A St. Mary’s Catholic Church Wedding

One of the most impactful teachers I ever had was Mr. Pat Arensberg. I was blessed to have him for two theology classes while I was a student at McGill-Toolen Catholic. I was also fortunate to take two pilgrimage trips led by Mr. Arensberg. Those experiences strongly impacted my faith. I can vividly remember mustering up the courage to ask my parents if there was any way I could travel overseas on the pilgrimage. I still think it was a miracle they said yes to me going!

When I was in high school, Mr. Arensberg had very young children. It’s hard to believe they are now old enough to get married! I was delighted Mr. Arensberg’s daughter, Anna, contacted me to photograph her wedding. She and Anderson are the sweetest couple. I typically don’t take any weddings between Christmas and New Year’s, but since Anna and Anderson were having a weekday wedding and they wanted only a few hours of coverage, it worked perfectly around my Christmas plans with my family.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church is one of my favorite churches for a wedding. Anna and Anderson’s ceremony was early in the day and it was quite chilly when I arrived at the church. Anna was prepared though and wore leggings and warm shoes under her wedding dress until it was ceremony time.

The Aisle Moment

Anna and Anderson prayed together prior to the ceremony, but Anderson did not see Anna until she came down the aisle. As soon as the doors opened, the tears began to flow. It was such a sweet moment!!!

After the ceremony, we braved the cold once again for portraits before heading to Corpus Christi Catholic Church for the wedding reception. I love Christmas season weddings because they feel so extra festive. Plus, it’s always fun to have Christmas trees and poinsettias in the photos.

This day wrapped up a great year of weddings and that means it’s time for me to get to work on my 2023 Favorites posts. Stay tuned for the Best of Weddings, Best of Engagements and Behind the Scenes posts over the next few weeks.

VENDORS

Photography by Elizabeth Gelineau

Photographer’s Assistant | Regina Gomez-Guillen

Ceremony | St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Reception | Corpus Christi Catholic Church Banquet Hall

Wedding Coordinator | Ashley Montet- AM Creative

Ceremony Videography | Thomas Arensberg

Florist | Gloria’s Midtown Flower Shop

Hair Stylist | Mary Pham

Catering | Tadd’s Coastal Kitchen

Cake | Made by the Bride’s Mom