The biggest reason we chose to get married in North Carolina was so that we could get married at Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Raleigh with our favorite priest, Father Edward, as our officiant, and it’s a decision we didn’t regret for a second. Our number one goal for our ceremony was to express to our guests what it means to be married in the Catholic Church and how deeply we value the sacrament of marriage. Even though we’re so imperfect, we believe that God’s plan is perfect, His timing is perfect, and His word is perfect. As long as we try every single day to follow Him as the way, the truth, and the light, we truly believe that our marriage cannot fail. We were so touched that the number one thing our guests commented on at our wedding wasn’t my dress or the food or the flowers…it was the reverence of our ceremony. We were (and are) so thankful that the Holy Spirit was present there–we just tried to do our best to stand back and let Him be glorified for bringing us to this sacred day!
We chose to do a full Catholic Mass ceremony, which meant that the structure was set for us, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. We prayed a lot over the songs and readings we chose to be part of our Mass (more on that below!), and kept the decor super simple, using just two dogwood altar arrangements. I have no clue where Kelly found those incredible dogwoods a few weeks after they stopped blooming, but it was even more magical than I could have imagined. I teared up when I spotted them from the top of the aisle!
The readings we chose were Tobit 8:4b-8 (first reading from the Old Testament), Psalm 103 (responsorial Psalm), Hebrews 13:1-4a and 5-6b (second reading from the New Testament), 1 John 4:12 (Gospel Acclamation), and Mark 10:6-9 (Gospel). After an amazing homily by Father Edward, we exchanged traditional vows that we spoke from memory. I don’t know if there has ever been a more surreal moment in my life than saying those words out loud for real! After the Rite of Marriage, we moved into the Liturgy of the Eucharist–the most perfect way we could imagine to start our marriage. Our Communion hymn, “What Wondrous Love is This,” is one of my favorites, and I remember kneeling in the front of the church after Communion, hearing our friend Lenore singing that song, and feeling chills all over my body at the beauty of that moment.
After our first kiss as husband and wife (a little too long of a kiss for a church, we realized in our ceremony film–whoops ;)), we walked back up the aisle to the Wedding March. I hadn’t even considered it at first, but we knew we had to use it when I burst into tears during our meeting with the music director when he played it for us! Hearing that song on the organ mixing with the sound of the church bells outside and the sweet applause from our family and friends was pure magic. I am tearing up just thinking about how ridiculously happy I was in that moment to finally be Dave’s wife!!
One of my biggest, random wedding “must haves” was a gorgeous, classic car. I have a major weakness for wedding photos with them, and even though I knew it was a splurge, it was something that I thought would create an extra special experience for both me and Dave on that day. SO worth it. Dave tracked down the most beautiful car for our ride from the ceremony to the reception, and literally some of my most vivid memories from the wedding are from being in that car with Dave, completely surrounded by the tulle of my dress, being able to feel the breeze through the windows, with the smell of the peonies from my bouquet filling the car. Our ride from the ceremony to the reception was about 40 minutes, and getting to spend them alone with my new husband in that car was pure bliss!
I had to include this last picture because it makes me giggle–the reason we’re laughing so hard is because one of those biking bar things cycled past us and everyone on it started cheering! Of all things :)
Thank you to my dear friend Ryan Ray for capturing our ceremony so beautifully!
More wedding posts:
Our Wedding Feature
Our Wedding Morning
Our First Look
Joyful post! Let me share….My parents were married here January 19th, 1946. It was a snowy day & the bride were a light blue suit with brown accessories. They had an attendant each & no other guests. Having dated for years through letters while my father was stationed overseas & was in both theaters of World War 2. He had a fellow returning to the states to act as a proxy for him with a little diamond ring to ask my mother to marry him until he could get home & ask her himself. He returned stateside in Dec. 1945, & they couldn’t wait to wed. One more story that led to their union. Raleigh use to have sing a longs at the State Capitol in the 1940’s. Stationed in Butner, a soldiers weekend pass to the ‘big’ city of Raleigh ….heard my mother singing(excellent singer)was too shy to introduce himself, had a buddy intercede. The rest was history. My folks are deceased now & I commissioned their rings together into one. They were married 56 years until one died & 21 months later the other. I read your blog & when I saw your wedding & church photos, I sobbed with utter joy & sorrow at the same time. May you have a blessed marriage.
Cindy! Thank you so much for your kind comment and for sharing this incredible story!! What a beautiful legacy your parents left. It is so inspiring to hear of an incredible marriage that started at the Cathedral!
Lisa, your wedding memories make me tear up everytime. It looks so magical. I hope my wedding someday can be even half so amazing. You were such a gorgeous bride!!
Katie, you are so sweet!! Your wedding will absolutely be just as amazing, I’m positive! :)
The last picture is great! All your teeth are showing!!!! Love these.
Olson smile! :D
We used Tobias and Sarah’s wedding prayer for our reading. It is really my favorite book of the Bible. :) And what a reverent and beautiful Mass it was!
I remember hearing it at your wedding, and it was so, so beautiful!! :)
I love this series! I’ll say it again– you guys look so genuinely happy in your photos! and I love the idea of a classic car! wow!
I’m so happy you’re enjoying it, friend! Lots more to come! :)
CRYING
The homily really was amazing! I still have my iPhone notes from it :)
Aww, that’s so awesome!
Lisa, this wedding series is getting better and better with every post! I definitely agree, the church service should be the most, important, magical and sacred part of the wedding day. What a joy that your guests appreciated and recognized your intentions of sharing the importance of your faith with them.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the posts :)
Honestly, you look just like a princess, Lisa! The shots in the car are to DIE for and the shot of you outside the Cathedral and the one from the back where you are walking in the doors, pure magic!
Aww, thank you!! I felt like one! :)
What a beautiful day this was! It was so special being apart of it! Love you guys!!!
We love you!!
I love that black and white photo of you heading into the church – so classic! And the one of you standing by the car fixing your veil made me gasp when I saw it in the SW magazine. You look gorgeous and your photographer is so great!
How funny that you have a photo of your reaction to the bike bar! A puppy parade went by as I waited outside the church before my wedding (my town has a Dog Days of Summer festival) – sadly we didn’t get photos of that particular moment :). Sort of funny to think of your wedding day as being just another day with the rest of the world going about their normal business, isn’t it?
Thank you so much, Kate! We were so thrilled with the moments Ryan captured!
It really is funny to think of that! I can only imagine how hilarious and adorable a puppy parade would have been! :)
I still can’t believe how magical your wedding is in photos which means in real time it must have been a true dream. You are so beautiful my friend! I love reading all of these posts :)
You are the sweetest, thank you!! <3
Lisa, Thank you so much for sharing the witness of your Catholic Wedding. Your desire to focus on the sacrament, to let it speak for itself and permeate the ceremony, is truly inspiring and holy. I hope that my guests have the same experience as yours did during our liturgy! You and Dave are beautiful witnesses to the glory of God’s love in marriage!
[…] wedding posts: Our Wedding Feature Our Wedding Morning Our First Look Our Ceremony Our Portraits Our Cocktail Hour Our Reception: […]