The Cattle Barn, Cle Elum, WA

July 2, 2022

Unconditional love is love without conditions. It is a love without bounds, a love that doesn’t flicker or diminish based upon the situation, a love that is offered without expecting anything in return. Unconditional love is a conscious decision to value someone else for the person they truly are, not who you want them to be. That is the love, the true altruism, I witnessed through my camera lens throughout the day on July 2 as Chris and Samantha pledged their love and lives to each other at a simple alter nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Cascade Mountains. This setting tucked in the mountains was perfect, a constant reminder that this kind of unconditional love is as strong, majestic and breathtaking as the mountains looking on.

Chris and Samantha came together at this picturesque setting, each with children from prior relationships but also with children together. Samantha once posted a picture of her new blended family on her social media page, with her stepson’s biological mother and her blended family also in the photo. “His. Hers. Theirs. Mine. Ours. Remove those labels. We are family. We are friends. We do it for that little boy in the middle.” This wasn’t just a post to get a bunch of likes or to look good in their virtual life. It is a passage that this family lives every day. With each of their five children. And with all of the loved ones those children have from prior family units. This takes a very special kind of love. A love that is not jealous. A love that is not self-conscious. A love that is willing to accept the past of others, no matter how threatening it may feel at first. A love that accepts someone with everything in that person’s past that made them the person they are today.

Chris’s oldest son was his best man. The mother of Chris’s oldest son was one Samantha’s bridesmaids. Samantha’s oldest two sons were on each of her arms as she walked down the isle. And Chris and Samantha’s two youngest came down the isle together with big brother pulling little sister in a red wagon decorated with flowers. It truly was a celebration of the whole family.

It was such an honor to capture this day for this family. A couple who took all their children and gently wrapped them all up in their arms, and then added more. More children to love, each for who they are. More children to love unconditionally for the unique individuals they are. This is the kind of love we should all strive for. The kind of love that lasts. It is the kind of love that makes the the good times truly spectacular. More importantly, it is the kind of love that ensures the bond stays strong in the tough times. Congratulations, Chris and Samantha Myers, now Party of Seven!