Mawwiage
Mawwiage is what bwings pepawl tugeder...
Okay, movie reference aside, marriage is one of the core events in people's lives that brings everyone you've known together. Family, friends, family friends, your piano teacher from the third grade, it's crazy how many people will get invites to weddings. I remember my own weddings, we had just gotten established at our church in Lubbock, so we had new friends, while trying to make sure we invited 500 people in a 300 person venue. It was quite the time condensing that list.
Brendan & Rachael
This is the story of Rachael Klein and Brendan McCutcheon. These two kids were former students of mine when I was the College Bible Study Teacher. I had set up a weekly event at a local coffee shop that allowed students to get some coffee, and we would talk about certain topics. It started small at first, with just a couple students. It eventually grew to around eight to ten students each meeting. Brendan had been a regular of my class when I took over, so he had been a part of my program from the beginning. One particular Friday evening, Rachael came in as a friend of one of the regulars, and that was where her and Brendan officially met. They actually had gone to high school together, but never really crossed paths. I got to see them grow together, and then to see the proposal on my social media was one of the coolest feelings I got to see as a teacher and friend.
The Wedding Photographer
We were planning on moving to Central Texas in May of 2022, and right around that time, I was approached by Rachael to be their wedding photographer, which of course I was beyond happy to do. The best compliment you can hear as a photographer, is that you are the non-negotiable option, that you were the must-have for the wedding. When she told me that, I was floored. I had never considered that I was that good of a photographer. I follow several well-known photographers, and I assume they get this kind of feeling more often, so hearing this for the first time, it felt like I had done something right, that I had made it, to a degree, as a photographer.
The Wedding
One thing I will say about this couple, is the they were perfect for each other. I remember saying this over and over while I was taking the pictures, "Y'all are such dorks!" I mention that because I saw how silly they were together, and how comfortable they were being themselves with one another. That is something incredibly important in marriage, it's finding that person that loves you for being you. That is the thing I think I love the most about my wife, she has seen me at my best, my worst and my silliest, and she loves me anyway. I love seeing couples that don't pretend, and just be themselves with each other.
Knitting Together
It was an incredible experience getting to watch as this new family was knit together. Weddings are one of the few events that will bring family members that never see each other together under in one space. It is one of the most memorable events that will happen in a couple's life. Congratulations Brendan and Rachael, I pray for an incredible and happy marriage full of life and adventure. I also pray for patience and understanding for you both, because that is the lesson every new couple has to learn as they adjust to living with their new spouse. Love you guys!
