Introducing Spoken Bride's 2020 Vendor Week! Tips, Education, and Exclusive Planning Info from Catholic Wedding Pros

This January 11-19 is our annual Vendor Week: days dedicated to showcasing the best of the Catholic wedding industry through Spoken Bride’s blog content and social media. 

Videography: Visual Rose Films by Nick DeRose, a Spoken Bride Vendor. The bride, Kate Capato of Visual Grace, and wedding photographer, Emma Dallman of Emma Dallman Photography, are our vendors, as well!

The Catholic wedding industry? Yes, it’s a thing! We are proud to offer the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first wedding directory specifically designed to connect brides and grooms with planners, photographers, florists, artisans, and more who share the same faith and bring a distinctively Catholic outlook to their client experience.

Don’t miss our first vendor takeovers, featuring Evan Kristiansen of Evan Kristiansen Photography and Nia Husk of Prolific Services, a certified fertility education resource, over this weekend! Follow us on Instagram @spokenbride.

At the start of this post-holiday engagement season, we invite you to browse the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide as you begin booking your wedding vendors. Each of our vendors is a true gift, offering their talents for the glory of God and sharing of themselves, their stories, and unique personalities. 

Are you a Catholic wedding vendor interested in learning about Vendor membership? Read about membership benefits and join our waitlist here.

Follow along on our blog and Instagram this week for exclusive and personal education, tips, Days in the Life, and Q+A you’ll only find from Spoken Bride vendors. Forthcoming topics include…

• Tips for planning a pre-ceremony “First Prayer”

• Considerations for marrying at a church that isn’t your home parish

• Vendors’ tips for first steps in finding, choosing, and booking your wedding professionals

• Ways to communicate the importance of your Catholic faith with your vendors

• Instagram takeovers by a marriage therapist, a jeweler, an NFP instructor, wedding photographers, and more

Recently engaged and booking your vendors? Browse the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide:

Photography | Wedding Coordination | Bridal Attire & Jewelry | Stationery & Hand Lettering | Floral Design | Videography | Gifts & Home Décor | Marriage & Family Therapists | NFP Instructors | Music

Above all, weddings are about the personal: who you and your beloved are, and the professionals you invite in to help tell your story for generations to come. Our vendors are single, engaged, and married, alive with passion for their craft and their Catholic faith. They, and we, are so eager to share and correspond with you this week! Don’t hesitate to engage online and on social media with your questions and thoughts—it’s our hope that this week is mutually enriching, informative, and fruitful as you prepare for your wedding and marriage.

Spoken Bride Vendors | Spotlight, Vol. 7

Are you recently engaged and ready to book your wedding vendors? Newly married or attending a wedding, and in search of gifts that affirm the vocation to marriage?

We are proud to serve you through the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first online resource for distinctively Catholic wedding vendors: hand-selected professionals from around the U.S. with not only an abundance of talent, but a reverence and passion for the sacrament of marriage that brings a uniquely personal, prayerful dimension to their client experiences.

With a range of stories, hobbies, and devotions, it’s our privilege to share who our vendors are and connect them with their ideal clients--you, faithful Catholic couples who are energized by working with like-minded, prayerful individuals. Each month, we’ll be introducing, or re-introducing, you to members of Spoken Bride’s vendor community, and we encourage you to learn more through their full vendor listings.

Our Vendors for This Month (click to jump):

Saving the Date
Fire and Gold Photography
Quiet Light Creations
FertilityCare

Saving the Date

Wedding Planning, serving the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas.

 After years of planning collegiate athletic events and corporate conferences, Savanna Faulkner’s friends began seeking her expertise as they planned their wedding days. Before long, Savanna says, “I was planning strangers’ weddings.” She began pursuing wedding planning as a business, and Saving the Date transitioned from side hustle to full-time work in 2017.

A love for the Catholic faith infuses everything about Savanna’s client experience, both visually and behind the scenes. “Love is so beautiful,” says Savanna, “and easily the reason why I am so passionate about people. I love to make people feel seen, heard, and understood.” Inspired by the rich sacred art and sensory beauty of the Church and liturgy, she finds design inspiration in her faith and carries it into her couples’ weddings.

Favorite movies: Top Gun and 27 Dresses

Ministries I’m involved in: The pro-life movement is a huge part of my life. In fact, my parents became so convicted in their pro-life beliefs they adopted two foster kids! I enjoy volunteering my event-planning expertise to local non-profits for their fundraisers. 

The best part of working on weddings: Being with people. I love working [hard], just to hear how happy the bride and groom are. Also, the gravity of involving me to be in charge of one of the biggest days of someone's life is incredible. I love that I can portray confidence and peace to the couples who decide to put their big day in my hands. 

To learn more about Saving the Date, click here.

Fire and Gold Photography

Photography; serving Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Western New York. Available for nationwide travel.

Laura Schaefer fell in love with photography in high school and worked on developing her skills during college. Inspired and fortified by the image of gold being refined by fire, making God’s children “stronger and hopefully holier” after a miscarriage, Laura founded Fire and Gold Photography in 2017 and shoots weddings alongside her husband, Matthew. 

A Franciscan University alumna and resident of Steubenville, Ohio, where the university is located, the Catholic faith permeates all of Fire and Gold’s work and relationships: “I am a Catholic photographer,” Laura says, “and those words are in that order for a reason. Catholic first; photographer second. My faith is my way of life and it informs every choice I make. [Matthew and I] both love the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva, and I would say that this quote captures how we view our work as photographers: ‘If you seek sanctity in and through your work, you will necessarily have to strive to turn it into personal prayer.’” 

I take my coffee...Laura: I wish I could say black but let's be honest, I love creamer. Matthew:  Black.

We’re most inspired by: [how God] takes delight in the beauty of His creation. We love photography and running our business because it’s how we get to create and capture beauty. We see it as participation in God’s own creation of beauty. He is Beauty itself, and we honestly see my work as a form of prayer. 

Love means: Sacrifice. To love as Christ loved. To give of yourself fully and completely, without reservation or strings attached. 

It can sound like an academic answer, but we have learned to live this in our marriage and actually living it out takes it from the classroom to the real world. Loving in the good times and bad; loving until it hurts. Loving even when the other person isn't acting lovable. Calling each other on in holiness and becoming the best versions of ourselves. Loving our children and teaching them virtue. Pouring yourself out completely for your family yet always being filled through the grace of the sacrament. 

To learn more about Fire and Gold Photography, click here.

Quiet Light Creations

Gifts; ships nationwide and internationally.

Angela Marinelli, a longtime jewelry and rosary maker, always prays while crafting religious items. One day while praying over a rosary she was creating, overwhelmed with a sense of “darkness in the world” that she’d been hearing on the news, Angela heard the whispers of a call to share her gifts in a fuller capacity. Quiet Light Creations, founded on a love for Our Lady and the Saints, offers handmade rosaries, chaplets, and bracelets that become instant heirlooms when chosen for a couple’s wedding day.

Angela still prays for the recipient of every item she creates, with a hope that through her work, the Catholic faith is shared in an authentic, simple way: “A quiet light is easily overlooked, but once it catches your eye and you pause for a minute to think, it makes you wonder. The quiet light of the tabernacle candle points to someone so much greater, just like the quiet light our Blessed Mother embodies points to someone so much greater. 

“The simplicity draws you into the mystery of faith without the temptations of being known or being acknowledged for our good works. I hope that my shop will share the message that we are all striving saints, we are not perfect, and the trap of comparison even in holiness is not what we are meant for.”

I root for... the Pittsburgh Pirates, Penguins, Steelers and the Chicago Cubs, Blackhawks, Bears. Family loyalty!

Favorite music: James Taylor, The Head and The Heart, George Ezra, Matchbox Twenty, and Twenty One Pilots.

Love means: Trusting that another soul will return the love you give, so much so that the thoughts and worries about yourself being taken care of are cast far out of your mind. Love is choosing another continually and consistently, always showing your love for them more than saying it. Love means being attuned to all the little things they do for you and for everyone else, and doing those things for them. 

A sure sign of love is feeling at peace and at rest. Authentic love casts out all anxiety and fear. To love means to offer that place of rest in yourself where others can dwell in peace.

To learn more about Quiet Light Creations, click here.

FertilityCare

NFP and Fertility Education; offering in-person instruction in the Miami area and long-distance services nationwide.

Sarah McKeown was first introduced to the Creighton Fertility model during her engagement. As a nurse, she found herself particularly drawn to the medical science behind the method. Within several years, Sarah had discerned and answered a call to pursue NFP education more fully. She began accepting and teaching clients the Creighton FertilityCare Model in 2016.

Sarah’s call and conviction have only continued to grow as she’s served her clients; many, but not all, are Catholic, and she loves the opportunity to “[teach] people about the beauty of their fertility; the way God created women's bodies and how we are called to live our marital sexuality in a responsible and generous way...I think having NFP instructors available long distance helps fill a need for many couples who may not have access to someone in their city or don't know how to get started.” She describes her business as “marriage-centered, empowering, and insightful,” and says, “have felt more called to teach NFP than I have with any other job, including being a nurse.”

Favorite wedding day memory: The priest celebrating our mass was Fr. Mike Schmitz, who is amazing! At one point during his homily he said, "this couple doesn't know what the future holds, and they will have difficult times ahead, but even so, you look at the other person and say, you're worth it." 

And at the same time Fr. Mike said those words, my husband looked at me with tears in his eyes and mouthed, "you're worth it". It was so beautiful; I don't know how he knew Fr. Mike was going to say that, but it was such an amazing, grace-filled moment.

On my bucket list: Have as many kids as God will give us, visit one of those resorts in the South Pacific where your little bungalow is on stilts over the water, and become a saint!

The best part of my work: I love to see women become confident in their ability to tell fertile vs. infertile days of their cycles. Couples feel so much more freedom to enter into marriage without the need or use of birth control. They can learn to love each other freely, totally, faithfully and fruitfully the way God intended.

To learn more about FertilityCare, click here.

Spoken Bride Vendors | Spotlight, Vol. 5

Are you recently engaged and ready to book your wedding vendors? Newly married or attending a wedding, and in search of gifts that affirm the vocation to marriage?

We are proud to serve you through the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first online resource for distinctively Catholic wedding vendors: hand-selected professionals from around the U.S. with not only an abundance of talent, but a reverence and passion for the sacrament of marriage that brings a uniquely personal, prayerful dimension to their client experiences.

From photographers and videographers who understand how to capture the most significant moments of your nuptial Mass, to coordinators who understand the needs of Catholic couples, artists whose jewelry, stationery, and prints become enduring keepsakes long after your wedding day, clinical and theological experts in the fields of fertility and relationships, and beyond, Spoken Bride Vendors view their work as a call and find deep joy in putting their talents at the service of the Lord.

What’s more, our vendors are truly engaging and fun. With a range of stories, hobbies, and devotions, it’s our privilege to share who they are and connect them with their ideal clients--you, faithful Catholic couples who are energized by working with like-minded, prayerful individuals. Each month, we’ll be introducing, or re-introducing, you to members of Spoken Bride’s vendor community, and we encourage you to learn more through their full vendor listings.

Our Vendors for This Month (click to jump):

Karly Jo Photography
Kassondra Design
Paint Art Live
The Little Flower Company

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Karly Jo Photography

Midwest Region

Karly Schafer grew up watching her father photograph as a hobby. She first learned film photography from him and it quickly developed into a hobby of her own. Eventually, she attended photography school and transitioned into a new career as a wedding photographer. Karly Jo Photography has been capturing significant moments between brides and grooms for eleven years. “I always try to imagine myself at the feast of Cana. I imagine myself as a servent listening to Mary say, ‘Do as he tells you.’”

What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?: Sitting at the head table, sipping wine feeling so happy and content as I looked at all of my best friends and family there with me in celebration.

What ministries are you involved in?: Raising 4 children and volunteering at their Catholic School.

What is your favorite place you have traveled?: I've been so lucky to travel and really try to take as many trips as possible. As a child we traveled with our horses around the country and Canada. As a single person, I've traveled to Europe a few times and lived in Italy as I worked as a nanny. Now as a mother, I enjoy traveling with my kids but it's different. We have been to Mexico twice with them and it is probably our favorite place to go. I also love traveling in Wisconsin... Door County and the Northwoods have my heart.

Learn more about Karly Jo Photography

Kassondra Design

Lincoln/Omaha, Nebraska and surrounding areas

Kassie Christensen has a longstanding professional background in graphic design and has more recently included photography into her business platform. From collaborating with clients to owning her own business, her work is her passion, a gift from God and a personal source of energy and joy. “I also love becoming friends with the couple and I strive to make their day less stressful and more joyful. Capturing their memories is so special for me!”

What are your favorite saints or devotions?: I love St. Therese and her simple ways. I also love St. Tarcisius and his love for the Eucharist. St. Anthony is my best friend and St. John Paul the II, well, need I say more?! I could go on all day because I have a lot of favorite saints!

What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?: I loved after communion while my groom and I were kneeling, our cantor sang "How Beautiful" and it really just hit me. The sacrament, the gift Christ gave us, how we are called to love like Him. Our wedding day was so full of love and joy and family.

Do you root for any professional sports teams?: I am a HUGE Kansas Jayhawks basketball fan. My Grandpa worked there and my grandma has season tickets, and my whole family loves it.

Learn more about Kassondra Design

Paint Art Live

Gulf Coast counties and available for travel nationwide

Artist Jessa Pippin has always been called to create through her artistic gifts. As a Catholic artist, she recognizes every stroke of her paintbrush is an opportunity for intentional devotion and prayer. Jessa brings this prayers approach to her work when she collaborates with brides and grooms on their wedding day, “Not only am I creating a painting for these new couples, but I am devoting a prayer in every stroke as I create it for them. I pray for their future and for their vows and other special intentions they may ask of me when we first have a consultation.”

What are three things on your bucket list?: I would like walk at least the last 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago, open my own art studio and have a second baby!

What is your favorite place you have traveled?: Key West Florida. The sunsets were incredible!

What does love mean?: Love is an unconditional devotion above riches and poverty and sickness and health. It is absolute and endless and knows no bounds.

Learn more about Paint Art Live

The Little Flower Company

Nebraska, Southern South Dakota, Western Iowa, and Northern Kansas

Katrina Polk has built her business around her Catholic faith and flowers. Though a small business, she aspires to make a big impact through the beautiful presentation of flowers on a wedding day, especially through the bridal bouquet. She fulfills her professional calling to floral design with passion, joy, and gratitude, “When I am setting up the day of a Catholic wedding I love spending time in the church & thanking God for my job. I truly love what I do & none of this would be possible without Him.”

What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?: My favorite moment was seeing my husband for the first time while walking down the aisle. All the craziness of the day just melted away. I also enjoyed when the photographer pulled my husband and I away from everyone at the reception to take sunset pictures. It was nice to take a step away & enjoy each other in that moment!

What are your favorite books, movies, or music?: The Notebook because it's so stinking cute and still makes me cry. I am not too picky with movies and music, I just don't care for horror movies or country music.

How do you take your coffee?: Black or iced with a little soy milk.

Learn more about The Little Flower Company

5 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wants You to Know

EMMA DALLMAN

As a wide-eyed, newly engaged young thing, I quickly learned planning a wedding takes a village. Whether you’re planning an extravaganza rivaled only by the likes of Jay Gatsby, or an intimate gathering of close family and friends, you’re going to interview and assemble a team of wedding vendors and trust them to help you execute a life-changing event that is special, memorable, and totally unique to you and your fiancé.

I can’t speak to the inner life of florists, DJs or cake decorators, but after 3 years as a wedding photographer, I do have advice to help set your expectations and have the best possible experience while taking your wedding photos.

Consider the following five points the answers to questions you didn’t think to ask and the solutions to problems you didn’t anticipate--all from the perspective of your friendly neighborhood matrimonial shutterbug!

Photography: Emma Dallman Photography

It's okay to feel awkward.

Occasionally a future bride will admit to me (in hushed and sheepish tones), "We're not very good in front of a camera," or "My fiancé is kind of uncomfortable having his picture taken."

First of all, this is super normal! More likely than not, you and your fiancé are not fashion models. Maybe your last experience taking professional photos was during your senior year of high school. An experienced and talented photographer knows how to make you comfortable in front of the camera.

Before every shoot, I come armed with prompts, stories, games, and suggestions to help turn your focus off of me and back onto each other. When you and your fiancé are interacting more genuinely, I'm able to capture what's authentically between you, rather than posing you in a way that's artificial. My favorite thing to hear at the end of a portrait shoot is, ”Oh, that was actually fun!” or, "That was easier than I expected!”

 If you’re worried being trailed by a stranger loaded down with loud and obtrusive camera gear is going to make you nervous on your wedding day, try to book an engagement session with your wedding photographer. Couples who book me for engagement shoots before their wedding day consistently tell me it makes a huge difference in their comfort level. I'm always able to help a willing, cooperative couple look their best in photos, so if you're feeling apprehensive, try not to stress! 

Our insight might be valuable to you.

Photographers and videographers are the two wedding vendors whose job is to follow brides and grooms around All. Day. Long.  From the early morning makeup session to the last guest who won't get off the dance floor, we ride the wedding-day roller coaster with our clients in a way a cake decorator or a calligrapher doesn't. All that to say, we've been around the wedding world, we've seen some things, and we've got some wisdom to share!

I always tell my brides I'm willing to offer as much or little input on timeline planning as they might want. Assuming you have a comfortable, communicative relationship with your photographer, you should feel free to reach out with questions about timing, group dynamics, lighting, and more. You may not realize it, but in your photographer you have an expert wedding resource available to you.

Prioritize the important shots.

Look into the future for a moment to a point in time after  your wedding day: What kind of photos will you want to frame and hang in your new home? What kind of photos will you want to give as gifts to family members? What kind of photos will you use as your first Christmas card? This could vary, but for most couples this will mean portraits of the bride and groom together, along with family portraits.  

When planning your wedding timeline, try to take this into account. Don't allow your poor photographer only 15 minutes out of your wedding timeline to try and snap the most important  photos of the day! I encourage brides to allow at least 30 minutes for family portraits (depending how large your family is), and at least 45 minutes to get some classic and creative shots of the newly married couple alone. So when laying out the events of your day, make sure to allow adequate room for what’s most important to you!

Don't rule out a First Look.

Most brides I work with will initially tell me that they don't want a "first look." They picture a classic scenario of locking eyes down the aisle of a church with their beloved, seeing his reaction to all their bridal glory.

I understand how special and crucial that moment is. Believe it or not, doing a first look may actually allow you to enjoy your wedding day more!

Couples who do a first look still get photos of that awesome, emotional moment when the groom takes in his bride’s beauty for the first time. They get to react with a little more privacy and authenticity, which can be nice if one or both of them is on the shy side.

But best of all,these couples get to head to their cocktail hour and their reception a lot sooner. If you finish those important portraits before your ceremony, then you're free enjoy your guests, relax, and be a part of your own party!

I strongly recommend a first look to couples having an evening or sunset wedding, and to anyone who feels a little conspicuous knowing a whole church full of people is hoping to see them cry.

It's not about the photos!

After all that talk about timing, cocktail hours, and feeling awkward, the most important  thing your wedding photographer wants you to know is that it's not about the photos! Even as a Catholic bride, it can be easy focus on the details you've worked so hard to put together; to inadvertently begin thinking the cake, the flowers, the dress and the photos are what’s making your day special.

In reality, the inverse is true: the beautiful, important, sacramental commitment you make as a couple turns an ordinary cake into a cake that will forever be special to you. It makes the flowers you choose special, the dress you wear special, and every other aspect of your day. In the end, your photos will be special because they'll help you remember what actually happened on your wedding day--even if the weather was bad, your cake turned out funny, or the best man lost his tie.

 As you research, plan, and book professionals to help your wedding day take shape, don’t be afraid to ask for their insight and advice. Most wedding vendors--especially Catholic ones!--get into this business because they’re romantics at heart, because they love beauty, and because they believe in the importance of marriage. Most likely, they’ll be ready and willing to help you in any way they can. I hope this insight gave you the confidence to embrace your wedding photos in a new way, and helped supply some ready-made answers to your photography questions!

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About the Author: Emma Dallman, a Spoken Bride Vendor, is a wedding and portrait photographer serving the East Coast and the world beyond. She lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband Mark and her puppy Hildy. The things that make her happiest include slow weekend mornings, live music, Mexican food and Netflix comedy specials. She is endlessly fascinated by the uniqueness and the beauty of every person she photographs.

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Vendor Spotlight | Emma Dallman Photography

When speaking of her experiences with either professional photography or her Catholic faith formation, Emma Dallman uses words like “marvel,” and “magic.” Her personal reflections glorify the many divine ways God works in and through this Philadelphia-based wedding photographer as she engages with couples, captures life through the lens of her camera, and pursues each day with trusting humility.

As an eight-year-old, Emma remembers snapping through an entire roll of film during the “Shamu Show” at Sea World. The memory stands as a moment she experienced the wonder of photography, which remained a hobby and side-hustle for years. By 2016, she entered more deeply into her desires and began pursuing photography as a business.

Concurrent with a growing professional career, Emma grew in her understanding of the mystery of the human person through Saint John Paul II’s teachings on Theology of the Body. She reflects, “The Theology of the Body has played a crucial role in both my faith formation and in my love for photography. I’m endlessly fascinated by the uniqueness and the beauty of every person I photograph.”

While witnessing living beauty is a gift of her career, Emma’s goal in shooting a wedding is to create art which memorializes every tiny, beautiful detail of each unique wedding day. Meanwhile, her own approach in relation with couples is organic yet thorough. Such intention engages the “magic of photography,” as shown in her rich, authentic, and emotion-driven photographs.

From Emma:

I view it as a privilege to be invited into someone’s “inner circle” on their wedding day.  There are so many emotional, joy-filled, imperfect, and sometimes crazy moments you get to witness as a photographer, and those are the moments that make someone’s day unique and memorable.

Additionally, I love to capture the beauty of a wedding Mass. I have to laugh when I hear some photographers bemoan the “church wedding” as boring, because from my perspective, nothing could be more dramatic, mysterious or beautiful. Couples who share that idea tend to be drawn to my work.

Married love means thinking of yourself second. It's always asking yourself, "How can I help my spouse?" It's evaluating whether aspects of your life are good for them or not. Ultimately, it’s helping the other person get to heaven. Photographing a couple as they enter into the sacrament of marriage always reminds me of the blessing of my own Catholic marriage, and encourages me to go home and love my husband a little better.

PHOTOGRAPHY: EMMA DALLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Some of Emma’s favorites:

Books: Discerning the Will of God (Fr. Timothy Gallagher), Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card), The End of the Affair (Graham Greene)

Music: Sufjan Stevens, Jenny Lewis, The Black Keys, Bright Eyes

Movies: Far and Away (classic Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman!), Star Wars, Almost Famous

Saints and Devotions: St. Catherine of Siena and St. Therese of Lisieux; my husband and I have a big devotion to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots—she was crucial in our discernment of marriage—and of the Ignatian method of discernment

Place in the world: Yosemite Valley in California. My family and I camped there every summer while I was growing up, so in my mind it’s equal parts nostalgic and majestic.

Foods: Mexican. All day, every day!

EMMA DALLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

Moments that Matter, Memories that Last

ELIZABETH MAHON

On a wedding day, the bride and groom’s carefully selected vendors come together to serve specific roles with a shared objective of making the day a run smoothly. Coordinators keep everyone on schedule as bouquets and floral arrangements are assembled, finishing touches are added to cakes, and priests deliver their homilies. The wedding photographer is there to capture and preserve these memories.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ELIZABETH M PHOTOGRAPHY

As a wedding photographer, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of one of the most monumental days in people’s lives. This role is unique from other vendors. I remember the pressure I felt the very first time I was charged with the responsibility of photographing a wedding, “These photos could hang on their wall for generations; make sure you don’t miss any of the big moments!” I thought.

While I still feel a certain type of pressure going into wedding days, my outlook on capturing them has changed slightly over the years. This is partly due to my own experience as a bride, but mostly because of seasoned knowledge of how a wedding day will unfold. I have seen enough wedding days to anticipate how they will likely progress; most vendors will tell you the same thing, echoing the words of Julius Caesar, “experience is the best teacher.” Yet, the tangible anticipation of serving a couple as a wedding photographer prevails (even with years of experience) because the intimate moments that matter are fleeting.

In the photography community, there is an emphasis on capturing "moments that matter.” These moments happen between the scheduled events, or they might not be noticed by the bride and groom until they look through their gallery of images long after their wedding day.

It is impossible for the bride and groom to see every aspect of their wedding day when they are in the spotlight. They will miss the look on the father-of-the-bride’s face when his daughter vows her life to her husband, and they might not see the wedding guests in prayer during the dedication to the Blessed Mother. As the day unfolds, I am constantly on the lookout for these moments. It is a more organic approach than simply working from of a shot list or checking items off of a list; there is always a sense of anticipation.

Of course, it cannot be denied that there are parts of a wedding day that require structure. The family formal photos and standard portraits are important. As part of a pre-wedding questionnaire, I have all of my couples list any guests of honor who will be in attendance, and the family photos that they, or their parents, wish to have.

I thrive on looking for unique ways to capture the ceremony, depending on each church--as no two are the same. Parish churches, Cathedrals, and chapels all radiate a different type of beauty, and it is fun to get creative.

Although I have documented many types of wedding ceremonies over the years, a majority of my experiences have been in the context of a Catholic Mass.

The sacrament of matrimony adds an entirely new meaning to the phrase “moments that matter” because of the sacramental graces bestowed upon the couple. While these graces can never be fully captured in a picture, their essence is what I aim to reveal in the photos I take.

I try to focus on moments throughout the day that will last long after the sparkler send-off. While the handcrafted invitations and DIY centerpieces are exquisite and deserve to be remembered, they do not bear the same importance as those intangible moments. I can recognize a bride who values sacramental elements when she is seeking a photographer who is familiar with the  beauty of the Catholic Mass.

It is a gift when I am able to partake in the Mass as a photographer. I have heard homilies that are edifying to my vocation as a wife, joined in prayer for couples alongside the congregation, and gratefully received communion as a part of my work day.

While I want my clients to have an overall enjoyable experience throughout wedding planning, it is most important that they cherish the photographs from their wedding day for years to come. If you are seeking a wedding photographer, look for someone whose work highlights what is most important to you. If you and your photographer value the same aspects of a wedding day, you will capture and cherish those fleeting yet precious “moments that matter” forever.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth is a national wedding + portrait photographer and Spoken Bride vendor. Although based in Maryland, she has traveled the country photographing weddings from California to Maine and everywhere in between. She loves old movies, the Green Bay Packers, and learning any/everything about American history. Elizabeth is married to her college sweetheart, Patrick, and the two are raising their baby boy Theodore just outside of Baltimore, MD.

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First Look Recommendations from a Wedding Photographer and Bride

CLAIRE WATSON

If you've started planning your wedding day timeline, you are probably aware of how quickly time will pass once the processional music starts. Enter the first look. First looks started as way for photographers to create extra time for portraits during the wedding day. Couples often desire more relaxed, romantic, fun, storytelling portraits, but don’t want to make their guests wait over an hour for their arrival (and dinner!) at the reception.

When my husband Kevin and I got married, we decided to utilize a first look upon the suggestion of our own photographer. It was before the term was widespread and we felt like we were bucking tradition. But as I looked up the origin of the no-peek custom, I didn't feel so attached to the idea.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CLAIRE WATSON

As you might know, the tradition stems from a precaution in arranged marriages where seeing a bride prior to the ceremony posed a flight risk to the groom. With the source of this ritual unveiled--pun intended--it was one we were more willing to abandon.

Having a first look was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning. Not only did we capture beautiful photos, but, more importantly, we were also afforded a moment of shared peace before the ceremony.

Even though I was outgoing and madly in love with Kevin, I was crazy-nervous about walking down the aisle. Like, my-sister-doing-breathing-exercises-with-me-in-the-confessional nervous.

Whether I'm scared, nervous, happy, sad, or excited, the person I run to is Kevin. The morning of our wedding was no different. Fortunately, we had planned a first look and I had the chance to calm my nerves with the man who knows me best. We smiled, laughed, embraced and talked--it was wonderful, and I will always cherish the time we reserved for the two of us.

Even after seeing each other before the wedding, walking down the aisle was an incredible moment. I remember being overcome with emotion as I walked arm-in-arm with my dad down the same aisle I used to walk down every morning for elementary school mass, noticing all the friends and family who had traveled to celebrate with us. My heart was overflowing as I was walked toward the person with whom I wanted to share everything.

The fact that we had already seen each other all dressed up didn't dampen our joy or anticipation to become husband and wife. In fact, I think it enhanced our ceremony because we had released some of our nerves and could be more present to the sacrament.

From my personal experience, and the ones I’ve witnessed as a photographer,  I encourage my clients to have a first look. It provides time for the bride and groom to love on each other and breathe together. It is an opportunity to be still, separate from questions about where the corsages are or who has the tip envelope for the organist.

A few of my couples have prayed together during their first looks. While the blessings and prayers led by a priest are wonderful, there is something vulnerable and beautiful about uttering a prayer yourselves. Entering into a marriage and forging a new family is a heavy--albeit joyful--undertaking. Praying together before the ceremony offers a chance to abandon the tiny stresses that can bite away at your peace and to recenter your mind and soul on the significance of the day.

In 2019, I will get to photograph an Adoration first look! I cannot wait to capture this intensely beautiful way to prepare for vows before the Creator. Humbling oneself to ask for the Almighty's guidance, to surrender your union to his will, or to pour out your heart to God through song--without the pomp of the ceremony and away from the eyes of your guests--are some wonderful ways to prepare for this lifelong vocation.

Whether you choose a first look or not, I encourage you to make time to pray on your wedding day.  Pray with your bridal party, with your parents, through the sacraments of confession or the Eucharist. Plan time for quiet Adoration or exchanging letters with your beloved that contain your prayers each other. Without a plan, the moment for quiet stillness in preparation for the sacrament of matrimony will undoubtedly slip away.

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About the Author: This year, Claire Watson hung up her job as a business law attorney to focus on photographing weddings. In between emails and editing, she dances in the kitchen with her kids. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia with her smokin' hot (her words) husband, tenacious but awesome three-year-old, and snuggly ten-month old.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

Vendor Spotlight | Visual Grace

In one of his early Theology of the Body audiences, Saint John Paul II called attention to the profound wholeness--the integration, resulting in true integrity--of the human person: “When the first man exclaims at the sight of the woman, ‘she is flesh from my flesh and bone from my bones’ (Gen 2:23), he simply affirms the human identity of both. By exclaiming this, he seems to say, Look, a body that expresses the ‘person’...one can also say that this ‘body’ reveals the ‘living soul,’ which man became when God-Yahweh breathed life into him (see Gen 2:7).”

Even in our fallen world outside of Eden, on this side of heaven, sacred art can powerfully redirect our attentions to the fullness and purity of who we are, through works that glorify the body and stir the soul. Kate Capato, a professional sacred art painter, dancer, choreographer, and photographer founded Visual Grace with the goal of sharing ”artistic expressions of truth goodness and beauty.”

A world traveler and former missionary based in Pennsylvania (and shooting weddings worldwide), Kate’s artistic talents are visibly informed by her love for and understanding of encounter: a desire to truly see and acknowledge each person, made in the Father’s image. With wedding photography in particular, Kate deeply values getting to know her clients’ relationship and personalities, the better to capture their story on their wedding day.

What’s more, her many artistic gifts beautifully influence and complement each other: “Because I am a painter,” Kate says, “I love looking at photography in a similar way by paying close attention to colors and composition when snapping an image.” Together, all the parts of an image add up to an outer, sacramental expression of our inner life, inspiring “the restoration of who we are as Man and Woman.”

From Kate: Due to my experience with mission work and passion for the faith, I have a comfortability with people and a deep awareness of the Sacredness. Many folks say they are very grateful for the reverence I show during a wedding ceremony, though for me it is something very normal to who I am. I also love getting couples to be themselves so will do my very best to learn about their relationship that it may blossom and show.  

An interview with Kate

What inspires your work? How does your Catholic faith play a role in your business? As a professional sacred art painter, I am inspired to create painterly images with meaning in photographs as well. I look for key spiritual moments, even if just simple, and do my best to show them off, as there are so many aspects to life that speak of God’s goodness.

Favorite devotions: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint John Paul II, both artists and lovers of beauty. JPII plays a special role in my work due to his teaching on Theology of the Body and his love of the arts. Our Lady of Guadalupe is quite present in my life as well, a mother of the Americas and an artist in so many ways. Not to mention a witness of profound love and openness. I could go on all day about the two of them.

My favorite thing about working on weddings: I love seeing the bride and groom in this moment of great joy. It is a blessing to get a front row seat and see how the Holy Spirit moves in their lives.

Ministries I’m involved with: The Culture Project, a nonprofit initiative whose mission is to “uphold the dignity and potential of every human person, especially in regard to our sexuality.” 

3 things on my bucket list: Sky dive, ride an elephant, travel to and paint in many different countries!

Favorite place I’ve traveled: Cinque Terra, Italy. It is a beautiful hiking experience that overlooks the sea and brings you into the cute, tiny Italian villages. Every step is breathtaking, not to mention the wine is phenomenal.

Favorite food: Indian

Love means: to will the good of the other.

VISUAL GRACE | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM- PHOTOGRAPHY | INSTAGRAM- SACRED ART | INSTAGRAM- DANCE | FACEBOOK

Vendor Spotlight | Brit Valdez Studio

Each of us is a pilgrim on a journey, bound for the same return home: heaven. Yet before meeting the Father face to face, every earthly journey looks different. Brittney Valdez, a photographer and artist based in San Francisco (and serving California, Chicago, Michigan, Nashville, New York, Miami, San Antonio, and London), has walked the path of adventure herself and cherishes the privilege of journeying with her clients throughout their vocations, offering engagement, maternity, and family photography on digital or film.

 Brit first picked up a DSLR camera at 13, on a family vacation in Spain. Her uncle, who owned the camera, began teaching her about aperture and taking clear, natural images of people in their daily lives. She was hooked: “Ever since that moment,” says Brit, I found I absolutely loved photographing people, and I wanted to make it a goal to capture them naturally, unposed and being themselves on my travels and in my own city.”

Brit later worked as a photographer and marketing executive at her college newspaper, which led to a job in marketing and sales at AOL. “I prayed about my vocation so much at this point,” she shares, “and I knew deep down in my heart that I wanted to continue pursuing a creative career. I stayed with AOL for a while to learn more about front-end business and sales, which also enabled me to travel extensively and really push up my photography skills, all of which was self-taught with the exception of one class with the LA Photography Center. This entire experience was invaluable to my business today.”

Fast forward several years, and Brit--a lover of extreme sports--fractured her tailbone snowboarding, destroying nerves in her spine and leaving her bedridden and struggling to walk. It was shortly prior to this time that Brit admits,

“I really started to pull away from my faith; I really just got lazy about Mass and personal prayer time and, quite simply, stopped trusting in Jesus' plan for my life. As soon as I got home from the hospital, I remember crying for hours and hours, seemed like days, because of the situation and wondering how the heck I got into this position. I just thought about how much on the brink of death I was and how incredibly blessed I was to still be breathing. The doctor said I could've been completely paralyzed from the neck down, or I could have died if I hit just a few nerves up from what had been damaged.”

A week into her recovery, Brit picked up a Magnificat missal and began daily morning prayers, desperately asking for the strength, courage and trust to be put on a path to live every day like it was her absolute last. The Lord wouldn’t leave her wanting.

In Brit’s words: Shortly after, I accepted a job at Google working in business partnerships in San Francisco. During that time I went on a three-week volunteer trip to Bali (booked while I was recovering in bed from the fracture) and met my future husband, Jose. I never stopped creating, traveling and praying: always picking up my camera to photograph the beauties of life ahead of me. I continued to paint like a madwoman. I embarked on many trips to far ends of the earth, and continued going to Mass and becoming involved in the San Francisco faith community.

[After three years at Google], I felt an extremely strong calling to leave my full-time job and start my photography and visual art business full time. In that same period, Jose and I got married; he is honestly my strongest advocate! I owe the strength, courage and trust completely to God, and how much he has led me since I fully gave my life to him. My faith 100% played a role in finding my way to my career.

As an artist, my goal is to capture life simply, extraordinarily and fully for what it truly is; to create photographs that breathe, that move, and that feel.

Along with that, I believe it is my work's mission to find and capture beauty and love in the world, to display it as authentically and wholly as humanly possible.

With that, I want to give clients my whole heart in order to capture their fullness and beauty. I make it a huge point to make my clients extremely comfortable to be completely themselves, whether that be adventurous, timid, courageous. I desire to capture them completely full of life.

 My life story, and God’s massive role in it, is the biggest inspiration for my work: to live life to the extreme fullest, to find the beauty in the everyday, to live with passion and surprise. On top of this, I’m inspired by my travels. I love traveling to remote areas of the world and exploring places never walked on, finding the surprising, hidden elements of the everyday and beauty in places I've never seen before.

The love my husband shows me every second of every day really drives me to capture whole-hearted love and the warmth of being enveloped by that love--to demonstrate the love God has for us through the love of our spouses and loved ones.

I thrive best--and I believe the Church does, too--when in community. A huge part I love about my job is that I get to grow with families--from when couples get engaged, on through maternity shoots, and finally through family photos. A goal of mine is to one day shoot engagement photos of a baby I photographed many years prior! I believe Spoken Bride helps foster that [sense of community] within the Church and between artists and clients. It's so beautiful. 

An interview with Brit

 How does your Catholic faith play a role in your business? My faith community really drives my work, and in community I feel the most alive. I want my clients to feel this way when they’re with me, as if we are working in community. I work to be the most open, accepting and loving in my work with my clients, and in turn the most beautiful things happen on shoots. My Catholic faith plays the full role in fostering this sense of loving community, on and off set.

Favorite saints and devotions: My favorite saint is St. Mary Magdalene, and a saint that warms my heart is Saint Luke the Evangelist. Two of my most favorite devotions are John Paul II's Letter to Artists, (April 4, 1999) and the prayer of Trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 Favorite wedding day memory: Oh man, there are so many! One of my absolute favorites was walking down the long aisle at the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano with both my mom and dad on my arms, and seeing my husband's face—we didn't do a first look—as if he saw the most beautiful thing in his life. It was the sweetest ever, and I'm so grateful for our photographer, who captured the moment so purely!

 On my bucket list: Get my master's degree in Art Therapy and Studio Arts, learn a fourth language fluently and learn to play the violin, complete a residency in another country for painting or photography.

Favorite place I’ve traveled: We are big travelers over here! My husband and I absolutely loved South Africa, and got so immersed in the people there while working with a nonprofit in the Cape Town townships. Others at the top of my list are Indonesia (the surfing is amazing there!), Iceland, Japan, and Kauai.

 Music I love: I'm loving Mumford & Son's new album "Delta", Needtobreathe, Jake Bugg, Pink Floyd, The National, War on Drugs, Leon Bridges, Josh Garrels, St. Lucia, Temper Trap, and so, so many more! These artists are who I'm constantly listening to, regardless of the season.

Favorite food: I'm Peruvian-American, so I'm a little biased! I adore Peruvian food. My husband knows I adore a traditional dish called aji de gallina, but it has loads of dairy in it and I'm lactose intolerant. So one day I came home to find him stirring steaming Lactaid on the stove. Apparently he had been stirring the milk for 30 minutes at that point, evaporating the milk so he could make my favorite dish, which I hadn't enjoyed in many years!

 Coffee or tea? I stopped drinking coffee about seven months ago because it made me anxious, though I treat myself to a pumpkin spiced latte when it gets cold! Instead I make chicory root tea, which is herbal and tastes exactly like black coffee! I can drink it late at night with some warm milk and it won't keep me awake, which is a huge win.

Love means...sacrifice, unconditional care, and a full giving of yourself to another.

BRIT VALDEZ STUDIO | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Vendor Spotlight | Her Witness Photography

Much like a camera, the human eye has the ability to detect light, to open and shut as it processes an image, and to hone in on various focal points. Yet seeing goes far beyond the scientific. It’s the sense of emotion of and underlying, below-the-surface realities, that create the truest rendering.

Tara Heilingoetter graduated college with a BFA in Photgraphy and Imaging, then wondered: not what now, but how? How, she wondered, would she create impactful work with a purpose, using her camera to forge deep connections with others? It was true seeing she was after.

Tara began her photography business, Her Witness, intending to use her gifts as a means of capturing beauty; her mission is “creating art for the greater good.” “My faith,” says Tara, “plays a huge role in the mission of my business by providing an internal lens in that way I visualize the world. With whatever the subject matter may be, whether it's photographing the sacredness of marriage, documentary projects, or landscapes I aspire to capture it all in a way that is truthful, authentic and genuine.”

Seeing, really seeing, each human person in his or her uniqueness infuses even the more business-oriented aspects of Her Witness. Rooted in an understanding that each client, and their love story, is different from all others, Tara works to serve each of her couples on an individualized, personal basis, including in working together to create a photography package that best suits their needs and in getting to know them before their wedding day, the better to understand and capture who they are. Available for worldwide travel, with a portfolio of awe-inspiring travel images showcasing her talent and journeywoman’s spirit, Tara’s photojournalistic wedding images, self-described as “a fly on the wall approach,” allows who each bride and groom truly are to unfold in front of her camera in the most organic, emotional way. And in taking this unforced, documentary style approach, she’s able to reveal her clients to themselves, reflecting who they are before the Father.

From Tara: My approach [to photography ] allows me to capture authentic and raw emotions leaving photographs feeling organic, yet timeless. From initial interactions, to the candid forgotten moments, pretty packaging or the one year anniversary card. Her Witness is all about the small details making each couple feel cherished. My work and work ethic is inspired 100% by my Catholic faith. My faith gives me eyes to see the world through a lens of truth, beauty and goodness.

HER WITNESS PHOTOGRAPHY | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Vendor Spotlight | Red Fern Photography

How incredible that God himself is a master craftsman, creating each and every human person so uniquely and making his diving love visible in the physical, embodied nature of men and women. And when this profound beauty of our human nature is captured with an artist’s eye, we see it all the more clearly.

Rebecca Fougerousse, a fine artist trained in painting and art history, combined her love for art with her professional experience in project management to start her photography business, Red Fern Photography. To her surprise, what started as a side job intended as a simple creative outlet soon became a labor of love. “Little did I know,” shares Rebecca, “that I would discover a hidden love for people and their stories.”

Rebecca’s artistic background is evident in her soft, dreamy images. Inspired by the aesthetic of classical painters like Mary Cassatt and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, as well as the muted tones of film photography (she shoots both film and digital), Rebecca strives to be intentional about image composition and capture a natural softness in her couples’ poses. That natural sensibility translates to true emotion--another reminder that we are made for total integration of body and soul, for the exterior to reflect the interior.

From Rebecca: My personality is laid back, so my clients never feel pressured or stressed, but I understand the importance of timelines and details, so I'm happy to help my clients make sure that we get the most beautiful photos that we can on their day. My aesthetic is inspired by [painting]. But my clients inspire the story.

Through the years I've meet so many different kinds of couples, but they all share the same passion to commit themselves to each other through marriage. Catholic weddings in particular move me, because, as a married Catholic, I understand the gravity and the beauty of the sacrament they are entering. The start of a new family, of two becoming one, is such an inspirational part of weddings for me and makes them my favorite thing to photograph!

Vendor Spotlight | Stanley Murzyn Photography

It’s surprising how vocation can be a constant source of change: within a certain call, the Lord often continues to whisper still to our hearts. Stanley Murzyn gets this. A former seminarian turned husband and father-to-be, and former hurricane recovery worker, conservationist, and homeless shelter operator turned photographer, Stan’s professional and personal pursuits speak to pursuing the smaller calls within the larger ones, and putting them at the service of others.

A lifelong lover of taking photos, Stan first began pursuing photography more seriously during a study abroad program in Taiwan. Years later, after documenting a cross-country motorcycle trip using only his iPhone, he desired to grow in technical skill, and learned to shoot with a DSLR camera for the first time. Before long, at his wife Justina’s encouragement, his hobby became a business as of 2016.

A few years prior, after discerning he wasn’t called to the priesthood, Stan left seminary with a conviction that the best thing he could do with his life was to imitate Jesus and St. Joseph, particularly in their example of a simple, holy life and of practicing a craft. In this sense, he has a love for the technical aspect of the art of photography. That attention to technique, combined with his past experience in the non-profit and service world, lends itself not only to beautifully captured images, but to a client experience rooted in relationship. After all, it’s through relationship that we’re able to hear the Father’s voice and embrace our callings.

 From Stan: [My wife] has really kindled the creative flame within me, giving me courage to pursue that aspect of my personality. Since a child, I've always had a camera in my hand and loved telling stories. Now I'm dedicated to capturing and telling those stories for solid Catholic marriages. Christ has made himself so very present in our marriage and it's a daily gift. It's an amazing thing to be a part of and witness in others’ marriages.

STANLEY MURZYN PHOTOGRAPHY | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

 

Catholic Photographers Share 4 Tips for Your Engagement Session

BERNADETTE AND STEVE DALGETTY

For some--if not most--couples, getting your photograph taken can be unnerving! It’s not a common or normal experience. An engagement session is often the first time a couple has ever had professional photographs taken. From us to you, here are four ways to make the most of your engagement portraits so that, first, you and your fiancé receive images you're truly happy with, and second, that you have an incredible time during the actual session. In fact, the second point--having an amazing time--is critical because it directly influences the first--receiving photographs you’ll always cherish.

It's mutual.

Your photographer is going to bring the artistic vision and necessary equipment to create a session that delivers portraits he or she hopes will truly connect with you as a couple, providing something lasting and meaningful for your relationship.

That being said, it’s important to realize that you are co-creators in this process. For your photographer to truly capture amazing images of the real you, the real you needs to show up, ready to join in. In a big way, that means being willing to let your guard down: be vulnerable and share your love, your joy, your laughter, your tears, and your honesty.  

Consider: when it's just the two of you alone, and you feel truly connected as a couple, how do you act? How do you laugh? How do you embrace? How do you hold hands? How do you kiss? How do you look at one another?  

Focus on those questions instead of on posing or how you think you look. The couple "poses" that look absolutely amazing in final images are usually the ones that simply show a couple being truly themselves, letting their love shine through. Authentic love is about as natural as it gets, and you don’t need to be professional models to convey that.

You just need to be you. Sometimes that's incredibly serious and intimate. Sometimes that's silly jokes and laughing to the point of tears. Whatever it is, let it be you. If you're willing to show that level of vulnerability with your photographer, we promise you are giving them an incredible starting point to create meaningful engagement photos.

Prepare emotionally.

We have been married for eight years. One thing we've realized about our own relationship is that it's crazy hard to just flip an emotional switch, quickly changing from being wrapped up in our individual busy lives to being truly present to one another. There have been times we've gone out on amazing planned date nights, yet haven't connected at all because we weren't in the right state of mind. If our minds are stuck on work, kids, or other life obligations it's impossible to switch on the spot to romantic date mode. The result is that those dates ends up mediocre, at best. For us, as a couple, to go on amazing dates we have to proactively enter into the right state of mind and leave everything else behind.  

It's the same for photos. We just advised that you to show up and be your vulnerable, loving selves in front of the camera, but true to our own experience, we don't expect you to flip a switch at the start of your portraits and be able to do that on the spot.  

Our best tip for making that transformation a natural one is to consider making the entire day of your session about the two of you, letting your portraits just serve as an extension of an already amazing time. Better yet, make the entire weekend about you! No wedding plans; no talk about work or school or family obligations. Think about the days that have been most incredible for the two of you as a couple, and and identify ways to recreate them.

Spend time doing some things you love, and you’ll show up to your engagement session in that state. It will help you be more present and connected.  

Be you.

Dress like you. Be comfortable. Fit the environment.  

In other words, if you're going to be exploring fields and trails in the woods, leave the heels at home. If your session will feature a classy evening in the city and you love to dress up, then by all means, get dressed up.

At the end of the day, your clothing choices are not what the session is about. Yet it is important that your attire complements who you are as individuals, without diminishing your comfort level and emotional state.

Unplug.

Leave your phones in the car (unless there's a real emergency reason for you to be on call). Nothing kills being present like getting texted!

Images by the authors, via An Endless Pursuit Photography.

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About the Authors: Steve and Bernadette Dalgetty are the husband and wife photography team behind An Endless Pursuit. For the past eight years they have documented stories, celebrating marriage and families throughout the greater Washington DC area and around the country. Steve and Bernadette currently live in a 125 year-old home in Leesburg, Virginia with their three kids. They met in college at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and named their photography business after their dating relationship that took a few tries to get right. They love the world of wedding photography because of the incredible witness it has been for their own marriage, observing the love of couples each weekend and seeing their joy as they make their vows.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Vendor Spotlight | An Endless Pursuit

Boy met girl at Franciscan University in 2003, but for several years, the story ended there. Steve and Bernadette Dalgetty were fast friends in college, yet their future dating relationship--and eventual marriage--weren’t to be until later. For months, friends joked to Steve that he was “in the endless pursuit.”

Fast forward to 2009. Newly married, Bernadette and Steve launched their photography business with the idea that “a great relationship never stops pursuing. That's true for marriage. That's definitely true for our relationship with God as well as Catholics. We loved the idea of trying to weave that concept into how we tell stories of couples as they dive head first into marriage.”

Storytelling, in all its ability to capture raw emotion and evoke powerful memories for years to come, is a hallmark of An Endless Pursuit’s client experience. As with any story, the best one unfolds when its creator intuitively and specifically knows each person involved. That’s why Steve and Bernadette invest themselves in their clients’ love stories and wedding day priorities: from the trust and meaning they create with brides and grooms flow images that speak volumes and reveal the stories beneath the surface.

From Bernadette and Steve: We do not show up to weddings as a vendor there to check something off a list. For us, it's critical to show up with an authentic relationship with each and every couple. We can't really capture their story without a level of trust and understanding. We work with every couple up until the wedding to learn what's important to them and why.

A huge part of how we tell stories and how we look through our cameras at weddings comes from our own experiences as a married couple. There are a lot of similar elements from wedding to wedding-- the dress, the Mass, family portraits, and reception details--but at the same time, there are many subtle elements that are never the same.

Sometimes those elements are in the relationships of key people that shaped a couple's growth. Sometimes they are in the details and decor the couple worked on to convey something meaningful to them. Sometimes, they’re in the expression of a bride or a groom that can't be understood without knowing the backstory of what obstacle they overcame, the one that brought them to this day.

For us, it's that backstory that inspires what we need to capture. We try to show up to each wedding with an understanding of that, and let the day unfold naturally with that as the primary lens we look through.

See more of An Endless Pursuit's work in Robyn and Greg’s garden-inspired wedding, with beautiful springtime blooms indoors and out in the Dalgettys’ home state of Virginia, and in Emily and Ben’s elegantly rustic Nashville Wedding.

AN ENDLESS PURSUIT | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Three Reasons to Have a "First Look"

JIZA ZITO

We have all heard that it is “bad luck” for the groom to see the bride before the wedding,  and many couples take this tradition quite seriously; however, many do not know about the less-than-romantic origins of this tradition.

During the time when arranged marriages were customary, the betrothed couple was not allowed to see each other before the wedding. Marriage, for many families, was essentially a “business deal.”. The father, who was the head of the household, would ideally marry off his daughter to a rich, land-owning male. Once the engagement was contracted, the parents of the bride and groom would keep the couple apart, fearing that if the groom saw the bride before the wedding and found her unattractive, he wouldn’t go through with the marriage.  While today we think of the wedding veil as a lovely must-have accessory,  its original purpose was also to keep the groom from finding out what the bride looked like until the last possible minute, when it was too late to back out of the transaction. Romantic, huh?

More and more couples today are choosing to buck tradition in favor of the “first look” before the wedding ceremony. While the Church has no definitive stance on first looks, every couple has different reasons as to why they would or would not do a first look. Below are three reasons to consider having a first look, and three alternative ideas to consider if you want to have a moment with your groom before the wedding, while saving the “big reveal” for your walk down the aisle.

Jiza Zito/Olive & Cypress

Maximize your time for photos without sacrificing time at the reception.

While you may have your photographer for 8-10 hours, it’s amazing how fast time flies on the day of your wedding and how easily the timeline can get sidetracked. Most often, portraits with family and the bridal party take longer than expected, and then the next you know, you only have less than 15 minutes to take romantic images of just you and your groom. When you make the first look a priority, it gives you time for those special portraits without being rushed to your cocktail hour or reception. Especially when you also place a large investment into your wedding photography, getting the time to get more photographs of just you and your groom together and in such a candid and special moment can definitely be worth it!

Diminish pre-wedding nerves.

Some couples have a hard time showing emotion in front of a crowd, and understandably so. There is a lot of emotion mounting up to that moment of seeing each other for the first time. When you do a first look with just you and your groom (and your photographer(s) in the background), it gives you both the chance to be yourselves freely while seeing each other for the first time without a crowd of loved ones snapping iPhone photos.

Get some much-needed alone time with your husband.

The first look allows you and your groom to have some alone time before your day gets busy. Unless you set time aside for it later in the day, it’s the only time you both will be alone on your wedding day until you leave the reception. It can also help set the tone for the perfect mood for romantic portraits. Images of just the two of you are also what you’ll decorate your home with and possibly pass down to family, so it makes sense to spend some quality time taking them

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Alternatives to the First Look

While a first look has its many perks, it’s not for every couple. Here are some alternative or additional photography ideas for your big day:

A First Look with Dad or Father Figure

If you’re a self-proclaimed Daddy’s girl, or have a close relationship with another male relative, this is a lovely option to consider. Another idea is also for the father to escort the bride to the first look with the groom.

Emily Jane

A First Look with the Bridal Party

You have been through the engagement party, the bridal shower, and the bachelorette party. Now your bridesmaids are excited to see your completed look on your wedding day. Have your photographer catch their reactions as they finally see you dressed as a bride!

Kinsey Mhire

The “Reach and Pray”

This one is my personal favorite. It’s a beautiful and meaningful way for a bride and groom to come together before the ceremony while still avoiding the pre-wedding first look. You can hold hands around a corner or a door, or keep your eyes closed in a prayerful exchange in your favorite grotto or side chapel.

Elissa Voss Photography

No matter what you decide for photographs on your wedding day, communicate with your photographer and make sure you get enough allotted time to capture images of just you and your spouse. These will be the images that you will always cherish.

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About the Author: Jiza Zito is Spoken Bride's Creative Director and Co-Founder. She is the owner and wedding photographer of Olive & Cypress. Read more

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How to Get Through Family Photos With Grace

SINIKKA ROHRER

The hot sun is beating down on your perfected curls. You glance over at your Groom, who is calling to his grandparents again that they can’t leave yet; his family photos aren’t finished. Your cheeks are tired of smiling and your hands are starting to get sweaty from holding your bouquet in the same place for so long. Grandma Rose pops in on your left, the photographer adjusts your dress for the hundredth time, you quickly smile as the camera clicks and the next group is called out.

Oh, dear Bride. I understand well how these family photos go. You might be dreading it or forgetting about it, but at some point during your wedding planning process it will come up. You may not be particular about the number of your family photos if, but the reality is that these photos are not as much for you as they are for your relatives.

Soul Creations Photography

These are the moments that will be printed for your great-grandmother’s coffee table,  our grandma’s foyer, and your mother’s living room. You won’t see a photo of you and your Groom stylishly overlooking your venue or a photo of your bridal party throwing bouquets up in the air. Those photos are for you, but the family photos are for all those who are supporting you.

For your family’s sake, let your mother and your future mother-in-law tell you what photos they want.

For your family’s sake, ask your photographer to start with large extended family photos.

For your family’s sake, let your smile shine, even if you don’t feel like it.

Soul Creations Photography

The one thing I’ve been learning recently that has changed both my perspective on family and weddings is that it’s not about you. I know that’s a countercultural idea. According to the wedding industry, you should be able to make 100% of the decisions regarding your day. From what you wear to the decor on your reception tables, the wedding industry says you should have the final say. But as Catholics, we know that our weddings, marriages, and lives in general are about the gift of self.  

Soul Creations Photography

Just like Jesus patiently welcomed the messiness of human life, I encourage you to do the same when your ringbearer won’t look at the camera while your aunt’s new baby cries. In the moments that you feel most frustrated, continue to love them and embrace the mess of life, just as Jesus did. On your wedding day, take advantage of the opportunities you have to serve, love, and support those who have been doing exactly that for you and your Groom for longer than you know.

Sinikka Rohrer is a daughter of the King, wife of a man she'd only imagined, and lover of waking up quietly. She is the owner of Soul Creations Photography, a business on mission to capture testimonies, encourage hearts, and inspire marriages, and is a Spoken Bride Vendor. You can see more of Sinikka's beautiful photography here, and read her reflections on engagement here. 

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Vendor Spotlight | Claire Watson Photography

A lawyer by day and creative soul off the clock, Claire Watson began teaching herself photography with a personal food blog. A publicist friend noticed Claire’s work as she improved, and invited her to shoot some business images for a local baker. After styling and shooting the baker’s products, Claire decided to throw in some headshots. She lent the baker her curling iron and mascara, and the realization began setting in: she liked working with people even more than with objects. She began shooting more and more portraits, loving the opportunity to give encouragement during a shoot and to witness the joy in her clients viewing their images for the first time.

Encouragement informs every aspect of a client’s experience with Claire. Engagement sessions are built into wedding packages, allowing couples not just to get comfortable in front of the camera, but to share their stories with Claire, and they receive a surprise in the mail following their sessions. Claire also specializes in timeline construction, helping her couples maximize the various locations, groups of family and friends, and desired shots that make up their wedding days. Her blog brims with wedding planning tips, and Claire loves texting with her brides to answer questions and to see when they purchase their gowns, and loves seeing the fruits of their marriages down the road.

All these investments in Claire’s client experience go far deeper than business decisions. Scroll through her blog and Instagram feed, and alongside her gorgeously airy, naturally lit portraits, journalistic images wherein a wedding day unfolds, and detail shots that nod to her start as a still-life photographer, you’ll find yourself starting to feel like you know Claire’s brides and grooms. That sense is rooted in her storytelling: how a couple met, what their personalities are like, anecdotes from their wedding day or engagement session, and boundless compliments on their choices in dress, decor, and traditions. Her stories bring a distinctively personal touch to her brand, rooted in true connection and an investment in the heart.

From Claire: Carefully watching for unfolding moments between cousin flower girls or a silently capturing that tear running down a daddy's face is what motivates me to become a better photographer. Those images only get more valuable as time marches on and I feel incredibly flattered when someone trusts me with documenting the first day of their marriage.

God looks on us with such a loving gaze, but often we don't see the loveliness He's built in us. If I can help people see a small fraction of that beauty, I feel like I'm doing good work.

CLAIRE WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Vendor Spotlight | Soul Creations Photography

Sinikka Rohrer, owner of Soul Creations Photography, is a new bride herself, and it shows. Scroll through her website and Instagram and you'll find insightful, faithful reflections on the beauty--and trials--of engagement and marriage, words that rejoice both in triumph and in suffering, knowing that every experience in a couple's life together is an opportunity to draw near to Christ. Sinikka's near-daily reflections speak to the prayerful relationship she shares with her husband, Alan, and can serve as devotionals for brides-to-be and newlyweds.

This heart for the sacrament of marriage is reflected in Soul Creations's client experience: Sinikka is a firm believer in both practical and spiritual support for her couples, happy not just to answer logistical wedding-day questions but to intercede in prayer for her clients. Her goal is to capture their testimonies and unique beauty through her images, and to encourage a lifetime, not just a wedding day, of solid faith, hope, and love.

Soul Creations is rooted Sinikka's longtime love of photography and the skill and passion that developed during an underwater photo internship in South Africa. Over the next four years, she worked various roles in the industry, but prayer brought her to a desire to glorify the Lord in her work. A wedding photography business--and ministry--was born, with a unique focus on walking alongside couples as they prepare for a union with God at the center.

From Sinikka: I absolutely love encouraging women, being blessed by each sacred moment of a wedding day, and helping others as much as I can. In addition to the spiritual aspect of the SC Experience, there is a practical aspect. I care deeply that the day that two are married is as seamless as possible. This is because the more I can help you with timelines, posing, expertise and the know-how I have on weddings, the less stressful your day is.

Jesus' eye [inspires my work]. I can't describe it any better than that. Before each wedding, I ask that he help me see what he sees.

See more of Sinikka's work in Becca and Kyle's Mediterranean-inspired styled shoot, a rustic, ethereal affair inspired by the wedding traditions of the Holy Land. You can also read her reflections on engagement here.

SOUL CREATIONS PHOTOGRAPHY | Website | Facebook | Instagram

Vendor Spotlight | Karly Jo Photography

In good times and in bad, it’s impossible to separate marriage from family: bride and bridegroom each approach the altar with their own particular origins, wounds, and strengths as they profess their love and fidelity before their relatives and as they embark on their first day as a new family. All of this transpires before the Tabernacle and the Cross, two realities that unite the entire Church: we, Christ’s sons and daughters, his body on earth.

Since marriage and family, life and love are so interconnected, then, it makes a lot of sense that Karly Schafer’s journey to professional photography was shaped by her own family. Karly’s grandfather taught his son, Karly’s father, the art of taking beautiful and technically skilled photos, and her father taught her, starting when Karly received her first camera from her mom in third grade.

Karly enjoyed photography as a hobby for years, and occasionally second shot at weddings. As she planned her own wedding, photography’s unique strength as a storytelling medium struck her, and as she entered into newlywed life, contemplating what sort of career change might lend itself well to eventual motherhood, Karly made the decision to go back to school and earn a Photography degree. By 2011, her business, Karly Jo Photography, was up and running.

These years of creative awakening were accompanied by a spiritual one. Though she’d been born into the Catholic faith, Karly’s family never practiced much. Following the death of her mother, a deeply prayerful woman, Karly was struck by a desire to make the Church the center of her life and entered RCIA. Five years later, as their family grew, Karly’s husband was received into the Church, as well. Though they’ve shot weddings together here and there, her husband generally cares for their four children as Karly travels throughout her native Wisconsin and beyond for weddings and family portrait sessions. Her intimate, film-like images convey Karly’s photojournalistic style, influenced by subtle direction and a desire to make your story--and your family--known and seen.

From Karly: I consider myself to be primarily a photojournalist. I’m capturing things in the moment, as they unfold, to tell the story of your day. Traditional portraiture is also essential, as formal & artistic portraits are a wonderful tradition which help tell the story of your family through the years.

My clients often become my friends. I love getting to know them and their families, being sure to tell the whole story from their day which includes the people they love most.

Karly Jo Photography has been featured on Green Wedding Shoes, Wisconsin Bride, Pretty My Party,  and Northwoods Wedding.

KARLY JO PHOTOGRAPHY | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

Vendor Spotlight | Mary Katherine Photography

Scroll through her blog or Instagram, and you'll instantly sense that she's a traveling soul: from European Christmas markets to Carolina shores, Mary Kate Anthony's portfolio captures her wandering spirit. But, inspired by another famous pilgrim, Jean Valjean of Les Miserables--the book and musical that famously proclaims "to love another person is to see the face of God"--Mary Kate, owner of Mary Katherine Photography, knows the world isn't our true home.

Yet by capturing the love of a bride and groom on their wedding day, Mary Kate freezes in time those moments when we are reminded of our first heavenly home, the place from which we are loved and willed into existence and the place to which married couples vow to return their spouses before the Father. As a girl, she fell in love with photography through National Geographic's travel and nature books at the library, and by high school she was shooting sessions for her friends and family.

It was around then that Mary Kate began discerning whether her beloved hobby should, or could, become a career. Two weeks after graduating high school, she shot her first wedding and, through prayer, made the bold decision to defer starting college for a year in order to focus on her photography. One year later, she was the owner of a licensed business and a full range of equipment.

From Mary Kate: I am observant, idealistic and detail-oriented, with a deep-rooted desire to take care of others. All of this comes into play with my clients. Each and every one of my couples become so much more to me than clients. I fall in love with them, with their story, with their families, and with their love for each other. On their wedding day, I become a friend whom they can laugh, cry, and be themselves with. I am there to hold their grandmas' hand, to give tissues to their moms, and to assist with anything and everything I can. With a rich theological understanding of marriage, I view weddings as sacred events that I am beyond privileged to witness, let alone capture with my camera.

"To love another person is to see the face of God," wrote Victor Hugo. This sums up my philosophy of photography in eleven simple words. I truly believe each person I encounter is radiantly beautiful, because I know the profound truth that they were made uniquely in the image and likeness of God. I am inspired by the souls of those I encounter. I am inspired by the beauty they possess and might not even be aware of. I am inspired by genuine emotion, by the raw and messy yet beautiful reality that is life. I am inspired by finding God in the simple joys.

See more of Mary Kate's work in Maria and CJ's wedding, an elegantly romantic day held near Franciscan University, where the bride and groom met.

MARY KATHERINE PHOTOGRAPHY | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK