Sweet Staffordshire Wedding at Cannock Chase // Matt & Amelia
It was an honour to photograph these two’s Cannock Chase wedding in Staffordshire. This couple is the epitome of covenant marriage. The groom is a colleague of mine (Christina’s), and I’ve watched for two years as he and his bride were separated by thousands of miles and a pandemic. Their wedding was meant to be in New Zealand, but again and again, Covid restrictions prevented their plans from going ahead.
Every time I saw Matt at work, I looked at the pain in his eyes and saw my own pain from our pandemic wedding planning. I remember him stopping exactly where he was as I cried with panic, and he just lifted his arm out and prayed. He took that same faith into each battle of his own.
Month after month I watched as Matt & Amelia lived out a story that very much matched mine.
You can’t know the pain of a long-distance relationship unless you’ve lived it. You can’t know the anguish of all the dreams you had for a joyful wedding get snatched away— unless you’ve experienced it. You can’t know what it’s like to miss loved ones who were supposed to be at your wedding and can’t be— all because of a pandemic that is far outside of your control.
These two overcame SO MUCH to fight their way back to each other. It was so fitting that the name of the church where they wed was called “Victory.” And as I had the opportunity to pray over them, that was the word I declared. Over and over. For their love for each other. For their love for Jesus. For the hope they fought for in spite of it all. For the eternity promised by the Saviour they worship.
Congratulations, Matt & Amelia. Victory indeed.
