It’s not every day that your baby sister gets married. You’d think it would be easier to write about something so close to my heart, but it’s actually more difficult to put into words what this day was since it meant so much.

It’s been years since I first met Aaron in my parent’s basement. I remember thinking “eh, he’s okay” as so many older sisters do. I know my view may be biased, but Jaley is truly gorgeous - inside and out. She is the sort of person to send you front + back love letters when you first go away to college to let you know that home doesn’t have to feel so far away. She’s spent so much time with me having sister nacho dates (which were basically just an excuse to eat jalapeños). She’s also the type of woman that doesn’t know how beautiful she is (ayeeeee looking at you, One Direction) which is as frustrating as it is remarkable. She is humble, dedicated, loyal, giving, and as tenderhearted as they come.

I wasn’t going to be easily convinced that this boy (strikingly reminiscent of John Mayer at the time haha) was deserving of her.

But let me tell you about Aaron. He gives just as much as Jaley does. He is so kind and sweet to her. One of my favorite memories is watching him cut up Jaley’s steak so that she didn’t have to take her arms out of her blanket during dinner. He’s the kind of person that sees so clearly what somebody feels, and it’s amazing to me how well he and Jaley fit together. She is everything that he needs, and he is everything that she deserves.

They met when they were teenagers at a church dance. It still blows my mind that it was Jaley that asked Aaron to dance during the last song of the night. If you know Jaley, you know that she is not the forward sort. When you first meet her, she may come across as a little bit shy and reserved. But here, she threw caution to the wind and asked a cute boy to dance.

I don’t really know what encouraged her to act so out of character, but I like to believe that a tiny piece of her heart knew that Aaron was going to be important in her life. And I know that sounds as cheesy as the nachos on our sister dates, but look where we ended up.

Every part of their day was beautiful. They kept everything really intimate, including a private ceremony with just their mothers present. (Well, and me. Definitely the #1 perk of being a wedding photographer ever.)

My favorite part of their day was while they were exchanging their vows to each other. I couldn’t hear what they said to each other, but I could feel the unconditional love and I took pictures of tears rolling down both of their cheeks. And really, that’s what a wedding day is all about.

It’s so crazy to me to think that my family pulled this wedding together in just a little over a month. Even the dress wasn’t decided on until about a month ago. But sometimes things that are meant to be just fall together; like a reception, wedding details, or even a 17 year old gathering courage she didn’t know she had to ask a boy to dance.

Welcome to the family, Aaron!

My Favorite Detail: Jaley has a bracelet engraved with our Great Grandmother’s signature. Bama and Jaley were especially close, and since she is no longer with us, it was so touching to see a physical representation of her at the wedding

Tear-Jerking Moment: Their first dance, fo sho. I don’t even have to explain this one, just look at the pictures below and look at how genuine the look of love is on Aaron’s face.

A Jaley + Aaron Kind of Love: I know I’ve kind of already said it before, but when you have two selfless people and put them together, you create a certain type of relationship magic. This is a love that is tender, dedicated, kind, with just the right amount of fun sprinkled on top.