Joan + Matt | Summer Brights Wedding

Joan and Matt had met a few times before, yet it wasn't until Joan's best friend's wedding (the bride was Matt's cousin) that they developed a true connection. The night of the rehearsal dinner, Joan spoke again with the sweet, funny, smart, considerate man who was driving her and the bridesmaids to the dinner. She realized she was in the presence of someone extraordinary, and they spent a good deal of that night talking, dancing, and getting to know each other. They said goodbye that evening without exchanging any contact information, but became friends on Facebook three days later.

A few weeks after becoming a couple, Joan quit her job in North Dakota, found two roommates in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and moved there to pursue a new job and live closer to Matt. Three and a half months after they'd started dating, Joan was back home in North Dakota, getting a manicure with a friend. Matt was supposedly in Minnesota with family for Thanksgiving, yet by the time Joan's nails were done, her phone rang and there was Matt, holding a flower, a ring box, and some tissues. As he walked toward his future bride, Joan shouted a joyful "Yes!"

From the Bride: Matt and I decided to get married in the parish that had become "ours" in the Twin Cities, where we'd made such a strong connection with our community and priest, instead of my home parish back home in North Dakota. We'd hoped for a summer wedding, and chose a day in July. I purchased my dress with my best friend, and I honestly didn't care for it on the rack, but once I put it on and learned that the style shared a name with one of my closest cousins, I said loved it immediately.

One of our favorite parts of wedding planning was choosing the readings and songs for the liturgy. We spent a lot of time listening to favorite songs and reading Scripture until we finally decided on the readings we wanted shared on our day. I also have always dreamed of writing a song for my wedding someday, so I was honored and excited to compose the psalm sung during the Mass, to the verse of psalm 37's "Find your delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desire." When I heard the song being rehearsed before the Mass, I broke down crying because it was just so moving hearing the words I'd prayed so many times come true for me that day. 

Matt and I had gone back and forth on doing a first look, and I'm so happy we did; it gave us the opportunity to spend more time with each other that day. It also allowed us to take pictures with our wedding party and family before the Mass, so we could arrive at our reception shortly after our guests did. We wanted to spend as much time with our family and friends as possible since many of them traveled so far to be with us!

Psalm 37 (Lyrics) - Written by the Bride, Sung at the Nuptial Mass

Refrain: Find your delight in the Lord, He will give you your heart's desire.
Verse 1: Trust in the Lord and do good that you may dwell in the land and live. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will act. 
Verse 2: Wait eagerly for the Lord and keep His way. He will raise you up, and you will inherit the land. 
Verse 3: The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. The Lord helps them because they take refuge in Him. 

Photography by: Bella Galla 

Sarah + Christopher | Kate Spade-Inspired Wedding

Sarah and Christopher first encountered each other on a charismatic retreat at Franciscan University, where they both were students at the time. For two years after that, they were best friends, spending hours watching movies, going to Mass and praise concerts together, and having breakfasts with friends.

From the Bride: Fast forward to the spring of 2012, after a couple starts and stops of not wanting to ‘ruin’ our friendship, Chris asked me to be his girlfriend after the 7:00 AM daily Mass at one of our favorite spots. We should pause our story here to note that this Mass was the end of a 12+ hour third date that included a trip to the ER. We knew from then on that we were in this for the duration. We each moved back to our respective hometowns after graduation a month later. After two years of dating long distance, traversing between Dallas and Dunedin for weekend visits, Chris moved to Florida. Ten months passed, we added Bosco the husky to the mix, and Chris proposed.

Back on that retreat where they first met, Chris had given Sarah her first brown scapular, a sacramental given to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite priest, by Our Lady. He proposed on the Feast of Mount Carmel.

From the Photographer: For Chris and Sarah, the Mass was the most important part of their day. Our Lady of Lourdes in Dunedin, FL, where the ceremony was held, is Sarah's home parish where she currently serves as the Director of Faith Formation. It is a more modern church with a lot of natural light, which added to the airy feel of the entire day. The two priests who presided at the wedding are close with both the bride and groom. Sarah and Fr. Chuck became friends on a retreat a few years back, and he actually made the kneeler that Christopher and Sarah used during the Mass as a wedding gift. Fr. Chuck also delivered a touching and personal homily and presided over the vows. Fr. Gary, who serves as the pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes has a tradition of taking a selfie with his couples...and Sarah and Chris were no exception! 

Sarah and Christopher are both from close-knit families with five children each. All of their siblings were included in the wedding party. Sarah and her sisters are particularly close, sharing matching tattoos even! Both of her sisters were honored as the Maid and Matron of Honor. Sarah also wore her older sister Mandy's pearl earrings.

Sarah has a love for bright colors and the Kate Spade brand. Her natural choice for a wedding day scent was Kate Spade's Live Colorfully, and she also wore sequined Kate Spade Keds that Chris gave her as a gift. She donned her signature bright red lipstick, which made her beautiful blue eyes pop against her fair skin. This couple has style for miles! Chris wore a slim fit gray tux from J. Crew to compliment Sarah's timeless dress from Athena's Bridal. 

In between the mass and the reception, the wedding party explored downtown Dunedin for photos. We stopped at Rosie's Tavern, a favorite watering hole for Chris and Sarah, as well as the marina and park off of Main street. 

At the reception, Sarah and Chris incorporated a wealth of personal details, including their own wedding coloring book and custom caricature cookies of themselves! For place cards, they alphabetized guests' names on post cards with some of their favorite destinations, including various towns in Florida, places in Chris' home state of Texas, and Franciscan University, where they met.

Photography: Elizabeth Mahon | Church: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Dunedin FL | Reception: The Conmy Center | Florist: Carrollwood Florist | Stationary: Minted | Catering: Delectables Catering | Bride’s Dress/Veil - Athena's Bridal | Bride's Shoes: Keds x Kate Spade New York | Jewelry/Accessories - Something Borrowed-Sister's pearl earrings, Tiffany's pearl bracelet (gift from Chris), Something Blue - Godmother's Ring | Rings: International Diamond Center | Bridesmaids' Attire: David's Bridal | Groom's Suit: J. Crew | Groomsmen Attire - Combatant Gentleman | Cake Baker- Publix Bakery | Hairstylist: Jenna Donovan | Makeup Artist - Jessica Montalvo, Makeup by Jess | DJ: Grant Hemmond Disc Jockeys

Emma + Mark | Edwardian-Inspired Wedding

Emma was living in Philadelphia, waiting out the final week of a six-month online dating subscription on CatholicMatch, when she received a message from a handsome man from New York City. Their first in-person meeting began shortly after, the day Mark stepped off a train into Philly's 30th Street Station. They soon began dating long-distance, and ten months later, Mark got down on one knee in the middle of the station.

From the Bride:

Deciding where to tie the knot was tricky. We’re adopted East Coasters with friends scattered from Pacific to Atlantic. We ultimately chose rural, quirky and historic Eureka Springs, Arkansas--an hour away from my parents--for our semi-destination wedding.

Mark is a convert who was drawn to Catholicism through the beauty of the traditional Latin Mass. Our wedding mass was in English, but we were able to find a schola choir nearby to chant parts of the liturgy in Latin.

The Crescent 1886 Hotel, where we held our reception, claims to be one of the most haunted hotels in America. This was not a deal breaker for us! It happened to be situated within walking distance of a quaint, historic Catholic Church, itself a rarity in the South. We wanted a moody, vintage and romantic feel for our wedding, and the entire area made me think of an Edwardian ghost story come to life. 

I was initially afraid planning a wedding out of state would make including personal touches impossible. However, we ended up with more DIY projects than anticipated, and found many ways to reflect our style and talents. Mark and I are both graphic design savvy, for instance, so we created & printed our Save-The-Dates, invitations, programs, place cards and all other wedding signage ourselves. 

Antiquing is a passion in my family. Every time I come home to Arkansas, my mother and I scour area junk shops for oil lanterns with hurricanes, antique medicine bottles, and authentic vintage mercury glass. I showcased some of our finds for the reception, and ended up following some online tutorials and creating additional mercury glass votives and vases. 

Our wedding favor was a small jar of home-infused mint & blueberry tequila (Combine 4 cups tequila, preferably 100% agave, 2 cups blueberries, and 1/4 cup mint in a sealed container for 4-7 days, then strain). I made something similar as a gift for Mark on our first Valentine’s Day, and home-infusing has since become a bit of a shared passion. We infused & bottled it over the space of a few weeks, assembly line-style, in my kitchen. A caravan of friends driving to the wedding transported the bottles from Philadelphia to Arkansas for us.

Choosing vendors off the internet was a bit challenging, but easier than it could’ve been in the age of video chat and peer-reviews. We went with less traditional retailers for our wedding party’s attire and were pleased with the overall ease and quality. And we hit the jackpot with our photographer, Kinsey Mhire, whom we met in person for the first time on the morning of our wedding!

I found all the tropes and hackneyed sayings people spout about your wedding day to be maddeningly true. It does go fast, you won’t get to spend the quality time with each guest that you might like to, and definitely don’t forget to eat. I woke up early, made some coffee and spent some quiet time on the porch by myself, praying and reflecting about the solemnity of our vows and what lay ahead. I’ll repeat some more tropes and say that the day winds up being special not because of the details you have planned, but because it seals you & your beloved in a covenant.

 

Photographer's Website : Kinsey Mhire  | Nupital Mass or Engagement Location: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church | Wedding Reception Venue : The Crescent 1886 Hotel | Rings: Marisa Perry Atelier  | Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal | Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie  | Groomsmen’s Suits: The Black Tux | Music: Twin Lakes Radio  | Ceremony Music: The Gregorian Schola of St. Joseph Parish | Donuts / Cake: Rick’s Bakery | Day-Of-Coordinator: The Vintage Soul | Invitations & Stationary: Created by the Bride www.emmadallman.com

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