These two are near and dear to my heart.

If you saw my previous posts about our trip to Cancun, Mexico for Gary+Rachel’s destination wedding and our ”day after their wedding” session you will see what an amazing week we had. A week full of white sandy beaches, piña coladas and many laughs and adventures with their family and friends.

I had a totally different write up for this blog post–Gary+Rachel’s wedding. I waited to post their wedding because it has been/is getting published. But in the meantime, those words on my screen just didn’t seem to fit anymore.

I could write about how they walked down the isle and danced the night away with the sound of the waves in the background. I could share how the moon glistened on the ocean as they had their first dance, or how beautiful their intimate ceremony+reception was at the Barceló Tucancun Beach Resort with their 45 closest family and friends. I could write about that. But this was no ordinary wedding. For many reasons. Reasons words could never explain.

As a wedding photographer, besides the business/office side of it and hours spent editing, our job is to document. To document relationships. To document love. To document the beginning of a couple’s journey as husband+wife. For Gary, Rachel and her sweet family, I am incredibly honored, and humbled to have also documented their last family holiday together before Rachel’s father, Nigel, passed after a long battle of cancer.

I decided to share their wedding in two parts… because Rachel wrote out their story, and I would love to include it.

Because that is what is important. What I value. What I try my best to document. The story.

I want those moments, these memories to live on forever.

”Gary and I had been together for almost nine years when he proposed. We had overcome five years of long distance while he played professional hockey and finally began to talk about marriage. We got engaged August 24th and it was the most exciting moment of my life. I knew it had to be happening soon because let’s face it- it had been almost nine years! As the summer was coming to a close, and Gary working nights, he had one more night off so I thought this has to be it!…”

”… My parents invited us for a barbeque (they were in on the plan) and I tried to decline for fear or ruining what I thought could be ”the night” but Gary accepted the invitation and as disappointed as I was, we went. We were getting ready to go and as I checked his pockets (no box) I started to get upset. I was thinking this was never going to happen! I let it go by the time we got to my parents and we were enjoying a glass of wine while supper was cooking when he took my hand. In front of my family in their kitchen, he got down on one knee and proposed. I was blown away…”

 ”… This moment was made equally as special because he chose to let my family in on my big surprise. My dad has been battling advanced prostate cancer for the past five years and his condition was beginning to progress quickly.

Gary and I knew the likelihood of my dad being able to walk me down the aisle if we waited the year was slim. We decided to have a March wedding and the only way to it within six months was to do a destination wedding….”

Take a peek back tomorrow for the rest of Gary+Rachel’s wedding!