Why Our Anniversary Isn’t (and yet truly is) That Special Happy 6th Anniversary!

I used to really struggle with our wedding anniversary feeling like every other ordinary day. And if I’m honest, sometimes I’ll dwell on it for 5 minutes. But then, I’m reminded of a few things. We get to relive our own wedding day emotions every single weekend. Every time we walk into that getting ready room with the bride and her bride tribe, I’m transported back to getting ready with my sisters. Watching mom help her daughter get dressed reminds me of my own mom doing the same for me. Seeing dad tear up when he catches that first glimpse of his grown up baby girl takes me back to when my dad lost it during family portraits on our wedding day. The first look reactions transport me to when I choked up standing behind Ryan, waiting for him to see me. Every emotion our couple feels on their wedding day, we feel them too. It helps us remember what our day was like. It keeps those moments, those precious memories, fresh as the years go by.

As we watch couples commit their lives to each other, our eyes meet across the ceremony space. Our hearts say those words again, right along with them, as they promise to forever love and serve each other. We may not remember our own vows, but that’s ok. Because each week, we’re finding new ways to reaffirm the promises we made 6 years ago.

We may not remember every person that was there to celebrate us on May 25, 2012. Looking back, we probably would’ve done a few things differently. But you know what we’ll always remember? We remember the joy. The nerves. The tears when we walked out of the Chapel and thinking, we actually did it. But most of all, we remember the promises we made. To never give up on each other. To go out of our way to choose to love and serve each other, even if (especially if), we don’t feel like it. Because we remember that our marriage is not about us individually. It’s about what we can only accomplish together. Our marriage is greater than us. It’s about the people we get to meet, love and serve, it’s about the lives we get to touch and impact, and it’s about how we can change the world, together. Sometimes, our marriage is the only example some people will ever see on how marriage is intended to be. And that responsibility is huge. And sometimes, we fail. But we know that through our own marriage, we’re able to change the narrative for someone else.

And that’s what I remember today. Even though we’re spending our day/weekend photographing anniversary and engagement sessions, preparing for and photographing a wedding, and doing normal “work” things because it’s the middle of busy season, I’m reminded that it’s not about the day. Every day we go out and do our jobs, we get to relive and celebrate our marriage, our commitment, as we watch others do the same.