Photographer Captures 'Moment' Between Bride And Daughter She Lost To Cancer

Ashley Frantz, a photographer from Louisiana, posted a photo to her Facebook page over the weekend that quickly went viral. In it, a bride lovingly holds in her hands the face of the daughter she lost to cancer two years ago:

Frantz says the image is “one of the most beautiful and difficult pictures I’ve ever been asked to do.” The bride is her friend Amanda, whose daughter Azalee lost her battle with childhood cancer two years ago, before her mom met the man she would marry. She wanted to find away to include her daughter in the memories of the day. What a beautiful image.

She captured another wonderful image on the wedding day: a butterfly landed on the bride’s dress during their photo shoot:

It’s not uncommon for people to look for “signs” from those they loved who have passed. The look on the bride’s face says everything: she clearly knew her daughter was there with her that day. Frantz writes on her page:

“Today at the ceremony, Amanda and Chip released butterflies in remembrance of their beautiful little Azalee. It was a moment in time that stood perfectly still for all in attendance, not a dry eye to be seen. 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)…then,it flew up and perched itself on a nearby tree. It stayed there and was still sitting so peacefully even as we left.”

Our only hope for people who have endured such a loss is that they can feel joy again — and Amanda is clearly feeling joy. Frantz says on her page that she’s grateful she has a talent she can use to make broken hearts “just a tad less broken.”