To say that 2020 has been a crazy year is a bit of an understatement for many of us. From COVID19 to lockdowns to an economy hit hard by the effects of said events, 2020 is a year that I think many will be looking forward to put behind us. Despite it all, it is our resilience and our hope in something greater than has allowed us to thrive and survive in these times, including myself.

Natasha “reflects” on her wedding day as she gets her hair done in the morning

The girls have a moment to paint Natasha’s nails.

Once COVID19 hit and we went into lockdown here in Vancouver, I stopped focusing on Jonathan Desmond Photography for a bit. Instead of blogging, I went to try to find toilet paper only to find none. Instead of editing archives of photos, I socially distanced myself from people and turned to video games with friends as the social isolation started to kick in. I also got my Transport Canada Basic Certification for drones but that’s… for another post. Despite all this, 2020 was the year that I finally released my Chinatown Book and to my surprise it did really well, indicating to me that it was and is time for a switch.

I take photographs like this during the day as they tell a fuller story of what was happening. It’s not often little dudes will wear ties, am I right?

With a few more days of 2020 to go, I decided it would be a good time to catch up on some blog entries that I should've written but honestly just didn't care at that time as I was honestly scared for my health and the health of others. And while things are still pretty rough due to COVID19, I've learned also this year that life is precious and that the best time to do things is now because we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Natasha grins at somebody while I use the ninja art of mirrors to capture her back details.

Another photo showing the little moments of a wedding day but they form part of the greater story of a documentary wedding.

Jeremy and Natasha's wedding story is a story of resilience and love in the time of unforeseen circumstances. The original wedding was planned for 2018 but there was a sudden turn in Jeremy's health. I recall going to the hospital and visiting Jeremy and I saw that Natasha was there while Jeremy lay unconscious. She held his hand and kept talking to him despite everything that was going on. She would be there for hours and weeks on end.

Natasha’s Dad concentrating on his steps as he leads Natasha down to the altar to Jeremy.

The 2018 wedding was ultimately postponed and as Jeremy recovered, there was a small family party that was held on the date that the original wedding was supposed to be. It was really amazing to see Jeremy's recovery and to see his resilience in all this and not losing his occasional dry humour when I talked with him; Natasha was always by his side. It was also really amazing to see family and friends come together to celebrate with them.

Eventually 2019 rolled around and Jeremy and Natasha soon booked their new wedding in the summer at Estate 248 in Langley. The day came and the sun shone brightly on an amazing wedding day that was filled with laughter, tears and friends and family... but most importantly, a story that made me see the resilience of love and a hope in Jesus that is greater than the circumstances.