365 People Photos: No. 81: The IT'S-ALMOST-TIME Wait

I recently posted a photo of this beautiful bride sitting in a chair in the bridal dressing cottage. In this picture Ashley is just minutes from being given the signal that it's time. I love Ashley's wedding-day glow in this photo. I love her ceaseless smile. I love how she's got got a grasp on the train of her dress, prepared to take the walk on her daddy's arm. I love the soft light pouring through the windows in the late afternoon. I love the illumination of the bride's veil and the flower girl's dress. This photo exactly what I most enjoy doing with a camera in my hands ~ capturing a moment that isn't staged or posed but will none the less bring back a flood or memories for those in the photo. I thank God that he enabled me to take this picture.

In this photo, Ashley's three sisters are to the left of the bride. Amy, in the long, gray gown served as her maid of honor. Shannon, is immediately next to Amy. These two lovely beauties are twins. They are also Ashley's older sisters by two years. Right next to Ashley is her "little" sister, Natalie, who was born when Ashley was 8.

The three young women on the right were college roommates. You may be guessing that the man in the picture is Ashley's father, but her dad was just out of the frame. The man pictured her dad's brother, Ashley's uncle. He is also the father of the flower girl. His assignment on the day of the wedding was to help the nervous petal-dropper muster the courage to walk down the aisle just in front of her cousin, the bride.

I felt so honored to be invited to take these photographs. I love any wedding, but this one was extra special to me. Ashley and her sisters were just a bit older than the flower girl when I first met them. In the late 1990s our two families were living in England as American ex-pats. At the time my husband and I had only had three children, and after we'd finish our home schooling the four of us would often spend the afternoon together. I hadn't seen the four sisters in many years so my joy was overflowing to get to spend time with their family and get reintroduced to them as young women. The God I serve is so kind to give me an opportunity like this!