With just one look at the About page on the Nina and Wes Photography website, it’s immediately evident how much marriage matters to this Kentucky-based, husband-and-wife photographer team–both the marriages of the couples they photograph, and their own. Like many couples, Nina and Wes have endured hardships in their relationship, but they came through their trials stronger than ever. We are so grateful that they shared their story and favorite thing about marriage with us for V7!
My favorite thing about marriage is the ability to speak truth to the one I love without fear of being rejected. When we first got married, my husband and I often found ourselves hurt and wounded when we told each other what we were really feeling, because we didn’t know how to communicate well with one another. I remember a time when I would go days without speaking to my husband because I felt so hurt by what he had said to me. He, in turn, was left frustrated and angry, because he didn’t know why I wasn’t speaking to him. At a certain point, he didn’t even want to stay married to me because of our inability to communicate with each other in the right way. I remember wondering if things would ever be okay for us, because I didn’t want a failed marriage. I loved my husband so much! Eleven years have passed since we first got married, and we are now in an entirely different place. God healed some of the deepest wounds in us, some that went back as far as our childhoods.
At a certain point, slowly, we started to learn to speak truth in love to one another. We have learned that just because we have a disagreement, it’s not the end of the world. More often than not, we are able to laugh at our disagreement, which is something that never would have happened when we first got married. We have learned that real, true, and lasting love is something worth fighting for. If we had given up five years into our marriage, we never would have seen the beautiful treasure our marriage has become. And now, even when we disagree or have arguments (oh yes, we are normal–we still argue from time to time), we know we can talk through those things without fear of one or the other leaving. We are secure enough in our love for one another and in the strength of our marriage that we have the freedom to disagree! Being loved and cherished for the unique person you were created to be is priceless.
Last year, we renewed our vows in a field of yellow wildflowers in Norway, looking over the fjords and glaciers in the distance. It was beautiful and magical, and in that field, this time with our three-year-old twins by our side, we cried through every word we spoke, as we committed ourselves to each other once again.
Keep up with Nina and Wes:
Website: Nina and Wes Photography
Blog: Nina and Wes Photography
Facebook: Nina and Wes Photography
Instagram: @NinaAndWes
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