Ashley + Andy | Birmingham Cathedral Pandemic Wedding

An intimate Mass celebrated in the halls of the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral in Birmingham, Alabama. Adorned with roses and blush elegance, a backyard reception became a beautiful celebration of the sacrament of marriage.

Ashley and Andy met at bible study and were immediately drawn to each other. They both shared a passion for cultivating a rich spiritual life, and this only deepened their bond. As they pursued the Lord, growing closer and closer to him through prayer, they inevitably grew closer to each other. And so, over coffee dates and Sunday Masses, they fell in love.

Then, calling upon the intercession of the Holy Family, Ashley and Andy navigated the unexpected trials of wedding planning in a pandemic. Despite new social restrictions, their nuptial Mass held within the walls of their beloved cathedral felt anything but empty and isolating. As Ashley’s brother reminded her minutes before the ceremony, “the angels and saints are filling the rows.”

From the Bride:

Andy and I met at a Young Catholic Professionals bible study at our home parish, where we immediately connected and became friends. We didn’t notice each other in a romantic light until later, when we attended an adoration worship night during Advent. Andy was kneeling next to me, and we were caught in each other’s eyes, in awe of Jesus, and drawn to one another’s faith life. He asked me out after Mass the next Sunday, and we got to know each other over coffee.

I dated Andy for over a year and a half before we were engaged on July 28, 2019 at the Shrine of The Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, founded by Mother Angelica. I cherish this particular shrine because we went there on one of our first dates. I also work at EWTN, so I love Mother Angelica very much.

Like that night in adoration, Andy and I have shared many spiritual moments together. We consecrated ourselves to the Blessed Mother when we began our relationship. Now, we serve on the prayer team for our ministry and pray novenas to our favorite saints.

Andy and I prayed consistently for our wedding day and called upon the intercession of the Holy Family throughout our engagement. We asked St. Joseph in particular to cover us in prayer as we adjusted our wedding plans due to the pandemic.

After a nine month engagement, we married with our immediate family present at the gorgeous cathedral in Birmingham, where we both grew up. Because of COVID-19, we had a small ceremony with only our immediate family, and a dear priest-friend from Africa celebrated the Mass.

In the moments before I entered the church, my family came to pray with me in the bridal suite. I always envisioned my bridesmaids leading the prayers, but there was something special about my father leading our family prayer. My brother whispered something afterwards that has stayed with me since. He said:

“I know that you wanted the huge wedding of your dreams, with tons of people filling the pews, but remember that even though the church may seem empty, it’s not--because the angels and saints are filling all the rows.”

It filled my heart with joy to hear those words, and I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in that moment. The saints have always held a special place in our hearts, and we love learning more about them. We could feel their presence in the cathedral as soon as we walked through the doors.

The organist played and the cantor sang “Come Thou Fount,” and “Oh God Beyond All Praising.” Both our brothers read the readings. The first was from Genesis, which included Adam’s exclamation of “this one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” to Eve, his bride. The second reading was from 1 Corinthians, explaining the definition of sacrificial love.

As we exchanged our vows, Andy and I felt closer to each other than ever before. Then came Communion. Due to COVID-19, we hadn’t received the Eucharist in over two months. We cried when we received the Body and Blood of Jesus and will forever hold those sweet moments in our hearts.

During the “Ave Maria,” when we placed flowers at the Blessed Mother’s feet, we prayed that she would guide us throughout our marriage and help us to become holy parents, should God grace us with children. We looked over at our family as we processed back to our seats and watched them cry tears of joy.

As soon as we exited the church, we were surprised to see many of our close family members and friends ringing bells to “wish us well!” People hung signs from their cars as they drove by. Even some of my bridesmaids were there, dressed up in their bridesmaid dresses to make it feel like they were part of our day. We were so filled with joy when we saw those faces!

We ended the night in my parents’ backyard eating cake and toasting to our marriage. Then we danced our first dances with each other and cut the cake. Through it all, God was evident in every little detail of the day.

Today we celebrate one month of marriage, and it has been the sweetest month.

God has blessed Andy and I with so much joy for each other. Our love story was written by him, and we are so grateful to the Lord for all the blessings we have received.