Photo of Marine with bride-to-be goes viral

Wedding photos going viral are routine – thousands appear in an online search. But a viral prayer image? Not so much.

But that's exactly what is happening with the image of U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Caleb Earwood, 21, holding the hand of Maggie, 22, then his fiancée but now his wife.

Photographer Dwayne Schmidt captured the moment when the two wanted to pray together before their ceremony, but didn't want to be seeing each other before their vows.

It reveals her standing next to the corner of a building, her left hand reaching out to hold his hand. He is standing at the same corner, but facing away from her, and his right hand reaches behind him to touch hers.

He is praying. She holds her right hand to her face, touched by emotion.

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Schmidt posted it on Facebook, where he said it was a unique moment.

"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."

Commenters joined him.

"WOW! PRECIOUS. Always put God first!" wrote Shannon Conner.

"My eyes filled with tears!!!" said Marcela Pulido.

Caleb Earwood explained the moment to USA Today.

"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. I prayed to God for my beautiful and intelligent wife that he blessed me with and the amazing family I was marrying into," he said.

Maggie added, "When I first grabbed his hand, he was shaking really bad, so I knew he was really nervous. It relieved me to know the person I was getting ready to marry felt the same way about God."

The report said the two grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, were friends in his school, and began dating several years ago.

"We're thankful that our picture is able to bless so many people and touch that many hearts," Caleb told USA Today.

It already has circled the globe. The Daily Mail explained they "kept their eyes closed and turned away from one another as family members brought them together for a prayer on Saturday before their Memorial Day weekend wedding."

Tens of thousands of Facebook users have "liked" the picture since it was posted.

"Beautiful picture. It brought tears to my eyes," said Rebecca Warren Helms. "The bride is showing some raw emotion and love. You captured how affected she was by his words."

The wedding was at a pavilion at Camp Daniel Boone in Canton, North Carolina.