a story to tell their grandkids...

I snapped these photos of Hannah and Casey at their wedding rehearsal Friday night at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona -when they had no idea what was in store for the coming day!

Saturday afternoon I had taken the first few photos of Hannah's beautiful dress freshly unveiled in her room and the rings waiting patiently on the dressing table when we received word that everyone was evacuating the hotel.  We looked out the window and saw smoke blowing across the lawn, the white chairs, the arch...was this really happening?  Outside in the parking lot it became clear there would be a wedding, no doubt about that, but it would not be at Little America where a wildfire was burning dangerously close.  I wish I had words to do justice to the events that unfolded over the next few hours.  At one point Shawn was leading a group of guys through the smoke to commandeer the chairs and arch (bring in the Marines!) Hannah's cousin, Monica, was calling all her local connections and making things happen.  Hannah's parents, Don and Mary, were laughing about "the list" that had up till then been oh-so-crucial but suddenly was being thrown out completely as God proved who was really in control of this day!  A little wild fire wasn't going to stop the celebration.

As Mary prayed with a circle of loved ones in the smoky parking lot, she reminded us of the first miracle Jesus performed -at a wedding.  The unwavering faith and trust we witnessed in the Campbell's through the day was inspiring. Cell phones were buzzing, jokes were cracking, prayers were lifting and good things were happening.  Within hours, we had rooms at a new hotel, a gorgeous ceremony location secured, a restaurant willing to host the perfect reception and most important and beautiful to see- family and friends working together to make it all happen out of their love for Casey and Hannah.  We saw such joy...amidst just a teensy bit of chaos!  It was truly beautiful in every way.

You can read the story as it was told in the Arizona Daily Sun and check out the other pre-wedding photos I posted on Flickr!