A letter to our couples:
You’ve probably heard us say this a couple times by now, but we truly are SO excited for you guys and your upcoming marriage! Marriage is a beautiful gift from God, and here at JFP, we make a big deal about that! And this isn’t just because we’re wedding photographers. All those beautiful moments, intimate portraits, and gorgeous details are just the icing on the cake of how incredible a marriage covenant is!
While we make a big deal about it, unfortunately most people don’t. Somehow, this world has shed such a negative light on marriage.
We’re sure you’ve heard comments like, “Marriage is SO hard,” “You’ll lose your freedom,” “Have fun while it lasts,” or even “Marriage is the tomb of love.”
Why such negativity? We could probably spend a long time answering that question, but there are a couple main reasons that we’ll quickly highlight: unrealistic expectations, selfishness, and a lack of preparation. Good news: this doesn’t have to be you.
Hopefully you haven’t experienced too much negativity yet, but chances are you have already been discouraged by these naysayers. We certainly were. In fact, when we were in the waiting room to get our marriage license just weeks before our wedding, one of the workers blurted out, “There’s still time to back out!”
WHAT?! There we were, thrilled to be getting our marriage license, and people were STILL discouraging us.
So is marriage really all that terrible? We strongly believe that it doesn’t have to be! And that’s why we make such a big deal about it here at JFP! Marriage is an entity that God designed and that reflects Him and the covenant between Christ and the Church. It is meant to be cherished, taken seriously, nurtured, and enjoyed. Marriage IS and CAN BE the most beautiful thing, and we want this to be your experience too!
Yet having a beautiful marriage doesn’t just come by wishing for it. It takes preparation and prayer.
And we believe that it also takes encouragement from others, because the world’s view of marriage certainly isn’t helping!
Recently, we were guests at a friend’s wedding. Upon greeting the happy couple at the reception, I (Jenny) said, “You guys are gonna LOVE marriage!” Much to our surprise, the groom stated that I was the first person to ever say that to him. The FIRST. We were shocked!
Yet this resonated with us because when we were engaged, we didn’t really have anyone truly come alongside us (other than our immediate families and premarital counselors) with this kind of encouragement. It is because of this that we see just how important this type of encouragement is and why we have such a strong desire to build you up during this time!
Being a husband is a joy and an honor. Being a wife is a joy and an honor. It won’t be perfect; we’re human. There will be struggles and hard times. But marriage is wonderful! It’s fun! And we want to see you carry that same glow you’ll have on your wedding day for the rest of your lives! What a great legacy to leave not just for your children and grandchildren, but for everyone who has the privilege of knowing you!
So yes, we are genuinely SO excited for you, your wedding (you bet we can’t wait to photograph all those wedding day memories, details, and emotions for you!), and most importantly, your marriage.
Cheering for you!
– Jenny and PJ
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