Audrey + Jacob | Classic Lakeside Wedding

A family-centered Detroit celebration, filled with light and soft details.

 Audrey and Jacob attended the same college parish, but remained simple acquaintances for a year, seeing one another at the same Masses, game nights, bonfires, and worship nights. As they found themselves at the same events more frequently, they found common ground and a quick ease in their conversations: “He was easy to talk to and such a gentleman,” says Audrey. “It was clear he was raised well and in a faith-based home.

“As we grew closer, I was amazed by his kindness and willingness to help others. In particular, I remember him sprinting to our community room to light birthday candles for my cousin--whom he had never met--but he was sure on a mission to help me out! She and I joke that was one of the moments I knew Jacob was special.”

Jacob asked Audrey out not long after, and they spent their relationship surrounded by their campus ministry community, invoking Saint Joseph’s patronage (their parish namesake). 

They both moved to Jacob’s hometown of Detroit Lakes after graduation, where they began planning their wedding at Jacob’s childhood church. 

From the Bride:

Our wedding day was perfect! Despite the challenges of outsider comments and dealing with COVID, our day was more than I could have ever imagined. We had a full Catholic Mass. It was so special receiving the Eucharist on one of the biggest days of our life together. 

We really enjoyed picking out our favorite readings. Our First Reading was Genesis 2:18-24, read by my aunt and godmother. The Second Reading was 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8a, which was read by my uncle and godfather. For the Gospel, we chose John 15:9-12. 

We loved choosing our ceremony music, as well. Some favorites on our day were “O God Beyond All Praising,” “Come & Journey With Me,” “How Beautiful,” “How Great Is Our God,” and “Beautiful.” We got many comments on the music selection after the Mass; our musicians sounded like angels singing from heaven!

Something that surprised me about planning and executing the wedding was how close I grew to some friends and family.

I assumed the stress of planning would get to me and those who were helping, like my parents, grandparents, and close friends. However, we were almost always on the same page, and this wedding truly brought us much closer.

In this time in my life, some of my older friendships are diminishing and I was hurt that some closer friends didn't make it to the wedding. However, for the close friends that did, it gave me a new appreciation for each of them and the meaningful relationships I do have.

I decided to include the old, new, borrowed, and blue tradition in my attire. My Something Old and Something Borrowed were most meaningful to me.

For Something Old, I used some bobby pins that had been laying around at my grandma's house for years. We chuckled at how simple and silly it was using them, but they were actually very significant. It was a part of my grandma so close to me on our big day.

For Something Borrowed, I wore my mom's wedding earrings! Surprisingly, they fit perfectly with my theme and all the other jewelry I had already picked out. 

Our celebrant had just retired a few months prior to the wedding; however, he came back to marry us. He has been a big part of our lives as we go to church with my husband's family and our friends each week, where this priest says Mass. He also guided us throughout our marriage prep. His kindness and simplicity made us feel comfortable and closer to God every time he was around.

One very touching part of our ceremony included flowers being brought to the front of the church for our grandparents who have passed away.

A few of them had died within the last year. We were so glad that we could honor and remember them, even though they couldn't be there in person. Some of my close cousins offered to bring up the flowers before Mass. It was so touching to have all of these special people in my life together.

Jacob and I have a love for the Detroit Lakes area and being on the water. After the ceremony, we took a ride around the lake on Jacob’s parent's pontoon. It was so fun letting loose with our wedding party and being on the lake where we spent so much time together while dating. During the reception, we were able to sneak away for a few more pictures on the beach as the sun was setting. These are some of my favorites and sum up our love for being outdoors, at the lake, and enjoying each other's company.

My wedding take-away is simple: keep your strong relationships going. Keep up your relationship with God. Stay close to your family. Invest in your friendships. Put each other first.

Photographer: Nikayla & Co. | Nuptial Mass Location: Holy Rosary Catholic Church | Wedding Reception Venue : Holiday Inn Detroit Lakes | Bride's Ring: Price's Fine Jewelry | Groom's Ring: Key Jeweler's St. Cloud, MN | Bride's Bouquet: Detroit Lakes Floral | Invites, RSVPs, Programs: UPS Detroit Lakes, MN | Cake & Donuts: Central Market Bakery Detroit Lakes, MN | Bride's Dress/Veil: Bridal Aisle | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Celebrations Bridal & Formal Wear | Tuxes: Halberstadt's | Bride's Hair: Amber Bryant-Olson

Mary Kate + Jason | Rose & Lily-Trimmed Michigan Wedding

Mary Kate and Jason reflected deeply on the sacrament and liturgy as they prepared for their wedding day, in hopes that their guests would experience with them the true beauty of a Catholic marriage. In the end, the presence of God was felt as deeply and as plainly as the joy on Mary Kate and Jason’s faces.

From the Bride: To say I prayed for my future husband is a bit of an understatement. I said many novenas and rosaries for him while asking Jesus to make me into the wife he needed me to be. 

Eventually God brought along Jason. He had been a friend for a while but was in seminary, so I never really considered him as more than that. After Jason left seminary, we began to get to know one another more, and he eventually asked me to be his girlfriend. 

For nine and a half months we began to fall more and more in love with each other. And not in a “rainbows and unicorns” way. 

We learned about each other. We grew together. We had fun together. We had disagreements and hardships. But through it all we prayed together, and we asked the Trinity, Mother Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John Paul II to be with us. 

Then on March 27, 2018, Jason got down on one knee in our local adoration chapel and asked me to be his life companion, the phrase St. John Paul II used in his play “The Jeweler’s Shop.” And I said yes!

Our engagement lasted a little over a year, so it felt like the wedding day took forever to arrive. When it finally did, I woke up early and met my bridesmaids to get our hair done. Afterwards, we went to my parents’ house to make sure various little details were prepared. Eventually, my mom and I drove to the church. 

For a little while, it was just her and I in the basement of the church as I put on my makeup. That was one of my favorite moments, being there alone with her as she helped me prepare. Then girls started arriving, and I put on my dress. My dad saw me all dressed up, and he got a little emotional. I’m the last one in my family to get married, and I’m also the baby of the family. 

When the moment arrived, I walked up the steps to meet my dad in the back of the church. The couples we chose to be in the wedding were walking up the aisle, as were the ring bearers and flower girls. And then suddenly it was our turn. I couldn’t stop laughing at how amazing it all was. 

The moment Jason saw me, he didn’t know what to feel, but he was crying and laughing at the same time. My dad handed me to Jason at the end of the aisle and reminded him that it was now his duty to get me to heaven. We stood before the altar as our friend Fr. Andy began to celebrate the Mass. 

Jason and I had done all we could to ensure the Mass would lift the hearts of our guests to God. We had four priests who con-celebrated the liturgy, all very good friends, and one who had just been ordained the week before. Three of our good seminarian friends were altar servers, and our dads read the readings from Tobit and Ephesians. Our Gospel reading was the Wedding Feast at Cana, and we dwelt on Mary’s words: “Do whatever he tells you.” 

During our vows, Jason and I adopted a European tradition of holding on to a crucifix. It reminded us of the crosses we would face in marriage, but also that Christ would be with us in the midst of those crosses. 

Another detail that was special, that truly showed what marriage is all about, was that four of my bridesmaids were pregnant at the time. At least three little ones were being held by their parents in the party. What a show of married love! It wasn’t something we planned on, but it was beautiful to behold.

Jason’s ring was engraved on the inside with the words “Totus Tuus.” This pointed to his devotion to Our Lady and also to our patron saint: St. John Paul II. It described Jason’s fidelity to me as well, since the words translated mean “totally yours.”

One of the most beautiful moments was receiving Jesus in the Eucharist with Jason by my side. During our marriage prep, a good priest told us something amazing. The word “amen” means “I believe It is so.” And so, the very first thing Jason and I agreed on in our married life was that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. 

We presented a rose to Mary and a lily to St Joseph, to symbolize our devotion to them and to ask for their guidance in our marriage. At the end, we were presented as “Mr. and Mrs. Jason Payne,” and we walked out singing “Oh God Beyond All Praising” with massive smiles on our faces. In the back, we signed our marriage license amid hugs from both our families. 

We took lots of pictures at the church and in a local Japanese garden nearby. Jason’s best man drove us to different places we needed to be, provided us with snacks (I hadn’t eaten all day), and even snapped a picture of us sleeping in the back seat. 

When we arrived at the reception hall, we were ready to celebrate! The DJ announced our parents, all eleven couples in the party, the four ring bearers, and five flower girls. Finally, it was our turn. Mr. and Mrs. Jason Payne! We were so excited to be married. 

My sister, the matron of honor, and Jason’s best man gave their speeches. Then we all ate dinner. There’s a Polish tradition in my family where the bride and groom eat a piece of bread doused in salt to remind them of the bitterness they will experience in life, but also the joys. And during dinner, my aunt, a nun that lives in Italy, called to congratulate Jason and I. 

We performed all the usual dances including our first dance, the father/daughter dance, and Jason’s mother/son dance. Instead of the garter, Jason and I washed each other’s feet. Marriage is about laying down your life for the other and serving each other, so that’s what we wanted to convey. Jesus gave us the example of how to love, and we wanted to emulate him. 

The rest of the night was spent dancing and celebrating with friends and family. It was one of the best days of our lives.

Jason and I wanted everything about the day to point to God. It wasn’t only about us, but about the glory of God and his infinite goodness. 

Looking back, our favorite part of wedding planning was designing the liturgy itself. We loved asking four priests to con-celebrate and our seminarian friends to serve (and letting them know they should “light it up” with the incense!). God is our rock and our fortress, and we wanted that truth to shine through in every way, from the readings and songs to our actions in regard to one another and to Christ, who was truly present with us. And it truly was, in my humble opinion, a Mass that gave all honor and glory to the God who had gathered us there.

Photography: Titus Photography | Church: Holy Family Catholic Church | Reception: LFA Hall for the Reception | Attire: Unique Bridal | Catering: Alvie’s Catering. | Flowers: Enchanted Flowers. | Hair: Envy Hair Salon. | Music: Rusch Entertainment | Desserts: Sam’s Club.