Kristin & Tre {Wedding}

My first impression of Kristin and Tre was that they understood the true meaning of life: give back to the world (she is a second grade teacher and he is a police officer) and surround yourself with people you love. My second impression was that they were clearly gorgeous and clearly in love…you know…the kind of love that changes your life in ways you can’t explain. They even have the perfect story for how they met: his best friend, Jesse, married her best friend, Katie. They write screenplays about things like this you know.

This past Sunday, Kristin stood underneath a canopy of greenery as I shot a picture of Tre through the trees. His back was towards us as he waited patiently, as still as a rock, for her arrival. I will forever imagine that he is her rock in this ever changing world. Their first look was romantic and sweet, just as we imagined it would be. 

Within the hour they met again. This time they stood in front of their closest family and friends to exchange their wedding vows. Rob, a close friend and member of Tre’s squad, performed the ceremony with humble grace and wisdom. Before announcing them as husband and wife, Rob presented them with a ruler and utility tool as he read two bible verses to live by: Matthew 22: 37-40. &  1st Corinthians 13: 4-13. Together, they will use their strengths and be successful.

After Kristin and Tre shared their first kiss as husband and wife, I retired to the shadows to photograph the rest of the evening from afar. Once they walked past the last guest, Tre kicked up his feet and they kissed once again. Laughing, they turned around to greet each of their loved ones with open arms and tears of joy. 

As the warm smell of dinner floated through the air, the guests began making their way to the reception. I weaved through the room capturing expressions of love and happiness. Everyone was raving about Kristin's dress, Tre's proud grin, Carmen's chicken marsala, and DeeJay's beautiful wedding cake. Yes, every detail of their wedding was created by their friends and family. At the end of the night, when we hugged goodbye, I thought to myself how their only wish had been granted: they were surrounded by those they love most in the world, hand in hand, just as they wished for. Life doesn't get much better than that.