Weddings aren't just about cementing relationships with significant others; they're about celebrating the day two people become family. Which was exactly the case for Dalton Mort who decided to "wear" her daughter, Ellie, on the day she got married. The mom shared her big day with both her groom and her toddler. Photographer Laura Schaefer from Fire & Gold Photography is sharing with us how this magical day came to be.
Laura explains that Dalton felt it important to include her 2-year-old daughter in her wedding plans.
Speaking with CafeMom, the photographer explains that Dalton wanted to make sure that her daughter was included in the wedding Mass. "She said the wedding wasn’t just about the two of them," Laura says. "It was about committing to their family." The mom typically babywears her daughter, which is the practice of keeping your child close as you go about your everyday activities. For the day of Dalton's wedding, it would be no different.
"I asked Dalton, if she would be wearing a veil on her wedding day," Laura says. "She said 'No, I’ll be wearing Ellie.'" Which is how the mom found herself securing her daughter in a baby wrap before heading into the ceremony for her wedding on July 28, 2018.
For Dalton, babywearing was a practical way to keep her daughter close, engaged, and out of trouble.
Any parent of young kids can tell you that it's hard to keep them to sit still through any religious ceremony and in this case the wrap really came in handy. "Babywearing would not only keep her a little restrained, comfortable and close to her mommy," Laura explains. "It also incorporated her in their wedding in a special, unique, and meaningful way."
The mom was a little nervous that her daughter would get antsy during the ceremony.
But Laura says there was no need to worry. Despite the fact that the Mass took place during Ellie's normal nap time, little Ellie was "SO well behaved" throughout the entire affair. And Laura adds that by wearing her daughter, Dalton had hoped to "alleviate some of the stress of having a cranky toddler during the wedding Mass. It allowed Dalton to really enjoy her wedding and not be distracted by having to calm or entertain Ellie," she says.
In fact, Ellie was so chill throughout the ceremony that she eventually fell asleep!
As Laura describes, "Dalton wore Ellie down the aisle and nursed her to sleep during the readings. And then Ellie slept through the WHOLE Mass! As a fellow mother of an active toddler, this is a HUGE win!" she says.
It was pretty good news for the mom. "She really was able to focus and enjoy the moment," Laura adds.
After seeing her photos, people online are now telling Laura that they're inspired to give babywearing a try at their own weddings.
Since posting the photos online, they've quickly become a hit. "I had never expected this post to get so much engagement, but clearly there’s something about it that makes people stop, click, comment, and share!" the photographer says. She explains that originally she had only posted a photo of Dalton's dress and merely described that she had chosen to wear her daughter, but people were fascinated and wanted a peek. "So I changed the scheduled post for the next day to be photos of Dalton babywearing in her wedding dress. And it took off from there!" she says. Laura adds that the response has been "overwhelmingly positive."
in the end, the photographer says she's glad she's opened people's eyes to what a babywearing wedding might look like. "I’ve really enjoyed reading people’s comments about how they want to do this in the future," says Laura. "It’s also been neat to see photo comments posted by mothers who did this at their wedding too! I’m excited that this post has inspired so many to include their children in a special way in their weddings."
