A little food for thought ...

... for wedding season.

It is springtime, and weddings are aplenty. One of the traditions performed at many weddings is the garter toss. [...] One such event happened at the wedding of a couple I knew in college. Matt and Julie married last week, and when the time came for the garter to be removed, Matt did something unexpected. As Julie sat in her chair, Matt approached her with a water basin and a towel. With perfect tenderness, he humbled himself and made a beautiful gesture of his service to her.

Read it all (and see the beautiful photo) here.

More veil ideas

There are lots of beautiful veils available (most with copyrighted photos so I won't use them here), but you can apply the principles from my post earlier this week to create many of them at home.

The foundation fabric most commonly used for veils is tulle, a fine netting typically made of silk or nylon. Nylon tulle is very inexpensive and comes in a variety of widths, up to 108 inches. Because it will not ravel when cut, it's perfect for this use.

This one starts with 72" or 108" width tulle. Cut a rectangle the length you want for your finished veil and then generously round the bottom. Hand sew the trim onto it according to yesterday's directions. To finish it, gather the top edge with a running stitch and sew it to a plastic comb (or two).

This one is a large oval of tulle with lace sewn around the perimeter. (Probably 72" width, but measure from one elbow, over your head to the other elbow for an accurate diameter.) It's worn just draped over her head, without a comb in photo 2. To wear it like photo 1, hand sew it to a plastic comb under the lace at the center top. To reinforce the lace, you could sew a piece of satin ribbon between the comb and the underside of the veil.

Instead of a lace edge, this one has a narrow, satin ribbon machine sewn about 1/2" from the edge of the tulle. After you attach the ribbon, trim the extra tulle edge away and attach it to a comb, headband, wreath, or hair clip.

This edge is finished with a narrow, satin rattail cord. Simply lay the cord on top of your tulle, about 1/2 inch from the cut edge, and use a zig-zag stitch and clear nylon thread or matching cotton/poly or rayon thread made for lightweight fabrics. Your stitch width should be wide enough that the zig-zag goes on either side of the cord, but not through it. Carefully cut the extra tulle off the edge without cutting through the stitching, and finish the veil with some kind of comb, etc.

This helpful site gives measurement suggestions, but there are also patterns with detailed instructions available.

Making a veil can be a very satisfying project. Besides the potential to save a lot of money, even a novice seamstress can get beautiful results.

How to tell it was a Catholic wedding

At a wedding yesterday, I witnessed the bride receiving a first class relic of St Thomas Aquinas as a wedding present.

The Art of the Wedding Shower

Wedding season is fast approaching! The Church Ladies' friend Seraphic walked down the aisle last weekend, and she'll be in good company before the summer's over.

There is an art to throwing a classy wedding shower in today's terribly tacky world. The Church Ladies provide some guidance.

-There can be nice showers at restaurants. But what better place is there to celebrate the beginning of a new "household of faith" than At Home? Your event will be more relaxed and personal.

-There is a time and a place for a co-ed party. It's called your wedding reception.

-Consider celebrating a culture of life and inviting girls and women in different seasons of their lives. (NB: This shuts down shenanigans like you wouldn't believe.)

-The ban on wearing a hat in your own home is lifted for wedding showers. Consider having a garland or veil on hand for the bride, depending on her taste.

-Light instrumental music sets the tone. Try some Saint-Saens or Elgar, available from your public library.

-This is the time for delightfully dainty food. Chicken salad on croissants, little cookies, and pink lemonade make for an elegant soiree that's easy on the cook. Who can easily be our friend Trader Joe if you're pressed for time.

-If the bride is without local relatives, ask her if she needs help with anything, like addressing invitations or packaging wedding favors.

-Sometimes wedding showers bring together women from different areas of the bride's life. Casual games can help people relax. A tray memory game can be fun: place wedding related items on a tray, give the guests a minute to look at, then cover the tray and test their powers of recall! From a more challenging activity, prepare a list of scripture verses pertaining to love and marriage, and see who can identify the most (an ecumenical party game, as the Protestants will do better). Or generate a list of saints connected to marriage and the family, such as Catherine, Gianna, Margaret, and Monica, and match them with their patronage.

-Thoughtful home-made gifts might include an apron, potholders, or a tea-cosy. Another favorite theme is "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue." A gift should fall in one of those categories, like an antique hankie, a new cake pan, or a blue chaplet. Another much appreciated gift could be a gathering of household essentials around a theme, like pantry basics, spices, stationery, or cleaning necessities.

-The bride will get enough advice. Have everyone bring a favorite recipe for her instead. A nice story about the recipe is sweet too, such as "this was my husband's favorite casserole in our newlywed days." Cooking disasters are always amusing as well.

-Save the bows in a bouquet for the wedding rehearsal. Or, if you have some artificial flowers and ribbon looking for a new home, have each person pick one, and write a poem with their well wishes tying into the flower's symbolism, and gather whole creation together on a paper plate.

Good Luck!

Our friend and fellow Domer Caitlyn is amazing! Look at these beautiful wedding mints she made- and go check out her blog for the recipe!

Bridehood Revisited

Let's face it, who really likes sugar almonds?

The Church Ladies present a unique idea for a wedding favor: a holy card.

I came across the idea in Faith and Family magazine doing research for a book while in school at Our Lady's University. And having thrown out a collection of trinkets such as personalized magnets, tea lights, and keychains when moving my grandmother out of her house, I am dubious to the merits of the traditional chatchkes.

A holy card is simple and elegant. It provides a lasting commemoration of the sacrament, and doesn't contribute to clutter. If used as a bookmark, it can be a reminder to pray for the couple.

My husband and I ordered the wedding feast at Cana cards from Aquinas and More. We begged really hard, and they personalized paper ones, rather than their standard laminate.

The back has our names, the parish, city, and date, along with a text we weren't able to work into our Nuptial Mass that had a lot of meaning for us:

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins." [i Pt iv, 8]

We got so many compliments about the holy cards at the reception, and we were able to send extras to people unable to attend. All in all, it was a win-win situation.

The Love of St John

Wine is traditionally blessed on St John's day, commemorating the destruction of a poisoned bottle when the evangelist made the sign of the cross over it. The blessing for St John's wine can be found in the Roman Ritual. Have an extra bottle blessed for any couples that will be married in the next year. Make tags with an appropriate Scripture verse; the pictured bottle's tag says: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." [i Jn 4, 7]

Share the bottle of blessed wine, mulled if you like, among your friends and family. The leader raises his glass, and says, "I drink to you the love of St John"; the next person responds, "I thank you for the love of St John."

Christmas Treasures

A Set of Bride's Tree Ornaments (from a fellow Church Lady)
Heart: The importance of love in the newly formed home
House: Good family shelter
Flower basket: Abundant beauty in the home
Basket of Fruit: A Christian spirit of selfless giving
Teapot: Hospitality
Bird in a nest: Confidence and happiness in the home
Pine cone: Eternity
Animal: Peace with nature
Fish: Christ
Rose: The Virgin Mary
Church or angel: The importance of family worship of God
St Nicholas: Generosity
[From Catholic & Loving It: Traditions for a New Generation]


A lamb cake pan, to celebrate Christ, the Paschal Lamb at Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, St John the Baptist, St Perpetua & Felicity, St Agnes, and much more!




The TAN Saints Calendar:
Contains both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary liturgical year, feastdays and Sundays, and historical feasts Includes Catholic information such as the days of fast and abstinence, Ember Days and vigils. [product info]

Holy Toast:
The Holy Toast stamper is ideal for adding a touch of ecclesiastical elegance to snack time, and it's guaranteed to brighten up your breakfast, even if you decide to slop jelly all over it. After all, regular toast is about as visually interesting as the back of a pew. [product info]

Your Edifying Picture of the Day

And, for a little Church Lady trivia: Did you know that Princess Grace was an outspoken advocate of the La Leche League? Or that her first child was born 9 months and 4 days after her wedding? In other words, clearly a Kindred Spirit of the Church Ladies.

Veils and more

The Church Ladies have different takes on chapel veils. Some wear them always, others only at the Extraordinary Form, and some fall in between on the chapel veil spectrum. But we all agree that every Church Lady needs a veil for her wedding (and First Communions, for those Church Ladies in training). In fact, rumor has it a certain Church Lady was denied the opportunity to wear a veil at her First Communion, and will be seizing the day at her upcoming wedding...

Permit me to introduce Halo Works, and its founder, the delightful Maureen. From First Communions to Quinces to weddings and funerals, Maureen has veils for every occasion. There is even an easy wear category for the mantilla inept (like me, who ends up with a chapel bandanna by the end of Mass). Maureen's veils are beautifully made- some even come from Spain! If you don't see quite what you are looking for, Maureen will be happy to design a custom wedding veil (as she is for me). She searched tirelessly to find samples that would match my ivory dress. Halo Works also stocks other Catholic goods and gifts.

The wedding veil is more than an accessory; it has deep religious significance:
The next morning finds mother and daughter for the last time in their intimate closeness. Now I assist the bride to put on her bridal gown and to fasten the veil to her hair. Then she kneels down while the bridal wreath made of fresh white flowers is placed over the veil, at which time the solemn words are said "Receive here this symbol of your virginity which I have helped you to keep intact that you may give it unspotted to your husband as your greatest gift," to which the daughter answers with a heartfelt, "Thank you. Praised be God." This is always a moment of deep emotion. After the last long embrace I sign the forehead of my daughter with the sign of the Cross and then lead her downstairs, where the procession is already formed.
[Maria Trapp, Around the Year]

Also consider this wedding tradition:
Polish brides wear a wreath of flowers and herbs with their veil, which afterwards is saved in the hope chest. When virginity gives way to motherhood, the dried wreath is crumbled in the baby's bath, emphasizing the bond between marriage and family.
[Catholic and Loving It]