Wedding Inspiration

Logan & Emma’s Sacred Garden Party Wedding in Oklahoma

This feature was submitted by Logan and Emma Smith

Logan and Emma met while working at a youth Catholic summer camp. What started as a friendship became something more when both discovered that they were most at peace when they were together. They began dating long distance while they finished college in Nebraska and Oklahoma, road-tripping as much as possible! Long distance solidified how much Logan and Emma wanted to be together.

Logan and Emma got engaged on the Feast of the Holy Family (December 31, 2023) at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City. After they went to Mass at the Shrine, they completed their consecration to St. Joseph, and Logan proposed right after. He had been keeping Emma’s engagement ring on a necklace chain around his neck, waiting for the perfect moment.

Logan and Emma wanted to keep the Sacrament at the center of their wedding—everything else was secondary! They focused on integrating the Holy Family, especially with their wedding date being on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! They made it a priority to find a photographer who was Catholic and would understand the beauty of the Mass and Sacrament.

Their liturgical music was extremely important to them as well. While they had several traditional, Catholic nuptial songs, Emma and Logan suggested a few new additions to their liturgist. The wedding party processed to the song “Restless is the Heart.” This hymn was frequently sung at Emma’s college parish, and paid tribute to St. Augustine, a saint that Emma and Logan prayed to frequently while dating. Emma’s bridal entrance was to “The Prayer of St. Francis.” This song was chosen a month before the wedding; since Emma went to a Jesuit university, she had a great admiration for Pope Francis. The bridal processional helped to call upon Pope Francis and St. Francis for intercession, and gave Logan and Emma time to pray the words of St. Francis as a foundation for the virtues they wanted to exhibit in their marriage. What a beautiful devotion to incorporate!

Logan and Emma’s wedding reception was a garden party theme! They wanted a warm, bright, and colorful day to outwardly express the joy they felt entering into marriage, and it showed through their glowing smiles, beautiful decor, and intentional details.

Logan and Emma’s wedding day was everything they could have imagined—peaceful, joyful, and full of the undeniable presence of the Holy Spirit. Tears and smiles were constant! Their highlight of the day was the moments following communion together, while the rest of the congregation was receiving. Sharing those private moments in prayer without the gaze of others was a beautiful opportunity to just hold each other’s hand and pray together; “it was the most content we’ve ever felt.”

After communion, they sang the Salve Regina—Logan began to cry, and Emma smiled from ear-to-ear. Both expressing the pure joy and gratitude felt in the moment for each other, their love, and the gift of the sacraments—precious!