Mother-Daughter Moment on Wedding Day

No matter where you go around the world, a wedding is one of the most important celebrations in human culture. After all, it's a celebration of love and loyalty. It's the creation of a new family. What else is more worth celebrating?! Weddings are for the bride and groom. But not just for them! They are for the bride's and groom's families also. I think most other cultures are more aware of this than modern American culture. The union of families is a more central focus of some Indian and Buddhist wedding we've photographed, for instance. Eileen's parents (Filipino) certainly made clear to me that I was marrying the whole family -- not just their daughter -- when I asked for their blessing to propose to her. All that to stay, I love these stories in photos -- a mother or father's first look at a child moving off into the next stage of life. It's a beautiful reminder of how much marriage and family mean. Let's honor them!