A St. Ignatius Catholic Church Wedding

I have been searching for a way to appropriately describe how it felt to photograph the first wedding at the new St. Ignatius Catholic church. I am still struggling to describe the experience. It is always an honor to document a wedding day for a bride and groom, but this day felt like a celebration for an entire parish! I felt blessed to be part of it. Words are truly inadequate for describing how wonderful this day was!

A few days before Carrie and Adam’s wedding, I went by the church for a tour. I was so thankful for the opportunity to soak in every little detail. In the tour brochure, I read the following: “The nave is of the grandest and oldest order, pulling the worshiper out of the narthex and into the embrace of what is architecturally awe-inspiring.” I cannot think of a better description of how I felt walking into this beautiful church for the first time. I was inspired! I could easily see why Carrie cried the first time she saw the space after it was completed!

Months ago, when Carrie and Adam chose St. Ignatius Catholic Church for their wedding, it was a bit of a risk. Construction timelines are notorious for running behind schedule, the weather can be unpredictable (we had two hurricanes last year!), and there are so many details that must align for a project like this to be completed on time, including carefully moving and installing the beautiful stained glass windows.

To be the first wedding in the new church would be so special for Carrie, who grew up in this parish. Even though she prayed that their Nuptial Mass could be held in the new church, Carrie never lost sight of the fact that the most important thing was that she was getting to marry Adam – whether that was in the old church, or the new one.

The Bells are Ringing

The moment Carrie walked down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony is something I will never forget. I could see the tears in her eyes as she passed by. I didn’t realize until after Father Shields began speaking that I had been holding my breath while she made her way down the aisle. It was just one of those moments that takes your breath away!

Carrie and Adam are two of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Every minute working with them was a dream! I have so many favorite moments from this day, including some of the sweetest ever First Looks and an adorable grandparent dance at the reception. But the ceremony recessional is without contest my favorite moment of the whole day. After they were introduced as Mr. & Mrs. Poer, their guests began to applaud and you could just feel everyone sharing in this joyful moment! Then, as Carrie and Adam made their way down the aisle, the church bells started to ring. And what a beautiful sound it was!

These First Looks Carrie shared with her dad, her sisters and her grandfather had all of us in tears! I love sweet moments like this!

 

The bride’s room at the new St. Ignatius Church is beautiful! I loved taking a few portraits of Carrie in this room before she walked down the aisle!

I specifically asked my second photographer, Alexis, to take this shot from the choir loft, framed exactly this way, because this is what I pictured in my mind when I toured the church before the wedding day. When she showed it to me on the back of the camera I could barely contain my excitement!

This photo that I took during the ceremony is definitely one of my favorites from the day. In a few months there will be stained glass windows installed behind the altar.

Carrie shared a special dance with her “Papa” after the cake cutting and it was a highlight of the reception. Their special song was “Footloose” – isn’t that so fun?!

VENDORS

Second Photographer | Alexis Williams

Third Photographer + Photographer Assistant | Regina Gomez-Guillen

Planning | Jenna Laine Weddings

Getting Ready Location | Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Mobile

Ceremony | St. Ignatius Catholic Church

Reception | Alabama Contemporary Art Center

Catering | Naman’s Catering

Florist | Belle Bouquet

Cake | Cakes by Judi

Hair Stylist | Becca Townley Snell – Town and Co Salon

Makeup Artist | Courtney Matthews

Band | Fountain City Players

Rentals | Port City Rentals

Bride’s Gown | Bliss Bridal – Justin Alexander

Bridesmaids | Bella Bridesmaids – Amsale

Groom + Groomsmen | Mr. Burch Formal Wear

Calligrapher | Lydia Ladd

Wedding Invitations | Reaves Engraving

Save the Dates | Sally Goodloe