Glass Chapel at Garvin Gardens Wedding
There are times in life where I imagine God yelling “hello!! Can’t you see it!
The answers you’ve been wanting are right there!” Yet I am often too blind to see. This was the case here.
Last January I launched a wedding giveaway, and vulnerable moment, NO ONE ENTERED until the last week. I was humbled to say the least. I had prayed over this giveaway time and time again and I was asking God to bring a couple into my life that needed this blessing. Whether it was for financial reasons or otherwise, I wanted to use my talents to bless others. When all I heard was crickets I started to doubt everything about my photography. I was wondering why God couldn’t use me and if I was really talented at all. Thankfully those were only lies that I was letting myself believe. If you are reading this and feeling like that right now, let me give you a pretty reminder. YOU ARE WORTHY, TALENTED, LOVED, AND USEFUL. Never forget it.
Late one night the week the giveaway ended I was looking up wedding venues, like normal photographers do right, and making notes of all the ones I would love to shoot at one day. I stumbled upon this glass chapel in the Arkansas forest, Anthony Chapel at Garvan Gardens. That very same night I got an email from an excited bride entering my giveaway which made me one excited photographer. I had met Lexi through our sorority, Gamma Phi, and had seen on Facebook she had recently gotten engaged but had never even thought to reach out to her to enter. In Lexi’s email she joyfully told the story of how her and Parker started dating, the sweet sweet story of their engagement, and the dream she had for her wedding. Her dream just so happened to include one of the very venues I was looking at that night, Anthony Chapel! When I read the email I was so thankful that God had come through, he had answered my prayers after I had learned a big lesson about humility. I was stunned at the timing of it all and all of the signs that I had missed leading me to Lexi & Parker. Needless to say I am so thankful His plans always win in the end. I let me pride get in the way of what God really wanted and what I had prayed for. In the end I am so thankful for that moment and all the lessons it taught me.
Over the months I got to work with and get to know Lexi + Parker I was consistently amazed at the love they have for one another. They are joyous, graceful, and humble in their love and their wedding was the perfect celebration of that. In the most beautiful forest backdrop, Lexi + Parker said their vows at Anthony Chapel and then celebrated at the beautiful Homestead at Williamson Estate. I look back on this day and I am still so grateful that I was there to be a part of it. For now, this is what I give you. The story of how God provided, as he always does, and brought me into the perfect scenario to fulfill my prayers. Lexi + Parker, thank you for being you. I couldn’t have picked a better couple to win 😉
As for my 2018 giveaway, I am hard at prayer. In early January I will announce the nomination process and I pray that a deserving couple is brought into my life once again. Stay tuned!
Enjoy!
