The Rule of St. Benedict calls hospitality "the way we come out of ourselves. It is the first step toward dismantling the barriers of the world." In the case of photographers Michelle and Brandon Horn, it's also the first step toward creating a warm, personal, and unforgettable client experience--this Georgia-based husband and wife team embodies Southern hospitality.
Read MoreA lovely, thoughtful wedding tradition is to give each member of your wedding party a small gift thanking them for their support during your engagement and for all the ways they are contributing to your special day.
Read MoreShe met Chris at a Theology on Tap to exchange the papers, after which Chris invited the entire group out to karaoke and sang Michael Buble's "Just Haven't Met You Yet" that very night. Erica found out from a friend that Chris had asked if Erica was single, and two days later he called, saying, "I would like to be in your presence again."
Read MoreLook around the chapel during your average Sunday Mass, and you're likely to see a mix of older couples, families with school-age kids, families with toddlers and babies, and...maybe a small handful of engaged or newlywed young couples. Certainly, there are exceptional communities of Catholic young adults across the country, yet those preparing for or just starting to live out the married vocation is a specific, and often rare, subgroup.
Read More"Right now I'm imagining you reading this letter; when you finish and look up at me from the page, I want to look at you with honest, brave eyes and smile, both of us knowing that yes, we have stepped fully into this vocation and the promises we've made."
Read MoreTo please God...to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain.
Read MoreGreat are the joys in marriage, as there is the lifting of progressive veils, until one is brought into the blazing lights of the Presence of God. - Ven. Fulton Sheen
Read MoreMarriage is such an incredible sacrament to live out, and our flawed human nature and marriage's inherent challenges make it even more incredible. When we, as Catholic women, can share our struggles, not for the purpose of being a “downer,” but to reach out for affirmation and encouragement, our vows become easier to live out. We need grace from God, and love and understanding from our fellow women, to stay the course.
Read MorePope St. John Paul II proclaimed in his 1978 Christmas Day homily that "the human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name." If anything, the sacrament and vocation of marriage are so deeply personal: it is a singular person we are drawn to in marriage, a specific love with which we honor and serve that person, and a mirror of the Father's reckless, divine pursuit of each individual human heart.
Read MoreShoulder to shoulder we knelt, evening light falling across the tabernacle, and as my about-to-be husband whispered a prayer, my tears came fast and free. The memory of having our confessions heard and then receiving the Eucharist together for the last time as an engaged couple is one of the most cherished memories of my life, one where the divide between heaven and earth, between the moments I'd dreamed of for years and the reality they were about to become, felt so thin.
Read MoreDiscernment illuminates each of our specific paths to Heaven. The story of a couple whose longtime friendship led to striking clarity, a two month engagement, and elegant, romantic celebration
Read MoreAt Spoken Bride, we love a good book, a good meal, a standout statement necklace, a heel you can dance in, and the list goes on. And when we make those discoveries, we want to tell everyone. So every month or two, we're sharing our latest and favorite finds in everything engagement, wedding, and honeymoon related. Help our community grow and share your latest favorites in the comments!
Read MoreLove is an act of the will. It is not a feeling. Our emotions are fleeting: one minute we feel madly, passionately in love, and the next we're arguing about whose family to spend Christmas with.
Read MoreYour Social Security Number cannot be verified. Please renew in person. Was this really happening? My state MVA begging me to come renew my Driver's License in person after an hour's worth of automated phone menus and a page of instructions requiring that all residents under 40 spare them the crowds and renew online?
Read MoreMelissa and Antonio (AJ) crossed paths almost every day in the Adoration chapel on their college campus, though AJ was discerning the priesthood at the time. Around the time he realized he never wanted to spend a day without seeing or talking to Melissa and his spiritual directors encouraged him to pursue dating, Melissa prayed a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux.
Read MoreEven when you spend months planning every detail of your big day, you still can’t plan for the unexpected. I carry around my silver toolbox, filled with essentials that might be otherwise forgotten, to each wedding I coordinate. You can also use a clear plastic storage bin and designate a friend or family member to hold onto it throughout your wedding day. If you're working with a wedding coordinator, remember to ask if they have a similar emergency kit!
Read MoreScroll through Mel Watson's portfolio and among the images of couples walking out the doors of their wedding Mass and praying together before Our Lady, you'll spot a scapular peeking out from a neckline here, a Rosary bracelet there. And her Facebook images feature profound quotes from Scripture and the saints on love and marriage. Down to the details, this amazing photographer is undeniably Catholic.
Read MoreModeration begets peace. Making extra efforts in the beauty department isn't false when your intentions are pure. Know your beauty and worth, appreciate them, and enhance them if you want to for your wedding day, to the point that they're not on your mind anymore because you're too busy soaking in everything else. Revel in the experience of preparing yourself for your beloved.
Read MoreWe're thrilled to have you alongside us in sisterhood and community as we launch this ministry. Combining practical and spiritual content that speaks to the heart of femininity and authentic love alongside gorgeous real wedding inspiration and resources for working with Catholic wedding vendors, we dream of being the most singular, knowledgeable, and beautiful online authority for Catholic brides. You're invited to help us become that. Read more about our mission here, and...
Image credit: Elissa Anne Photography
...If you're a newlywed: We would love to feature your wedding day, in photos and stories, as a witness to the love of Christ and the beauty of the Creator. Submit your wedding here.
...If you're a Catholic wedding vendor: The Spoken Bride Vendor Guide is the first resource designed to connect Catholic couples with Catholic photographers, planners, and other creatives in the wedding industry. Membership applications are open and we can't wait to see your work! Inquire about vendor membership here. P.S. Photographers, we also encourage you to submit weddings!
...If you're newly wed or newly engaged: Your joy is too good to keep to yourself, you aren't the only one experiencing certain crosses, and your victories and missteps in wedding planning can only help other brides on the same journey as you. We're eager to hear your stories, reflections, and advice and are currently accepting written submissions. See a full list of suggested topics and guidelines here.
Today is the Feast of the Visitation, that exultant day when Our Lady, incandescent with the love of her spouse, the Holy Spirit, sang praise that her soul magnified the Lord. Know of our prayers for you on this holy day and as we go forth.
Your joy, Mary, was palpable in Elizabeth and John's presence. We pray our relationship glorifies God in the same way: may our spousal love be a witness. May others rejoice through us, not because of our own human glory, but because Christ within us is impossible to ignore. From Full of Grace: Rosary Meditations for Engaged and Married Couples
During her college semester abroad in Paris, Bradley was the last person Emily expected to see. He was supposed to be home in Louisiana finishing med school. Yet there he was, standing before the tomb of St. Genevieve at the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, Emily's grandmother's ring in hand.
Read MoreA Catholic Lifestyle Blog for Brides & Newlyweds
ABOUT / VENDORS / TERMS & POLICIES / SHOP POLICIES & FAQS
© 2016-2021 SPOKEN BRIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SAINT JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US. STS. LOUIS & ZELIE MARTIN, PRAY FOR US.
