How A Bride Included Her Late Daughter In Her Wedding

Weddings are meant to be a joyous time for all involved, particularly those at the altar. For new bride Amanda Crowe Freebird of Port Allen, LA, her union was also a time to grieve. Freebird lost her 6-year-old daughter, Azalee Mae Carroll Crow, to cancer in 2013. The idea that Azalee wouldn’t be involved in her wedding activities or her wedding photos gave Freebird a heavy heart. Luckily for her, friend and photographer Ashley Frantz was on hand to help. In Freebird’s incredibly touching wedding photos, Azalee is there to support her mom after all. She’s photoshopped to appear translucent — like the angel she is.

The outpouring of love for Freebird was immediate when Frantz shared the wedding photos on Facebook. The photos have accrued over 100,000 likes and 13,000 shares. Many of the commenters that have lost a parent or a child are interested in having similar photos done. “It was such an honor to be able to do this for her, and I'm thankful God has given me a talent that I can use to make broken hearts just a tad less broken,” Frantz told USA Today. To celebrate Azalee's life, butterflies were released during the ceremony.

“As the butterflies flew up and away, one little beauty decided she wanted to stay a while. She landed right on Amanda (closest to her heart) and stayed while a heart-wrenching cry was shared between the bride and groom (and the entire congregation),” Frantz told The Southland Times. “We all know it was Azalee, just a little whisper from her and God saying 'congratulations' and letting everyone know she was nearby to help her mummy cross over into her new path of life...where there is nothing but sunshine ahead.”