Mr. and Mrs. Hazaert - 6.1.24

Oh. My. Goodness.

I’ve lost count of how many weddings I have photographed, but every so often I am lucky enough to document the joining of two people that is just so moving, I ride the high for several days.

Lauren and Mayson’s wedding was one of those weddings. If I had to pick two words to describe the focuses of the day, it would be two F-words (and neither of them is the word you may be thinking): Faith and Fun.

These two lovebirds met because they were both part of the Cru Ministry, which is a Christian Ministry at UWSP. Mayson knew rather quickly that she would be his future bride. The weekend after they met, he took a trip to Minnesota with some friends and realized how awful it was being away from her. When I asked him what his favorite thing about her is, his response was simple: “her commitment to Jesus and her lovely personality”.

For her, she knew he was “the one” when he had Facetimed his parents to introduce them to her. His excitement about their blossoming relationship during that call made her feel loved in a way she never had felt before. For Lauren, his quest for knowledge and growth is what she loves most about him. She loves that he always wants to understand the world and his faith even further on a daily basis.

The day of their wedding started out very rainy (which thankfully subsided by the time the ceremony was over). The two got married at Woodlands Church in Stevens Point, which I had never had the pleasure of photographing at before. It is a beautiful space with a very warm and welcoming vibe.

Even if I didn’t know ahead of time about the importance of their faith in their relationship, their wedding day made it abundantly clear. Not only does this pair center their relationship around Christ, so do their friends and family. Before the ceremony, once she was all ready to go, Lauren’s bridesmaids and the two moms formed a circle around her and prayed for her and Mayson. It was such a beautiful moment. As the doors were about to open for her to walk down the aisle, Mayson bowed his head and (if I had to guess) said a prayer for his bride. Once he got a look at his wife-to-be, he looked straight up to the heavens with a look of thanksgiving on his face. Their vows were perfect promises to one another, and to God, for their life ahead.

Another thing I love about these two is how much fun they have with one another. During the ceremony, it was clear they knew the gravity of the pledge they were about to make to one another. Once it was picture time, everyone loosened up and had a blast. The groomsmen even had a few requests of photos they wanted to do… definitely some creative minds there!

We managed to sneak away for a few photos of just the two of them at Iverson Park. Unfortunately the ground was soaked from the rain the past few days, but that didn’t hinder their joy!

The reception was an absolute blast. I haven’t seen a dance floor as continually packed as that in a long time. The fun everyone was having was literally palpable. Of course, the waterworks also flowed as the couple had their first dance as well as the dances with their parents. The best man’s speech really touched me as well. He talked about how he was so thankful that Mayson and Lauren found one another and that he knew that Mayson would be a wonderful husband to Lauren, truly upholding her dignity as a woman, a wife, and hopefully a mother someday.

Speaking of fun on the dance floor… This is my 15th season photographing weddings (WHAT?!) and I got to experience a first at this reception. The DJ pulled a few guys from the dance floor and told them he was going to teach them a “country line dance”. But then he told them it wasn’t country western, but rather a line dance from another country: Scotland! Complete with makeshift kilts for them to wear, he taught the guys (and everyone else on the dance floor) a simple Scottish dance. It was hilarious!

Another noteworthy part of the reception was the longevity dance. The DJ did the usual dance where all married couples come to the dance floor and he dismisses them based on how long they’ve been married. I’ve seen this at a lot of weddings but the sheer volume of couples still on the dance floor at the 40-year mark was inspiring. There had to have been at least a dozen. Even at the 50 mark, there were a handful left. The winning couple was 63 years. While I have zero doubts that Mayson and Lauren will have decades of wedded bliss, the fact that they are surrounded by so many long and happy marriages can only solidify that their love will only grow as the years progress.

Mayson and Lauren, it was a privilege to capture your day. You are an amazing couple with an awesome foundation, and I wish you both a beautiful life together!