Lauren and Cody |Wisconsin Wedding Photographer

It was a warm January day, the sunlight made sharp intricate shadows on the cement parking lot. The weather was a balmy 49 degrees, practically shorts and T-shirt weather in Wisconsin. The warmth was just about everywhere that day.

The words "Welcome to Our Beginning." greeted me in large letters when I walked through the church doors. The hallways of Faith Bible Church were quiet, but the hum of excitement was evident as soon as I opened the door to Lauren's getting ready room.

"Guys, I get to marry Cody Conhartoski today! Can you believe this?" I don't think Lauren stopped smiling once the whole entire day. After prayers, hugs, happy tears, and approximately six measures of music, she walked down the aisle holding her dad's hand. The same hand that held her when she was a tiny baby. I think maybe that's what her dad was thinking as he wiped away the tears - maybe he was thinking of his little girl who had grown up way too fast. Life goes by just a tad too quickly, and before you know it, your daughter's last name is different and you've gained a son-in-law. It's happy, sad, joy-filled, bittersweet, and exciting all at the same time.

If you were there you probably felt a lot of those emotions too. But what stuck out to me the most was the joy. It radiated. Lauren and Cody make each other laugh, they make each other smile, they make each other better. They make the people around them better too. As I said good-bye at the end of the night, they gave me a hug. And if you know Lauren and Cody that probably doesn't surprise you one bit. They're always making sure that everyone feels loved.

Congratulations Lauren and Cody! I wish you two nothing but the best! Your joy looks good on camera :)

Much love,

Carley