“How Do We Incorporate Mary & the Saints into Our Wedding?”

Hi again! As many of you know, I’m a Catholic photographer. I’ve been to and worked a lot of Catholic weddings (including my own of course), and have seen a lot of couples who have a special relationship with certain Saints or with Mary, and who want to make some special veneration to them during their wedding day. Here are just a handful of my favorite ways that I’ve seen couples doing this.

1. VENERATE MARY AT MASS

A wonderful way of showing Mary your special devotion is by having an extra bouquet of flowers made or a token that you can bring to her during mass. After communion, your musicians can play a Marian hymn or song (me and my hubby had our friend sing Ave Maria… and it still nearly makes me tear up thinking of the memory) while the bride and groom bring the flowers to their favorite statue or image in the church.

This is a fairly common way of venerating Mary these days, but before I had a few friends do it when I was in college, I had never heard of it! Some churches even have multiple Marian images that you can choose from, in case you have a special devotion to a specific apparition or image of Our Lady.

2. WEAR A TOKEN ALL DAY, SUCH AS A ROSARY OR MEDAL

A lot of brides that I know will wear a rosary around their bouquet all day or keep one in their pocket (because all the best bridal gowns have pockets these days!). You can get a special one from Etsy or wear one that you or a special family member already have. I know a handful of brides who even were gifted one from a grandparent or loved one. Other items you can attach to your dress, bouquet, or wear in your pockets include saint medals, holy cards, and even a tiny Psalm or New Testament book.

3. PRAYING SPECIAL PRAYERS DURING THE DAY (OR BEFORE)

I have way too many examples, so here’s another bulleted list to make this clearer!

• Before your ceremony, pray with your spouse-to-be. After your first look, pray near a tabernacle or in adoration. Not doing a first look? Pray together without seeing each other, using a door or corner as a divider so that you don’t peek at your stunning fiancé.

• Have your wedding party pray over you. Bridesmaids or groomsmen leading a prayer over the bride or groom is especially touching, and it can add a layer of peace and stillness to your heart before the ceremony comes.

• Make a special effort to go to adoration or pray at a church the morning of your wedding before you even start getting ready! Make sure you figure out if any churches are open if it’s early in the morning & because of COVID. If they aren’t or your diocese isn’t offering adoration, you can always pray at home or with your friends in front of an image or statue at home or outside.

• After your rehearsal dinner, do a special session of prayer. Whether this be silent adoration, a chaplet of some kind, or a charismatic praise and worship session, this can be one of the best ways to end the day before your wedding!

• Offer it up. As your wedding gets closer, offer small things each day up for your future spouse and marriage. These can especially include any inconveniences, troubles with planning, or frustrations with family or your fiancé/ee.

• Do a novena or similar style of prayer in the days and weeks preceding your wedding. My husband and I spent the 150 days up to our wedding praying through the Psalms (one per day). Other couples do novenas, 90 day novenas, a month of decades, or anything else that you want!

4. PASSING OUT HOLY PARTY FAVORS

Party favors can be tricky. You don’t want to spend money on things that people won’t like or want to use. Candy is cheap, but messy. Wine can get expensive. Why not make it a way of honoring God & evangelizing? Pass out saint medals, custom holy cards, or even rosaries!

5. WEAR THEM IN YOUR JEWELRY

I know it’s easy to think there are very few Catholic owned companies out there that are still stylish, trendy, and unique. Think again. There are way more than you could imagine! Try searching google, Etsy, or instagram for some. One of my favorite places to get gorgeous, dainty Catholic jewelry is The Little Catholic. If you don’t want to wear a medal, you can get more subtle. Wear a bracelet with a tiny medal on it, a ring that has an inscription or cross, or even a dainty necklace like this one.

6. HONOR A SAINT IN A LESS OBVIOUS WAY

Almost anything you do can be an honoring of a Saint if your intention is there. Want even more examples? Try these:

• Use their name throughout the day in prayer, or dedicate the day to them at every hour.

• Get married on their feast day or adopt the Saint whose feast day you end up choosing.

• Use a color that represents them in your theme (such as blue for Mary)

• Use flowers that make you think of them, like Lillies for St. Joseph or roses for St. Therese of Lisieux

• Instead of giving your significant other a watch or jewelry item on the day of your wedding, give them a hand written prayer that you created just for them or a book that you hope they can find connection to Christ in.

Even as a photographer in Las Vegas, where there are fewer Catholic Churches, there is still so much that you can pack into your wedding day to make it special and to honor Mary and the Saints.

Let me know if you end up trying any of these or if you have any other additions to this list!

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