As a writer, I love symbolism. Even after studying the heck out of it in college, I still love to find metaphors in everyday life.

That's one of the reasons I was thrilled to work with Carroll and Amanda. As Amanda told me about their wedding plans, she couldn't help but overflow with excitement over their wedding choices. Several of their plans weren't just wedding details--they were symbols of something much deeper. As Christians, Amanda and Carroll recognized that their marriage was a symbol of God and His love for the Church. Because of this, they wanted their wedding to be filled with meaningful references to their faith. .

• Bare feet. The wedding party wore no shoes as a reference to the story of Moses. When God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, God told him, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).
• The veil. The veil was important to Amanda, not just because it was beautiful, but also because it symbolized the veil in the Hebrew temple. When Christ died, the veil was torn in two, symbolizing that God and man could have fellowship again (Matthew 27:51).
• Salt and Pepper Shakers. Carroll and Amanda's wedding cake topper was a pair of salt and pepper shakers. This is a nod to the movie Fireproof. While I haven't seen the movie, it's been explained to me that in it a character says a man and wife are like these shakers; they're very different, but you don't see them apart. If you glue them together (like in a marriage), one or both will break when torn apart.
• Christmas carols. Because their wedding took place in the middle of the Christmas season, Carroll and Amanda chose to sing Christmas carols with their guests during the ceremony. They picked ones which had significance to them and their joy as they started their life together.

These are just a few of the symbols from their wedding. See if you can spot these and others in these photos from their day.

Every wedding holds special meaning, and we love capturing that meaning for our clients in their wedding photography. If you're planning a wedding, we'd love to talk about your vision and what we can do to capture it. Contact us today!

-Hannah