From the Founders | An End, and a Beginning.

To our Brides and Readers,

Since our founding six years ago we have always sought a personal, honest, approachable relationship with you through every medium we use to communicate. Today we’re here to share some some stirrings of our hearts, and some significant news:

In January 2022, we at Spoken Bride will be concluding our ministry.

Gosh, it feels like a big exhale, but also like a bated breath, to publish these words. Over the past year we’ve loved working alongside our team of unbelievably creative, hardworking, prayerful women, pursuing our mission to highlight all that is good, true, and beautiful about Catholic marriage. We have shed tears of joy and wonder over every single gallery and video you’ve shared with us, cheered on our community of Catholic vendors, and most of all, learned so much from the stories, intentions, and insights you’ve entrusted us to tell. 

And yet. From the start we’ve aimed to create a company culture where vocation is foremost. What would a marriage ministry be, really, if we didn’t prioritize our own marriages and calls, trusting that the Lord blesses saying yes to Him in every season? It felt like a huge, irrational surprise when we felt the Holy Spirit nudging us, with ever-increasing clarity, toward transitioning away from this work we love and believe in so deeply, turning our gaze inward and ahead. Amid all the passion we feel for marriages that will change the world, we’ve realized the necessity–and goodness–of changing the world in the hiddenness of our individual marriages and families, and we look to the season ahead with peace and resolve.

What does this mean for you, the invaluable readers who’ve joined us in this work through your comments, intercession, writing, testimonies, and investment? Here, a few important points about our conclusion:

Will Spoken Bride’s content be going away?

No! Our website, social media, Vendor Guide, and podcast will remain available, though inactive. No new content will be produced after January 31, 2022, but you’ll have continued access to finding Catholic wedding vendors, browsing our Wedding Directory for inspiration, and listening to three seasons’ worth of practical and spiritual support for brides and newlyweds. 

Wait! I haven’t finished my wedding program.

We’ve got you! All of our customizable digital products–including wedding programs, stationery suites, and thank you notes–come with free lifetime access to our editing software. Once you’ve purchased and received your products, they’re yours for good to customize and print. Bear in mind that these products are proprietary and copyrighted, and are for your personal use only.

Speaking of programs, can I still purchase one? Will your shop stay open?

The Spoken Bride Shop, which includes our best-selling Catholic wedding programs along with a range of other products for your wedding liturgy and home, is open through December 30, 2021. 

There are two essential, endlessly inspiring ideas we’d like to leave you with– ideas we endeavor to worship and live by. First, the Lord is the ultimate artist. 

Only a perfectly creative Creator can design specific, indelible love stories marked with infinite expressions of His loving hand. Every vocation, including the call to marriage, is a divine romance. Any desire you experience for a beautiful wedding isn’t shallow or insignificant. When held in a balanced perspective, that desire is a reflection of the Father’s own all-encompassing beauty and goodness.

Your wedding offers you and, by extension, everyone present, a window into this sacred beauty. Beauty is a bridge, communicating a depth of understanding that surpasses words and points us to its source. When you deeply love your Catholic faith, drawing your loved ones’ attention to beauty and goodness offers them a glimpse of what God is like. And that glimpse has the power to speak volumes– to pierce and awaken.

Second, He is the ultimate host.

If goodness, truth, and beauty are a bridge, where do they lead? To the heart of the Father. Always, he beckons us and meets us right where we are. He invites us.

Our Catholic faith can extend an invitation, not build a wall. It can communicate through those things unspoken that stir the heart to consider its purpose and to embrace its ache for the eternal. Your wedding day, and marriage, can embody the love of God for his children and foretell the heavenly wedding feast–the ultimate invitation. We’re all called to the banquet.

From us to you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

In whatever capacity you’ve encountered Spoken Bride over the years, we are beyond grateful for all that you are. We sincerely hope your experience was just that: an encounter, real and true without artifice, unafraid of the Cross, a source of encouragement and positivity. 

We have loved serving you, and though it’s the end of our active work on this ministry, don’t lose sight of the fact that your wedding day is anything but: it’s a beginning. Let’s begin.

In Jesus, through Mary,

Andi Compton and Stephanie Calis

Spoken Bride, Co-Founders & Owners

Image credits: Elissa Voss Photography | Claire Watson Photography

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Lord God, from You every family in Heaven and on earth takes its name. Father, You are love and life.

 Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, born of woman, and through the Holy Spirit, the fountain of divine charity, grant that every family on earth may become for each successive generation a true shrine of life and love.

Grant that Your grace may guide the thoughts and actions of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world.

Grant that the young may find in the family solid support for their human dignity and for their growth in truth and love.

Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass.

Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide mission in the family and through the family.

We ask this of You, Who is life, truth and love with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 - Prayer of John Paul II for Families

Join Our Team! Features Editor & Social Media Volunteers

Through discernment, and with our gratitude for the growth of the Spoken Bride community, we are excited to announce we’re expanding our team! We’re eager to work with individuals who share in our passion for Catholic marriage, with an eye for beauty and a voice of authenticity.

Spoken Bride is seeking one full-time Features Editor, one volunteer Twitter Manager, & one volunteer Pinterest Manager. Applications are open through Friday, January 22.

Our ideal candidates are collaborative-minded servant leaders with original, creative takes on Catholic wedding-related content and an eye for growing and expanding our ministry. Above all, candidates should have a heart for Spoken Bride’s mission and for the sacrament of marriage. Experience with writing, digital marketing/PR, weddings, and/or theology is ideal.

Feeling called to apply? Find information and application forms for each position below.

Features Editor

The Features Editor will handle all facets of managing, editing, designing, and scheduling proposal and wedding submissions for Spoken Bride’s blog. This is a remote position with compensation.

Responsibilities include:

• Responding to brides’ and vendors’ wedding submissions with acceptance or rejection

• Editing and composing submissions into narrative form for weekly features on Spoken Bride’s blog and social media

• Arranging and importing wedding images for features

• Ensuring correct vendor attribution and links for all published features

• Team communication via email, text, and calls

Qualifications:

Our Features Editor should possess significant narrative composition ability and the ability to write with flawless grammar and mechanics. A strong candidate should be excellent at creating informative, engaging content that builds trust and relatability with readers and embodies Spoken Bride's mission. Experience with journalism/composition and the wedding industry are a plus.

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Social Media Volunteer Team: Twitter Manager & Pinterest Manager

The Social Media Volunteer Team will work closely with the Social Media Manager to design, compose, schedule, post, and engage with daily content on Spoken Bride’s Twitter and Pinterest accounts.

Responsibilities include:

• Composing and scheduling daily posts

• Daily engagement with followers and users on each respective platform

• Initiative for continued education and innovation in the constantly changing field of social media

• Team communication via email, text, and calls

We look forward to hearing from you!

Introducing The Spoken Bride Community! | Our New Platform for Dialogue, Prayer & Relationship.

Spoken Bride’s mission is rooted in a culture of encounter: the power of dialogue, goodness, truth, beauty, and holy marriages to draw others into the loving heart of our Creator. 

Earlier this year when we felt a nudge to forge deeper personal connections--true encounter--among our brides, team members, and vendors, we set out to find the best way of doing that.

We are proud to introduce The Spoken Bride Community, launching January 4.

The Spoken Bride Community is a feed-style app we designed to be different from any other feed out there, with greater depth and a leap from screens to real life: one that invites pause over more scrolling, conversation over surface-level comments, rest over restlessness.

We created The Spoken Bride Community to bring you together with other Catholic women who are joyfully pursuing the vocation to marriage, through:

• Exclusive prayer events

• Conversation prompts

• Wedding & marriage education from our team’s experts

• Virtual small groups tailored to your location and season of your vocation

You’re invited.

How do I join The Spoken Bride Community?

The Spoken Bride Community runs through the Mighty Networks app, available in your phone’s app store or accessible here from your desktop. Download the app and create a username and password. On January 4, log in and, when prompted, search for Spoken Bride and request to join.

How is The Spoken Bride Community different from your blog, Instagram, or Facebook?

Spoken Bride’s blog and social media are impactful platforms for sharing the spiritual and practical content we create for brides-to-be and newlyweds, highlighting Catholic wedding vendors, and showcasing real couples’ divinely written love stories. We love seeing you share our content and tag your friends, trusting that the Holy Spirit speak to our brides the words they most need to hear.

For all these strengths, though, do you ever find yourself wishing social media allowed for...more? More genuine dialogue and meaningful encouragement. More long conversations. More opportunities for real-life friendships. With The Spoken Bride Community, our goal is to meet these needs, offering daily opportunities to share your opinions, intentions, questions, and experiences through conversation and prayer. We can’t wait to join you in your vocation through monthly prayer events, Ask Me Anythings, planning education, and more.

Is it free?

The Spoken Bride Community will be a paid membership platform. For about the monthly cost of two small (or one large!) coffees, you’ll have access to this group of women--brides-to-be, newlyweds, wedding industry pros, and members of the Spoken Bride team--committed to living out their call to marriage with all its realness and supporting one another as sisters in Christ.

It’s our goal that our offerings through the Community, along with your involvement and input, will be fruitful and valuable; a daily investment in your marriage and spiritual life.

What about my fiancé or husband?

We’re eager to highlight both the feminine genius and the gift of authentic masculinity through the topics we’ll share in The Spoken Bride Community. Those of us on the team who are engaged or married can’t wait to have our beloveds join in on prayer events and share on the wedding planning process from the groom’s perspective!

We made this platform for you, and can’t wait for the contributions and fruits your unique voice will bring. See you there for honest conversation, authentic relationship, and prayerful support.

Join Our Team | Social Media Volunteer Team

We are excited to announce we are expanding the Spoken Bride team! We’re eager to work with individuals who share in our passion for Catholic marriage, with an eye for beauty and a voice of authenticity.

Spoken Bride is seeking a team to manage our social media platforms; specifically, one volunteer each for Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram Stories, & our Instagram Feed. Applications are open through Monday, November 30.

Our ideal candidates are collaborative-minded servant leaders who desire to use social media as an avenue for relationship, community, and growth.

Above all, candidates should have a heart for Spoken Bride’s mission and for the sacrament of marriage. Experience with writing, digital marketing/PR, weddings, and/or theology is ideal.

Feeling called to apply? Find further information and an application form below.

Social Media Team: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram Stories, & Instagram Feed Managers

The Social Media Team will work closely with the Social Media Manager to design, compose, schedule, post, and engage with daily content on Spoken Bride’s social media platforms.

Each of these positions requests a one-year commitment and is on a volunteer basis.

We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for considering sharing your gifts and experience with Spoken Bride, and be assured of our prayers.

Join Our Team | Newsletter Manager & Shop Manager

We are excited to announce we are expanding the Spoken Bride team! We’re eager to work with individuals who share in our passion for Catholic marriage, with an eye for beauty and a voice of authenticity.

Spoken Bride is seeking a Shop Manager and Newsletter Manager and is accepting applications through October 23.

Our ideal candidates are collaborative-minded servant leaders with original, creative takes on Catholic wedding-related content and an eye for growing and expanding Spoken Bride’s ministry. 

Above all, candidates should have a heart for Spoken Bride’s mission and for the sacrament of marriage. Experience with writing, digital marketing/PR, weddings, and/or theology is ideal.

Feeling called to apply? Find information and application forms for each position below.

Newsletter Manager

The Newsletter Manager will work closely with the Business Director and Editor in Chief to design, compose, schedule, and send a bimonthly newsletter to Spoken Bride’s email subscribers, offering exclusive content and promoting products and events.

Shop Manager

The Shop Manager will oversee the Spoken Bride Shop by maintaining and updating product listings and providing customer service. This individual will work closely with Spoken Bride’s Business Director to share analytics and employ effective strategies for increased sales and growth.

Each of these positions requests a one-year commitment and is compensated.

We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for considering sharing your gifts and experience with Spoken Bride, and be assured of our prayers.

Meet Our New Team Members

As we at Spoken Bride strive to continue sharing the truth, goodness, and beauty of Catholic marriage, we are grateful for each of you: the authentic, faithful women who support and participate in our mission.

Today, it’s our pleasure to introduce to you the newest team members who are joining us in carrying out this mission in a tangible way. To learn about the entire Spoken Bride team, read more on the About Us page.

Maria Luetkemeyer, Twitter Manager

Getting to know Maria: My life is all about weddings at the moment! I am blessed to be working with Spoken Bride. My older sister, Emily, is the founder and creative force behind Pillar & Pearl Gifts, a Spoken Bride vendor. My older sister’s Katie recently got engaged, and I am preparing to be a bridesmaid in both her and my best friend’s weddings—God is clearly at work in the world of Catholic marriage!

My favorite saint and devotion: I have a special love of Saint Augustine, kindled by reading his Confessions, and a newfound devotion to the mystery of the Divine Mercy.

A quote I always turn back to: “It is necessary to go through dark and deeper dark and not to turn.” (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo). Akin to walking through the valley of the shadow of death, it is crucial to embrace the cross of our sufferings of this life to bring us to deeper union with God.

Some personal highlights of COVID-19 quarantine: My older sister got engaged—talk about a light in the darkness! Quarantine has unexpectedly bonded my big, beautiful family together. We’ve been loving having meet-ups of every kind, be it over Zoom or socially distanced cookouts. Also, I have finally started reading the Diary of Saint Faustina for the first time!

Melissa Pfeifer, Instagram & Facebook Feed Manager

Getting to know Melissa: I have always loved to travel and explore, and grew up going to visit family in Ecuador. Since we’ve been married, my husband and I have visited 3 different countries—Norway, France, and Kenya. Of course the experiences are all wonderful in their own respects, but I found attending Mass in these unfamiliar parts of the world incredibly moving.

My favorite saints: Mother Teresa, though St. Ignatius and Sts. Zelie and Louis are important to me as well. 

Bible verses I always turn back to: “Where you go I will go” (Ruth 1:16); ”With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26); ”Be still and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:16)

Some treasured memories of COVID-19 quarantine: Since we’ve been in quarantine, I’ve had more time to get creative with my candle shop on Etsy. I’ve completely changed the shop’s look and feel and am so excited for customers to try my new candles.

Janisse Valenzuela, Instagram Stories Manager

A fun fact about Janisse: My husband and I got married on the feast day of St. Zelie and Louis Martin, July 12th, 2019, we have a special love and devotion to these married saints. Praying for their daily heavenly intercession for our marriage and all marriages in the world. 

My favorite saints: Apart from the Blessed Mother, Pope John Paul II, St. Zelie and Louis Martin, St. Joseph, and St. Therese of Lisieux..... these are my favorite heavenly friends!

A quote I always go back to: "Perfect love passes through the total and constant gift of oneself” (Saint John Paul II). Any Pope John Paul II quote is my favorite! He is seriously my favorite theologian and philosopher of all time! 

A new hobby during COVID-19 quarantine: Cooking homemade meals, taking virtual live cooking classes, and watching cooking Youtube Videos. We are traveling the world by cooking new cuisines every week; so far we have made Mexican, Italian, Indian, Greek, and Asian dishes. 

Theresa Namenye, Contributing Writer

Getting to know Theresa: I love being busy with good things. The more packed my schedule is, the more I thrive and the more I accomplish. Rest feels good to me when it's balanced with a lot of hard work. Quarantine is difficult for me in this regard. But like all things, I have to see it as an invitation to learn new ways of accomplishing goals and seeking the true, good, and beautiful without a normal schedule. 

One of my favorite devotions: I have come to enjoy praying the Rosary of Divine Mercy Chaplet on runs outside. 

Quotes I always turn back to: "In my deepest wound I saw Your glory, and it dazzled me." (Augustine); "We do not need wings to find You." (Teresa of Avila)

Something I’ve learned during COVID-19 quarantine: I wouldn't call it a new hobby, but I've become pretty good at Google classroom and online lesson planning  in quarantine. It is a sorry substitute for the joy of a real classroom but it's still a way to connect with my students every day. 

Maggie Strickland, Contributing Writer

A fun fact about Maggie: My parents got married on my grandparents' 28th wedding anniversary and we got married on my parents' 28th wedding anniversary - instead of one big cake, we had 10 smaller ones and my parents & grandparents each had their own cake cutting to celebrate their anniversaries.

My favorite saint: St. Therese of Lisieux

A quote I always turn back to: "Remember: the holiness of 'little things' done well, over and over again, for the love of God" (Servant of God Catherine Doherty)

A new hobby during COVID-19 quarantine: I've dusted off my sewing machine and started working on sewing clothes since quarantine started.

Kat Finney, Contributing Writer

A fun fact about Kat: I am always ready for karaoke.  Note:  I did not say I am always good at karaoke.  I am simply always ready for it.

My favorite devotion: I have a devotion to Our Lady of Prompt Succor, who is patroness of New Orleans.  It has been through her intercession that New Orleans from fire, battle, and natural disasters.  We invoke her intercession in all times of need, particularly now in this time of pandemic but also throughout the months of hurricane season.

A quote I always turn back to: This is going to sound pretty cliché Catholic of me, but my favorite quote to live by is "Let it be done unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38). It's engraved on my wedding band, and when I read it I am reminded that God has greater plans than I could ever have for myself.

Something I’ve learned during COVID-19 quarantine: I've been struck throughout this quarantine with the reminder that there is so much to appreciate in the everyday normal.  I don't think I realized until these past few months that I don't have to look far to find fulfillment and joy.

Gen Allen, Contributing Writer

A fun fact about Gen: One day, I hope to be the patron saint of library delinquents. 

My favorite saints: St. Francis of Assisi and St. Mary Magdalene

A quote I always turn back to:  “Those were the Rommely women...They were all slender, frail creatures with wondering eyes and soft fluttery voices. But they were made out of thin invisible steel.” (Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn)

Something I’ve learned during COVID-19 quarantine: My family planted some flowers and herbs together! I have a black thumb, but we’re learning! 

Bridget Busacker, Contributing Writer

Getting to know Bridget: I started playing the violin when I was 9 years old because I watched the movie, "Singin in the Rain" and there's a classic scene of a cheesy violin duet. Once I saw it, I was inspired to play and begged my mom to let me try it! She wasn't so sure, but I ended up taking lessons for many years—including some lessons in college and during my first year of marriage, too! 

My favorite saint and devotion: I have a devotion to my confirmation saint, St. Therese of Lisieux! I didn't start having a devotion to her until a few years ago when I read about her parents and learned more about her family life. I had some misconceptions about Therese and thought she was kind of annoying (can I say that about a saint?!) until I realized we had quite a few things in common (so, does that make me annoying, too?!). Ever since I started learning more about her, I find her in the most random places around town and in churches - even when traveling! She is now a dear heavenly friend to me.

A quote I always turn back to: "Though we may travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

A treasured memory from COVID-19 quarantine: I've been enjoying time with my new daughter and my husband and I have been playing more board games together. A new favorite: Hive! 

Rhady Taveras, Vendor Coordinator

A fun fact about Rhady: My favorite season of the year is autumn!

My favorite devotion: I particularly love praying the rosary on Sundays with my fiance. Reflecting on the Glorious Mysteries always brings us so much joy!

A quote I always turn back to: Too many to choose from! I have a running list, but in the midst of everything happening in the world, I've felt God constantly whispering "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) in my ear. That verse has always kept me grounded, but lately it's been a beautiful reminder to trust in His greater plan. 

A treasured memory of COVID-19 quarantine: My parents have never played board games before. So, my sister and I decided to introduce them to some classic games during quarantine. They love it so much that we've been playing board games as a family every single night! 

Emily Brown, Podcast Manager

Getting to know Emily: I was a ballerina most of my life, so I love to just break out dancing sometimes! I am also a seasoned musician, and play the piano, pipe organ, violin, and viola; so classical music is totally my jam while I’m cooking dinner or doing work. And finally, I’m an avid outdoorswoman. I love being outside (especially at the beach!) enjoying God’s beautiful creation!

My favorite saints: St. John Paul II and St. Gianna

A quote I always turn back to: “Pray, Hope, and don’t worry!” (Saint Padre Pio)

Some treasured memories of COVID-19 quarantine: The mornings my fiancé and I woke up early to watch the sun rise on the beach and we stood in the water for hours And, my future mother-in-law and I really bonded over watching Downton Abbey together! Many evenings have been spent enjoying an episode with conversation and giggles and popcorn! 

To You, Our Community, in This Time of Uncertainty.

It’s hard to know what to say as the state of our physical, social, and emotional wellbeing seemingly changes by the day amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Photography: Pillar & Pearl

In this desert, it’s normal, and alright, to feel heavy-hearted: concern for loved ones, especially the vulnerable and those working in essential industries. Anxiety over sickness and suffering. Social loneliness. Cancellation of Masses and the sacraments. The delay and uncertainty of long-anticipated milestones, including weddings.

From all of us at Spoken Bride to you, our community of readers, we see you.

We feel the pain and helplessness of your engagement and wedding looking different than you imagined; at the prospect of few to no guests in attendance; of delaying your wedding date or honeymoon; at confusion over deposits made and vendors booked. Our team members and vendor community hold you in prayer, wishing so deeply that we could offer concrete support along with the spiritual.

The answers to these wedding-related challenges might not be easily determined in the coming months. Yet through it all, the certainty of the Father’s love is as relentless and unchanging as ever. 

As we adjust to a new normal of social distancing and self-quarantine--a literal turn toward the interior--we’re here alongside you in striving to embrace this time as an invitation; a new depth of spiritual interiority and trust in God’s unceasingly merciful care.

We’re also here for you, in solidarity and practical assistance. Together we’ll navigate the challenges of decision-making and the practicals of adjusting your expectations and wedding plans, sharing insights from our team members and vendors here on Spoken Bride’s blog and on our social media.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with your intentions and to tell us your stories during this season of unrest. We want to hear how you and your beloved are entering into social distance, whether you’re together or apart, who we can pray for, and what changes your wedding plans have undergone. 

As we learn to move forward, life feels a little in a state of suspension. The edge of the dawn; during Lent, no less. Join us in praying the Sisters of Life’s Litany of Trust, knowing we are his beloved and that surrender brings peace.

Join Our Team | Social Media Manager + Vendor Coordinator

Through discernment, and with our gratitude for the growth of the Spoken Bride community, we are excited to announce we’re expanding our team! We’re eager to work with individuals who share in our passion for Catholic marriage, with an eye for beauty and a voice of authenticity.

Spoken Bride is seeking a Social Media Manager & a Vendor Coordinator (Administrative Position) and are accepting applications until March 2.

Our ideal candidates are collaborative-minded servant leaders with original, creative takes on Catholic wedding-related content and an eye for growing and expanding our ministry. Above all, candidates should have a heart for Spoken Bride’s mission and for the sacrament of marriage. Experience with writing, digital marketing/PR, weddings, and/or theology is ideal.

Feeling called to apply? Find information and application forms for each position below.

Social Media Manager

The Social Media Manager will handle all facets of scheduling, drafting, and posting for Spoken Bride’s social media platforms, utilizing appropriate strategies and applications for long-term growth and engagement.

Vendor Membership Coordinator (Administrative Position)

The Vendor Membership Coordinator acts as the liaison between Spoken Bride and the small business and professional members of the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide. In this administrative position, the Vendor Coordinator will be responsible for all aspects of vendor membership, serving as the primary point of contact for membership-related questions, recruiting new vendors, and organizing vendor-related events.

Please Note: Both positions are unpaid & volunteer positions with a year commitment.

We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for considering sharing your gifts and experience with Spoken Bride, and be assured of our prayers.

Meet Our New Team Members

As we at Spoken Bride look forward to continuing sharing the truth, goodness, and beauty of Catholic marriage we are grateful for each of you, the authentic, faithful women who support and participate in our mission.

With excitement and gratitude, we welcome our newest team members who join us in carrying out this mission in a tangible way. Meet our Pinterest Manager and Editor at Large!

Danielle Rother, Pinterest Manager

I am so excited to be a part of the Spoken Bride team! Around the time of my engagement, in February 2017, I discovered the blog and was instantly captivated by all the stories of other Catholic couples becoming engaged and getting married. As I was preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony I found it helpful to follow along with others going through the same journey. Over the years, I enjoyed sharing my own stories of my proposal, betrothal, and wedding day with the community. Now, I am honored to be invited to join the team and contribute to this beautiful ministry to an even greater degree. 

I currently live in Minnesota, but I will always be Floridian at heart. My sister and I were born and raised the sunshine state. My favorite place to visit in Florida is undoubtedly Walt Disney World, as I am a bit of a Disney fanatic. While living in Tampa, Florida, I attended an all-girls Catholic high school, the Academy of the Holy Names, and was voted “most sincere” by my classmates for senior class notables. In 2013, I graduated from the University of Tampa with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Arts.

Afterwards, I received a fellowship from the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, to pursue their Catholic Studies MA program. I graduated with my master’s degree from St. Thomas in 2016, and my husband and I were married the following year. 

As a freelance graphic designer, I have created digital content for many Catholic organizations and institutions, including Mary TV, the New Saint Thomas Institute, the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, Abria Pregnancy Resources, and the Cana Family Institute. I love the Catholic faith and desire to live it out in my own life and to share it with others through my artistic talents! I am very grateful for all of the wonderful opportunities I have had thus far, and I look forward to what is next to come with the Spoken Bride community.

Carissa Pluta, Editor at Large

I first heard about Spoken Bride right after I got married in May 2016. I fell in love with their mission and, since I was a writer, decided to submit a piece on something I had been contemplating through my engagement and newlywed experience. Spoken Bride had just launched and I was among the first guest contributors, so I am incredibly honored to now serve the editorial team as Editor at Large.

I currently live in Birmingham, Alabama my husband, who is a FOCUS missionary, and our daughter. We love reading, hiking, and listening to Paul Simon albums. We dream of raising ducks and children in a home filled with music, literature, prayer, and the scent of freshly baked bread.

I graduated in 2014 from Franciscan University of Steubenville with my Bachelors degree in Writing and Communication Arts, and after working in ministry for several years, I am now a freelance writer and blogger at The Myth Retold. My writing has been featured on Aleteia, Blessed is She, and other online publications, as well as the upcoming summer edition of Radiant Magazine. I have a deep desire to cultivate beauty in everything I do, and am so excited to use my gifts to build up the mission of Spoken Bride.

Read more about Spoken Bride’s team and mission here. Any future hiring announcements will be shared on the blog and our social media.

Meet Our New Team Members!

As we at Spoken Bride look forward to continuing sharing the truth, goodness, and beauty of Catholic marriage in the coming year, we are grateful for each of you, the authentic, faithful women who support and participate in our mission.

Today, it’s our pleasure to introduce to you the newest team members who are joining us in carrying out this mission in a tangible way. Meet our Social Media Manager and Administrative Assistant!

Mary Wilmot, Social Media Manager

Though Spoken Bride launched after I was already married, I have been a reader from the beginning. I think my love for the Church’s teachings on marriage and family, not to mention Spoken Bride’s beautiful images, are what drew me in! I’m excited to join the team as Social Media Manager as I get to interact daily with a wonderful community of brides, readers, and talented vendors. As I start this new endeavor, I am most looking forward to growing my faith and my own marriage through deeper reflection on the sacrament of marriage.

I live in my hometown in Texas with my husband and two children. We actually live around the corner from my parents, in the same neighborhood I grew up in! Until recently, I served our parish as the coordinator of Religious Education, leading programs such as Catechism classes, First Communion, and Vacation Bible School. When I’m not homeschooling my four year old, you can find us meeting up for play dates at the park, zoo, or library. I also love to run, spend quality time with our extended families, and try new restaurants. I look forward to chatting with you!

Tasha Johnson, Administrative Assistant

Since the moment I encountered it, Spoken Bride has been a beautiful source of examples of how to discern and live out the sacrament of marriage in a radically faithful way. After walking with college-aged women for the past few years, I had been feeling the Lord tug on my heart to move in a different direction. I am thrilled to be joining the team here at Spoken Bride to help connect women with the resources they need to pursue their vocation as fully as possible.

I can be found in my native Minnesota, where I completed my undergraduate studies in Catholic Studies and Spanish Linguistics at the University of St. Thomas in 2017. I have since returned to their graduate school of theology to pursue my master’s degree. If not working or studying, I am always up for improvising new recipes, turning small errands into adventures, or hearing about the desires the Lord has been putting on others’ hearts!

I aim to follow St. John Paul II’s instruction to “be converted every day,” and am honored by the opportunity to do that alongside the beautiful women in this community.

Meet Our New Editorial Team!

This month, we’re thrilled to announce the addition of new members to the Spoken Bride team; women with honest, passionate hearts for the beautiful and the real to join us in our mission. We are proud and pleased to introduce our new editors to you today and to share their insights and the fruits of their hard work in the months to come!

Larabeth Miller, Associate Editor

I’m so blessed to join Spoken Bride as Associate Editor. When I got engaged three years ago, Spoken Bride was a pivotal resource as I prepared for my new vocation as a wife. I have continued to draw inspiration from this ministry even as a newlywed and have enjoyed watching it grow in beauty, truth and holiness. That is why I am honored to be able to aid in continuing this mission!

I am originally from Colorado but currently reside in North Carolina with my husband as he finishes up medical school. We have one 18-month-old son who is my constant companion as I write, paint, and keep our house running. In the past, I had the amazing experience of being able to work for the Little Sisters of the Poor at the Mullen House in Denver. I’ve enjoyed writing contributions for The Young Catholic Woman and Ignitum Today. I’ve also shared some of my artwork at Graced by Color on Facebook and in the summer 2018 issue of Radiant Magazine. My dream is to have more kids, be the best wife ever, and get my theology degree!

Mariah Maza, Features Editor

I first came across Spoken Bride googling “Catholic bride blogs” after getting engaged in the summer of 2016--only two months after Spoken Bride launched. I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful and professional website, tearjerking proposal and wedding stories, and poetic truth on every page. I have followed the blog ever since.

It is so crazy that, a couple years later, I now have the privilege to be your Features Editor. God is so good. I am most looking forward to crying happy tears as I edit beautiful, holy, and inspirational engagement and wedding stories.

The deserts of Arizona are my home and have my heart, no matter where I go. I still live here with my husband as he finishes school and will be commissioned as an officer in the Army National Guard. We are high school sweethearts and newlyweds approaching our first anniversary in December! I have a psychology degree from Arizona State and a theological studies minor from the University of Mary. I am extremely bookish, try to dress “librarian chic,” love country dancing, and want to become a saint. Writing and theology are my passions, and my dream is to publish a book someday. Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Stephanie Fries, Editor at Large

The time between engagement and marriage for my now-husband and I moved at top speed. Throughout our planning and preparation, the resources from Spoken Bride not only influenced our wedding program and requests for specific photographs, but also provided a community of like-minded women who, unknowingly, inspired many of the plans for our wedding liturgy. For me, working as the Editor at Large with Spoken Bride is an invitation to offer my love of Catholic theology, vocation, and creativity back into a community that has helped me grow in confidence as a woman, bride, and wife.

I am proud to say that Kentucky was my first home where I was born and raised. Although a cradle Catholic, I began to develop a deep affection for and understanding of my faith after being exposed to the teachings of the Theology of the Body. I spent my early twenties in Washington, D.C. where I played field hockey and graduated from American University, taught at a Reggio-inspired preschool, and ate my fair share of Georgetown Cupcakes.

In October 2017, I moved to San Diego to discern marriage with my husband; by August 2018, we were married and moving to Japan! We are settling into our first home on a Navy base, building community, exploring our new neighborhood, and practicing self-control against the temptations for endless gyoza and sushi and ramen. Needless to say, I have a love for food! When I’m not eating or writing, you may find me drinking coffee, hiking, reading a book, or getting lost in Japan with my husband.