Ben and my son met at church youth group when they were just teenagers. Ben stood along side my son Evan at his wedding, and I  was so honored to be asked to photograph their special day. It was hard to hold back tears watching this amazing young man marry the girl of his dreams. I know Ben’s heart and passion for life and it just gave me all the feels that day!

Ben & Elishia were married at Solomon Lutheran Church in Woodville, Ohio. Elishia’s mom owns a hair salon (Country hair Creations ) right down the street on the main road in Woodville, which is where the festivities began with all the girls getting ready for the day!

I asked Elishia & Ben a few questions about their recollection of their wedding day (I love to purposely have them recall things that happened that day that may otherwise be forgotten) and their responses are below, so be sure not to scroll too quickly so you can hear about their day in their own words!

what were your first thoughts when you woke up that morning?
E- My first thoughts were…I’M GETTING MARRIED TODAY! I was nervous, anxious, excited. I think I literally felt every emotion that day. I was so excited to one: Enjoy the day that we had been waiting in anticipation for over 2 years and two: start this crazy fun marriage journey with my best friend! I was so excited to make it “official,” move into our new home together, and learn so much more about each other.
B- My first thought was “I need to keep practicing my vows.” Lol. We decided to memorize them and I was really, really nervous that I would stutter or forget them. It was a great experience, but for whatever reason, I was really stressed about it. Other than that, I was on cloud nine. I just kept thinking about the timeline and making sure I was where I needed to be.

Did you choose to do a first look or read letters or pray together? Why or why not?
E- We did a first look with our parents. Ben got to see his mom and dad and my dad, mom, brother, and grandpa got to see me. Those were SO emotional and I am SO glad we did that. I think it was really important to us because our parents have been such strong influences in our lives. These were not only for the first look, but for the encouraging words and love we could share with each other before this big moment in our lives.

Ben and I also prayed together around the church door. Since the beginning of our relationship we have discussed the importance of growing together in all aspects, including prayer. It was important to us to begin our marriage in prayer and to remember that marriage is the unity of us with God.
B~We did all three. I did a first look with my mom and Elishia did a first look with her dad. We didn’t do a first look with each other, but we did a prayer together on opposite sides of the church doors before the wedding. That was an incredible experience and I am so happy we decided to do that. We also wrote letters to one another. It was a great way for me to put down my thoughts leading up to the wedding and to read what she wrote before our wedding. All of those things were incredible experiences that helped make our wedding day perfect for us.

What did you feel/think when you first saw each other?
E-This sounds silly, but my thought was oh my gosh this is happening. We have talked about getting married since our first month of dating. We knew from the very start. I remember trying to take every moment in, including the nerves and butterflies as I walked down the aisle. I remember looking at him as I walked down the aisle and forgetting about the hundreds of people who attended our wedding and relishing in just us and the entire reason we were there together, to join as one.
B- My first thought was how can I possibly be this blessed? She looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress and everything was exactly how I hoped it would be. I thought I couldn’t be any happier and I was just blessed to be starting my life as her husband.

what will you always remember about that day?
E- What I remember most is how emotional my dad was. I won’t forget the toast he gave about what to take from our parents as we embark on our journey. From our fathers, probably work ethic and the willingness to take a chance. And from our mother’s compassion for others and for each other. We felt so much love from everyone who was there and I really couldn’t extend the amount of gratitude we feel. We had friends and family from so many different states, and we were surrounded by so much love. It was overwhelming in the best way possible!
All of it. I will never forget any of it. It was perfectly captured in our photos and video. It is all exactly how I remember it. If I had to pick one thing I will never forget, I would pick my best man speeches. My brothers had me rolling from the very beginning.

favorite part of the day?
E- We had a BLAST at the reception. When we look back at the pictures and video footage, there were SO many people up and dancing. We didn’t leave the dance floor. These are some of the best memories and we can’t thank our family and friends enough for being SO much fun to hang out with and making our day so special!
B- It was all awesome, but I probably enjoyed the reception the most. Just dancing, eating, and being with our closest family and friends was a blast.

Elishia & Ben, I wish you every happiness and every blessing there is!!
xoxo JP