Freewill is an illusion. Or it’s not. Either way, strange and mysterious forces are at work beyond our wildest comprehension.
Case in point, the miraculous entanglement of external and internal forces that willed Lyndsay and Jason’s lives together (and Erika and mine somehow into that mix). Imagine the labyrinthine brew of coincidences that conspired to compel Lyndsay and Jason to mutually, fatefully swipe right. Or the chronic dating mishaps and near-misses that must have transpired to leave Jason, despite relentless efforts, conspicuously single after 35 years of bachelorhood (to say nothing of Lyndsay’s perplexing eligibility).
As if the absurdity of all that wasn’t improbable enough, let’s throw in the serendipitous wrench that struck Jason square in his unsuspecting face upon swiping right into the wonderful world of Lyndsay. Meet Preston, Lyndsay’s 7-going-on-8-year-old pride and joy. Jason discovered pretty quickly that Lyndsay & Jason was an impossibility. It would have to be Lyndsay & Preston & Jason. To his own dismay, Jason soon found that, not only could he live with that; he couldn’t live without that. Such is the universe-altering force that is Preston. You just can’t not love the kid. And he comes with one heck of a mom!
The Universe had seemingly conspired to manifest elusive pieces of Lyndsay, Jason and Preston’s lives into existence. What could possibly go wrong?
Cancer.
Flash forward past a whole mess of fear, uncertainty, and existential crises…
Relief, gratitude, and Jason’s one testicle, is all that remains of the scare that brought crystalline clarity to everything. At the core of that, is the one word we’d use to describe the true heart and soul of this whole wedding… family.
Family… as a noun describing a beautiful thing, and an adjective describing a beautiful feeling. The interconnected oneness permeating everything about this celebration was downright palpable. At the nucleus of it all, the grand opening of the Lyndsay-Jason-Preston super-trio, setting forth through life’s twisty adventure. Cheering them on, Lyndsay, Jason, and Preston’s wonderful families, forging together into one super-family. Surrounding that, a loving network of super-friends, with hearts wide open.
In and amongst all this, gratefully feeling part of the whole damn-fam, were two Manns; observing it all from peculiar positions with cameras pressed up to eye balls.
Family and cameras, after all, is what connected us into this whole celebration. Jason happens to be one heck of a professional wedding photographer. He literally Crushes it. We first met him and his whole family, while photographing Craig and Sara’s wedding back in 2012 (no link, we sucked back then). Craig is the one of Jason’s two brothers who did not have to share their mom’s womb. Craig and Sara’s adorable little girl, nary a twinkle in their eyes back in 2012, is the one yawning her way through the ceremony below. 🙂
Against all odds (there’s a theme going here), the Haughey family trusted Erika and I once again with another of their weddings. And not just any wedding; their grand finale wedding; the one nobody thought would happen. As such, there was a certain miraculous, almost surreal feel to the whole thing. It was, as was everything that coaxed it into existence, the perfect concoction of imperfectly perfect reality.
We’re often asked, “What makes a great wedding?” To the bewilderment of many, it’s not the location. 😮 “Impossible!” It’s not the venue. 😮 “Bollocks!” It’s not the weather. 😮 “My ass!” It’s not the flowers. 😮 “Sacrilege!” It’s not the centrepieces. 😮 “Shame!” It’s not the food. 😮 Ok, it is the food… and the music. Good food and good music make good weddings. But what makes a great wedding? None of these things.
Lyndsay and Jason’s wedding took place at the idyllic Cherry Creek Estate in beautiful British Columbia. The weather was perfect. The lighting and staging of the reception barn was a remarkable, painstaking labour of love. The food was seriously outstanding. The music rocked all night. And it all marinated thoroughly in boundless booze. That all makes for a good wedding. But what makes for a great wedding? Simply… great relationships.
Start to finish, we were gifted by captivating relationships throughout the entire wedding. The explicit love between Lyndsay and Jason, to be sure; but also the special bond between Preston and his mom. He is her irreplaceable little man; she, the sparkling centre of his universe. Equally charming is the budding mano-a-mano relationship between Jason and Preston. Jason’s heartfelt vows to Preston left chills on my skin, and the back of my camera salty wet. Speaking of which, being no stranger to a Haughey wedding, we kept close eyes (and lenses) on Jason’s mom in particular, for those unmistakable signs of powerful emotions within. The unabashed, unwavering love, support and pride from each of Lyndsay and Jason’s parents is a gift to behold. As are all the deep, robust friendships intertwining Lyndsay and Jason. Observing and documenting these precious relationships was a challenging and rewarding privilege.
Lyndsay, Jason, and Preston, we’re so happy the Universe interwove your paths; moreover, intersected them with ours. Thanks for bringing us into your constellation of love and family, and for trusting us to shed whatever light we can onto the beauty of all that.
Stars align in strange and mysterious ways!
Love, Lanny & Erika
Photography – Two Mann Studios | Venue – Cherry Creek Estate | Videography – ZRM Studios | Day-of Coordination – It’s All in the Details | Hair & Makeup – Bellamore Beauty | Officiant – Heather Babiarz | DJ – Local DJ (Tyler Hogan) | Flowers – MJ’s Floral | Lighting – Starlite Sales and Rental | Lyndsay’s Dress – Novia Mia | Moral & Logistical Support – Chris Martin
