There are times at wedding when we both feel like we are stepping back into the emotions that we had at our own wedding. Zuz and Will’s wedding was one of those weddings. It is actually kind of hard to start to put into words what emotions their wedding encapsulated but I’m going to try my best.
For Zuz and Will, the day was all about their faith, their families, and their relationship. All three of these things hold deep deep meaning in their lives. Their relationship is one based in a shared faith that has strong roots. They both grew up Catholic and this shared faith is truly the core of their relationship. They find strength and comfort in one another because their both know that at the end of the day they are basing their decisions on the same moral standard.
On top of a shared faith, they both love to laugh! They find great release from the pressures of life when they are laughing together. Both of them embrace each other’s goofiness and encourage one another to be true to their self. During the day, when either would be on the verge of tears, or tears were falling, they would find ways to make one another laugh and that helped ease the moment!
And their families. They have played a critical role in who they both have become and they wanted to honor them on their wedding day. Zuz’s family is Polish and they paid tribute to many of the cultural traditions. After the couple’s first look, Will’s family came to Zuz’s parent’s house and both families offered the couple traditional Polish blessings. For Zuz, the tears of the day started during the first look and by the time of the blessing, both sets of parents were joining in the crying. Will and Zuz’s both blessed their parents (Will even started learning Polish so he could thank the family in the their native tongue!) and at this point no one had a dry eye. The blessing were from the heart and spoke of inclusion to all the family members. These blessings weren’t taken lightly and it was an honor to be witness this special time.
After we had a little extra time between the couple’s portraits and family portraits and we wanted to make sure they had plenty of time to really soak in the day together, without distractions. As they sat together in the sanctuary, we couldn’t help but sneak a few photographs of them being true to who they are as a couple. Zuz had a few silent tears of happiness that the day was finally here and Will sat and comforted her. This is when I felt the most like we were back on our wedding day. We had waited so long for it and the joy of it being here was overwhelming. Zuz and Will, like us, put a lot of thought and attention into planning their ceremony and it was what they were looking forward to the most. Each piece of music and Scripture had been carefully planned and it clearly showed!
As their guests arrives, they actually greeted each guest at the door! As their Priest mentioned in the homily, this is actually Catholic tradition but few still do it. It was so much fun to see them greet their friends and family before the ceremony! One of our favorite things that they did during their ceremony is they entered as a couple!! They didn’t highlight their individuality in their entrances but instead show how they both were coming into this marriage together. We entered our ceremony at the same time and it was so neat to see another couple do this for the first time in almost 11 years!
And then their reception! It was absolutely perfect! Again they had a few more Polish traditions with the mothers blessing their marriage and offering them bread and salt. Zuz’s Aunt made a beautiful loaf of bread that can only be called art! Everyone who saw it was in awe! When it came time for toasts, Zuz’s dad barely made it through without crying and he gave such and amazing tribute to his only child! Will and Zuz’s were very intentional with their wedding party and had Will’s brothers and Zuz’s best friend stand by them. Their toast spoke of each of their character and how much they all looked up to them as individuals and as a couple. After the tears were dried from the toast, the dance party started and it couldn’t be stopped! Surrounded by friends and family from all over the world, they danced their hearts out and laughed the night away!
Zuz and Will, thank you for letting us share in such an intimate time in your lives and for helping us relive our own wedding day!! We will be forever grateful for the chance to get to witness your love.
Vendors
Ceremony : St. Patrick’s
Reception : Halloran Performing Arts Center
Bridal gowns: Laurelle
Hair: Pam Carrero at Epic Salon
Makeup: Makeup by Kendrick
Planner: Shindigs by Sheril
Rentals: Mahaffey
Florals: Holliday Flowers and Events
Band: Almost Famous
Caterer: Beata Sulecka of Paulette’s
Cake: The Peabody
Photo Booth: Phancy Photo Booth
Cheers
Savannah and Philip
