James and Ashley married on August 7th.  It was raining as I drove to meet Ashley at the hair salon.  I went inside and there she sat, with a big smile on her face.  Sure, it was raining, but that didn't change the fact that she would be marrying the man of her dreams in a matter of hours.  The rain came and went... and came... and went... all day.  We held umbrella's as we went in and out of cars, and during some of the photos.  At times it stopped long enough for us to stay reasonably dry, or we endured the light mist for the sake of the photos.  We got creative in our location choices, meeting the family at Foothills Greenhouse in Winkler (a big thanks to them!!!) rather than outdoors.  Throughout it all, James and Ashley remained steady and strong, just excited to soon be married and not worried about the weather.  To me this showed their true character.  There's no test quite like standing out in the rain on your wedding day!  

The ceremony was an even bigger testament to who these two are.  The church was crowded with hundreds of people gathered to support James and Ashley and their union.  I've never seen so many people at a wedding.  I could tell that each guest was there because they meant something to James and Ashley, and because James and Ashley meant something to them.  It was a powerful feeling. 

The song I chose for James and Ashley's slideshow is O Praise Him by David Crowder Band.  I never asked James and Ashley if they have a song, so I hope they like this one.  I heard it on someone's blog recently, and instantly thought of the way I felt at their ceremony as the worship team played and as Pastor Corey spoke.  The feeling is hard to describe, but perhaps you'll feel it too.