Betrothal | Ashleigh + Rodolfo

We are honored by the opportunity to walk alongside you in this marriage ministry, from Yes to I Do and beyond, and we love returning to our couples' stories as they continue to unfold. If we've featured your love story in our How He Asked engagement series and you now feel called to share your wedding with us, as well, submission details can be found here.

Read more here for the story of Ashleigh and Rodolfo’s engagement, a story of grace overcoming tragedy and a surprise proposal in Ireland.

The Catholic Rite of Betrothal is an ancient celebration that has largely fallen out of practice, but it has seen a recent surge in popularity among young Catholic couples. Betrothal is the traditional way of becoming engaged in the eyes of the Church, and it is a solemn pledge of intention to marry between a man and a woman. After a couple is betrothed, only a priest can dissolve the engagement. 

You can read more about the meaning of the rite and how to plan the ceremony here.

Ashleigh and Rodolfo chose to have a betrothal ceremony to begin their engagement with the official blessing of the Church, and they were overwhelmed by the love and support they received.

In Ashleigh’s Words: Rudy and I have attended an FSSP (the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) parish for a few months now, and we have truly fallen in love with the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. One day, I was looking through traditional Latin Mass “inspiration” on Instagram and saw a post about a betrothal ceremony. I brought the idea up to Rudy, and we both agreed it was a great way to start our engagement. 

It was such a beautiful ceremony, and the best part was that it “rocked and rolled”--quite literally! As the Rite of Betrothal began, an earthquake hit southern California. I joked with Rudy about how thankful I was we went to confession before Mass, but I was truly thankful in that moment. Not just for confession, but for Mass, the FSSP, and the beautiful community we have found at St. Vitus, including the many people from the parish who came to witness our betrothal.

For both of us, that was the best part of the day: seeing how many people came. Because we are very new to the parish, neither of us expected many people to attend our betrothal, but I was truly overwhelmed by the support we received. The prayers offered for us mean more than I can express.

Church: St. Vitus Roman Catholic Church FSSP Los Angeles | Dress: Amazon  | Veil: Veils by Lily | Photography/Videography: Jordan Pacheco