One of the many blessings that come from being a preacher’s husband is the opportunity to go with her to various events. Dinners, speaking invitations, civic engagements, preaching, weddings.

I get to spend time with Rebekah, meet interesting people, celebrate important occasions, enjoy good food, and more.

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

John 2:1-3

Saturday afternoon and into the evening, at The Barn at Camp Nellie, located on a beautiful tract of farmland a little way east-southeast of Raleigh, Rebekah officiated at the wedding of Leigh Berger and Mitch Weinberger and I had another serendipitous experience.

I don’t always pull out my camera, but Saturday was such a lovely evening and the wedding such a joyful time that I wanted to capture some images and write a few words.

The bride and the groom were coming together to create a new, blended, family, and there is such a lot of love and promise filling up the busy new household.

Both Leigh and Mitch bring the long story of their rich faith histories to the equation, a juxtaposition allowing Rebekah the opportunity to honor both faith in Christ and the Hebrew tradition from which Jesus took his identity.

When the worship service ended Rebekah blessed the couple, the groom stomped his foot on a wine glass, and the congregation enthusiastically shouted the most unique Jewish-Presbyterian version of “mazel tov!”

So I gathered a collection of observational photographs that tell a series of stories within the story. Personally, I think they are beautiful. Enjoy!

In love and – always – because of love – DEREK

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