While preparing for marriage, Lauren and Nate entrusted their love to powerful saintly patronage, and were not afraid to share the beauty of the traditions of the Church with their guests. The result was a joyful Washington DC wedding with family, friends, and fiery fourth-of-July excitement.
From the Bride: Nate and I met as freshmen while leading a retreat at the Catholic University of America. We spent that summer getting to know each other and became closer friends. Soon after, we realized there was something more between us, and we decided to begin dating.
Nate and I found ourselves falling in love with our faith, travel, and each other more and more, especially during a trip to Krakow, Poland for World Youth Day 2016. We found our patron there too: St. John Paul II. JPII became someone we could turn to in times of trouble and peace, and marriage became not a question of “if” but “when.”
I was in graduate school and working in DC. Nate was a senior about to complete a BS in Civil Engineering and had secured a job. The timing was perfect. We took a trip with my parents to Volcano National Park in Hawaii, and during a hike the kindest man I’ve ever known got down on one knee and proposed to me.
The night before Nate and I were married, we had a holy hour at 4PM on July 4th. We decided on that time, that day because it was the hour one of our favorite holy people passed away: Blessed Pierre Giorgio Frassati. We had the chance to be with his body while we were in Krakow for World Youth Day, and his memory has stuck with us ever since. We also wanted to remember those relatives who could not be with us, so we created a remembrance corner for them in the chapel, blessed by the patron St. Joseph.
As I planned our wedding, I felt like something was missing. There were flowers, rings, music, food, and countless other things to do, but Nate pulled me back.
He reminded me this was a sacrament, a covenant, and the most profound thing the two of us would ever do, other than raising a family. And so, the Mass became our epicenter.
We had the chance to get married in the chapel that started our love story, on the campus of the place that saw us grow up, next to the most incredible church in North America. We were able to share our story with our guests because they came to where it started and where it will continue: Washington DC.
Most of the people attending our wedding were not Catholic, so we wanted to make elements of the Mass and reception an invitation to a deeper understanding of our faith. Nate and I love Catholicism for many reasons, but the pinnacle for us is the rich tradition of the Church. We decided to sing the Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, and Agnus Dei in Latin, and used incense throughout the liturgy.
Our first reading was particularly unconventional because we wanted to highlight the story of Hosea and Gomer. God gave Hosea the challenge to love someone who was “unloveable,” and he found profound grace from following God’s will and marrying Gomer. Our second reading was from Colossians 3, reminding us of the bond we were about to enter into, a bond of love and ongoing perfection.
Our celebrants were dear friends, and the altar server was Nate’s little sister. The intercessory prayers were another place we could speak about the intentions that mattered to us. We had both lost our paternal grandparents and only had our maternal grandmothers. So we prayed for their deceased husbands and for our missing sets of grandparents. It meant so much to have a remembrance of them on our day of celebration, knowing they were present in spirit.
Since I was little, I knew “The Servant Song” was the preparation hymn I wanted to begin the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Additionally, Nate and I desired that most of the music focus on the Virgin Mary, as well as St. John Paul II, since they had been such comforts to us. Our mothers, grandmothers, and bridal party entered to “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman.” Schubert’s “Ave Maria” was sung after the Eucharist, and “Be Not Afraid” was a communion hymn to honor St. John Paul II. We wanted our recessional to be a fanfare, and “Glory and Praise to Our God” has always been one of our favorites, especially its lines directing the faithful to trust in God.
I knew I would walk down the aisle as fast as possible to get to Nate, so I chose an entrance hymn that could be shortened, but still be beautiful: “How Can I Keep from Singing.” Our trumpeter offered his talents to us as a gift, and he created the best effect for a bridal entrance.
My “something borrowed” was Mom’s gorgeous veil. The veil she had spent countless hours stitching tiny pearls on to adorn her own head 26 years before on her wedding day. My “something new” was the beautiful ivory and blush gown I wore, complete with pearls to compliment my mother’s veil, and its draped, dreamy train that made me feel almost ethereal.
I didn’t know what would be “something blue” until I rummaged in my dresser a few days before the wedding and found my blue rosary from Krakow, Poland. Suddenly, there was JPII again, blessing us along with our spiritual Mother. The rosary, laced into my bouquet for the Mass, helped keep me calm and centered on what we were there to do: enter a lifelong covenant.
The lights, food, and table linens didn’t matter. What mattered was the incredible man that was waiting for me, and his reaction was all I hoped for.
Our cocktail hour was spent with just us and our photographer taking pictures at the gorgeous Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, one of the best kept secrets in DC. Being able to have a moment alone as husband and wife right after we got married, and having our wonderful photographer capture those intimate moments, was something I will forever cherish.
The reception venue was spectacular on its own, but our florist brought in live ficus trees affixed with white lights, making the grand space so intimate that it changed completely. Nate is from Pennsylvania, and I’m from Texas, so we showcased both regions of the country and the town we now call home. The Pennsylvania and Texas elements were in our table names and the artistic signage our friend, Lindsey, crafted so splendidly.
DC elements came into play with our favors. Nate and I are both heavy coffee drinkers, and we know a small roaster near Catholic University. They had a Capital Coffee Blend with a pun already included: “caffeination without representation.” We were able to customize the bottom of each label with our date and names, making it the perfect wedding keepsake.
We were married during Fourth of July weekend in DC, which demanded a sparkler send off. I’ve seen this done at countless weddings, but we wanted to pay homage to our country’s celebration and bring everyone outside to see the dome of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. That night, it just happened to have a spectacular crescent moon nested on top. Our photographer captured a beautiful kiss that now adorns one of our bedroom walls.
Waking up and getting ready on my wedding morning with the most genuine group of women I have ever known was incredible. But walking into St. Vincent’s Chapel on that hot afternoon transcended my every expectation. I felt like I was going to faint for most of the day, but hearing the first measures of “How Can I Keep from Singing” instantly calmed me.
In that moment, I was reminded that this man promised to give me his whole self, and if necessary, sacrifice his life for me. This man was waiting to call me his wife, and I have never known such peace. The doors opened, and I heard the music ringing. It found an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing?
The liturgy began, and all I could think about was peace. Our friends and family were all around us, just before we became husband and wife. The homily was genuine, and each time our celebrant mentioned the word “children,” Nate squeezed my hand, and I fell in love with him all over again.
The exchange of vows finally came. I don’t remember all we said. I teared up trying to say Nate’s name, and once we were pronounced man and wife, I felt like I could shout my joy from the rooftops.
“The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart. A fountain ever springing. For all things are mine since I am his. How can I keep from singing?”
I thought about how other brides have sat and prayed while holding their new husband’s hand. They’ve all been joyful, but some exchanged hurried vows in times of war, some during week-long, lavish celebrations, and some in the chapel where she and her husband first prayed together.
“No storm can shake my inmost calm. While to that refuge clinging. Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?”
The end of our Mass came with a fanfare, and we were whisked away by our photographer for a bride and groom session. It was the best decision I made as a bride, to have that time alone with my new husband. At the end of the session our photographer shot photos of us under my veil, and they have since become my favorites.
Those photos symbolize not only the physical covenant we now have together, but the movement of my soul and heart to something no longer my own. They exist for the sake of the other. Nate was under the veil with me, a veil that will not allow anyone to come between us. The veil allows us to fix our eyes on our mission: getting each other to heaven.
During our reception, we had the chance to be with everyone we love, all in one space. It was the single greatest joy of that day. We noted numerous times that those people would probably never all be in the same room again. The amount of gratitude and happiness shared during the toasts, the dinner, and the dancing was everything a little girl in a white dress and her mom’s heels could have hoped for.
And at the end of it all, I came home to my husband, my best friend, and my fellow heaven-chaser who continues to fill my heart daily.
