"Beauty pierces her heart and draws her into the sacred. She wants not only her wedding, but her marriage to reflect this in every way: through awe-inspiring liturgy, decor, and photographs, each infused, above all, with the radiant beauty only made manifest in sincere holiness. No matter her past, she has a love for all that is pure. She desires nothing more or less than to make a complete gift of herself. She chases fearlessly after virtue, knowing excellence is the path to true freedom, and freedom is for love. Deeply, profoundly, she is in love..."

Introducing Spoken Bride's 2020 Vendor Week! Tips, Education, and Exclusive Planning Info from Catholic Wedding Pros

January 10, 2020/ Editor Spoken Bride

This January 11-19 is our annual Vendor Week: days dedicated to showcasing the best of the Catholic wedding industry through Spoken Bride’s blog content and social media.

Videography: Visual Rose Films by Nick DeRose, a Spoken Bride Vendor. The bride, Kate Capato of Visual Grace, and wedding photographer, Emma Dallman of Emma Dallman Photography, are our vendors, as well!

The Catholic wedding industry? Yes, it’s a thing! We are proud to offer the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide, the first wedding directory specifically designed to connect brides and grooms with planners, photographers, florists, artisans, and more who share the same faith and bring a distinctively Catholic outlook to their client experience.

Don’t miss our first vendor takeovers, featuring Evan Kristiansen of Evan Kristiansen Photography and Nia Husk of Prolific Services, a certified fertility education resource, over this weekend! Follow us on Instagram @spokenbride.

At the start of this post-holiday engagement season, we invite you to browse the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide as you begin booking your wedding vendors. Each of our vendors is a true gift, offering their talents for the glory of God and sharing of themselves, their stories, and unique personalities.

Are you a Catholic wedding vendor interested in learning about Vendor membership? Read about membership benefits and join our waitlist here.

Follow along on our blog and Instagram this week for exclusive and personal education, tips, Days in the Life, and Q+A you’ll only find from Spoken Bride vendors. Forthcoming topics include…

Tips for planning a pre-ceremony “First Prayer”
Considerations for marrying at a church that isn’t your home parish
Vendors’ tips for first steps in finding, choosing, and booking your wedding professionals
Ways to communicate the importance of your Catholic faith with your vendors
Instagram takeovers by a marriage therapist, a jeweler, an NFP instructor, wedding photographers, and more

Recently engaged and booking your vendors? Browse the Spoken Bride Vendor Guide:

Above all, weddings are about the personal: who you and your beloved are, and the professionals you invite in to help tell your story for generations to come. Our vendors are single, engaged, and married, alive with passion for their craft and their Catholic faith. They, and we, are so eager to share and correspond with you this week! Don’t hesitate to engage online and on social media with your questions and thoughts—it’s our hope that this week is mutually enriching, informative, and fruitful as you prepare for your wedding and marriage.

October 19, 2018

Vendor Spotlight | Emily Kathryn Designs

October 19, 2018/ Editor Spoken Bride

The same afternoon that Emily Dodson casually posted an image of the Prayer of Saint Francis, with her own handwriting and artistic flourishes, to Instagram, a friend excitedly texted her, asking Emily to design her wedding invitations. “At the time,” says Emily, “I had no experience with calligraphy experience or paper goods, but I'd always loved writing.”

Emily called her friend to discuss the wedding details, committed to trying out a design, and insisted there’d be no hurt feelings if the bride preferred something different. To her surprise, the bride loved Emily’s work so much that she invited her to address her envelopes, as well.

The Lord was inviting Emily to examine--and share--her gifts.

Several years since, that first casual project has become a full-fledged wedding stationery business, Emily Kathryn Designs. Making beautiful use of clean white space, color, flowy script, and special touches like wax seals, her work strikes an elegant balance between modern and timeless. And the significance goes beyond looks: with her deep love for the Catholic Church, itself “ever ancient, ever new,” Emily’s designs likewise merge old and new; family tradition and history with the newness of a couple’s entrance into their vocation.

Her love for the faith is evident from the moment you glance at her feed and visit her website, but don’t stop at a short glance or scroll. Emily Kathryn Designs’ Instagram and blog are rich with resources for brides, from uplifting quotes to practical stationery tips, glimpses of her Catholic clients’ weddings, and Emily’s own spiritual reflections.

Emily on how her business developed from that first project: I had so much fun designing and lettering my friend’s suite, but it honestly felt like a one-time thing. I knew nothing about weddings or small businesses, or the fact that becoming a custom stationer & calligrapher was even possible. But one after another friends continued reaching out, asking me to design their suites, prints for their homes, or custom stationery cards.

Little by little, it went from friends to friends-of-friends and continued to grow. I now haven't had a day in the past three years when I wasn't working on at least one custom wedding suite! All along the way, I would tell people I wondered if the opportunities were "a God thing"--something that I loved to do came out of nowhere and continued growing even when I kept anticipating it would end.

The primary inspiration for my brand comes from my grandad’s old saying, “Simple is beautiful.” I always come back to this. Since my faith is central to who I am--and was also a big part of my grandad!--I find that instead of my faith playing a role in my business, it’s my business that’s playing a role in my faith. This creative outlet is a big way I find myself expressing prayer to our Father, often doodling the words he puts on my heart through scripture and hymns.

Additionally, I love that my business revolves around a sacrament! Walking with others toward their marriage constantly reminds me of the beauty of the sacrament and centers me on my own marriage, as well.

I see now how God has used my gifts to further the Church’s teachings on marriage, sacrament and love.

I've started a blog on my site, where I share practical wedding stationery advice alongside my personal growth in marriage, my understandings of Church teachings on family, my experience with NFP, and more. So it seems it has been a "God thing" after all. He's had a plan and a vision for my life that in my own small way, I can strengthen his vision for marriage, spread the Gospel, and further his Church.

When a client signs on with me--and even before that when he or she makes an inquiry--they not only meet a stationer with a passion for hand lettering, but a passion for love and marriage. They get a cheerleader who wants to learn about how their love began, how God is working through their relationship, and what they hope to encounter in their marriage. They get a designer who finds joy in the details--the handmade, family heirloom touches, rich traditions that make a wedding day speak from the heart of the couple. I specialize in custom suites and I rejoice in deeply knowing my couples so that I can bring their unique love, and the love God has for them, onto paper!

Photography: Carrie Joy Photography — *Photography:* *Carrie Joy Photography*

An interview with Emily

Favorite saints & devotions: Saints Therese of Lisieux, Catherine of Siena and Anthony of Padua have each been important to me at various points in my life, and I love reading about their lives (which are very different from one another!). However, throughout my entire life, my strongest devotion has been to Mary, our Mother. From watching my great-grandmother pray the rosary five times daily, to learning the Memorare from my best friend's mom--now my Confirmation sponsor--growing up, to choosing Mary as my patron saint at Confirmation, I've felt a deep love and connection to her Immaculate Heart. My faith is its strongest when I'm praying with Mary daily; I call on her often for fortitude and compassion. I admire Mary's quiet and steady trust in the Lord, and strive to embody that trait in my own life.

Favorite thing about working on weddings: I love working on weddings because I have such a strong devotion to and love for the sacrament of marriage. I have been blessed beyond belief to have grown up surrounded by beautiful examples of marriage in my parents and grandparents, among others. I believe deeply and fiercely in the graces this sacrament pours out, which I have felt tangibly in my life and even more so through the first year of my own marriage.

Marriage is the foundation of the family unit, and I feel called to preserve its sanctity because so many pillars of our culture depend on it.

Through my stationery design and calligraphy, I enjoy sharing in other couples' preparation for the sacrament, walking with them and upholding the truth that the wedding day is a rich and meaningful beginning to a calling of selflessness and sacrifice.

Best wedding day memory: It feels so hard to pick just one! If I must, I’d say our first dance at the reception. I remember swirling around, seeing the faces of so many people we loved--and also seeing a room full of beautiful surprises! My parents truly “hosted” our wedding in every sense of the word, so there were tons of special touches around the room that we hadn’t known to expect. Each of these were sweet nods to my husband and myself, our relationship, our families and our heritage. It made us feel so special and our wedding day so personal!

Favorite place I’ve traveled: Rome! I first went in third grade and again in college, when I studied art and architecture in Greece and Italy. After spending two weeks in Rome, I made a special trip back to Vatican City to say goodbye before leaving. Attending the Papal Mass at Pentecost, praying the rosary with our brothers & sisters in all different languages, and visiting the bones of St. Peter in the catacombs beneath the basilica were some top life moments for me!

Fave foods: Broccoli, my mom’s York Brownies, and homemade birthday cake.

I take my coffee...Black, all. The. Way. Almond milk cappuccino if I’m feeling fancy.

I root for the...Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers and the Chicago Cubs and Blackhawks

Love means...sacrifice. Laying down your life for the good of another.

Image by Emily Kathryn Designs

More Beatty Photography

Carrie Joy Photography

EMILY KATHRYN DESIGNS | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

October 20, 2017

Vendor Spotlight | Sarah Ann Design

October 20, 2017/ Editor Spoken Bride

Sarah Ann Design developed from a long-term love affair with letterform and bespoke details. Sarah Erickson, the woman behind this lovely typography and calligraphy company, believes in the character behind every letter, and the personality that every flourish brings to life.

"I'm relatively new to the wedding industry," says Sarah, "but have felt The Lord calling me to explore this realm of design." With a formal education in creative advertising and graphic design, and a passion for hand-lettering and typography, a transition into calligraphy and custom invitation design felt like a natural fit. "As much as I loved designing logos and brands, God placed it on my heart to collaborate with engaged couples as they prepare to enter the sacrament of marriage."

A quick glance at Sarah's portfolio reveals an attention to detail that is increasingly rare in the wedding industry: "I love to hear all about a couple's unique love story, and find distinctive details unique to each one. Often, these inspirations do come from family stories and heirlooms, sentimental venue choices, or a love for spiritual tradition. I firmly believe The Lord has called me to this, and am constantly inspired by His whispers in my heart to continue pursuing this path He has laid out for me."

From Sarah: Paper goods are one of the rare tangible memories of your special celebration; they are the first impression to your guests, and the last item you’ll hold onto for years to come. My ambition is that every piece of your invitation suite captures the essence of your unique love story. I design for the romantic couple who doesn’t want to forget a single moment of their wedding day. Ultimately, I desire to provide cherished keepsakes from this treasured celebration—reminders of true romance, a lifelong commitment, and vows for eternity.

Sarah Ann Design has been featured in Brides of North Texas, Glamour and Grace and Aisle Society.

SARAH ANN DESIGN | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

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August 30, 2016

Vendor Spotlight | Sea & Sun Calligraphy

August 30, 2016/ Editor Spoken Bride

In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1)...Through both Jesus's incarnation and through the sacraments, the Word becomes flesh. This truth is so tangible, so powerfully evident, in the celebration of the Eucharist and the Rite of Marriage at a nuptial Mass.

Words have power: the language of the Mass, and of a bride and groom's wedding vows, bring Love himself into our presence and very beings. So what better way to honor that profound communion than by making these words visually beautiful?

Marisol Acosta, owner of Sea & Sun Calligraphy, translates the beauty of authentic love and sacramental marriage into something the eye can see. Her love for lettering began when Marisol first picked up a fountain pen in middle-school; years later, she began pursuing new calligraphy techniques and fell for the art a second time. Her portfolio with Sea & Sun, which includes everything from hand-lettered envelopes to reception details to bridal shower elements and beyond, is a wellspring of inspiration. Sea & Sun's gorgeously lettered invitations and addressing, reception details, and bridal shower elements, along with dreamy watercolor art, invite Marisol's brides to think beyond typical calligraphed invitation suites. Extending hand lettering and artwork to other wedding elements helps create a unified wedding look, from guests' first time opening their invites in the mail to snapping pictures of the tablescapes at the reception.

For brides local to Southern California who'd like to try their own hands at learning Sea & Sun's elegant, precise style, workshops are offered.

From Marisol: Sea & Sun Calligraphy is a unique calligraphy service offering the finest detail of handwritten calligraphy designs for special events. I understand the sacredness of the sacraments, and love assisting you in adding an unforgettable touch of elegance to such lovely occasions. My advice to brides is that beginning a marriage deeply rooted in faith, along with the sacraments, and with the guidance of our Holy Mother Church, is what helps build strong and holy marriages.

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