For most couples, planning a dream wedding can take months, even years. But when Jordan and Chelsea Harper found out Chelsea’s mom was given a week to live, they had no choice but to plan their wedding in less than two days.
What the bride and groom didn't know was that Teal would be shooting their ceremony in the exact same hospital where both of her parents died four years earlier.
After recognizing the name of the hospital, Teal reached out and offered to shoot the wedding for free. "It soon became clear that everybody involved in the wedding had donated their services to this young couple, as the mother of the bride was given a week to live just days beforehand," Teal wrote in a blog post.
As Teal arrived to shoot the wedding, she realized that not only was it the same hospital where both of her parents died of stage 4 cancer, but the ceremony was taking place in the exact same room where her mother's funeral was held.
While Teal decided to not to share her history with the bride and groom, given the stress they were already under, some staff members recognized her and couldn't believe she agreed to shoot the ceremony.
Despite the last-minute planning, the ceremony ran smoothly and Chelsea's mom, Kim, was able to watch her daughter say I do.
"I think the moment that stands out was watching the bride break down in tears and her mother, Kim, wipe her tears away at the same time. It just brought the reality of the situation to the forefront," Teal told BuzzFeed.
"It was an honor to take part in the ceremony, and an honor to photograph it, to be able to give them precious memories," Teal wrote.
