Kathryn + Pedro | A Surreal Spanish Celebration

A long-distance love story seemingly lifted from a Hollywood film culminates in a romantic wedding abroad. A nuptial Mass in an ornate Spanish church followed by a starlit reception overlooking historic Granada.

Kathryn was living with a family in Madrid, working as an au pair while learning Spanish. After three months in Spain, she met Pedro, and they became good friends instantly. 

Pedro’s English was better than Kathryn’s Spanish, so he would sometimes help her with errands around town. He also introduced her to some of his friends to help her practice her language skills. 

Kathryn and Pedro continued to grow in friendship for months before beginning a dating relationship spanning countries and continents.

From the Bride:

The reality is, I went to Spain without any thought of finding my life partner. Really, I just wanted the cultural experience of living in another country and to truly learn how to speak Spanish once and for all. 

I left the rest up to God and His plan for me.

Pedro and I remained close friends for months before we actually started dating. Our courtship began right before I headed back to the United States.

Despite the distance, we continued our courtship for a full year following my return. We video chatted daily, but only saw each other once when Pedro visited me during Christmas. 

At that time, he met my entire family. My mother is one of 13 and my father is one of eight, so you can imagine how big my family gets! 

During his visit, we even made a trip to Niagara Falls and saw its beauty in mid-winter. It was cold, but amazing! We attended midnight Mass with my family and truly enjoyed the holiday together.

After Pedro's visit, I knew I would marry him. It was just a matter of when. 

The entire time I kept thinking about how surreal our entire courtship felt. It seemed like something straight out of a movie. 

Six months after his Christmas visit, Pedro came back to Michigan and ended up staying. He proposed three months later, and we started planning our wedding.

We had a long engagement and ended up getting married in Granada, Spain—Pedro's hometown and a popular tourist destination. We did our Catholic marriage preparation in the U.S. and had everything sent over to the church he grew up in, Iglesia de san Pedro y san Pablo.

During our marriage preparation, Pedro and I prayed together and spoke about our future plans to have children and the importance our marriage would be as the foundation to build our family. 

Due to VISA requirements in the United States, and to make it easier to get married out of the country, we completed the civil marriage license and paperwork in the U.S. long before our actual wedding. 

However, it was important for us to get married in the Church with God as our witness because that is the marital foundation we wanted to build our family on.

On our wedding day, Pedro wore a pin showing he is a costalero with the Iglesia de san Pedro y san Pablo. A costalero is one of the boys/men who carry the statue of the Virgin of that church during Semana Santa (Holy Week). 

The traditional processions of Semana Santa in Andalusia, Spain date back to the fithteeth century and are still very important today. People from all over Spain, and the world, visit the south of Spain during Semana Santa to witness the elaborate displays of the holy figures.

Taking part in the processions is considered to be a big honor in representing the Catholic faith and the Church. 

Many other Spanish traditions were incorporated into the wedding ceremony. My suegra (mother-in-law) wore the traditional black peineta and mantilla in her hair. This is something formally worn during special occasions such as bullfights, during Holy Week, and at weddings. 

The peineta and mantilla are used as a sign of respect and to cover a woman's shoulders. The mantilla is a way to emulate Mary, our mother, who is archetypically pure and humble, a symbol of modesty. It also veils a woman's beauty so the beauty of God can be venerated instead.

We also had a traditional Spanish choir at the church called a Rociero Choir.

Finally, once Mass had finished, all the Spaniards ran outside with bags of rice to throw at the new bride and groom as we exited from the church. This custom represents abundance and symbolizes fertility and prosperity for the new couple. 

Of course, all the Americans remained in the church, as they did not get the memo and are accustomed to allowing the bride and groom to exit first as a sign of respect. This was just one of many cultural differences we discovered.

The service at the church was exquisite. I still feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in the sacrament of marriage with the love of my life in such a beautiful setting. Some tourists even came into the church to witness our commitment to God and to one another. 

After the Mass, everyone gathered in the courtyard outside the front of the church and began a nice walk along the Carrera del Darro up to the Carmen de los Chapiteles for the reception.

The Carmen de los Chapiteles dates back to the fourteenth century and was given by the Catholic Monarchs to the General who commanded their armies when they won back Spain. It sits up on a hill under the gardens of La Alhambra overlooking one of the oldest parts of the city, Albaicín and El Sacromonte.

Jamon Serrano (a Spanish dry cured ham) was served during the cocktail hour on the terrace while guests visited with one another. Dinner and entertainment followed. 

As is Spanish tradition for the bride and groom, we passed out small gifts and visited with all the guests during dinner. We also cut our wedding cake using a sword, another Spanish tradition. We had around 80 guests total, 23 of whom traveled from the United States for the occasion.

To say our wedding was from a dream would be an understatement. Just like our entire relationship, our wedding was well beyond anything I could have imagined. 

Finding the person who was right for me and for my future family was something I prayed for. 

The fact that I met the man I would later marry thousands of miles from home, in another country, makes me think there was truly divine intervention. 

God has a plan for us all and blesses us with His love and generosity daily. I thank Him every day for these blessings. 

My wedding day reminded me of how fortunate I am to have loving family and friends and Christ our Lord guiding us along our life journey.

God truly blessed us with a gorgeous day and the perfect celebration to start our life together as husband and wife.

Photography: Mazintosh Fotografia | Nuptial Mass Location: Iglesia Parroquial de san Pedro y san Pablo, Granada, Spain | Reception Location: Carmen de los Chapiteles, Granada, Spain | Music: Dry N Wet | Floral Design: Floristeria Armiflor | Hair and Makeup: Peluqueria & Estetica Manuela Dote

Jayme + Aaron | Multicultural Wedding with Mexican Traditions

Modern aesthetics meet old-world charm in this intimate celebration inspired by the colonial architecture of a city in the heart of Mexico. Sunshine fades to starlight as the bride and groom dine and dance beneath swaying palms, pampas grass, and soft string lights to the sounds of a mariachi band.

Jayme and Aaron knew their relationship was a result of God’s perfect timing. While Jayme was born in South Korea and raised in South Dakota, she eventually moved to Seattle in 2018 with stops in Los Angeles and San Francisco along the way. 

Aaron was born in Southern California, growing up both there and in Aguascalientes, Mexico, before also moving to Seattle.

Their modern fairytale began through an online dating match and flourished due to their mutual love for God.

Despite ever-changing wedding plans in the midst of a pandemic, Jayme and Aaron focused on remaining rooted in the sacrament.

From the Bride:

Aaron and I were a match made in God’s hands because God moved us across the continent to meet each other. 

When we met, Aaron was a practicing Catholic, and I was a non-denominational Christian. We prayed over the decision to date because we wanted to make sure we were a fit for marriage.

Through prayer, we both knew that we were meant to be. Our values, major life goals, and love for God aligned perfectly. Aaron proposed to me in April of 2019. 

During our engagement, I decided to convert to Catholicism. When we took our premarital courses, we scored highest in the areas of commitment to God, covenant, and teamwork. 

But these were not just scores. They were the very areas that we prayed over and practiced in order to root our love in God. 

As we prepared for our wedding, we were adamant about incorporating all of the Mexican wedding traditions into the Catholic ceremony. 

Our nuptial Mass was held in the historic Templo de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico. This was a Church Aaron grew up going to and took over 30 years to build. Its beautiful colonial architecture matches the downtown area of Aguascalientes where most of the buildings were built over 60 years ago. 

Aaron’s baptism madrina (godmother) was our madrina of the lasso, which was placed around us during our nuptial Mass. Aaron’s brothers and sister were our padrinos and madrinas (godparents in Latino communities) of the 13 arras, rings, and prayers during the wedding ceremony. 

Aaron’s sister and grandmother were the Madrinas de Peticiones (Godmoms of Prayer) and read four novenas relating to matrimony and the importance of two people serving one another for life in humility and compassion. 

A favorite part of our ceremony included the ofrendas and how each of the people carrying the ofrendas has made a lifelong commitment to Christ. Most of the people who carried the ofrendas to the altar were men that Aaron grew up with in Church. 

After the ceremony, we and our guests were greeted by a Mariachi!

While we had one of our first unofficial dances as a married couple, the mariachi followed us in a parade style from the Church to the reception area where crowds of people were saying “Felicidades!” (Congratulations). 

This is a tradition for many Mexican weddings, and it was Aaron’s top non-negotiable detail for the wedding.

Our reception was inspired by romance, Aguascalientes’ architecture, and our multicultural guest list. 

Stepping into our reception felt like stepping into a floral garden. Both Aaron and I love flowers.

When we were first dating, Aaron would drive every Sunday to drop off flowers for me for the week. We wanted to incorporate this into our reception decorations. 

We also wanted to make sure our guests were well fed. With different foods for different people, we decided to create a menu that was a range from spicy to non-spicy dishes and settled on lasagna, chicken poblano, and morrita chile. 

We wanted to accommodate our guests who celebrated with us during a global pandemic.

We both grew up with hearts for hospitality and wanted to make sure there was something for everyone. 

Three weeks before the wedding we had to change caterers, photographers, the DJ, and the venue. But leaving it all in God’s hands, God answered so many prayers through our wedding planner, who addressed these concerns and got us even better vendors than before.

We knew we were meant to be as emergencies popped up and God took care of each one with an even better option than we imagined. 

Due to COVID-19, we had to trim our 120-person guest list to 75, and then down to 30. It was the wedding party and family that ended up coming for the event, but every moment was better than we expected. 

From our sweet first look to dancing the night away under the stars, our wedding was a celebration of God’s perfect timing.

Since our love story began, Aaron’s grandmother suggested we regularly pray the Novena for the Nativity of Mary and it has stuck with us as a couple. We have been inspired to fulfil our duties in the Church we belong to, and although we plan to create our own family, we were recently asked to be madrina and padrino to our friend’s baby in the sacrament of baptism. 

We both feel a distinct calling to serve others—much like Mother Teresa and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton—focusing on our local community in providing food resources to low-income families and educational resources to students where we both work at a tech school in Seattle. 

God has brought us together from different worlds and cultures and has blessed us with the sacrament of marriage where we serve together in our community and love fulfilling God’s teachings in giving to others.

Ultimately, it didn't matter if there was a crowd of people or only two witnesses on our wedding day. The most important aspect was honoring our marriage before God. The wedding itself is the easy and fun stuff, but marriage is both beautiful and challenging. 

We would rather enter holy matrimony with God at the center than worry about if the dresses were just the right color, or if we made sure to pick out someone's favorite song, and so forth. 

This approach was absolutely reflected during our wedding day. We didn't have a guest book, party favors, or a photo booth. I didn't have a maid of honor—only bridesmaids. 

We worried less about what our wedding “should” be like, and I am happy we were more focused on how we would stay rooted in God and prepare the foundations of our marriage. 

I am so happy that I prayed that I would be concerned with the important pieces of our marriage and not the event that fades with time. 

As a couple, we felt incredibly loved by all our family and friends near and far during that day. To me, as the bride, that made my heart so full after planning a wedding during a pandemic.

Photography: Fer Mur Foto | Nuptial Mass Location: Templo de San Marcos, Aguascalientes, Mexico | Reception Location: Palenque Patio, Aguascalientes, Mexico | Event Planning: LILA Event Planning | Floral Design: Casa Mokara | DJ Services: HRE Producciones | Catering: Chef Cesar Perez | Dessert: Sugar & Spice | Hair & Makeup: Ciara's Makeup and Hair | Bride’s Dress: David's Bridal | Groom’s Suit: Glamour Aguascalientes | Bridesmaid Dresses: AZAZIE | Groomsmen Attire: Glamour Aguascalientes | Stationary: Marry Me Paper Boutique

Carolina + Jordan | Multicultural Modern Fairytale Wedding

A love story spanning hemispheres and cultures celebrated with a renewal of vows against the lush tropical backdrop of Rio de Janeiro, bedecked with crystal chandeliers and elaborate arrangements of pink lilies, orchids, and roses.

As a teenager in her native Brazil, Carolina began praying to St. Anthony for her future spouse. Years later while studying in Savannah, she met Jordan online.

While fleeing from a hurricane, the seemingly unlikely couple found they had more in common than they originally thought. 

Despite the challenges of immigration, families on different sides of the globe, and differing faith traditions, Carolina and Jordan were ultimately able to celebrate their relationship in grand fashion in the presence of all their loved ones.

From the Bride:

I was never a girl who dreamed of her wedding, but I always knew I was going to marry a good husband.

That is because I was born on the feast day of St. Anthony (June 13th), who in Brazil is considered the patron saint of matrimony, or the “matchmaker saint.” 

(As a fun fact, that is why Brazilians celebrate Valentine's Day June 12th, a day before St. Anthony's feast, in which all the single women can lift prayers to St. Anthony to find their significant other!)

As a devout, cradle-Catholic, once I got to my teenage years, I would pray to St. Anthony every year to help me find a good boyfriend.

But I was a dreamer and a hopeless romantic, so no real boy actually met all my expectations. I would go on dates, but I never seriously “dated” anyone.

Jordan and I met when I was 21 and he was 26. It was my second year of college in the United States. 

I had only had one previous relationship, which had left me heartbroken. By then I had given up on idealizing the perfect man.

Instead, I put all my hopes and dreams on Jesus himself—He was the only one who could truly fulfill me and love me unconditionally.

Once I learned to lean into my relationship with Christ, the world around me got so much easier. 

Jordan and I met online, and our first date was in a cute coffee shop in Savannah. He was a pretty laid-back, open guy. Despite having totally different backgrounds and personalities, I discovered we had a lot in common,  

He had a military background; I was an artist. He was practical; I was a dreamer. He was from cold, upstate New York; I was from tropical Rio de Janeiro. 

But we shared the same values and had similar goals in life. We were attracted to each other in that sense—our views of the world really aligned. 

Also, his stepmom was Brazilian, and his father had lived for a few years in Brazil and even knew how to speak Portuguese! What are the odds?

A few days after our first date a hurricane hit Savannah, and we all had to evacuate the city. Jordan and I met again in Atlanta, while running away from hurricane Matthew, and spent the entire weekend together exploring the city. 

When it was time to go back, he asked if I wanted to keep seeing each other. On our following date, he asked me to be his girlfriend. And I actually said no! 

I was still getting to know him, I had just gotten out of another relationship, and I wasn't ready to commit. 

But then I realized: Isn't that what dating is for? To discern things before you're ready to commit to something bigger?

The second time he asked me to be his girlfriend, I said yes—and the rest is history.

We dated for a year, my family came to visit from Brazil to meet him, and the following year we got engaged. Jordan also went to Rio de Janeiro to meet the rest of my (big) family and see my hometown. 

Because of logistics (my family living in another hemisphere) and immigration (I was an international student when we got engaged), we had to split our wedding celebration into different steps. 

For immigration purposes, our civil marriage was completed first in Forsyth Park in Savannah. It was a gorgeous, but COLD day for us Brazilians! Our families finally met for the first time, and it was all very intimate. 

We exchanged vows in front of the beautiful Forsyth Fountain and a street musician even started playing the wedding march and “The Girl From Ipanema” (a famous Tom Jobim song) totally impromptu!

Our nuptial Mass was celebrated six months later, as soon as I graduated college, and we were ready to move in together. 

My family came from Brazil, and it was very intimate once again. We had a wonderful priest who accompanied us during marriage prep. 

To exchange our marriage vows in the Church, I wore a gorgeous, but simple, floral summer dress. We celebrated afterwards in a beautiful restaurant on River Street.

We decided to have our wedding reception and renewal of vows in Rio because, if there is something we Brazilians know how to do, it's throw a good party.

For the renewal of vows, we went as grand as it could be! I'm a huge Disney-princess fan, and I wanted to have a gorgeous and romantic ceremony.

It turned out perfect, and we finally had all my family and friends to celebrate with us.

Since our marriage, I have seen the power of the Holy Spirit blessing our relationship. Jordan, who was raised Baptist, was finally baptized just months before our second anniversary, and our marriage officially became a sacrament!

I am eager to raise a loving, bicultural family. Praise God and St. Anthony for my marriage! 

I still thank my patron saint every day.

Photography: Aszmann | Nuptial Mass Location: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Savannah, GA | Renewal of Vows and Reception Location: Casa das Canoas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Bride’s Dress: Airé | Bride’s Veil: Rosa Clará | Bride’s Crown: Ateliê Priscila Gamino | Engagement Ring: Verragio | Wedding Bands: Brilliant Earth | Hair & Makeup: Marcelo Hicho | Orchestra: Delfim Moreira Orquestra