Full disclosure, I pulled this tablescape together at the very last minute. For days, I have been refreshing the tracking information on the perfect Marian-inspired tablecloth that I was dreaming of using for an Our Lady of Lourdes shoot. Well, it’s on a USPS truck somewhere out there, and I didn’t decide until this morning to try to make everything else work and get this post up, hopefully just in time! Because really, isn’t that often how it goes? Whether it’s a missing package, a last-minute to-do that derails our plans, less-than-enthusiastic kids, or whatever the case may be, so many factors can get in the way of celebrating feast days the way we hope to. As we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes today, I hope that my own scrambling is an encouragement to you to just take a deep breath and make it work, whatever “it” looks like for you. If all else fails, simply follow Our Lady’s instructions to Saint Bernadette to pray the rosary, and you will be able to consider this day very well-celebrated!

For this feast…

Blue and white tablecloth and blue napkins: I ordered a tablecloth from Lovely Lady Linens in my first For This Feast tablescape, and have loved following along with the Marian-inspired linens brand ever since! This gorgeous blue and white block print tablecloth would have been perfect for this table, and I can’t wait to use it for Marian feast days in the future. In the meantime, these napkins added the pop of blue I was hoping for.

Yellow roses: When Mary first appeared to Saint Bernadette, the Saint described her as follows: “I saw a lady dressed in white, she wore a white dress, and equally white veils, a blue belt and a yellow rose on each foot.” If you’re looking for one simple thing to add to your table today, grabbing a bunch of yellow roses from the grocery store is a great option.

Blue water glasses: One of the most precious things about Lourdes is the water, in which countless people have been healed over the centuries. Saint Bernadette said, “This water is being taken as medicine…One must have faith, one must pray: this water would have no virtue without faith!” Along with drawing your mind to the waters of Lourdes by drinking from Marian-inspired blue glassware, ask a priest for holy water (usually, it’s readily available in churches, but that is different in most places due to covid, so just call your parish!) for a family blessing.

Rocks: Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette standing in a hollow of a rock. Now known as the Grotto, this is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Lourdes. Churches all over the world (my own included!) honor Our Lady of Lourdes with their own grottos on-site. I used smooth rocks with gold calligraphy as place cards as a nod to the Grotto.

Candles: Candlelight processions have been part of Lourdes pilgrimages since the very beginning. I love these words Saint John Paul II shared at the close of one of the evening processions: “In this peaceful night, we keep watch, we pray, no longer in the secret of our hearts, but as a great crowd on the move, following the risen Jesus Christ, each one lighting the way for the other.” I knew candles needed to be a key part of this table! I used dusty blue candles and silver candlesticks I had on hand.