God provided.
He provided an amazing day for Julia and Christian.
The forecast called for rain all day. And while rain on a wedding day can be beautiful in its own way, a forecast of steady rain takes on a little more weight when your reception is planned in the backyard of your childhood home.
But Julia’s family never let the forecast steal their joy. There was an unmistakable excitement throughout the day—the kind that comes from knowing exactly what you are celebrating. Their daughter was getting married.
And in the end, God provided.
During Mass, Julia’s dad put out a Mason jar to collect some of the rainwater that was falling outside. He said he would have their parish priest bless the water, turning an ordinary jar of rainwater into holy water for their home—and perhaps, one day, even for the baptisms of their children.
What an amazing idea.
What could have been something they simply worried about became a beautiful reminder of God’s providence and a little piece of their wedding day that they can carry with them into their family’s future.
After Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sandusky, we stepped outside to cloudy skies—but no rain. The rain held off through portraits, giving Julia and Christian time to soak in the first moments of their married life together. And somehow, the skies continued to cooperate all the way through their backyard reception.
Thank you, Jesus.
But the greater gift of the day was not the weather. It was the gift of sacramental grace, the formation of a new family, and the beginning of the vocation of marriage for two incredible people who came from two faithful Catholic families who raised them to know, love and serve Him.
And if you looked around their wedding day, you could see just how deeply rooted they both are in family.
This was a wonderfully family-centered wedding, with children everywhere you looked. Between Julia and Christian, they have 17 nieces and nephews, so their wedding day was filled with plenty of little ones who were there to celebrate their aunt and uncle.
There was something especially beautiful about seeing so many children surrounding a couple beginning their vocation of marriage. Their wedding day was not simply about the two of them; it was about the families that formed them, the family they are joining together, and the family they hope to build in the years to come.
This wedding was especially meaningful to us because it was our third time photographing a wedding for Christian’s family. We had the joy of photographing his older siblings’ weddings in years past, (see HERE and HERE) and it was such an honor to be welcomed back to celebrate another marriage with their family.
One of the sweetest parts of the day was getting to catch up with our previous couples and see how their families have grown since we last saw them. What a gift it is to photograph a family through these milestones—to first meet them as a newly engaged couple, document their wedding day, and then years later find ourselves together again celebrating another sibling’s marriage.
Enjoy scrolling through our favorites from this fall wedding day!
xoxo,
Laura
P.S. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see a special photo of us with all three couples!
The three siblings’ weddings we have photographed over the years! What a gift!!
Photographer: Laura and Matthew
Videographer: Dom Gatsche
Ceremony: St. Mary’s Catholic Church
Florist: Wild by Nature Design
Cake: Wendy Kromer Confections
Bridal Dress Shop: Galleria Gowns
Bridal Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero Designs
Film: Portra 400, Portra 800, Delta 3200 scanned by PhotoVision
See their winter engagement session at Ault Park HERE
