Vendor Spotlight | Elizabeth M Photography

As a creator of photos that resemble film and a self-professed lover of black-and-white movies, Elizabeth Mahon of Elizabeth M Photography has a bit of a heart for the classics. What complements that old-soul sensibility is something else that's timeless and never goes out of style: generosity.

From blog posts describing her brides' and grooms' virtues--those hidden, personal qualities that aren't immediately evident when scrolling through a stranger's wedding gallery--to photos and well wishes posted to Facebook on her couples' anniversaries, to the fact that she's often hired to shoot the weddings of her friends and acquaintances from her alma mater, Franciscan University, Elizabeth embodies deep generosity of spirit in her work and her client experience. "It is often through our generosity that we are able to bring the love of God to life for others in very real and tangible ways," according to Matthew Kelly. In this sense, generosity becomes sacramental: allowing us to see, smell, hear, taste, and touch the love of the Trinity; where, in fact, is this love more tangible than at a nuptial Mass?

Elizabeth met her husband, Patrick, at Franciscan and spent a semester abroad in Austria, documenting the experience through photos the entire time. After seeing her photos from Europe, Elizabeth's friend asked Elizabeth to shoot her wedding, and the start of a business was born. "It was a beautiful Catholic wedding," Elizabeth shares, "and I remember feeling privileged to witness it in such an intimate way as the photographer." Her images that mix photojournalism with natural, unforced posing, all flooded with the most gorgeous natural light, truly capture the truth, goodness, and beauty she is so inspired by and that the Church offers the faithful unto eternity.

From Elizabeth: The sacraments have always played a large role in my faith formation. To witness so many Catholic weddings in my career is a true joy that has undoubtedly enriched my love for the sacrament of matrimony. I have shot all types of weddings over the years, but there is nothing quite like a Catholic Nuptial Mass.

I am inspired by truth, beauty, and goodness in people and in this world. I am inspired by authentic love, or most specifically, the sacrament of matrimony and the live-giving truth that it reveals about our Creator and His love for us. I'm also inspired by really good natural light, wide open fields, and contagious smiles!

ELIZABETH M PHOTOGRAPHY | Website | Blog | Facebook | Instagram

Vendor Spotlight | Sea & Sun Calligraphy

In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1)...Through both Jesus's incarnation and through the sacraments, the Word becomes flesh. This truth is so tangible, so powerfully evident, in the celebration of the Eucharist and the Rite of Marriage at a nuptial Mass.

Words have power: the language of the Mass, and of a bride and groom's wedding vows, bring Love himself into our presence and very beings. So what better way to honor that profound communion than by making these words visually beautiful?

Marisol Acosta, owner of Sea & Sun Calligraphy, translates the beauty of authentic love and sacramental marriage into something the eye can see. Her love for lettering began when Marisol first picked up a fountain pen in middle-school; years later, she began pursuing new calligraphy techniques and fell for the art a second time. Her portfolio with Sea & Sun, which includes everything from hand-lettered envelopes to reception details to bridal shower elements and beyond, is a wellspring of inspiration. Sea & Sun's gorgeously lettered invitations and addressing, reception details, and bridal shower elements, along with dreamy watercolor art, invite Marisol's brides to think beyond typical calligraphed invitation suites. Extending hand lettering and artwork to other wedding elements helps create a unified wedding look, from guests' first time opening their invites in the mail to snapping pictures of the tablescapes at the reception.

For brides local to Southern California who'd like to try their own hands at learning Sea & Sun's elegant, precise style, workshops are offered.

From Marisol: Sea & Sun Calligraphy is a unique calligraphy service offering the finest detail of handwritten calligraphy designs for special events. I understand the sacredness of the sacraments, and love assisting you in adding an unforgettable touch of elegance to such lovely occasions. My advice to brides is that beginning a marriage deeply rooted in faith, along with the sacraments, and with the guidance of our Holy Mother Church, is what helps build strong and holy marriages.

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SEA & SUN CALLIGRAPHY | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Vendor Spotlight | Horn Photography and Design

Vendor Spotlight | Horn Photography and Design

The Rule of St. Benedict calls hospitality "the way we come out of ourselves. It is the first step toward dismantling the barriers of the world." In the case of photographers Michelle and Brandon Horn, it's also the first step toward creating a warm, personal, and unforgettable client experience--this Georgia-based husband and wife team embodies Southern hospitality.

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Vendor Spotlight | When Beauty Met Truth

Vendor Spotlight | When Beauty Met Truth

Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed in his 1978 Christmas Day homily that "the human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name." If anything, the sacrament and vocation of marriage are so deeply personal: it is a singular person we are drawn to in marriage, a specific love with which we honor and serve that person, and a mirror of the Father's reckless, divine pursuit of each individual human heart.

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Vendor Spotlight | Mel Watson Photography

Vendor Spotlight | Mel Watson Photography

Scroll through Mel Watson's portfolio and among the images of couples walking out the doors of their wedding Mass and praying together before Our Lady, you'll spot a scapular peeking out from a neckline here, a Rosary bracelet there. And her Facebook images feature profound quotes from Scripture and the saints on love and marriage. Down to the details, this amazing photographer is undeniably Catholic.

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