When Marco landed in Virginia just a few short weeks ago, he was about to embark on a whirlwind adventure that started with meeting Lydia’s family for the very first time, even though they were getting married in less than a month! Marco is from Peru, and he met Lydia when she followed God’s calling there without any intention of leaving with a husband. Their joy over God’s goodness and all their answered prayers was the main theme of the day, and it’s what made their wedding over-the-top beautiful.

Because of their unique circumstances, Marco and Lydia chose to have two receptions - one directly after their ceremony so the whole church could celebrate, followed by an intimate family dinner at Norfolk Botanical Garden, with the added bonus of portraits all around the beautiful end-of-summer blooms. My favorite part of the day was their first look. Lydia promised she would make him cry, but Marco had no idea she meant to record special messages from the friends and family who couldn’t travel internationally but still wanted to be a part of his special day. Between the videos playing on his phone, their special song in the background, and seeing his beautiful bride dressed in white, tears were quickly rolling down his face…