Joanna + Dan | TLM Vintage Floral Wedding
/A Latin Mass celebration imbued with tradition and romantic, vintage-inspired elements on a Midwestern summer day.
Joanna and Dan met at school as teenagers. What started off as a high school romance--one that included a prom proposal in the Adoration chapel!--grew through years together at Notre Dame and even a long-distance spanning from Montana to Rome.
With certainty and anticipation for the future ahead, Dan secretly found Joanna’s Pinterest boards to help him choose an engagement ring he thought she’d love. On a visit together to his home parish, he invited Joanna to “check out the Adoration chapel.” Once again, before the Blessed Sacrament, he got down on bended knee.
From the Wedding Coordinators:
Joanna and Dan kept their priorities focused on a beautiful, Christ-centered celebration. A strong devotion to Our Lady made the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary the perfect day for their June wedding! Their invitation suite nodded to Our Lady with a vintage-inspired M symbol, crowned with 12 stars and white and blue flowers.
Joanna and Dan went back and forth while trying to decide what ways they wanted to represent their faith during the Mass. They decided on a Schola choir from the parish for ceremony music, couldn’t decide if they preferred the Ordinary Form of the Mass (English) for their ceremony, or one in the Extraordinary Form. Eventually, with the encouragement of their celebrant, they decided to jump feet first into a traditional Latin Mass for their most special day.
In the presence of four priests, over half a dozen altar servers, and a church full of family and friends, they exchanged their vows. The bridesmaids dressed in soft sage, which complimented the white and blue accents of the floral and lent a beautiful, timeless early summer vibe.
To make sure every guest knew what to expect if they weren’t familiar with this form of the liturgy, a customized worship aid in both English and Latin was given to guests as they arrived.
Joanna and Dan’s truly magnificent Mass contained an element we had never encountered before: a solemn blessing under a veil.
While most of our weddings have a Nuptial Blessing as part of the liturgy, we’ve never seen it done under a veil or special piece of material. The veil they used was a beautiful Irish tablecloth with a Celtic cross, leftover pearls and beads from Joanna’s wedding dress, and a St. Joseph medallion created for the couple by their Maid of Honor and Best Man. Talk about a treasure to last a lifetime! The couple recessed out as Mr. and Mrs. to one of the bride’s favorite hymns, “O God Beyond All Praising”.
The reception was pure summer elegance! Cocktail hour took place on the veranda and moved inside for the remainder of the celebration. Fresh floral centerpieces and candles highlighted each table, while the place settings featured gold and glass chargers. The cake was exquisitely decorated in soft blue flowers. Also on the cake table was a beautiful Marian candle, again bringing in Joanna and Dan’s devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Prayer before the meal was given by one of the concelebrating priests, a Benedictine monk who traveled from Pennsylvania.
In his prayer, he mentioned the vows often used in the Ordinary Form wedding ceremony, reminding Joanna and Dan that they would be faithful to each other in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health and would love and honor each other all the days of their lives. What a beautiful reminder to all married couples present.
Both Joanna’s and Dan’s families have strong ties to Notre Dame; towards the end of the reception, all ND alumni were invited onto the dance floor for a group picture with a flag commemorating each of the graduation years of those present.
When focusing so much time, energy, and money into an event, it can be easy to get lost in the minutiae of wedding planning. Assisting couples like Dan and Joanna, who center their nuptials around their faith and traditions is like pushing aside Pinterest images and Instagram reels to breathe in the scent of incense! A grand exit with sparklers closed out this incredibly special evening.
Nuptial Mass Location: Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Mishawaka, Indiana | Reception Venue: The Blue Heron at Blackthorn, South Bend, Indiana | Wedding Coordination: Something Blue Weddings | Photography: Stacey Harting Photography | Second Photographer: Courtney Rudicel Photography | Florals: Camille's Floral Shop, Bristol, Indiana | Hair: Nicholas J Salon and Spa, South Bend, Indiana | Makeup: Molly Sandler | Cake: Macri’s Italian Bakery, South Bend, Indiana | DJ: ProShow, Elkhart, Indiana | Transportation: Michiana Fun Tours