Spoken Bride Vendors | Spotlight, Vol. 3
/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 these men and women are and connect them with their ideal clients--you, faithful Catholic couples who are energized by working with like-minded 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.
This month’s featured vendors (click to jump):
Zélie Veils
Bridal Attire; Fowler, Michigan, ships nationwide
Rebekah Shannon crafted her own wedding veil and loved the process. Two years later, with her husband’s encouragement and under the patronage of St. Zélie Martin--herself a lacemaker and businesswoman--Rebekah made her gifts official and founded her business, offering custom and ready-to-wear bridal veils. She intercedes in prayer for each of her clients and experiences great joy in seeing her work “worn on the biggest day of someone's life. Especially at such a pinnacle moment, like the first look or the vows. It's a part of that memory for them forever.”
Rebekah’s spirit of good will extends beyond her brides: “My Catholic faith,” she says, “was the drive to partner with an organization that offered a helping hand to the most vulnerable. We were very intentional with our decision to choose human trafficking as the issue we'd address.” A portion of each Zélie Veils sale is donated to the global NGO Love Justice, dedicated to pursuing human dignity and freedom with practical and political support.
Favorite movie: A Quiet Place
Favorite devotions: Other than the Martin family [the family of Saint Zélie and her husband Louis, the parents of Saint Thérese], I've always had a strong devotion to the Sacred Heart, especially in striving to understand the depth of Christ's love for us.
The best place I’ve traveled: Rome in 2016. My husband and I met Pope Francis and he blessed my first baby while in the womb!
Our Lady’s Armory
Gifts; Cincinnatti, Ohio, ships worldwide
When Nick Jobe proposed to his bride, Elizabeth, he gave her the gift of a handmade Rosary. He discovered a love for the craft of creating precious sacramental items, along with a market need for quality religious items with a masculine sensibility. Our Lady’s Armory was founded in 2015, offering rosaries made from paracord or precious gems, religious jewelry, and cufflinks. Custom options are available, offering a unique opportunity to gift accessories with the significance of a favorite saint from groom to groomsmen or bride to groom.
True to the name of his business, Nick has dedicated his work to Mary, our mother. Inspired by Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s Militia Immaculata, he says, “[I see the Militia as] something to which all the faithful are called, especially Catholic men. I see my role as the "Quartermaster" of Our Lady's Armory, which means I help outfit soldiers for their spiritual service to Our Lady.”
Favorite part of working on weddings: My favorite part of [creating custom rosaries and cufflinks for wedding parties] is the deep level of personalization that each customer seeks for the finished product. Most of my regular customers are happy to pick a product straight out of my catalog, but all of my wedding customers have found ways to incorporate their favorite saints or particular devotions, either by special patron saint medals on their rosaries or by unique cufflinks that aren't offered in my standard catalog.
Ministries I’m involved in: Knights of Columbus, Swole.Catholic
Love means: willing the good of the beloved.
Mackenzie Reiter Photography
Photography; Houston, Texas, serving Houston, Austin, Dallas, Texas, New York, California, and available for worldwide travel.
Mackenzie says, “Ever since I can remember I have always been the ‘friend with the camera.’ I purchased my first digital Kodak camera in the fourth grade! As the years have passed, my experience with photography has grown tremendously and turned from a hobby into a career. I love documenting weddings because there is something so unbelievably special in having a front row seat on someone's wedding day.”
A recent bride herself, Mackenzie desired to find fellow Catholic vendors for her own wedding, recognizing the ways in which they understood her priorities and needs. Now, behind the camera, shooting weddings on a combination of film and digital, she loves the opportunity to intercede for and share in the particular joys of Catholic marriage with each of her couples: “with my own personal experience I can truly capture and beautifully represent the sacredness of a full Nuptial Mass Ceremony.”
On my bucket list: To leave the world better than before I left it, to travel the world with my husband, Chisam--I love traveling to places off the beaten path--and to photograph a Catholic wedding in a different country!
I take my coffee: extra sweet!
Favorite saint: Thérese of Lisieux
Elizabeth & George
Photography; St. Louis, Missouri, serving the greater St. Louis area and available for nationwide travel.
Elizabeth Ngundue dropped out of school, after four years of study in the music department, to fulfill her longtime dream of pursuing photography full-time. Along with her husband George, Elizabeth now spends her days producing images she describes as “romantic, elegant, and timeless,” flooded with beautifully airy natural light.
Elizabeth and George share a particular love for capturing “two beautiful souls committing their lives to one another…[marriage] is our key to heaven and it's an incredible day to witness God's holy will at work.”
Featured on: Style Me Pretty, The Knot, Magnolia Rouge, Once Wed, Smitten Magazine, St. Louis Bride & Groom, Chic Vintage Brides.
How the Catholic faith plays a role in my business: The faith inspires everything I do, truly. I love highlighting masculinity & femininity.
Love means: Living each day more selflessly for others.