this level of dedication to anything in my life). They hiked down a rocky path to an aisle formed by their few family and friends, where they exchanged vows, were married, and celebrated with their loved ones. It was a quiet, intimate, perfect April day.While it ended up being probably nothing like the wedding day either one ever thought they would have, it was absolutely beautiful in every way. COVID-19 may have ruined a lot of wedding plans in 2020, but it’s also brought out a lot of love and beauty. People everywhere have done just as Maddy and Josh did and ditched the big party to intimately celebrate their love with the few people they were able to have join them.Do I hope that things return to some kind of normal where big party weddings are possible again? Absolutely. But in the meantime, it’s been a delight to see true love conquer all, even Covid-19.
Hey Britt! I love these pictures and I love you!! Your light and talent shine through in these pictures. I love your words about the important aspect of your wedding day: the eternal sealing between you and your spouse. In Matthew 22. one of the Sadducees asks Christ which of the seven brethren, who married the same wife and died, would be her husband in the next life. Christ tells them that none of them will; “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30). If we are not sealed to our spouse, it will not be brought with us to heaven. Eternal marriage is SO important, and lasts with us for eternity! I love you!
Beautiful bride!! Gorgeous pics!!
Hey Britt! I love these pictures and I love you!! Your light and talent shine through in these pictures. I love your words about the important aspect of your wedding day: the eternal sealing between you and your spouse. In Matthew 22. one of the Sadducees asks Christ which of the seven brethren, who married the same wife and died, would be her husband in the next life. Christ tells them that none of them will; “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30). If we are not sealed to our spouse, it will not be brought with us to heaven. Eternal marriage is SO important, and lasts with us for eternity! I love you!