We’re honored to share something a little bit different on Once Wed today. We love being able to celebrate moments between a new husband and wife on a regular basis, but today, we’re looking at the special relationship between a bride-to-be and her mother and sisters.
Read on for more from Carrie Moe of Type A Society:
“This shoot was inspired by two things – this quote by George Eliot: “Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face,” as well as the word Redamancy.
Definition: A love returned in full; an act of loving the one who loves you.
This idea of a young woman coming to understand and fully appreciate the love and sacrifice her mother poured selflessly upon her. Children grow into love, they don’t fully comprehend the love their mother has for them until they are married or entering marriage or when they have children of their own.
I wanted to do a story focusing on mother-daughter love…there are so many times of love in this world and I am always drawn to the love that ties kin together…sister to sister, mother to daughter, father to son, mother to son etc.
I was drawn towards Rebecca Olmstead, a mother of 14 children whose ages range from 32 to 10, who is pictured here as the mother in this story. Yetta and Talia pictured here are 2 of her 14 incredible children. When I met Becky 5 years or so ago, I deeply admired her strength as she never seemed to be stressed and had kept her body, mind, and spirit alive and thriving through all of the child raising. She had come out of the other side of motherhood with beautiful laugh lines and hands that were some of the prettiest I have seen, worn with selfless service. Her courage and love for her family shines through her eyes. She schooled all of her children at home and each one of her children has gone on to be so unique and strong because of her strength – pursuing careers in politics, business, and art. Picking a mother daughter trio that shared such a deep connection made these images shine.
I feel like we can glean so much from our mothers as we head towards marriage…those last few months, before we depart being young girls becoming women, are so tender and precious. I wanted to showcase those sweet moments before the wedding day—the tender moments you share with your mother as you get ready, ponder the leaving her, and feel the sadness mixed with joy. Crossing the bridge into womanhood is such a bittersweet thing as it means you can really never go back to being your mother’s little child…you become her friend or a peer and your relationship radically changes. Those sweet last moments between a mother and daughter are some of the memories I cherish most on my wedding day.”
