I have known Martha for a long time, and I have adopted her parents as my own. Who doesn’t need a set of French parents? I know I do! They’re just the kind of people that take you in and wrap you up in a bear hug of love and hospitality. The benefits of having a wedding where almost everyone is traveling to get there, is that people come to stay for awhile. It makes one day stretch into a long weekend, and in some cases, like mine, a week. Debbie is the queen of hospitality, and almost all of the wedding week festivities ended in dinner and a late night cup of coffee in their living room. When Leroy and Debbie contacted me earlier this year to ask if I was interested in traveling to the north of France to capture Martha’s wedding, I was completely floored. To be able to capture such a special occasion in one of the most beautiful places in the world, how could I say no? Also something I just learned is that in France you have two ceremonies. The first is at the city hall where you receive your marriage license. The second is more of what we’d typically think of as a wedding ceremony, called the blessings ceremony, and it’s held at the venue of your choosing.

It was Wednesday of wedding week, and I finally got to meet Nick for the first time! After hearing about him, and emailing wedding day details back and forth across the Atlantic, I got to meet the other half of the Nick and Martha pair! One of the things that Dad said to me is that, Nick is a constant calming presence. What a true statement! As the week went on I got to sit back and watch all of the ways he cared not only for Martha, but for the rest of us. He even made me breakfast on wedding day! How many other photographers can say that their grooms made them breakfast?

These two have been through long distance and all kinds of life in between, and it’s beautiful to see the way they love each other. They’ve travelled thousands of miles together, going between Lille, where they met, to Oxford, where they live now, to Australia where Nick’s family is, and countless other destinations.

Nick and Martha, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the privilege of being the one to document your last moments as fiancés, and as well as your first minutes as husband and wife. Your sweet smiles and overwhelming kindness were so present not only on your wedding day but also during the week finishing up all of those final details.

I wish you both nothing but the absolute best as your start your newest adventure. Together.