Wedding Inspiration

Feast of Divine Mercy Wedding at St. Francis de Sales in Matthews, Virginia

This Feast of Divine Mercy Wedding at St. Francis de Sales was written by Boizelle Affaires, a Virginia Catholic Wedding Planner.

Photography: An Endless Pursuit a Catholic Bridal Collective Vendor

Natalie and Ryan approached us about planning their wedding in December 2021. We instantly connected over our value for the sacrament of marriage. They needed help planning their wedding, because they wanted to spend their engagement preparing their hearts for marriage. This is our goal and purpose behind our wedding planning business, so we were a perfect match for one another! It was an absolute pleasure planning a wedding for such a sincere and kind couple!

The theme of Natalie and Ryan’s wedding surrounded Divine Mercy Weekend, since their selected wedding date fell on April 22 during the octave of Easter. In addition to their wedding date, their wedding theme colors were specifically selected around the Divine Mercy image. Red, Marian blue, and white were colors sprinkled throughout their wedding day.

Following their nuptial mass, guests made their way to Raspberry Plain Manor to celebrate. They had live music playing outside on the patio as guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Guests also mingled and meandered through the stunning manor decorated with greenery, candlelight and the couple’s family photos. After everyone enjoyed dinner in the ballroom, Catholic author and speaker Christopher West and his son entertained guests with live music as they danced the night away.

We have said this a few times already, but the intentionality of this couple was evident even in the smallest of details. Natalie and Ryan wanted to show their love for each of their guests. Escort cards had a saint’s name inscribed in the inner fold. Leading up to their wedding day, Natalie and Ryan prayed for the intercession of each saint for every one of their guests. In lieu of a traditional guest book, guests highlighted their favorite Bible verse. We absolutely loved their fun names for the specialty cocktails! The fireball old-fashioned was called the “Terror of Demons” and the rose martini was called “The Mystic Rose

Natalie and Ryan were very intentional about wanting to celebrate with their family and friends in a way that was a glimpse toward the heavenly feast to come. As a witness to this, we can say that this truly happened! The entire wedding day was beautiful from start to finish and was a day filled with love and true joy!

This wedding feature was written, and submitted by Boizelle Affaires! Catherine and her team are Catholic wedding planners and coordinators based out of the Washington DC Area. For more of Catherine’s work, visit her profile on the Catholic Bridal Collective. To submit to be featured on our blog, visit the submissions page on our website!