A joyous portrait of a college couple & their tasteful occasion of Holy Matrimony in Columbus, Ohio

The Spartzs

I always have eyes out for what Jesus is doing every wedding I attend. This experience was visceral.

Out of the blue a lady approached the bride and groom after Mass at St. Mary’s in German Village on our way to the bridal party shoot. She started wiping her eyes and smiled generously. “My husband and I were walking by the church and heard such beautiful music that we had to go in. We have never seen a wedding Mass with such devotion before.

“Would you like to have your photos taken in our private garden? It is such a sight, and we do not allow just anyone to enjoy it with us.”

The bride and groom gracefully glanced at one another and to us with a look conveying that they knew we were about to enter a profound moment. When we walked past the brick walls encircling their property, Chris & Karolyn just kept saying under their breath, “I just can’t believe this.” Some of my favorite shots from a wedding I have ever taken were in this garden!

Why do I care so much about the stories of couples getting married, rather than just being focused on the wedding day itself? It is because their lives speak to our lives: the gifts we see flowering in others start germinating in ourselves after we get a taste of their goodness; the sorrow we go through can lead to healing if we listen to the victory others have reached; and most of all, the witness of two individuals laying down their everything for one another is something we must hear often (“There is no greater love than this: than for one to lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:13).

Chris & Karolyn’s story for me means that I have access into once-in-a-lifetime experiences on an ordinary basis, if only I am open to it. Experiences which truly can become suspended in or entangled with eternity. From their friendships to their dealings with family to their reception decorations, this couple is determined to show you a new way to life.

Spontaneous moments like our “secret garden” weren’t just for Chris & Karolyn now that you are watching this - but I wouldn’t be surprised if when, God willing, Chris & Karolyn go to meet their Father in heaven, He would meet them in a garden similar in image to the one we visited on their wedding day. That’s the kind of once-in-a-lifetime moments you get a glimpse of when you hear stories such as theirs.