Shrine Weddings — Blog

Rich fall colors balanced with soft blush tones and gold accents create a portrait of elegance, exceeded only by the resplendence of the setting for their nuptial union.

When Ana and Alex first began to plan their wedding, they kept coming back to two things: their God and their people.

They wanted their marriage celebration to mirror the wedding feast of the Lamb and witness to the true communion between heaven and earth.

Under Our Lady’s tender gaze, the awe-inspiring atmosphere of their nuptial Mass fittingly pointed to the heavenly banquet to which each one of us is invited.

From the Bride:

Alex and I have friends and family all over the globe, and so we felt so honored and excited to bring so many of our favorite people together in joy.

We wanted this day to serve that authentic communion as much as possible.

Even more so, we are so grateful to God for all that He is and all that He has made for and in us!

God has worked so much in our relationship up until our wedding, and we cannot deny that our love is a gift straight from Him.

Reflecting back on our wedding day, my advice to other brides and grooms is to stay centered on each other and your love! Be gentle with yourself and trust God in the details and in the process.

You do not have to have it all together before this big day. The flowers don't have to be perfect; you are probably going to break out a little bit (or like I did—a lot!); and our hearts do not have to be perfectly prepared in the way we think they should be.

There is a wedding feast far greater than anything on this earth. Keep your eyes locked on Christ.

From the Photographers:

Did you know you could get married at a national shrine? We didn't until we had the honor of photographing Ana and Alex's wedding at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa!

It was a day filled with family and friends, and the ever tender and watchful eye of Our Lady. The shrine was frequented by the brides' family who had a special devotion to this favorite Marian image of St. John Paul II.

Prayer was woven in every part of the day, from getting ready all the way through to the reception.

A significant host of priests concelebrated and bestowed blessings from both the bride's home parish and the couple's alma mater, Franciscan University.

Joy and elegance were in no short supply as the wedding party made their way to the reception.

Guests were met with details such as exquisite florals and—our personal favorite—an artist live-painting the reception space.

With such a vibrant couple, it is no small surprise that this wedding ended with a massive celebration on the dance floor. It started with a Queen and ended with the Saints (Who Dat?).