U.S. Marine and His Wife Reveal Story Behind Viral Wedding Photo: 'We Didn't Want to Take a Step Without It Being in God's Will

The U.S. Marine and his bride who were seen praying together in a viral photo taken just moments before they said their vows have revealed the story behind the touching image.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Caleb Earwood, 21, said he and his wife Maggie, 22, wanted to be sure that they asked God for guidance and thanked him for his blessings before they began their life together.

"We were about to take our first steps in life together, and we didn't want to take a step without it being in God's will," Earwood told Today.com. "I prayed to God for my beautiful and intelligent wife that he blessed me with and the amazing family I was marrying into."

The wedding day photo of U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Caleb Earwood, 21, and his wife Maggie, 22, went viral. (Photo credit: Dwayne Schmidt Photography)

The picture was taken minutes before the ceremony, after Earwood asked family members to bring him together with Maggie. The two met near a staircase, he in his Marine uniform and she in her wedding gown; they kept their eyes closed so as to not see one another before their nuptials.

Maggie Earwood said the decision to pray left her at great ease.

"It relieved me to know the person I was getting ready to marry felt the same way about God," she told Today.com.

As TheBlaze previously reported, that private prayer quickly went viral after photographer Dwayne Schmidt, who captured the moment, posted the picture to his Facebook page, attracting tens of thousands of "likes" and shares.

“I have photographed a lot of weddings. This has to be one of the best things I have ever got to see much less photograph,” Schmidt wrote in a Facebook post. “Before the ceremony and before they saw each other Caleb said a prayer for their marriage and lives. AWESOME!!!”

Caleb Earwood told Today.com that he's happy that the powerful image is inspiring so many across the country.

"We're thankful that our picture is able to bless so many people and touch that many hearts," he said.

(H/T: Today)