The bride’s only sister gripped the microphone. She halted over her sentence, and the Outpost Center barn held onto that silence with her. As she wiped tears from her eyes, she let out a comic phrase, “Ok! Really!” while fanning herself. As she replaced the microphone by her lips, she drew a deep breath and held her watering eyes again towards her sister, the one in white seated next to her new husband. Guests were rapt to see the emotion flooding out of the sisterly bond, and the love so evidently behind it. After several more interruptions of tears, friends and family became her cheerleaders.

You could hear the room thinking, “You can do this! Just a few more sentences!” She spoke of how she could not believe any groom to be worthy of her sister, but that she had to say: he was indeed worth, and more and more as she got to know him. As she finished, wild applause rang to the top of the wooden barn roof, mingling with the light strings dotting the beams. It felt as if the whole room shared in the enormity of the long embrace she shared with her sister on her wedding day. For a moment, we were all Morgan’s close family.

Truly, the whole experience of attending Noah and Morgan’s family felt more like a reunion of friends that a gathering of those from different streams. From the incredibly fun reception game where all guests competed to score right answers about Morgan and Noah, to the performance by the bride and groom, the whole day felt relaxed and peaceful. One of my favorite moments came during the finishing touches of makeup and hair, just before getting into the bridal gown. The Outpost features a bridal suite loft, which means all inside the building could hear the beautiful music the groomsmen were making. Done with their photos and dressing, they sang in worship with a gentle guitar strumming in the background. The atmosphere is not one you would expect when its hours before a wedding ceremony. The groomsmen, led by the groom, worshipped the Lord on ground level. The sweetness ascended and I realized that the background music had been rendered unnecessary. It truly made me pause, hearing the calm and utter confidence of this groom-to-be getting lost in worship with his best friends. Soon would be the time for the official dressing of the bride. Yet, the bridesmaids were just as peaceful as the men singing. Time relaxed on the attitudes of all in the barn as the singing grew louder. Everyone shared in the bread of calm and the joy of what was coming.What a beautiful way to start off wedding preparations! Noah and Morgan prioritized relationships over everything else coming at them. This quality gave their wedding a close-knit feel and drew us all into the romance they shared.

 

Morgan & Noah,

Your worship is absolutely inspiring. It calls my heart to draw near to God, and to truly look at Him. As I write this, I smile thinking of the way you carried yourselves on your wedding day. While magnetic to each other, and caring for each other’s peace during the whole day, you together have a gravitational movement around what your heavenly Father desires.

 

Venue: The Outpost Center

Photography: Jennifer Sanders Photography