IlA Marshall

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Vow Renewal on Oahu: The Ellis Session

Anniversary Sessions

A Vow Renewal on Oahu: 20 Years in the Making

I was delighted to hear from Cheryne as she planned her vow renewal in Oahu, Hawaii. A ceremony on the beach has been their dream for quite some time now, and when they moved to Hawaii, they realized it could come to fruition for their 20th anniversary. This post is all about their vow renewal on Oahu.

A Dreamy Beach on Oahu

Showing up before everyone else has its perks as a photographer. I get the chance to quietly and introspectively enjoy the view. The tide this evening was low as I set my toes in the warm sand, and rain clouds threatened to roll through our sandy playground, but the bright sun still lit up the scene with a soft glow. Clouds can be our friends sometimes!

The clouds loomed but didn’t damper the mood of the Ellis children as they drew characters in the sand while we awaited all the ceremony guests. One of our guests was so kind as to live-stream the ceremony from the beach. It’s astonishing how technology can bring us together, especially in special moments like this!

Vow Renewal and Exchanging of Rings

Chaplain Braswell delivered a beautiful ceremony to the backdrop of palm trees and a foreground of leis. These lei were beautifully made by The Orchid Lei Company. They helped create a special moment with the Ellis family for these vow renewal photos!

As the vow renewal ceremony concluded, we stepped aside to get some photos of our celebrants. While capturing Cheryne and Joshua’s portraits, I noticed something about this couple that I couldn’t describe. It was a quiet thing. Something that made me see that they have weathered some storms in their 20 years of marriage where a ceremony and photoshoot couldn’t make them nervous.

They were so comfortable and treated each other so tenderly. It’s inspiring to see that after 20 years together, they still have love in their eyes and a heart full of kindness for one another.