Evelyn + John Paul | Downtown Mountain Wedding

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.