when I arrived to the hotel where Jacquelyn was getting ready, I walked into a semi-quiet room . zen'd out spirits were getting their makeup done, little flower girls were playing quietly under the eye of mom, and Jacquelyn was calm, ready . quite a different atmosphere than I'm used to walking into on wedding days - and of course it didn't stay this way the whole time - but I could tell from walking into that quiet moment, that their was focus . focus on what the day holds . not just another tradition . not just another wedding day full of the festivities that every other wedding day holds - champagne, laughing, a little stress, texts + phone calls, nerves, chic-fil-a .
no, this day may have had each of those things, matched with giddy excitement shared with bridesmaids - but an underlying focus, zen, and heart-felt adoration was paved as the foundation . I could see it when Jacquelyn first got her dress on, the way she covered her face as reality sunk in a little more . I could see it when she wrote her letter to Paulo, a silent, slow, and timely moment with sniffles every so often . I could see it when, instead of turning him around immediately at the first look so he could see her, she just wrapped her arms around him from behind, embracing the man that all her focus had been on, and melting into the moment without rushing it . I could see it throughout the dinner and reception, always keeping her hands held in his, no matter who demanded her attention .
this day wasn't rushed . not one moment of it . & that truly is what i desire for each of my couples . a slow, intentional, capable of remembering kind of wedding day . also what i desire - is a kickass dance floor with everyone feeling it -- because I swear, there wasn't one person sitting down for this wedding .. and man could they dance.
paulo + jacquelyn - this is for you .
__