Rosalie + Aaron | Traditional Scottsdale Wedding, Made Possible by St. Therese

Latin-inspired, elegant wedding filled with personal touches

Rosalie and Aaron had mutual connections throughout their time at Thomas Aquinas College, yet friendships and school work took priority over romantic endeavors. When Aaron was ready to start pursuing Rosalie, a friend encouraged him to pray a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux to receive a rose to guide his discernment.

Little did Aaron know, St. Therese is Rosalie’s confirmation saint and a dear friend. As Rosalie states, “St. Therese was the matchmaker of our relationship.”

Aaron prayed the novena while getting to know Rosalie in more casual ways; he was eager to see the “go-ahead” to follow his gut and ask Rosalie on a date.

From the Bride:

On the ninth day, when I walked into his line of sight, he was surprised to see I had several pins of roses in my hair that day! According to him, that was all the encouragement he needed. He asked me out not long after, but I wouldn't have said yes if it wasn't for St. Therese's influence in my life.

Long before I realized Aaron was interested in me, I started interviewing for teaching jobs after college. I was passionate about teaching, and I interviewed everywhere. Each time, there was something off about the job offer. The school itself wasn't right for me, the grade level wasn't my ideal, etc. Even interviewing for my top choice went hilariously wrong!

The very last school was so far off my radar, I forgot I even had an interview until the night before! Nevertheless, the interview was a dream. I fell in love with the school, the curriculum, the staff--and it was called St. Therese School! My patron! I knew it was meant to be.

This little fact was crucial to me when Aaron started showing interest, because I was not interested in a long distance relationship. (Although Aaron claims he would have moved anywhere for me...) St. Therese planted me in the perfect spot, so when Aaron asked me to date him, I was open-hearted, knowing our first few months of discernment would not be hindered by distance.

Two years later, we had the best day of our lives!

We wanted our wedding Mass to be traditional. It's the most important part of the day, after all! My cousin, Fr. Fernando Camou, was to be the celebrant, and he was a perfect fit. It was his idea to say the Mass ad orientum (facing the altar, not the congregation).

This form of the Mass reflects the sacraments of the Eucharist and Matrimony beautifully, we think. There is more of a sense of offering to God, sacrificing our own wills and giving them to Him through each other. I'm so glad Father suggested it to us. Aaron and I appreciate the value of the Latin Mass, attending the Tridentine Rite often while we were dating, but we knew many of the Catholics in attendance would be unfamiliar. Fr. Camou helped us reach a balance. We preserved some parts of the Mass in Latin, and used traditional music throughout, but the Mass was still in English in the familiar form, the novus ordo.

I remember the music so distinctly. The makeshift choir of family and friends did an absolutely stunning job, and I was moved to tears more than once. I'm so glad Aaron and I share a love for traditional and Latin music. It echoed from the choir loft with an air of heavenliness, and the brightness of the church added to the effect.

The church itself is so gorgeous we didn't even feel the need to decorate with flowers! We let the mural speak for itself, and I'm very glad we did. At the last minute, my mom decided to tie the fake peonies from her decor at home on the pews with ribbon. It was a very sweet touch, since peonies are my favorite flower, and they are unavailable during the summer. With the path of peonies, the mural, the canopy, and the priest facing the crucifix, everything pointed to our Lord. It was perfect.

During the ceremony, my maid of honor and I carried a little baby bonnet gifted to me by my mother-in-law. It was the very bonnet Aaron wore at his baptism, which she had unstitched to turn into a small handkerchief for me. It dried happy tears that day, and was such a precious gift.

We wanted to tie traditional elegance into everything, while also keeping things simple and fun for the reception! I had always dreamed of a backyard reception, but in Phoenix in July, that just wasn't an option. Luckily, Grayhawk was very accommodating to my vision, and the bistro lights over the dance floor were perfect! My dress had an old fashioned boatneck neckline with lace, but the skirt was a modern tulle and so fun to twirl in.

Remember St. Therese? I pinned a little blue medal of her from my trip to Lisieux inside my dress, near my heart. She was my something blue.

Mostly everything at the reception was homemade: the centerpieces, floral arrangements, the cake, the favors, and even the menus! It's really fun to look back and say, "Oh so-and-so made that!" or "Remember how we slaved over those?" It just made the reception more truly ours.

Every aspect of that day was perfect, and the parts that weren't are perfect to us now!

From the Photographer:

I have never photographed a more gracious couple, and was blown away by Rosalie and Aaron’s kindness and selflessness throughout the day. There was not a stressful moment, and all the focus was placed on the sacrament, rather than the less important details that often detract from the day. It was an honor to witness the start of such a beautiful vocation!

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Rosalie + Aaron | Traditional Scottsdale Wedding, Made Possible by St. Therese

Latin-inspired, elegant wedding filled with personal touches

From the Bride:

From the Photographer:

SPOKEN BRIDE