Alex + Elijah | Southern Springtime Wedding

A story of saintly intercession and a Louisiana celebration with soft shades and Southern traditions.

Neither Alex nor Elijah remembers their exact first meeting, except that it was through mutual friends in their college campus ministry. Two years later, they became close friends during the summer their jobs kept them in town, bonding over camping, hiking, musicals, racquetball, and their shared faith.

That fall, they planned to watch a musical together, as friends. But Elijah decided their casual hangout should be a date, instead.

He planned on asking Alex to dinner before the musical, and headed to her apartment--except Alex had been in the library, working on an engineering project for hours. By the time Alex arrived home around 3 in the morning, Elijah was there with her roommates. He asked, and she agreed, but later canceled because of her exhaustion the following day. “Thankfully,” says Alex, “he was willing to give it another go!”

The following months were filled with discernment and decision-making for the future as Elijah completed his undergraduate degree and Alex applied to grad programs, hoping they could remain living in the same city. As the possibility of a long-distance relationship became more real, they prayed St. Josemaria Escriva’s Novena for Work--not once, but twice, the Lord provided them the opportunity to work and study near one another, with Alex beginning one of the best programs in the country and Elijah accepting a job offer. They got engaged at the Shrine of St. Francis of Cabrini in Golden, Colorado, near Elijah’s hometown of Denver.

From the Bride: 

Needless to say, St. Josemaria is a big patron saint of our relationship. In order to celebrate this, we included a card in our wedding invitations inviting our guests to pray his Novena for a Happy and Faithful Marriage in the nine days leading up to our wedding. This was so special for us. We got many excited texts from family and friends letting us know they were praying along with us; this was especially meaningful for those who wouldn't be able to physically attend the wedding to still join us spiritually. 

We also have many St. Francis's in our lives: we met at St. Francis of Assisi, attended St. Francis of Xavier while living in Birmingham, got engaged at the Shrine of St. Francis of Cabrini, and St. Frances de Sales has some great writings that have helped us through difficult times. So every night during our prayer time together, there is a litany of Francises whose intercession we ask for.

Our wedding Mass was celebrated by the priest from our college parish, who so willingly drove 5 hours to be with us. The church was in my hometown, and is the church where my parents were married, as well. Apparently it has the second longest aisle in Louisiana, but I can't believe how fast the moment of walking down felt! 

Our family was involved both in the ceremony and the reception. Each of our godmothers brought the gifts to the altar, my cousins and uncle formed a quartet for the hymns, we presented roses our Holy Mother and to each of our earthly mothers, a cousin did our flower arrangements, another cousin made our cakes, and yet another cousin took care of the reception hall.

We did not see one another before the ceremony, but we did meet around a wall to pray the final day of our novena together. Unfortunately, I could not hear a word Elijah said, because the church bells decided to pick that moment to chime for a solid eleven minutes! I couldn’t help but laugh when they just kept going! Additionally, a very noisy train decided to enter town right at the moment when we said our vows.

As noisy as they may have been, these peals and commotions could not disquiet the peace of the day as we were finally joined as one.

After the ceremony, we had a traditional New Orleans second line-- a brass band parade led by the bride and groom and wedding party to the reception.

The day was wonderful and went by so incredibly fast. My favorite part was just being able to talk with Elijah about how each of our mornings went, to reflect on how much love we felt from all of our family and friends, and how much grace we had to look forward to in the sacrament.

I went through quite a time of spiritual attacks, desolation, and anxiety in the second half of our engagement. I have often struggled similarly around times of change or of life-altering decision making because I worry so much about making the "right" decision out of a true desire to answer God's call. 

Discerning and ultimately choosing the vocation of marriage stretched my faith in the Lord in ways it had not been tested before—looking into the unknown future of possible suffering and sacrifices. 

I had to trust that the Lord would not desert us and would continue to provide in those times of trial. I know that as two imperfect humans, we simply do not have what it takes on our own. 

Throughout our engagement, I really learned that the Lord wants to be invited into each and every moment, the mountains and the valleys. We don’t have to have it figured out before we bring it to him--in fact, we can’t! It seems to me that there can't be a single "right" decision. It is truly about asking for his grace to see what is the right decision, right now in each and every moment of our marriage and lives going forward.

Photography: Grace Photography LLC | Church: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (affectionately called the Cathedral on the Bayou) in Plaquemine, LA | Reception: Main Hall in Plaquemine, LA | Flowers: Sloane's Florals, Antiques, and Fine Gifts | Hair and Makeup: A Pristine Beauty | Bridesmaid dresses: BHLDN | Groomsman: Black Tux | Videography: Willo Films | Dress: Bella's Bridal and Formal Birmingham

Flora + Joseph | Blush and Lace Garden Party Wedding

Flora and Joseph made it their mission as a couple “to make the invisible love of God visible and tangible” to everyone they encountered. Their vintage wedding, inspired by both the Garden of Eden and Queen Elizabeth II’s garden parties, reflected this desire. 

Their story begins a few years before that joyful day, at Joseph’s sister’s wedding. That was where Joe first noticed Flora, the woman who would become his future bride.

From the Groom: Flora and I met through my sister Katherine, who at one time was Flora’s teacher and mentor. At my sister’s wedding, Flora and her friends came to celebrate a new life forged in marriage. She didn’t know that at that very time, the Lord was preparing her for her own. 

Over a year after Kat’s wedding, I found Flora on social media and added her as a friend. I didn’t want to push a relationship; I could tell from the way Kat talked about her and how involved she seemed with her faith that just knowing this woman would bring me joy and a greater peace of mind in Christ.

From the Bride: I was not interested in a relationship when Joe messaged me. I was seriously discerning the single life and focusing on my relationship with God. The summer before Joe and I met, my friend and mentor, Kathy, was travelling to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. She asked if any of us had intentions for her to pray for during the pilgrimage. I asked her to pray for my vocation. 

Later, Joe and I met in person at St. Rita’s church in New Orleans for a night of adoration and socializing with other young adults. He asked if I wanted to “grow in our relationship with Jesus together” (be his girlfriend) at a Dave & Busters in San Antonio, at the end of the SEEK 2017 conference. After SEEK, we consecrated ourselves and our relationship to Jesus through Mary on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11th. 

It wasn’t until after we made this decision that I found out Kathy had prayed for my vocation in Lourdes, France. Early on in the relationship, the vocation of married life was very much on our hearts and in our prayers.

I was studying abroad in Amsterdam, the Netherlands when Joe decided to propose. 

Our shared love language is quality time, so we FaceTimed any chance we got while long-distance. His mom texted one day and asked what my address was because she was going to send an “Easter surprise.” I thought nothing of it because she makes Easter baskets every year for her grandchildren. 

The day before Joseph proposed, he woke up, got dressed for work, and FaceTimed me. Later in the day, when we usually talked during his lunch break, he told me the principal wanted to meet with him about lesson plans, so we wouldn’t be able to chat. That night, he planned to meet up with friends. 

I found out later he was actually on a flight from New Orleans to Amsterdam. I woke up to a call from the “mail woman” the next morning, claiming that a package for me was downstairs. I put my shoes on (still in my pajamas) and headed downstairs. She told me my package was outside, and I became very confused. I stepped out onto the street, and there was Joe with flowers in one hand and an acoustic guitar in the other. That’s where he asked me to be his wife.

Photography: Rudenko Photography

My bridesmaids and I got ready the morning of the wedding at a gorgeous Airbnb on Magazine Street in New Orleans. Joe and his groomsmen got ready at his parent’s house. I didn’t particularly enjoy planning the wedding, so creating a peaceful environment on the wedding day was important to help me enter into the sacrament with Joe.

I had begun writing “letters to my future husband” three weeks after we started dating. I wrote about small and big events in our relationship, my thoughts when we were long-distance, and many thanks for his selfless acts. Joe wrote me a sweet note the morning of the wedding, and we both read our letters in the church as we waited to see each other at the altar.

Divine Mercy parish in Louisiana is where we started going to Mass as a couple, and it’s where we were married on our wedding day.

Joe and I love a particular quote by St. John Paul II. He said, “It is the God-given purpose of our lives to make the invisible love of God visible and tangible in our material world.” It has become part of our mission as a couple to share God’s love in the world. We wanted our guests to feel and know his love through the readings, songs, vows, and intentional time with our friends and family.

I walked down the aisle to a song called “Closer” by Steffany Gretzinger. The bridal party walked out to the instrumental of the song, and when the doors opened, the cantor started singing the verses. I heard the song for the first time during adoration when Joe and I were on a retreat together. It’s about the beauty of God’s love, and it reminded me of how beautiful Joe’s love is as well. 

I was already crying before the doors opened. Joe and I dealt with hardships throughout our engagement, and in this moment I was shown how victorious love is.

We chose the “washing of the feet” as our Gospel reading because Jesus showed the Apostles how to be servant leaders. Marriage is a sacrament of service, and it is our mission to share God’s love with those we encounter every day. As we were kneeling in front of the altar, I thought about how it is a place where sacrifice occurs (think Abraham and Isaac, the moment of transubstantiation, etc.), and how Joe and I were sacrificing our own lives, wants, and needs to be joined as one.

Our main celebrant, Fr. Abraham, is a spiritual father figure to me. He has known me since I was 15 and watched me grow as a leader and a woman in the years before the wedding. His homily is one I still think about often because he emphasized God’s gift of love and how important it is to seek Jesus in the Eucharist throughout our marriage.

Joe’s maternal grandfather and namesake was his best friend growing up and would have been the best man at our wedding. He was given his grandfather’s wedding ring after he sadly passed away in 2017. During the exchange of rings, when I put Nanu’s (his grandfather’s) ring on Joe’s finger, we both felt Nanu’s presence in the moment.

We placed flowers and prayed in front of a statue of Mary in honor of our patron saint, Our Lady of Lourdes. We prayed in front of St. Joseph, who has worked overtime in intercessory prayers for us. Joe and I are so grateful to have them as role models as we strive to be a holy family.

The wedding was attended by an intimate group of family and friends. The blush and greenery aesthetic we chose was inspired by the Garden of Eden. The story of Adam and Eve was the first reading, and it is a beautiful example of living in communion with God in a paradise like the Garden. 

When I imagined our wedding, I pictured long tables with our loved ones and enjoying a celebration of love and mission, like the Wedding at Cana. We asked our female guests to wear fascinators: a small, vintage headpiece. The idea stemmed from Queen Elizabeth II’s famous garden parties she hosted at the palace with people who were recognized for their public service. Since it was an intimate celebration, these were the people we recognized as our loved ones and role models in our lives.

We have so many talented loved ones that helped contribute to the beauty of our wedding day. My sorority sister, Ariel, designed our wedding invitation and luncheon menu. Joe’s sister, Genevieve, designed the wedding crest that we used on invitations, song sheets, menus, and the seating chart. Joe’s aunt Gina baked our elderflower-flavored wedding cake. My sister, Vi, arranged all the flowers for the bridal party, groomsmen, mothers (including Mary), and the reception. Each person’s contribution made the day even more special and personal for us.

Love is victorious. As the verse goes, “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7).

When it comes to wedding planning or planning for the future, it may seem like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But when you finally come into the light, all the graces are so sweet and well worth it.

Photography: Molly Olwig | Church: Divine Mercy Parish - Kenner, Louisiana | Reception Venue: Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse - New Orleans, LA | Ring: James Allen  | Flora’s Wedding Ring: Etsy | Joe’s Wedding Ring: Joe’s Grandpa’s Wedding Ring  | Bride’s Dress & Veil: David’s Bridal | Shoes: DSW | Jewelry: Aucoin Hart Jewelers  | Groom’s Suit: H&M  | Cake Baker: Gina Paci Grunberg  | Hairstylist/Makeup: Kayla Theriot  | Photo Booth: Envog | Flowers: Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods  | Engagement Photography: Rudenko Photography 

Genevieve + Dalton | Holiday Rock 'n' Bowl Wedding

Genevieve and Dalton met through mutual friends, in a van on a group trip to Disney World. After a bathroom break, the group members chose new seats. A copy of C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce sat on Gen’s new seat and she asked who it belonged to. “This is a great book,” she said.

Dalton’s deep voice answered form the front: “Mine.”

From the Bride: I knew right then that I was in trouble.

Dalton and I were the only two on the trip who drank coffee in the morning. Each day, we walked to the food court alone before going out to the parks with everyone else. One morning, after making small talk while pouring the coffee, I looked at him and impulsively said, “You’re a good human being.” It was a very out-of-character move for my normally introverted self. He looked surprised and embarrassed. I just made this awkward, I thought to myself.

Things were indeed awkward for a while. We got home from the trip and began communicating in typical millennial fashion: over text and Facebook. Our first date was to see a production of The Screwtape Letters.

I learned over time that Dalton was indeed a good human being, perhaps the best I had ever met. He was kind and thoughtful. I never had to wonder if he liked me, or if I might do something to make him suddenly lose interest in me. From the beginning, he made it clear that he dated with the intention of finding someone to marry. I found his openness to be highly attractive, very masculine, and utterly refreshing. We started dating on March 19th, St. Joseph’s feast day. Dalton proposed on my birthday at St. Joseph’s Church, the place we would be married about one year later.

From the Groom: For me, I think it was the Boba Fett headphones Gen was wearing on the way to Disney World that had me smitten when we first met. There's a whole canyon between that first feeling and getting engaged, but in the interest of brevity, I'll just say we had lots of coffee dates and stargazing in my red truck, making it the best seven months of my life to that point.

I was so nervous the day I proposed. My brother was helping me orchestrate everything, and he went to the wrong church. St. Joseph really came through for me. I proposed in front of a statue of him, and the basket of petitions at the statue’s feet gave me a great segue into the proposal. All of my nerves quickly went away after she said yes. (continued below)

Videography: Reed Between the Lens Films

Genevieve: At our rehearsal dinner, I looked around at our family and friends laughing, eating, and talking with one another. Jesus' comparison of the kingdom of God with a wedding banquet suddenly became so real to me, and I was overcome with a desire for heaven.

That joy and peace continued into the day of our wedding. I wore my godmother's Juliet cap, which my grandmother had carefully saved. My mom gave me a pair of opal and blue topaz earrings--my birthstone and Dalton's, respectively. After a beautiful morning spent getting ready with most of the closest women in my life, I arrived at St. Joseph's Church and walked down the aisle to "The King of Love," a song which has been special to me in moments of great joy and of great sadness.

I tried to sing, but I got teary. On my arm, I saw that my dad was teary too (which, of course, made me even weepier.) I also didn't know where to look: at the tabernacle or at Dalton? There was just so much love coming from both places.

Our wedding Mass was a small taste of eternity. We chose familiar, simple Mass parts to encourage our guests to sing. The priests and altar servers were all dear to us, including Fr. Brent Maher, who had been with us on that group Disney trip. Surrounded by our family and friends and in front of God, we said our vows and became husband and wife. Receiving the Eucharist at our wedding Mass was a moment I hope to remember forever. We placed flowers in front of the statues of both Mary and St. Joseph, in the same place Dalton proposed.

Our reception flew by. It was a whirl of dancing, toasting, and red roses. We chose to have our reception at Rock N' Bowl, a New Orleans favorite combining a bowling alley with a live music venue, primarily because we knew how fun it would be. But also because Dalton is a great bowler. Our wedding colors were red, navy, and copper in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.

I was especially happy with a few particular reception details. The first was a vintage cake topper I found online and re-painted to look like us, Juliet cap and all. The second was a selection of our favorite poems and songs, used as table centerpieces. After our wedding, I arranged all of the papers into a large frame which now hangs over our fireplace.

Our "guestbook" was a Christmas tree covered with wooden ornaments that our guests signed. We now place them on our family tree and pray for our guests as we do so. The cake pulls--a Southern tradition--were small lockets shaped like books. Inside each locket was a quotation about marriage, travel, babies, or friendship.

Dalton's groom's cake was a pile of Mr. Ronnie's Famous Hot Donuts, another Louisiana tradition. Several people confessed to me that they ate one before we did the cake cutting, which, in my opinion, was exactly the right thing to don. The toppers for that "cake" were Superman and Belle, our wannabe alter-egos.

The morning after our wedding, Dalton and I went to Mass and then hopped in the car for another road trip to Disney World. This time was better--it was our honeymoon.

Dalton: The day of our wedding...how can I summarize this in a couple of sentences? I didn't sleep the night before. I picked Gen's brother up from her house where she was getting ready, and I just wanted to run in and grab her and get married already.

Ever since our wedding Mass, I feel like I understand the Eucharist just a little bit more. The sacrificial love of Jesus became even more real that day.

At our reception, I just remember standing in the middle of the dance floor, incredibly happy. It was the best day, but they only get better.

Genevieve: Our wedding was the best day of my life. It’s true that the dress, the dancing, the flowers, the music all helped to contribute to the beauty of the day. But what really made it so wonderful was the glimpse of the eternity it provided. Surrounded by loved ones, full of joy, in front of God--it was a foretaste of heaven. Dalton and I are pilgrims on the road that leads there, bound by the vows that we exchanged on our wedding day. And donuts. There were donuts.

Genevieve's sister, Katherine, also had a beautiful New Orleans wedding! See her celebration here.

Photography: Marroquin Photography | Church: St. Joseph's Catholic Church - New Orleans, LA | Wedding Reception: Rock 'n' Bowl | Videographer: Randy Diddly | Liturgical Music: Kathleen Lee, Eric Wilkes and James Rosenbloom | Reception Band: The Boogie Men | Flowers: The Crystal Vase | Cake: Haydel's Bakery | Groom's Cake: Mr. Ronnie's Famous Hot Donuts | Dress: Willowby by Watters | Shoes: Modcloth | Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Weddington Way | Men’s Suits: Tuxedos to Geaux | Handkerchiefs for parents and grandparents: Larkspur and Linen on Etsy | Bridesmaids’ robes: ComfyClothing on Etsy

Caroline + Matt | New Orleans Holiday Wedding

Caroline and Matt were friends at LSU for months after they first met. The night they became boyfriend and girlfriend, both made it clear to the other that they only desired to enter into a dating relationship with the possibility of marriage in mind. Matt said “I love you” for the first time while Caroline was baking his favorite Christmas cookies. She wasn’t sure if his heart or his stomach was talking more, but he said the words again shortly after. This time, Matt’s declaration was followed by a long talk about marriage, a future family, and a lifelong commitment to each other in good times and in bad.

By senior year, the two were discussing what their entrance into the real world would look like, praying their relationship could weather the storm of distance and new responsibilities.

From the Bride: Our campus parish equipped us in our faith life so fruitfully for the years to follow. We made a Marian consecration via 33 Days to Morning Glory, for instance, and our hearts have been on fire for Our Lady and the Holy Family ever since. My struggles with hypothyroidism led to a doctor who guided me in the Creighton Model of NFP, which has been a great gift to us in marriage. That same doctor presented a wonderful Theology of the Body-based talk at the university! I loved watching Matt’s involvement in ministry and the solace the Church itself, providing us great comfort time and again.

Seven months after graduation, Matt proposed in front of our favorite spot to say the Rosary at the Christ the King chapel where we’d spent so many hours at LSU. He gathered our friends and family at our favorite restaurant nearby for a surprise party, a night I’ll always treasure.

We found our Pre-Cana experience an invaluable gift from the Church--the priest mentioned during our wedding homily how sad we were when we completed the requirements! Our Engaged Encounter was life changing, a time of recognizing a renewed patience and loving acceptance to whatever Christ has planned for us in life.

Our engagement retreat also included the exercise of writing promises and prayers to each other, known as betrothals, Writing ours was funny, and also tender. When we read them to each other before of a statue of St. Joseph--Matt’s patron Saint--we could hardly speak through the tears. When the opportunity came to read them in front of the group, we knew we absolutely could not--it was too emotional. That moment made us even more grateful the Church writes our vows for us.

We hoped for a winter wedding and were able to get married on the birthday of Saint Bernadette, my patroness. To acknowledge the date, We placed a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes on our reception welcome table.

I found the Praise and Worship singers for our nuptial Mass while in the confessional at a holy hour event! One of my bridesmaids is a moving vocalist, also, who took part in the music. Our Mass selections ultimately included Forever Reign, How Can I Keep From Singing, Hold Us Together, Hosanna, How He Loves, and Ave Maria.

Family was central to the religious significance of the day. My grandfather is a Deacon who has celebrated sacraments for many of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He helped Matt and I choose our readings and keep everything organized so that the Mass, the most important part of our day, would be engaging and impactful. My godson was the ring bearer, carrying our rings in the rosary box we had with us the night Matt proposed.

I also wrapped my great grandmother's rosary around my bouquet. Her parents bought each of their daughters a silver rosary, but when it was my great grandmother's turn, they were in the midst of a crippled economy. Her parents scraped enough money together to buy it anyway. It fell apart over the years, but months before the wedding, my grandmother had it repaired at her parish! We included in the Mass a special family prayer said throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Honoring Mary during our wedding was such a special moment for us. We were able to kneel before our Blessed Mother in the same spot Pope John Paul II did during his visit to New Orleans. The Blessed Sacrament is, of course, the absolute climax of our earthly life. Matt and I were able to be ministers of the Eucharist to our guests, which meant so much to us. The Mass truly felt like Heaven on Earth.

For the reception, my cousin designed a custom Fleur De Lis graphic featuring the words “Love will hold us together,” from the Matt Maher song I chose for my walk down the aisle and for our first dance. Our cake had the words Totus Tuus, or “totally yours,” written on it. These words were Pope Saint John Paul II’s motto, ones I chose to have engraved in Matt’s wedding ring. The cake had one traditional tier atop a stand of petit fours, a classic dessert in our city, with cake pulls, a New Orleans tradition wherein bridesmaids pull a charm out of the cake to tell a special fortune or attribute about the woman who pulls it.

Instead of a garter toss, Matt did a kickoff: he and his Best Man played punter and kicker, and my brother, a groomsman, was a holder. They teamed up to kick a football to all the single men at the reception.

Our reception ended with a Second Line, a tradition formed by African Americans after the Civil War. Membership benefits originally included a brass band for members’ funerals, along with at least one public parade per year with music. Second Lines celebrate not only the life of the dead at funerals, but also new life at weddings and other modern celebrations.

On our honeymoon we were blessed to meet Pope Francis for the sposi novelli blessing. We thanked our wedding guests with a blessing that we hope will one day be a relic!

I love that in the Catholic Church, we are always free to re-celebrate the most important part of our wedding day: Christ makes himself available to us in the Eucharist, heaven on earth. We are always welcome to join him, anywhere in the world. The love I have for my husband is but a fraction of the love that God has for me. Christ gives us the gift of intimacy with Himself, and His bride, the Church, is more beautiful than any part of any wedding day. Christ’s Church equips us with all of the tools for the marriage that we pray for, and then some.

L'Osservatore Romano

Photography: JC Williams Photography | Church: St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans | Wedding Reception Venue: Intercontinental New Orleans | Videography: Second Line Films | Musicians: Colin MacIver and Karista Filopoulos | Second Line Coordinator: Accent DMC | Cake: Debbie Heyd of The Roosevelt, New Orleans | Hair: Gina Marie | Makeup: Emma Stasi | Dress: Oliver Couture | Veil: Blanca Veils | Flowers: A Floral | Graphic Design: Meredith Johnson | Tuxedos: Rome’s Tuxedos