Yesterday, we laid to rest a family friend that had been married to his wife for almost sixty years. Sixty years. As I sat there in the pew during the funeral service, my heart ached for his wife. After sixty years of love and devotion, she’s separated from her spouse and has to continue her life without him.

I’ve only been married to Michael for five and a half years, but since our wedding day, I have grown to love him more and more every day, every month, and every year. In my whole life, I never knew that I could love someone as much as I love Michael. It always sounded so cheesy to me when someone said their significant other “completed them” but they couldn’t be more right. When you are truly devoted to someone and love them unconditionally, you really do feel a sense of completeness and that if they were to ever leave you, part of you would leave too. The bond you have with your spouse is so much stronger than when you’re dating. That’s something I’ve become really excited for our couples to discover. Sure, you love your spouse when you’re dating, and then engaged, and you’re head over heels on your wedding day, but that’s nothing compared to what lies ahead.

I tell my brides all the time in my emails with them that marriage is awesome and I can’t wait for them to see just how amazing it is. I think that’s part of why I love photographing weddings so much. Michael and I believe in the sanctity of marriage, unconditional love and loyalty to each other. That only grows stronger and stronger as the years go on. I can’t wait for my brides to experience this kind of love. A love that doesn’t care if you haven’t showered since Wednesday. A love that doesn’t care if you’ve put on ten pounds because you’re his wife and he loves you no matter what. A love that prays with you. A love that prays for you to have a good day every day. A love that kisses you every night before you go to bed and wakes you up at 6am to tell you he loves you and kiss you good bye on his way to work. A love that is unconditional. A love that is how Christ loved the Church.

There were so many times yesterday that I thought to myself, “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Michael.” Just the thought of my life without him makes me emotional. And not because I’m dependent on him for my happiness or that I have no life outside of him, but because of the bond that we share together as husband and wife. A bond that is stronger and deeper than any other relationship I have ever experienced. Your spouse is truly your best friend and you really do become “one” in marriage.

I love watching our newly engaged couples begin to experience this for themselves. As I watch our couples being so in love on their wedding days, I just want to tell them that it only gets better. It’s the best thing in the world and there’s nothing else like it. When Michael and I got married, I walked down the aisle to the acoustic version of Brad Paisley’s “Then.” When we were dating, Michael played this song for me and told me it reminded him of us. It slowly became “our song” and it couldn’t be more perfect. The song describes his love for his spouse as growing stronger and stronger and how he thought he loved her back “then”. This is exactly what happens is marriage. I thought I loved Michael on our wedding day but I love him so much more today.

I don’t know if we will live long enough to be married sixty years but I do know that we will be married as long as we are alive. And that’s exactly how God intended marriage to be. His perfect plan of unity between husband and wife is truly amazing. So go hug your spouse and tell them you love them. And to my brides, get excited for what lies ahead. It’s the best!