Some weddings stay with you long after the last dance. Janelle and Kevin’s was one of those. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to post—because putting it into words felt impossible. It was one of the most heartfelt, warm, and tribe-driven weddings I’ve ever been a part of. The kind that makes you pause and realize just how important these moments really are.

There was so much love. The kind you don’t just see—you feel. The kind that wraps around you, that makes you laugh through your tears, that reminds you of the people who got you here. There were moments of joy so big they echoed through the night, and moments of reflection so deep they made time stand still.

I remember the way Kevin’s emotions got the best of him the moment he saw Janelle walking down the aisle. I remember the way their family held them close—not just in hugs, but in stories, in laughter, in the kind of love that doesn’t waver. The way Janelle’s brother’s first look at her left no dry eyes in the room. The way every speech at the reception was filled with loud, wholehearted laughter and deep, aching nostalgia.

I have never cried so much at a wedding before. There was something about those moments—maybe it was the way Kevin held his mom close, knowing how much she had poured into his life, or the way Janelle and her brother shared a dance that spoke volumes about the bond they have. It was pure love, wrapped in music and movement, and it was impossible to watch without feeling every bit of it.

It was impossible to be there and not feel the weight of it all. The people who were there, the ones who were remembered.

I get imposter syndrome sometimes as a wedding photographer—wondering if I deserve to be in these sacred moments, to witness this much love up close. But looking back at this wedding, I felt it all over again, and I knew. These moments matter. This is why I do this.

Because long after the vows are spoken and the music fades, this is what stays. The love, the laughter, the legacy. And I’m just grateful I got to be there to capture it.