Come what may…
You know, life isn’t easy. For anyone. If there’s one thing that’s fair about life, that’s it… We all have to overcome obstacles somehow, someway and conquer the things that try to get in the way of our plans. But, the good news is that God gave us the power to overcome it all and in fact, He already did. He is always faithful and if we can just trust in that, there’s nothing that can stand in our way.
We have witnessed all sorts of things happen to a wedding story. We could literally write a book! But, it’s so neat that just when we think we have “seen it all”, there’s still more. As many of you know and are experiencing, this year’s climate has been quite interesting to say the least. It has been so unpredictable in many ways, but nothing like what Lerissa + AJ had to endure. If you guys remember, few weeks ago, a hurricane was hitting the east coast badly. The Bahamas got the worst of it all and then it was heading towards Savannah which is where our couple was getting married. Can you imagine getting this news just a week before your wedding day? Can you imagine wondering if there will even be a venue for them to get married in? Can you imagine what would be going through your mind as people around you were literally evacuating? Wedding planning is stressful enough when things are going well! Ah… when we heard the news, we felt for Lerissa + AJ. We didn't know what to do either. We never had a situation like this ever before… When her planner emailed us saying that she too was evacuating, we seriously wondered if the wedding was getting rescheduled.
We saw her family and friends who dearly loved them support them in ways they’ve never felt before. They have the most supportive family and community around them - what a blessing! We all kept communicating and tried our best to encourage one another and stay positive. There’s nothing that anyone can do about a hurricane, but God Himself, so we left it up to Him. All sorts of scenarios were going through our minds as to what we should do if things were going to turn for the worst. We imagined photographing a flooded wedding with a venue that was demolished from the storm, etc… But, guess what? The storm passed! YES….!!!!!! Savannah barely got any of it - WOW! In fact, no rain AT ALL was in sight and the day was BEAUTIFUL! It was hot, but hey, we will take that over a hurricane! It worked even better for photos because there were barely any tourists or anyone for that matter in the parks where we were shooting because most people in the city have not come back from the evacuation.
When we saw Lerissa + AJ, we gave them the biggest hugs and we were so ready to make this wedding happen and happen really well! I love how Lerissa was so calm and relaxed… I love her demeanor. If this wedding wasn’t already special enough, she wore her mother’s wedding dress and yes, she was stunning. And AJ! He looked absolutely dapper and how can we not mention his awesome “man bun”??! He sang his heart out for his bride at the reception and that to me was THE highlight of their wedding day.
You guys, if this family would adopt me, I would say YES in a heartbeat. They are so close... I’ve never seen a family like it. I come from a broken family, no siblings, and here in America, I just have my mom. The Lord of course blessed me with my own immediate family now, but that’s all I got! So, to see a family like this is literally dreamy for me… our Thanksgiving table is very small, but I’m so grateful that we even have that one. I think for our couple’s family, they will need to rent an entire venue to be able to seat and feed everyone! Wow… what a legacy.
Lerissa + AJ, you guys are special indeed. Your wedding story has become quite a victorious one and we congratulate you on another level! We applaud you for overcoming this together, and we thank you for making your day one that we will never forget. We had to conquer the weather even for your engagement shoot, remember? You guys are troopers… Love you both so much and your families. Thank you for allowing us to be part of this momentous occasion. We hope that you will cherish these captured moments and that your family will grow closer together as you reminisce in what was the best day of your life.
With much love,
Craig + Unchong
