meet brianna + aaron
Brianna met Aaron when they both answered the Lord's invitation to be missionaries with St. Paul's Outreach (SPO) on college campuses. They got to know each other as teammates and friends before dating and eventually getting engaged on the feast of All Soul's Day to honor Brianna's dad who had passed away two years prior.
They wanted their wedding day to be focused on God and family and take place in San Antonio, FL—the place where Brianna was born and where most of her extended family lives. Her parents actually got married at the same church that she and Aaron did—St. Anthony's in San Antonio! This wedding day was full of prayer, and lots of joyful and sweet moments with their loved ones. Check out some of the highlights below!
getting ready
Brianna and Aaron booked us for 9 hours, but unlike many couples who want us to capture their "getting ready" photos, they opted to have us capture moments of prayer with their bridal party and each other. We met them on the campus of St. Leo University, which is right down the road from the church and had some beautiful backdrops for photos. We captured Aaron praying with his groomsmen first and then he hid in the church while we captured Brianna and her bridesmaids. After the bridal party left, we *carefully* brought Aaron out with his eyes closed, so the two could have a first touch and prayer before going to the church. We 10/10 recommend praying with your bridal parties before the wedding. This part of the day was oh so sweet and memorable!
the nuptial mass
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in San Antonio was PACKED with standing room only for Brianna and Aaron's day. You could tell that they are well-loved by the sheer number of people who showed up to celebrate them. When we walked in before the Mass, the guests were singing praise and worship. Then, as we tried to walk up to the choir loft to scope it out, we were stopped in our tracks by the bride just worshipping the Lord in the stairwell before her wedding day. It was such a beautiful sight!
Their wedding Mass was equally as beautiful and the Holy Spirit's Presence was palpable. Seeing a congregation worship in the manner that they did at Brianna and Aaron's wedding was such a joy and a true witness to everyone present of what marriage is meant to be: A sign pointing to our forever Bridegroom, Christ. Thank you to Brianna and Aaron for the effort they put forth in planning their liturgy and for being truly free to worship as the Lord created them.
couple portraits
Following the Mass, we took a few photos at St. Anthony's before driving back to St. Leo for more couple portraits and the full bridal party photos. We were able to get some classic and intimate photos in the Church before having some more fun photos at St. Leo! Our favorite part of their portrait time was when they brought a basket for a lowkey picnic in a field at sunset. Our photographer hearts were in heaven! And if that wasn't enough, when we got to the reception at Rancho San Jose, there was a horse waiting for them...so we naturally grabbed some photos of that, too!
bridal party
We took the more formal bridal party photos in the church along with family portraits, but then captured the more fun and personable photos at St. Leo. We LOVED the colors of this day, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe and thought these bridesmaids dresses were a creative way to honor Our Lady!
the party!
The reception was at Rancho San Jose, which was a newer venue with lots of space for the number of people that attended Brianna and Aaron's wedding. They had authentic street tacos as the meal (which were DELICIOUS), and a few special elements including a washing of the feet, a special toast to the Padrinos (or "godparents" who helped sponsor the day), and lasers during their first dances. We had an absolute blast with this couple and their guests! Before the night ended, we also got to capture a quick photo of Brianna and Aaron in the tree house they were staying in on the property. What a dream!
thank you!
Thank you to each person who made Brianna and Aaron's day possible. So much goes into planning a wedding and it was a true team effort! We are so grateful that we were able to be a part of it and witness the start of such a beautiful, holy marriage. Please pray for this couple that they may continue to say YES to the Lord in every moment of their lives.
Vendors:
- Photography: The Delac Collective
- Decorator - Melina Y Eguia
- Gown - @omlbridal
- Charcuterie - Jess Grazing LLC
- Food: El Roy's Elotes - @elroyselotes
- Food: Yecenia Herrera - @yesiscateringllc
- Bartending: Merines Rodriguez - @bravos_bartending
- DJ: DJ Rob - @djrob8
- Cake: Sweet Nellie - @sweetnelliesonline
- Hair + Makeup: Madison Torres - @madbeauty_mua / Brelan - @boldandbeyoutiful_
