For many of us, life is full of noise and complexity. We immerse ourselves in distractions and obligations, keeping our schedules full. We’re always thinking ahead to the future, trying to be better than who we were in the past—Our minds full of a thousand hopes, dreams, and worries.
Though having ambitions is certainly a good thing, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself when you’re caught up in a swirl of constant activity. You forget how to separate the essential from the nonessential and cease to take notice of the present moment, with all of its small joys. Eventually, you may get so preoccupied that you lose your sense of interconnectedness: The tether that binds you to the universe, to those you love, and to your own soul. This is why some couples, like Lauren and Steven, choose to make their wedding a time when they get back to basics: Their moving wedding at Olympic Lagoon Resort was a simple, emotive celebration that eschewed fanfare in favour of heartfelt words and moments of deep tenderness. Their celebration placed the emphasis on beautiful scenery, the warmth of family, and time-honoured traditions, without any pretense.
After all, it’s when we remove needless complexity from our lives that we start to access our own purity: We lay our souls bare, stripped of material embellishment, and let their truth speak in the silence we create. Doing this—exposing our raw selves—takes a bravery that outshines any flashy bauble and outlasts any luxury. As I shot this touching wedding photography in Ayia Napa, I was struck by Steven’s courage as he said his vows to Lauren, his voice filled with emotion. Surrounded by his family and friends, he felt no need to hide or pretend; he opened his heart to all in attendance as he told Lauren that he would love her always, come what may.
Through simplicity, we can find beauty in even the most ordinary things: A flower waving in the breeze; a single raindrop hitting a puddle, creating a perfect circle of ripples; that one ray of light that pierces through thick gray clouds. When this same sense of simplicity is applied to love, as it was during this moving wedding at Olympic Lagoon Resort, the miraculous nature of love is made clear, in all of its power and glory.
When we strip away the excess from our lives, we remember it’s love that anchors us to this world, and to the divine. We know that when we let go of absolutely everything else, when we have nothing left, one thing will remain to give us a sense of meaning, purpose, and passion: Our love for each other.
