Monica and Amon

The wedding that healed my heart

My name is Danielle, the owner BellaFoto Studios and lead photographer.  My husband Kurtis and I planned on starting our family in 2019.  Through all of my experience with children over the years, and the fact that my auntie status was strong, I felt well prepared for this next chapter of family life.  When I was nine weeks along during a routine doctor visit, I agreed to take a prenatal genetic test. I was so eager to find out if I would have the little girl or little boy I had been dreaming about for so long.  What no one prepares you for is the moment your dreams are shattered.  We found out through a phone call the results of the test.  There was an extremely high chance that our baby had Trisomy 21 Down syndrome, and in that moment everything changed.

I worried constantly, and became angry over the prenatal diagnosis.  Would my baby be ok? How could this happen? I waited so long for a child… I prayed, meditated and tried my best to accept the future, all while quietly grieving and struggling with my faith.  No one was the wiser, as I always remained professional for the couples and families I photographed that year. 

I’m someone who believes in God. I believe in fate. I believe there is a purpose and an order to everything and everyone we meet in this life. Monica and Amon’s wedding was a perfect reminder of these beliefs.

At the time of their wedding, I was very pregnant, with swollen feet and frequent bathroom pitstops.  While I was secretly anxious, I was also excited to photograph their wedding at a location I hadn’t been to yet.  When that happens, I go into a super creative mode, welcoming the distraction to my personal life.

Monica and Amon planned their wedding around the location of where they met at work.  I knew it was a summer camp, but what I didn’t realize was this was a camp for people with disabilities.  It was not any old summer camp for kids, but an inclusive, amazing camp for the disabled population of all ages.  I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings over the years, but never at such a rare and beautifully symbolic location.  This was definitely a sign. 

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At the church, my husband/second photographer Kurtis spent a while photographing the groomsmen and ring bearer prior to the ceremony (which is typical of our wedding day workflow).  After the ceremony ended, he rushed over to tell me that he encountered the most bizarre coincidence. The ring bearer’s name was the same name we had picked out for our unborn son- Asher. It’s not a common name, and it is biblical. We chose this name because it meant “happy and blessed”. What are the odds of encountering another Asher? I certainly don’t believe in coincidences anymore.

 In this picture, Amon is holding a four leaf clover given to him by a wedding guest, perhaps to wish them luck in their marriage.  Some parents of children with Down Syndrome refer to themselves as “The Lucky Few”.  The signs were everywhere that day, reinforcing what I was experiencing, and proof to me that God orchestrated it all.  I felt for the first time since I found out that I was pregnant, that we would be okay. God was in control.  This was meant to be. 

I believe God gave me all the signs I needed that day.  My heart healed on September 7, 2019 while photographing Monica and Amon’s wedding. Fast forward to now and my son Asher is thriving.  So like the four leaf clover, we are lucky and he is blessed.  This is the story of how photographing a wedding helped to heal my heart. Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable and share it with you. ❤️