Vendor Spotlight | Vol. 14

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Are you recently engaged and ready to book your wedding vendors? Newly married or attending a wedding, and in search of gifts that affirm the vocation to marriage?

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.

From photographers and videographers who understand how to capture the most significant moments of your nuptial Mass, to coordinators who understand the needs of Catholic couples, artists whose jewelry, stationery, and prints become enduring keepsakes long after your wedding day, clinical and theological experts in the fields of fertility and relationships, and beyond, Spoken Bride Vendors view their work as a call and find deep joy in putting their talents at the service of the Lord.

What’s more, our vendors are truly engaging and fun. With a range of stories, hobbies, and devotions, it’s our privilege to share who they are and connect them with their ideal clients--you, faithful Catholic couples who are energized by working with like-minded, prayerful 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.

Our Vendors for This Month:

I’m Mary Katherine

Dallastown, Pennsylvania; Serving Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and available for travel

Mary Kate Anthony fell in love with photography at a young age. Her desire to be a professional photographer naturally became a reality shortly after high school. She reflects, “I believe that God gave me a gift and love for photography and with that gift is the responsibility to use this gift the way he intended me to use it.” Mary Kate brings her whole heart into her work as she builds meaningful relationships with the couples she photographs and entrusts her business to Christ.

Favorite saints and devotions: I have a huge love of St. Faustina and a devotion to Divine Mercy. I also love St. John Paul II (Theology of the Body is my favorite area of theology). St. Joseph and St. Therese of Lisieux are a few of my other favorites.

Favorite place I’ve traveled: This is so hard to narrow down because I love to travel and have been blessed to have been to a lot of places. I don't think I can pick a favorite location but I can say my favorite trip I've ever taken was when I walked the entire Camino de Santiago during the summer of 2018.

Favorite books, movies and podcasts: I LOVE books so I'll try to narrow down this list. Some of my top favorites include all of C.S. Lewis's books, any book by Henri Nouwen, I Believe in Love, the entire Harry Potter series, The Book Thief, and A Man Called Ove. My massive praise and worship Spotify playlist is pretty much always my top choice of music and some of my current favorite songs include "House on a Hill" (Amanda Cook), "Yes I Will" (Vertical Worship) "Known" (Tauren Wells), and "We Dance" (Bethel Music). Also, not exactly music, but I also love to listen to podcasts so top two favorite podcasts are "Abiding Together" and "The Place We Find Ourselves".

Learn more about I’m Mary Katherine.

 

Elizabeth M Photography

Baltimore, Maryland; available for travel

Elizabeth Mahon purchased her first camera to document a semester abroad in Austria; little did she know, it would become a pivotal tool in forming her vocation as a wedding photographer. Elizabeth’s love for people—and her extrovert personality—is a source of inspiration, energy and passion in her photography and client-relationships. Even more, her identity in Christ is the ultimate foundation for who she is and how she lives each day.

Favorite professional sports teams: I'm a die hard Cheesehead. Go Pack Go! (If you know, you know)

Favorite memory from my wedding day: My husband and I were married in a historical Gothic church in downtown Baltimore complete with intricate stained glass, towering white pointed arches, and a ribbed vault ceiling. I remember picking the church because of its physical beauty. Gothic architecture is designed to incline oneself to heaven. Being present in that setting with all of our family and friends, I will never forget how it truly felt like a little taste of heaven. The nuptial mass was definitely my favorite part of our wedding day!

3 things on my bucket list:

1. Visit all 50 states...33 down, 17 to go!

2. Do a great American Road trip from coast to coast

3. Celebrate the 4th of July in Pawhuska, OK with The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond (I love her)

Learn more about Elizabeth M Photography.

 

Visual Grace

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; available for worldwide travel

For artist Kate Capato, truth, goodness, and beauty are both the origin and destination for her creative work. She is inspired by the goodness of God and strives to reveal God’s goodness in meaningful ways through her photographs (and other forms of art). When photographing weddings, Kate savors the moments when she is a witness to the Holy Spirit moving through the bride and groom.

Favorite saints and devotions: Our Lady of Guadalupe and St John Paul II, both artists and lovers of beauty. JPII plays a special role in my work due to his teaching on Theology of the Body and his love of the arts. Our Lady of Guadalupe is quite present in my life as well; a mother of the Americans and an artist in so many ways, she is a witness of profound love and openness. I could go on all day about the two of them.

Favorite place I’ve traveled: Cinque Terra, Italy. It is a beautiful hiking experience that over looks the sea and brings you into the cute tiny italian villages. Every step is breathtaking, not to mention the wine is phenomenal.

Ministries I’m involved in: The Culture Project

Learn more about Visual Grace.

 

Horn Photography

Dahlonega, Georgia; available for worldwide travel

Husband and wife team, Brandon and Michelle Horn, offer hospitality, mentorship, and charity though their relationships with clients. They strive to make the invisible movements of the heart visible through their wedding photography; in so many ways, they reveal God’s glory as stewards and artists. “We share our faith with every client we have through the love, care and exceptional customer attention we provide each and every client no matter where they come from or what they believe. We believe that all people deserve that because they are a child of God.”

Favorite thing about working on weddings: We love it when we get to have our clients over to our house for their grand reveal where we make them dinner and show them their final wedding film and their edited photos in a gallery. To see the joy on their faces and sometimes even the tears of joy while they sit and recall that glorious day makes it all worth it.

Favorite books, movies, and music: Wild at Heart, Captivating, Theology of the Body; The Goonies; The Head and The Heart

Favorite memory of ou wedding day: We had several members of our congregation, family and friends, all come up around us and pray over us after communion was over. It was a very touching moment.

Learn more about Horn Photography.

Moments that Matter, Memories that Last

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ELIZABETH MAHON

 

On a wedding day, the bride and groom’s carefully selected vendors come together to serve specific roles with a shared objective of making the day a run smoothly. Coordinators keep everyone on schedule as bouquets and floral arrangements are assembled, finishing touches are added to cakes, and priests deliver their homilies. The wedding photographer is there to capture and preserve these memories.

As a wedding photographer, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of one of the most monumental days in people’s lives. This role is unique from other vendors. I remember the pressure I felt the very first time I was charged with the responsibility of photographing a wedding, “These photos could hang on their wall for generations; make sure you don’t miss any of the big moments!” I thought.

While I still feel a certain type of pressure going into wedding days, my outlook on capturing them has changed slightly over the years. This is partly due to my own experience as a bride, but mostly because of seasoned knowledge of how a wedding day will unfold. I have seen enough wedding days to anticipate how they will likely progress; most vendors will tell you the same thing, echoing the words of Julius Caesar, “experience is the best teacher.” Yet, the tangible anticipation of serving a couple as a wedding photographer prevails (even with years of experience) because the intimate moments that matter are fleeting.

In the photography community, there is an emphasis on capturing "moments that matter.” These moments happen between the scheduled events, or they might not be noticed by the bride and groom until they look through their gallery of images long after their wedding day.

It is impossible for the bride and groom to see every aspect of their wedding day when they are in the spotlight. They will miss the look on the father-of-the-bride’s face when his daughter vows her life to her husband, and they might not see the wedding guests in prayer during the dedication to the Blessed Mother. As the day unfolds, I am constantly on the lookout for these moments. It is a more organic approach than simply working from of a shot list or checking items off of a list; there is always a sense of anticipation.

Of course, it cannot be denied that there are parts of a wedding day that require structure. The family formal photos and standard portraits are important. As part of a pre-wedding questionnaire, I have all of my couples list any guests of honor who will be in attendance, and the family photos that they, or their parents, wish to have.

I thrive on looking for unique ways to capture the ceremony, depending on each church--as no two are the same. Parish churches, Cathedrals, and chapels all radiate a different type of beauty, and it is fun to get creative.

Although I have documented many types of wedding ceremonies over the years, a majority of my experiences have been in the context of a Catholic Mass.

The sacrament of matrimony adds an entirely new meaning to the phrase “moments that matter” because of the sacramental graces bestowed upon the couple. While these graces can never be fully captured in a picture, their essence is what I aim to reveal in the photos I take.

I try to focus on moments throughout the day that will last long after the sparkler send-off. While the handcrafted invitations and DIY centerpieces are exquisite and deserve to be remembered, they do not bear the same importance as those intangible moments. I can recognize a bride who values sacramental elements when she is seeking a photographer who is familiar with the  beauty of the Catholic Mass.

It is a gift when I am able to partake in the Mass as a photographer. I have heard homilies that are edifying to my vocation as a wife, joined in prayer for couples alongside the congregation, and gratefully received communion as a part of my work day.

While I want my clients to have an overall enjoyable experience throughout wedding planning, it is most important that they cherish the photographs from their wedding day for years to come. If you are seeking a wedding photographer, look for someone whose work highlights what is most important to you. If you and your photographer value the same aspects of a wedding day, you will capture and cherish those fleeting yet precious “moments that matter” forever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth is a national wedding + portrait photographer and Spoken Bride vendor. Although based in Maryland, she has traveled the country photographing weddings from California to Maine and everywhere in between. She loves old movies, the Green Bay Packers, and learning any/everything about American history. Elizabeth is married to her college sweetheart, Patrick, and the two are raising their baby boy Theodore just outside of Baltimore, MD.


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