St. James Wedding: Laura + Greg

Valentine's day is the perfect day to honor marriage. A lot of people seem down on the day of love since the commercialization of the holiday. I would agree that there seems to be a little too much pink and red heart shaped this and buy your honey that to let them know you care. I do like Valentine's day though. Not because it brings pretty flowers into my home, (I do love the flowers) not because of the red heart shaped jello jigglers I made for Tommy's preschool class(yum!) but because it is a day of hope and faith for me. A hope for everyone in this little world to learn to love with all their potential and a faith that one day I will love more perfectly. I am the first to admit that I will always need to work on honoring those I love with more patience, understanding, communication and patience. :) I am imperfect and John loves me in spite of my imperfections. For this I will always be eternally grateful.

Valentine's Days' origins come from Saint Valentine. Valentine was a priest who believed in marriage so passionately he secretly wed the soldiers of Rome when Emperor Claudius forbade all marriages of young men. Emperor Claudius outlawed marriage because he thought it made the men poor soldiers. I wonder if Emperor Claudius knew true love. I can't believe if the Emperor had known true love he would have made the law, for only when someone loves with all that they have would they be willing to give up everything to defend it. I would argue marriage would make a stronger soldier. Marriage teaches you to fight for the greater good, to value someone more than yourself, to believe in a beautiful future and to never give up.

St. Valentine is the patron saint of couples and young people in love. There couldn't be a more fitting day to post photos of Laura and Greg from their wedding a week ago at St. James Catholic Church in Vancouver. The ceremony was so touching and the couple very much in love. Father Hahn spoke of beauty while marrying them and a phrase he used during his message has been playing over and over in my head since that day. "You are beautiful, because you are loved." Laura is beautiful and she looked so much more so standing up beside Greg, to take him as her husband. Marriage adds beauty to the love people have and adds it in different ways for every couple. I wish Laura and Greg all the best as they start their own journey.