Most wedding films begin with a proposal story.

Joie and Samuel’s begins with a disagreement.

Samuel insists he saw Joie first.

Joie isn’t convinced.

Years later, they still tell the story differently.

That felt fitting, because their relationship has never been defined by a single moment.

The two met during a unique season at Carnegie Mellon University, when COVID restrictions had transformed campus life. Through Asian Christian Fellowship, shared routines, late-night conversations, and even League of Legends streams, friendship slowly became something deeper.

What stood out most while editing this wedding film wasn’t a grand gesture.

It was Samuel’s definition of love.

“It’s because it made that person happy.”

Not romance as a feeling.

Not romance as excitement.

Simply choosing each other, again and again, in ordinary moments.

Their wedding at Oceanview of Nahant reflected that same philosophy.

The ceremony was centered around faith, family, and commitment. The pastor spoke about love as something practiced rather than something merely felt. Their vows echoed the same promise: to remain faithful through joy and sorrow, abundance and hardship, sickness and health.

Then came the speeches.

Joie’s parents reflected on watching their daughter grow into the woman she is today.

Samuel’s father shared a memory from childhood, when Samuel would leap from the top of the stairs into his arms without hesitation. What stayed with him wasn’t the jump itself, but the complete trust a child can place in the people who love them.

By the end of the evening, one theme kept returning.

Growth.

Not separation.

Not endings.

Growth.

Perhaps that’s why one line from their interview stayed with us long after the wedding was over:

“I hope we still feel like we’re growing after fifty years.”

For us, that became the heart of this film.

Captured by Summer St Films, a Boston wedding photography and videography team specializing in documentary storytelling throughout Massachusetts and New England.