Jessica and Nathan share the type of story that not only am I honored to share, but I feel a responsibility to share it well.
Before meeting Jessica and Nathan, I stumbled upon their wedding website and fell in love with these two right away. Nathan wrote about how he met Jessica for the first time. His mentor had arranged a community-wide fundraiser to help Nathan offset the cost of medical school, as he had just finished his first year. Jessica’s family was attending the event and as they met, well…here are Nathan’s words:
“Let me explain to you what I saw in that moment. Jessica stood before me as the most beautiful, confident, bright and elegant woman that I had ever seen. Let’s just say that I was (and continue to be) completely in awe of all that Jessica represents.”
Then as I scrolled through the rest of their wedding website, I read about their journey, and how they spent many months developing their relationship long distance. After they were engaged, they decided they could no longer be apart. So as Jessica prepared for the move, she wrote the following words:
“No more random flights. No more red eyes to make up for the time difference. No more counting down the seconds before you have to head the airport. Its lovely knowing that I’m getting to see someone I love so much every day for the rest of my life, but its even more lovely to know its happening so soon.”
When I read those words, I knew instantly the song I would use for their Trailer. I had been saving this song, for a couple with which these words would ring true. And as you listen to its words, I think you’ll agree – it may have been written for these two.
When we did actually meet Nathan and Jessica, of course my love for them only grew. They are some of the kindest, thoughtful, most genuine people you’ll ever meet. The type of people you hope to be friends with in your journey through life because you know just being around them will make you better.
My last thought on these two is something Nathan shared with us in our meeting. He told us that he had been raised a foster child until he was 18. This struck a chord deep within me. Not only do I believe in foster care, but Todd and I hope to foster to adopt in the near future.
As he shared, he told us how his aunt and uncle had taken him in, even though they were a young married couple, and loved and raised him as their own. And then, on his wedding day, he danced with his aunt, who he calls mom, and sang to her the following words of the song: “I’m everything I am, because you loved me.” Needless to say, I was an emotional mess trying to shoot and wipe tears from my eyes.
I am daily amazed at the power of love. How Nathan’s aunt and uncle didn’t have much – but they loved him, and how it has shaped him into the person he is today. If more of us were like Nathan’s aunt and uncle, I know the world would be a very different place.
I hope you enjoy Nathan & Jessica’s Trailer – I still cry each and every time I watch it.
Song: “By Your Side” by Brooke Annibale // licensed through the music bed
Location: The Clayton on the Park // Scottsdale, AZ
