Man passes away a month before his wedding, fiancee does emotional photoshoot as memorial
(WTXF) - Emotional photos featuring a woman grieving her late-fiance who died just a month before their wedding was to take place are striking a chord with viewers online.
Lauren Reynolds' life changed in an instant when she found out that her fiance, Tristin Woods, died in a car accident.
The following month, which was supposed to be full of joyful planning, was replaced by a funeral and a painful grieving period for Reynolds.
Washington-based Stephanie Jarstad used photos of Tristin and Lauren to create a memorial to Tristin and according to EliteDaily, a replacement of sorts for a wedding that was brutally ripped away.
Jarstad spoke to Pixable, saying, "Lauren hopes this photo shoot will cause others to have a new outlook on life and to influence others to express the love they feel. She is grateful for the time she spent with Tristin."
Jarstad also made a short film about the photoshoot in which Reynolds speaks about keeping small pieces of Tristin with her always.
She said, "He would call me and if I wouldn't answer he would leave these little voicemails of just, like, his pocket noise. I have like 20 of them, but I love it now because… it's HIS pocket noise."
Lauren also said in a message on Pixable, "Life is so fragile. My hope is that those who truly invest some time in learning my story will develop a sense of empowerment to fully appreciate the love in their lives. Appreciating the love in your life isn't just something you do alone in your mind. There are physical and mental barriers that have to be broken in order to love to the levels that you and those around you need.
"So go tell your mom you're sorry, hug your little brother like he's been trying to do for the last week, look in the mirror and feel good about yourself, bring your grandma a birthday card and hug your spouse tight enough that they know they will always be the one for you. Don't ever go a day without telling that person you're thinking about right now, that you love them."
Jarstad spoke of a miraculous moment during the emotional photoshoot, "There was one moment when we were all reminiscing about Tristin and the sun broke through the clouds and we all were pretty overcome with emotion. I caught a few photos of it and it felt as if he were there in the photo standing above her. His presence was very near and it was such a touching project to be a part of."