"Beauty pierces her heart and draws her into the sacred. She wants not only her wedding, but her marriage to reflect this in every way: through awe-inspiring liturgy, decor, and photographs, each infused, above all, with the radiant beauty only made manifest in sincere holiness. No matter her past, she has a love for all that is pure. She desires nothing more or less than to make a complete gift of herself. She chases fearlessly after virtue, knowing excellence is the path to true freedom, and freedom is for love. Deeply, profoundly, she is in love..."

Evelyn + John Paul | Downtown Mountain Wedding

June 02, 2021/ Editor Spoken Bride

A nuptial Mass saturated with profound symbolism in the center of Denver, followed by a mountain reception surrounded by the incomparable beauty of God’s creation.

Evelyn and John Paul wanted every detail of their Colorado wedding day to draw them more deeply into the truth and reality of the marriage covenant.

Each of their selections, from colors to flowers, was made with intentionality.

In their wedding program they shared the meaning of each symbol with their wedding guests, providing an authentic witness to the nature and beauty of the sacrament of holy matrimony.

From the Bride and Groom:

Like every other Catholic sacrament, weddings serve to make visible an invisible reality. In the sacrament of marriage, the invisible covenantal union of the couple is made visible though observable actions and signs.

Thus, every detail of our wedding day was planned with intentionality to reflect this reality.

First, the Church. We wanted to get married in a place that reflected the beauty and grandeur of the sacrament of marriage.

Next, the wedding attire. John Paul and our bridal party were dressed in black, whereas Evelyn and the priest were dressed in white.

The black reminds us that marriage is a death to self, while white—the color of Easter time—speaks of the resurrection of our new life together as one.

The flowers Evelyn carried were white roses and white lilies. These are the flowers associated with Mary (who is often called the Mystical Rose) and St. Joseph. We hope to model our new family after the Holy Family.

Among the white flowers were lots of greenery. Green is the liturgical color for ordinary time. Although on our wedding day we feasted, most of our married days will be very ordinary, and the green reminds us that even in those times we still remain faithful to Christ.

On the altar we were surrounded by six bridesmaids and six groomsmen. Together they equal 12, the same number as the tribes of Israel, the apostles, and the number of diamonds in Evelyn’s engagement ring.

The number 12 in scripture symbolizes a covenant, just like the covenant we entered into on our wedding day.

Our wedding bands of gold called to mind the gold the Magi brought to Christ and reminded us that we too are a precious gift to Christ.

After our nuptial Mass, we went into the mountains, just like Christ did so often when He wanted to hear the voice of the Father. The beauty of creation draws the mind and heart to God, and we think that nowhere is that more evident than in the beauty of the mountains.

Above all, each detail of our wedding day—from the Church, to the music played, to the centerpieces at the reception—was chosen specifically to reflect the beauty and majesty, permeance and fruitfulness, faithfulness and totality of the gift of holy matrimony.

From the Photographer:

Evelyn and John Paul were united in a gorgeous, reverent nuptial Mass with transcendent music. The couple included the Hispanic tradition of the exchange of arras.

They prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary after their vows and had a grand send-off with all their guests upon exiting the church.

As a photographer, I experience a lot of different weddings throughout the year. This was one of the most beautiful Catholic weddings I have ever seen.

Evelyn and John Paul were incredibly intentional with every aspect of their wedding, from the flowers to the music to the fabric of their clothes.

You could tell that they had really prepared their minds, hearts, and souls to join together as one under Christ. It was a gift to work with them to capture their wedding day.

Photography: Madeira Creative Photography | Nuptial Mass Location: Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Denver, CO | Reception Venue & Catering: Mount Vernon Country Club, Golden, CO | Floral Design: Mae Flowers | Videography: Andrew Nease Video | Bridal Boutique: Dani West Bridal | Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank | DJ: Mobile Beatz of Colorado

November 04, 2020

Noelle and Kristian | Filipino Latin Mass Wedding

November 04, 2020/ Editor Spoken Bride

An Oregon wedding that combined the ancient beauty of the Latin Mass with the beloved traditions of the bride and groom’s Filipino culture. Ivory tones, lovely handcrafted decor, Hawaiian and Samoan dances, and live music brightened the celebration.

What started as a college high five became a mutual desire to more deeply explore their shared faith, and eventually transformed into a lifelong marriage. Noelle and Kristian’s wedding was a celebration of two people and two families becoming one, under the banner of Christ.

Their love for each other and for the rich beauty and symbolism of the Catholic liturgy only added to the profound joy of their wedding day.

From the Groom

The first time I saw her, we were standing in line for our first day of freshman orientation at college. We did a silly ice breaker activity, and all nine hundred freshmen gave each person in line a high five while entering the university arena.

I received dozens of high fives, but one of them I would never forget.

Noelle high fived me and took her place in line beside me. I remember glancing over and feeling myself drawn to her. We made eye contact and smiled, both finding the activity amusing. Then she said, “hi!” and asked me, “what's your name?”

From the Bride

We soon bumped into each other again on campus and gradually shared many of the same friends. We ate meals at our dining hall between classes, studied in group study sessions, attended weekly Mass on campus, and enjoyed university life.

Kristian is gentle, kind, and has a great sense of humor. It was easy to become friends. We bonded especially over our mutual love of ping pong, and we played many games of it in the basement of his dorm. Our friends told me that Kristian had a crush on me, but I didn’t see him in that light.

In the meantime, I did briefly date someone else. The first few months were wonderful, and I enjoyed getting to know the great person he was. But as someone who found joy in living my faith, I longed to share that part of me with another person.

I would invite him to Mass, but he didn't share the same faith and wasn’t interested. As supportive and respectful as he was of my religion, one thing became clear: I wanted, one day, to be with someone who walked with me on this journey of faith, not watching and supporting me from the sidelines. And so, that relationship came to an end.

As we neared the end of university life, I began to ponder this desire. At that point, I really didn’t know why I was Catholic. As a baby, I was given the gift of faith from my parents and raised in a loving Catholic household. As an adult, I retained bits and pieces of the faith, but I realized there were still many missing pieces of the puzzle.

I started to have questions about Catholicism and wanted to know how it fit into the story of humanity.

From the Groom

I also found myself wanting to learn more about the faith. This led to a deep love for it, because I quickly discovered how truly beautiful it is. I realized that as a Catholic man, I needed to consider discerning my vocation, such as religious life or marriage.

From the Bride

Kristian was already striving to live a holy and virtuous life. He was diligently serving as an altar server during school Masses, and he led a small rosary group on campus. And so, I began to notice him in a different light.

It became clear that Kristian and I shared a common goal: to live a life pointed towards Heaven and to love God intensely.

After that, our friendship and our shared desire to learn more about the faith drew us even closer together. It has been an exciting journey ever since, and I’m so glad we high-fived each other that first day on campus years ago.

On our wedding day, Kristian and I processed hand-in-hand towards the altar where our priest waited. The nuptial Mass began with the Rite of Marriage, starting with an admonition, reminding us of the sacredness and seriousness of the union we were about to enter.

Once our consent and freedom were affirmed, we joined our right hands, and the priest gave us the Lord’s blessing upon our union. He also blessed my ring. We exchanged rings as a sign of our marriage vows, and on each is engraved the Chi Rho, the first two letters of the Greek word for Christos.

It serves as a reminder that we offer our joys and sufferings that come with marriage to the Father, in union with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Kristian and I are both of Filipino descent; both of our parents immigrated from the Philippines. Though we were not born and raised in the Philippines, it was special for us to incorporate Filipino customs during the Rite of Marriage.

Our parents and our wedding party wore barongs, traditional Filipino clothing. My parents draped us in a belo, or veil, to symbolize two becoming one. Kristian’s parents placed a lasso cord upon our shoulders in the shape of an infinity symbol to represent the un-breaking bond of marriage. Kristian then presented thirteen arras, or gold coins, to me as a pledge for my welfare and happiness. Then, we celebrated our first Mass as a newly-wedded couple.

During our relationship, we discovered stories of how Catholicism was brought to shores like the Philippines and how the traditions of the people were inculturated into the liturgy. These stories were a reminder to Kristian and I that we were part of something bigger than our own individual lives. Catholicism is not limited to a single race, and it’s meant to be shared with all people.

The Latin Mass was something Kristian and I discovered as we searched for a parish to call home, and we were instantly attracted to the beauty of it. It was like finding an old treasured family album, sparking our curiosity to discover how the faith grew into what it is today.

When Kristian and I pray the Latin Mass, it helps us to imagine three planets traveling around the sun in their own orbital path, at their own speed, and in their own unique way. Each planet represents the priest, choir, and laity.

At the center of the orbit is Christ, placed front and center in the church in the tabernacle. All three groups are oriented towards the tabernacle, carrying the Real Presence of the Body of Christ.

Each person plays a role in the Mass. The priest offers the sacrifice at the altar, doing as Christ commanded us to do. The choir sings the sacred prayers in beautiful polyphony and chant, elevating the soul towards the divine. We, the laity, pray silently, presenting our personal intentions and offering our own sacrifice--our thanksgiving and sufferings in this life–-to the Father, in union with Our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross.

There are many moments of silence, but at various points of the Mass, the priest, choir, and laity align and chant the same prayers aloud. Praying this way allows us to worship at our own pace. It gives us time to enter into our intimate relationship with our Lord and examine where we have gone astray. It gives us the space to wrestle in our heart the things we need to offer up and let go.

Through it all, we are reminded that we are not helpless, and that we can call upon the name of Jesus for the grace we need to do things beyond our capacity. He alone gives us the grace to align our wills with that of the Father’s.

After Mass, our reception was held at the parish’s ballroom next to the church. Our lives are centered around the life of our parish, so it was a special place to celebrate our union. Planning our reception took a lot of thought, and we utilized the gifts and talents of our family and friends.

Kristian and I chose ivory-colored tones, and the ballroom was lovingly decorated by my crafty aunts and close friends. Many details of the decor were handmade. One aunt sewed our wedding favors, another made the seating placement cards, another drew our signboards, and another arranged the flowers and centerpieces. It was truly a labor of love.

Our wedding day celebrated the union of not only two people, but two families. With this in mind, we opted for a large round table as our head table that included our parents, siblings, our small wedding party, and our priest.

Our buffet line included lechon, a whole roasted pig, and various Filipino sweets. We served beer brewed by Benedictine monks from our favorite Catholic brewery and wine made by a Catholic family nearby. In the background, live classical guitar music was performed by a local Portland guitarist and friend.

Our parents made toasts, and our friends told stories from the beginning of our relationship, which brought back funny memories and a lot of laughter. Our families sang beautiful songs, and friends danced Hawaiian hulas and Samoan sivas (dances) for us. Kristian and I even performed a duet. He sang a love song while I accompanied him on my ukulele, one of our pastimes together.

The reception was filled with special touches and moments with family and friends. We were so grateful that our guests traveled near and far to witness our wedding.

Being united in body and soul, sharing the same baptism, and partaking of the same table in communion with my husband brings me great joy. With my limited human understanding, it’s hard for me to imagine that there could be something greater than this. And yet, the Church teaches that marriage is only a sacrament–-a visible sign of something greater that awaits us. Something we can’t see yet.

Our union as husband and wife is only a foreshadowing of a greater union to come.

The more I meditate on this thought, the more I am filled with great hope. I am reminded that life (and even death) on earth is only temporary, and that one day we'll be united with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternity.

August 05, 2020

Stephanie + Geoffrey | Military Elegance and the Lord's Abundance

August 05, 2020/ Editor Spoken Bride

Spoken Bride’s Associate Editor shares her and her husband’s journey of radical trust, healing gifts from Therese and other saints, and their Nashville destination wedding--an embodiment of community and life-giving love, planned in less than four months.

Stephanie and Geoffrey met during a college summer, spending hours together and with friends between Washington, D.C. and Annapolis, Maryland. After Geoff graduated, work transplanted him from place to place, and their relationship echoed the theme of constant change, uncertainty, and transition. Yet the Lord is eager to to pour out his gifts, with rock-solid, constant, and unchanging love.

From the Bride:

We were dating. Then we weren’t. I quit my job and moved to California. We dated again. Then we got engaged, married, moved to Japan and started a family. And now we’re here!

In between those facts from start to present, we were both diving deeper into our own hearts to understand Who am I? and Where is God calling me? We couldn’t articulate those questions then, but retrospect offers wisdom into where we’ve been and how far we’ve come.

I am a cradle Catholic. I grew up aware of right versus wrong, especially in regards to intimacy with a romantic partner. That knowledge came with a lot of fear. For most of my life, I made decisions to avoid punishment rather than in pursuit of love. Logic and reason kept me safe from emotion.

Dating Geoff tapped into a new area of my heart; all of a sudden, something rustled the desires and passions which had been suppressed for so long.

Without a real prayer life to know myself and discern all the confusing and overwhelming movements of my heart, I broke up with Geoff. I feared that maybe I was being called to religious life. I heard a lot of voices in my head, had a lot of feelings in my heart and had no idea what was right.

After we broke up, I was lost until St. Therese came to the rescue. Through a monthly novena and spiritual reading, my heart softened. It was a whirlwind season and I grew a lot. Commitment to Adoration, daily Mass, and continued novenas yielded healing and peace.

I learned to trust the pure, passionate desires of my heart because God placed them there! I discerned that my love for Geoff, though immature in its origin, was rooted in purity and goodness.

I was finally consoled when my will aligned with God’s and I took steps to pursue a relationship with Geoff again.

In the depth of his own sorrow and heartbreak, Geoff also leaned on God in new ways. Eventually, through a number of factors that are still mysterious to me, he discerned his desire to enter the Catholic Church.

I reached back out to Geoff and told him I was prepared to move wherever the Navy was taking him next. He was (rightfully) cautious, but eventually we both packed our bags for California.

Our second start was awkward and slow; our friendship picked up where it left off but our dating life was more vulnerable and thoughtful than before. Surrounded again by a strong community of friends, our hearts were thriving and it was time to talk about marriage.

Once our relationship was solid, talk of marriage was expedited by the military’s timeline--a move to Japan was in our near future. Geoff was clear he would not propose until after he entered the Catholic Church. I was restless, but desired to trust both Geoff and God’s timing.

In less than 4 months, we planned a wedding, got married, and moved. Fortunately, my sister has an extensive background as a luxury event planner in Tennessee. Since she had the expertise and our family and friends were spread around the country, we planned a destination wedding in Nashville.

Two weeks after Geoff proposed, we were civilly married to process military paperwork for our international move (we didn’t live as a married couple until after our subsequent Church wedding). Later that day, ironically, I bought my wedding dress. The thought of wedding dress shopping was not exciting to me; it was dramatically overwhelming.

My roommate surprised me with an appointment at a local bridal shop. I tried on a handful of dresses available to take away that day and found one that felt simple yet special. The low-key dress-shopping process was a perfect fit for me.

I wasn’t the girl who dreamt about her wedding. Together, Geoff and I decided “classy backyard barbecue” encompassed our ideal aesthetic and environment: beautiful yet comfortable, reverent yet approachable. The bridesmaids wore black and our flowers added a beautiful pop of color.

While my sister organized wedding plans, we focused on our top priorities. Despite the short timeline, we committed to praying a 54-day Rosary Novena leading up to our wedding. Many evenings, the prayers were said with heavy eyelids, but it kept our hearts focused on surrendering our desires and offering our vows to God.

We found joy in bringing as much personalization and community into our day as possible by incorporating loved ones into different roles; we feel most alive while cultivating authentic relationships!

Friends in California helped create a Japan-themed paper crane backdrop for a photo booth at the reception. My grandmother embroidered our names and wedding date in blue that was sewn inside my wedding dress. My mother-in-law offered her mother’s vintage clutch to use throughout the day.

Our music and wedding program intended to unite our Catholic and non-Catholic guests. Included in the program was a prayer to Mary that Geoff and I wrote to offer a glimpse into our relationship with our spiritual mother. We created a Litany of the Saints to be sung during the Mass, which was probably the most profound moment for me--to be surrounded, spiritually and physically, by the communion of saints.

Countless friends and relatives shared their gifts of singing, altar serving, reading, dancing, driving, ice cream-making, hair-fixing, cooking, dress-buying and more throughout the weekend. One family friend even loaned us her all-American getaway car. We were surrounded by generosity and God-given talents!

My immediate family took initiative according to their personal strengths too. My sister’s eye for beauty and attention to detail is extraordinary. My mom created prayer cards as place settings at the reception. She and my dad had traveled to the Holy Land before our engagement, but came home with enough wine from Cana for the Eucharistic celebration during our wedding Mass. (Without knowing, Geoff and I had already selected the Miracle at Cana as our Gospel reading!) Finally, my dad and I had a very honest conversation about our wedding budget, which he had been preparing since I was a little girl.

Geoff and I share a love language of quality time. With all but two guests traveling from out-of-town, we made an effort to spend time with everyone. Both our families rented houses in Nashville, which allowed our extended families and bridal parties to enjoy meals, late-night chats, and morning coffee together.

After our wedding rehearsal, thoughtful toasts, and delicious dinner, we opened the restaurant patio for a “meet-and-greet happy hour” for all the wedding guests to visit; this was one of the greatest parts of our weekend.

By the ceremony, it felt like the guests from near and far already knew each other! It wasn’t just a crowd gathered to watch us get married, but a family united in love and authentic relationships.

In lieu of a First Look, Geoff and I started our wedding day with a coffee date. We were able to sit in the quiet of the morning, before the sun was up, to prepare for the day together.

We spent additional quality time with the bridal party between the wedding and reception at a bowling alley. We wore our fancy clothes, the photographers followed along, and we played together before being engulfed in the crowd again.

God showed up in big and small ways on our wedding day. He offered tangible waves of mercy, healing, joy and grace for everyone present, while simultaneously whispering intimate praises, just for me and Geoff.

For example, my absolute favorite thing in nature is clouds. When we saw the Church of the Assumption for the first time to go to confession the week of our wedding, I was awestruck by the relief behind the altar: an image of Mary being assumed into heaven against a backdrop of perfect clouds. In addition, when Geoff became Catholic months prior, he chose Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati as his Confirmation name. On that same day, Geoff noticed the only prayer card of a holy person in the church’s entryway was for Bl. Frassati.

During the time I was discerning my vocation and spending countless hours in an Adoration chapel back in Washington, DC, I was surrounded by several icons in the small prayer space. Each of them showed up on our wedding day: a statue of St. Therese by the church door; the infant Jesus of Prague and Divine Mercy image in the back of the church, and the pelican in piety image on the back of our priest’s chasuble (this was the most shocking as I’d only seen it once before on the altar under the tabernacle in the adoration chapel). The way God wove my experiences in Adoration into our wedding day is truly unbelievable.

To describe our wedding itself, pure, beautiful, intentional, reverent, inclusive, joyful, and wholehearted come to mind. Geoff and I have said we just showed up to our wedding day. In many ways, we did. We were constantly amazed that this was our wedding. Yet it would be foolish to deny our commitment to wedding planning--the months of individual preparation and countless acts of mercy that have allowed us to share the vocation to marriage with joy.

I have since realized in a new way how God takes our desires and magnifies them into abundant gifts and graces beyond our imagining. When the desires of our hearts align with God’s desires for our lives, there is no stopping the powerful movements of the Holy Spirit.

A lot of people did a lot of work to make our wedding what it was, but the hand of God was the ultimate source of beauty and joy throughout the entire weekend. He provided abundant means as so many people utilized their gifts to create an extraordinary experience of the sacrament which, hopefully, revealed a glimpse of his glory.

Watching countless people do their “thing” brought us joy and increased the beauty of the day. In many ways, the multiplicity of gifts foreshadowed the fruitfulness of living a sacrament to marriage.

Our relationships with God have shifted in different seasons of life; truthfully, our shared unity with God is still in an infancy stage in our married lives. Almost two years in, and we’re definitely still figuring out how to pray together, how to define our values and how to make our faith visible on our lips, in our home, and in our relationships.

I am grateful we entered the sacrament of marriage when we were both at a point of spiritual highs. It’s a constant reminder and source of encouragement for what’s possible when we unite our hearts to God’s will.

December 27, 2017

Christina + Kristian | Austin Christmas Wedding

December 27, 2017/ Editor Spoken Bride

As our Associate Editor Christina Jaloway and her husband Kristian celebrate their first anniversary this Christmas season, we're overjoyed to share their wedding day with you!

Revisit Christina and Kristians' testimony and proposal here, then read on for the story of their Christmas season wedding, with beautifully rustic seasonal touches.

Christina and Kristian had a whirlwind courtship that began when Christina's mom met Kristian after Mass on January 31, 2016 and "introduced" them to each other via Facebook. A week later, Kristian flew from Austin, TX (Christina's hometown) to Phoenix, AZ (where Christina was living at the time) to take her on their first date. From almost the beginning of their relationship, both Christina and Kristian had the sense that the other was "the one", but they both felt the need to be prudent. When you're 32 and 40, prudence looks like waiting a few months before deciding to live in the same city and seriously discern marriage. Christina moved back home to Texas in May, Kristian proposed in July, and the couple were married on December 29, 2016--less than a year after they first met.

In Christina’s words: Our nuptial Mass was heavenly. From the moment I heard the preludes begin, I had total peace about entering into the sacrament of marriage with Kristian. As I walked down the aisle to "O Come All Ye Faithful," I had to hold back my tears; I was surrounded by family and friends who had loved and supported Kristian and me throughout our lives. My dad and I tried to keep our pace on the slow side so that I could take it all in, and I did. Kristian was beaming at me as my dad handed me off, and it locking eyes with him at that moment was surreal, to say the least.

I thought my joy was full at that point, but the Lord seemed to expand my heart as the Mass progressed: through the readings (read by our dads), which we had so carefully chosen, the beautiful music, and the gorgeous neo-Byzantine chapel with Christ the Teacher gazing down on us from above. By the time we got to the vows, I was overflowing with the deepest joy and gratitude I'd ever known. I'll never forget pledging my love for Kristian while holding the crucifix, and hearing him do the same for me. I'll cherish the memory of bringing flowers in honor of the Blessed Mother to the Nativity Scene and chanting the Salve Regina with what sounded like the entire congregation joining in.

Before we processed out of the chapel, Kristian and I paused and faced our friends and family as we sang "O God Beyond All Praising" with overflowing hearts. I could hardly believe that after so many years of praying and hoping and crying and waiting that I was finally united to the man who would help me get to heaven. My tears began to flow, but they were the most joyful tears of my life.

Later, at the reception, one of my aunts, who works at a Catholic church and has coordinated many wedding Masses, told me I was the happiest bride she'd ever seen. To which I replied, "How could I not be?" It took many years of single life for the Lord to bring Kristian and me together, but I can confidently say now that it was entirely worth the wait, and that the wait made that day so much sweeter and more profoundly beautiful than either of us could have imagined. I have to give major credit to our photographer for capturing the joy of the day so well: thank you, Leah!

In terms of the look of the wedding, I took advantage of the fact that we got married during the Octave of Christmas, which also happens to be my favorite time of the year, especially in Texas. Instead of picking one or two colors, I just went with rich jewel tones and gold accents, and let my bridesmaids (who are all family) pick their own dresses. The fact that they all ended up wearing long dresses in a similar shade was their doing entirely; I knew I didn’t have to worry about what the girls would pick as they all have excellent taste.

Gretchen O’Neil and her team at Petals, ink. did a fantastic job on the florals: my bridesmaids and flower girls wore flower crowns (because...why not?) and I carried the most delicious-smelling bouquet of gardenia, ranunculus, roses, and winter greenery, wrapped with a beautiful white rosary that my sister Elisa bought for me. I also carried my deceased grandmother Flora's prayer book with me down the aisle, which all of my aunts and married cousins have also done. At the reception, I wore a wreath (also made by Gretchen) which was the perfect accent to my tulle ball gown and made me feel like queen-for-the-day.

Our beautiful and delicious cakes were designed by my brother Sean and his artistic team of bakers and decorators at Sweet Treets Bakery. The bride’s cake had three different flavors (my favorite was the almond) and was decorated in the “nearly naked” style that I prefer since I’m not a big icing person. Gretchen and Sean worked together to make the cake even more beautiful with florals and greenery. The groom's cake (a tradition in Texas) is a nod to two of Kristian's great loves (flying and the mountains), three of the places where he's lived/gone to school, and the fact that he reminds me of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose famous saying was "Verso l'alto!" or, "To the heights!"

Our invitations, seating chart, programs, and table numbers were all designed as a gift by one of my former students, Jenny, who is a talented graphic designer. She spent hours working on everything so that it would all look cohesive and beautiful, and I can't thank her enough.

The wedding favors (which I don't have a full photo of) were small Rose Harrington Art Prints of one of my favorite St. Augustine quotes, "Love is the beauty of the soul." I can't recommend her beautiful work highly enough!

Although the farm-to-table food at Barr Mansion was insanely good, my two favorite parts of the reception were by far the dancing and the toasts. My family loves to dance and our wedding reception was no exception (see photographic evidence below). Kristian and I took dance lessons for a few months before the wedding so that we could do a polished waltz to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Lady Antebellum. It was so much fun and a great bonding experience for both of us. The toasts, especially the Holy Spirit-inspired one given by my sister Elisa were eloquent reminders of how blessed Kristian and I are to have such incredible families.

Speaking of families: there were a lot of them at our wedding. We had over 50 children under ten in attendance, and made sure they (and their parents) had a great time by providing coloring books, supervision during dinner--courtesy of my obliging college-age cousins--lots of outdoor space, and plenty of room on the dance floor. I loved seeing my nieces playing with my friends’ kids and watching my supermom friends dance with their babies in tow. The number of children at the wedding and reception was a reminder to everyone present that one of the two purposes of marriage is the procreation of children; plus, kids make dance floors more fun!

As Kristian and I got into our getaway car and headed to our honeymoon suite at a little B&B, I had one of the lines from "O God Beyond All Praising" stuck in my head: "blessings without number, mercies without end."

From the Groom: I have never experienced such a fast Mass as at our wedding; it literally seemed to fly by. Maybe part of it was the long wait to get to that day, or maybe it was just that Christina prepared the Mass with so much attention to detail, but it seemed like everything was in fast forward. Well, everything except for the twenty-one petitions Christina wrote for the prayers of the faithful.

We got to the vows in no time. My heart was bursting with joy the entire Mass. My friends knew how long my discernment had been, and how close to the priesthood I got, but I must say that not even serving at the Papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica could compare to this Mass. At the end of this Mass, I would be united to the most amazing woman in the entire world for the rest of my life.

A priest buddy of mine says discernment is where your will and God’s will meet. For me, that happened when I met Christina Grace. There we were, less than a year after our first meeting, standing before the Church, with several priest friends, with our parents and siblings and buddies and everybody else--all knowing full well what was going to happen that night--saying with their presence that this is good. God is good and he loves us so much, and we could feel it as he looked down from heaven and from the altar upon us, his little children. He continues to look down from the crucifix that hangs on the wall as I write this, with Christina snuggled up next to me on the couch. God’s will is mysterious, because she is a woman (dolcemente complicata or "sweetly complicated" as the Italians say), but it is so beautiful.

Advice from Christina: I don't think Kristian and I would have had such a blessed wedding day had we not prepared so much for our marriage through prayer, reading, tough conversations, and counseling--but especially prayer. During our engagement, we prayed every night, out loud, and extemporaneously. I think it makes a big difference in your relationship with Christ and with each other if you speak to the Lord together without the comfort of memorized prayers (those have their place, of course).

The fruit of this kind of prayer became clear to me at our pre-rehearsal Holy Hour: all I could pray the entire time was, "thank you, Jesus." Because despite the stress of engagement and wedding planning, I had complete peace about marrying Kristian. Kristian and I also met before the Mass in the confessional (so we wouldn't see each other) and prayed together, which I highly recommend. Prayer is the foundation of the spiritual life, and praying with your fiancé or spouse builds intimacy in a way that nothing else does.

March 22, 2017

Chelsea + Nick | Pittsburgh Black Tie Wedding

March 22, 2017/ Editor Spoken Bride

Nick and Chelsea first met at an interview for a college ambassador program. He was asking the questions, and she a freshman and the interviewee. Nick had been prompted to prepare two "creative" questions to ask Chelsea in the presence of an academic judging panel. First, he asked, if you could bring one person to a party, who would it be and why? Chelsea answered Mother Teresa, a woman who was never afraid to be vulnerable and act courageously; the perfect wingwoman. Second, Nick asked what Chelsea would name her ship if she were a pirate captain. Her response was, "Discovery. Because I hope never to cease my love for life's adventures. You either learn or succeed; you never fail."

Later that school year, Chelsea and Nick talked again, and never stopped. He’d never fail to walk her back to her dorm after spending time together. Their first official date was at a beautiful, tiny Italian restaurant with only six tables! Chelsea spent the entire day with her friends, getting ready, wondering if all the effort was too much. But when Nick walked in from the rain to pick her up, flowers in hand, she took notice of the effort he’d put in to look and be his best for her, in turn. He was constant in those efforts, even running across campus on his way to ROTC lab to visit Chelsea for just a few minutes at the program she ran for special needs students, a cause precious and fulfilling to her heart.

Chelsea met Nick’s seasoned Army family only a month after they began dating, on Valentine’s Day weekend. Prior to the visit, the two had spent significant time discussing religious faith. Chelsea had a strong spiritual life and made it clear from the start that God meant everything to her. Nick’s father was baptized Catholic and his mother was Christian, but they didn’t practice their faith much. Her nerves evaporated when Nick’s parents welcomed her like family.

To their surprise, when Chelsea and Nick sat down with his family to eat, his parents led them in grace. Chelsea knew right then that the Father was with them, and that this relationship was possible.

From the Bride: I remember telling Nick that whoever I marry must understand that the main purpose of marriage is to get each other to heaven. At the wedding, our priest and dear friend Father Mac said this exactly: "It is your responsibility to get each other to the kingdom of God. " Nick and I want to build a life centered around God. This will take unconditional love, a strong commitment to one another, our children, our families, and our faith, and a true understanding that challenges must be looked at as learning experiences, moving us closer to the glory he has in store.

I never knew how to witness to my faith until Nick told me that through faith in action--Mass, daily prayers, and serving the communities around us in need--I had been evangelizing all along. We went to Mass together every week. On Pentecost during my freshmen year, I remember Nick just staring in the eyes of God at the altar. I didn’t know if he was bored or zoned out, but then he told me how incredible the feeling of the Mass and God's love felt around him, like nothing he had ever experienced. This was monumental in our journey of faith, and Nick ultimately made the decision to enter the Catholic Church.

Through Nick’s ROTC and military training, it was extremely trying to attempt going through RCIA. We tried for years, and it was frustrating. Finally, things just truly fell into place, and with an exception granted from the typical RCIA schedule, Nick received all of his sacraments over Labor Day weekend, 2015. We felt sure we were called to marriage, but Nick knew I couldn't get married until he had become Catholic--not for my sake, but for his own, because he loved his faith so much and so fully desired to be married as Catholics.

Growing up, I honestly thought I would marry someone who was already Catholic. My, did God have great plans for me! I thank him every day for the gift of journeying towards faith with Nick. I have learned so much about myself and my own faith in this process. My newfound appreciation for who I am allows me to proclaim my faith as my own, not merely a result of my upbringing; a bond that ties Nick and I together under a truly sacred bond. A sacrament. Nick thanks me for giving him his faith, but I thank him for giving me mine.

We both knew we wouldn’t be truly happy on our wedding day unless our guests were happy, too. We planned a weekend around our favorite things in our city to give people the feeling of a vacation, hoping they’d return home rejuvenated in faith and love. We held our rehearsal dinner at a Pittsburgh Pirates game and our Mass and reception as black-tie affairs.

During our wedding Mass, Nick held the rosary I gave him on his first ROTC training in college. I held the one he made for me at that training out of army string and military beads. I also held scapulars from my dad's dad. It meant the world to me hold a piece of my grandfather, my father, and my husband as we entered into the sacrament.

Everyone deserves love. Nick and I set out to make that truth known through the atmosphere of our big day. We prayed, first, to make everyone feel as beautiful outside as they are inside, and second, to remind our guests through the simple emotions between friends, family members, and spouses that all deserved to feel loved and worthy. Nick and I savored every moment. The images of how our loved ones looked at and admired each other that day is something that will inspire my love for Nick for years to come.