I have always wanted to put together a post on the creation of my wedding invitations. To this day, I think this is my favorite project I've had the joy of working on. It was somewhere between the prayer over the words it should display, the pencil shavings, the pixel pushing and the assembly parties that I found there was more of myself in this little project than I ever expected. I'm not sure why I ever anticipated otherwise, though, considering it heralded the single most wonderful event of my life.
"He lifts up the lowly and fills them with goodness." Waiting. Deciding. Fear. Failure. Joy. Safety. Relief. Wonder. This is right where we were when we decided to get married, Tim and I. We felt like we could echo the words of Jesus' mother when she responds to God's choosing her to live such a life full of God's goodness. We'd been low, but he lifted us up just enough to experience the pure goodness that would be our vocation and devotion to one another. In Carson's words, we were "entrusting our life's happiness" to one another.
I could go on, but here's what was in our wedding program that describes the design.
Enjoy!
Rachel
...
Lilies & Wheat
Today is the feast of Mary Help of Christians! We have been looking forward to this day for quite some time. What a journey it has been preparing for it! Through the support of our families and God’s boundless grace, he has brought us to this altar to administer this sacrament. He’s prepared our hearts uniquely for one another.
What a joy!
St. John Bosco, an Italian priest who lived during the late 19th century, had a dream that a ship was being tossed through the waves. The ship should have sunk, but it was anchored fast to two pillars. On top of one pillar was Jesus in the Eucharist, and on top of the other was Jesus’ mother, Mary, with the inscription at her feet, “Help of Christians”.
The illustration on our wedding invitation is an adaptation of this image of us, the church. The braided pillars of wheat and lilies represent Jesus in the Eucharist and Mary, Help of Christians.
Our relationship has been kept afloat with the help of Mary and the grace of receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. We echo Mary’s words of praise today, for he truly lifts up our lowly souls and fills them with goodness.
These beautiful photos were taken by Photography by Lydia, the photographer who shot our wedding:
