I was fortunate to meet Britnee when I photographed her brother’s wedding several years ago (by the way congratulations Brandon & Stephanie on your sweet baby's arrival!). There are 5 siblings total in Britnee's family---so her mother and I have joked that I am officially 2/5 Warmerdam now and I hope to be a part of every wedding milestone---because you guys, this family is the bees knees! I am keeping them! Haha.
I am always left in awe at my couple's love stories---although, I am not sure why they still surprise me at this point. Generally speaking, they all begin after one or both of them have taken a big leap of faith that sets into motion a series of perfectly orchestrated events bringing two soul mates together. What always gets me is that if even ONE piece of the puzzle didn't fall into place just perfectly, then the love story may have never began at all.
For Britnee and Michael, the leap of faith was Britnee moving all the way to Texas to pursue her graduate degree where she literally knew NO ONE. Not a single friend or family member. She was on her own. The series of events was Britnee and Michael both showing up to orientation and partaking in an ice breaker game that put them into the same group. From that point on, they were virtually inseperable. So, it begs the question, what if Britnee didn't make the (scary) move to Texas for graduate school---what if she picked any other of the thousands of schools in the country, or simply stayed in Califonia. What if Michael had slept through his alarm on the orientation day, or just plain and simply decided not to go? I'm telling you guys, this God of ours is pretty awesome---and that is what gets me. Every. Single. Time!
For their wedding, Britnee and Michael wanted a celebration focused on honoring their families, the deep connection with dear friends, and, of course, the two of them and their special love. There wasn't a giant bridal party---in fact their was none---and every detail was intentional from the venue all the way down to the fruit in the (homemade) pies and the ice cream that topped it. I could go on and on about each lovingly, purposeful aspect of their day--but I think these images speak for themselves. Every single piece of this wedding reflected their lives, their roots and their love. Enjoy this peek into a truly blessed day!
