Erin Quinn Hinson + Joshua Daniel Leopold // Shenandoah National Park, VA.

{ a rent wedding }

in an age of information overload some words are lost in a sea of irrelevance.
just as the invention of the clock altered our perception of time and self
perhaps all this “realtime” technology is the proverbial nail in the coffin for all that is timeless.
in this case, i speak of love.
like so many words which once held any visceral meaning, fast becoming a social artifact
in an age of the fleeting instant and trivial pursuit.
s l o w  d o w n
what good is it to gain the world but have not love.
stop to listen to your soul
can you still recognize it amidst the chaos.
such is the modern miracle
in a world of seemingly endless chaos
of deafening images and blinding noises
that two separate souls on two distinct journies
can find each other
and
{ love }
there is hope yet for humanity.

————

once in a while a truly special wedding comes around
this is one of those instances
i can only hope that these photographs have done the beauty found on that day justice
i know we live in an age of the throwaway image
where our attention spans are only as long as a cut from one television scene to the next
but take time to be part of this day.
i had to take my time working on these images
because i found in each one a deep and profound truth
i could not work on a single image and not be completely and utterly attached
we often think of love as a mutual feeling shared between two parties
at times we are fortunate enough to experience it ourselves
at times it is enough to observe its presence among others
and then there is that type of love that is haunting
you see it and recognize it in others
you leave it
and yet it stays with you.
i do not know erin and josh very well.
all i know is what i saw on that day
and still feel today.
congratulations again you guys
may lovepeacejoy fill your life together.

————-

The Invitation
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

it doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.

i want to know what you ache for,

and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

it doesn’t interest me how old you are.

i want to know if you will risk looking a fool for love,

for your dreams,

for the adventure of being alive.

it doesn’t interest me what planets are square in your moon.

i want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,

if you have been opened by life’s betrayals

or have become shriveled

and closed down from fear of further pain.

i want to know if you can sit with pain,

mine or your own,

without moving, to hide it

fade it,

[ pause ]
{ jumping the broom }
” the broom was a feature in west and central africa and romani (gypsy) wedding ceremonies, due to its significance.
before the american civil war, slaves could not have european-style weddings with wedding rings-
the conventionally recognized symbols of marriage.
slaves instead jumped the broom before witnesses as a public ceremonial announcement
that a couple had chose to become married. ”
[ resume ]

or fix it.

i want to know if you can be with joy,

mine or your own;

if you can dance with wildness

and let ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes

without cautioning us to be careful,

be realisitic,

or to remember the limitations of being human.

it doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.

i want to know if you can disappoint another

to be true yourself;

if you can bear the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own soul.

i want to know if you can be faithful

and therefore trustworthy.

i want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day,

and if you can source your life on the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the moon in God’s presence.

it doesn’t interest me to know where you live

or how much money you have.

i want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair,

weary and bruised to the bone,

and do what needs to be done for the children.

it doesn’t interest me who you know,

or how you came here.

i want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

it doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied

i want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

i want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like company you keep
in empty moments.