Featured Bride Lorenza On Her Beautiful Ceremony At The Church of St. Paul the Apostle

 

“I’ve always loved the tradition that you go to a church and get married,” says Bride & Blossom Featured Bride Lorenza. “Both Pete and I are Catholic and our faith is very important to us. We both have nostalgic memories of going to church as children and wanted the rituals and songs to be part of our wedding.”

Part 3: Ceremony

It’s not uncommon these days for a couple to have both their ceremony and reception at the venue, especially in New York City. At the same time, the city is full of beautiful churches ideal for a religious ceremony. One in particular stood out to Lorenza. “When I was at CNN, my work schedule was pretty busy,” she says. “The Church of St. Paul the Apostle was just a block away from my office, so I would go there for mass when time allowed. And every time I walked through the doors, I was overtaken by its beauty.”

 

 

Located on the Upper West Side, the Church of St. Paul the Apostle was built between 1880 and 1885. Marked by a soaring ceiling and archways, the interior is decorated with majestic stained glass windows, murals, and sculptures. Lorenza looks back, “I remember thinking, ‘this church is going to give everyone the chills.’ And that’s what I wanted on my wedding day… a place so magnificent and grand… I felt the significance immediately.”

 

 

 

When the big day finally arrived, guests gathered inside, took their seats and waited for the ceremony to begin. After the wedding processional had finished, the stunning bride made her entrance and was escorted down the floral and ribbon decorated aisle by her father. Everyone looked on as bride and groom joined at the church’s stately dome alter. The scene was framed by dramatic arrangements composed of white hydrangeas, peonies, Tibet roses, amaryllis, snowberries and wintergreens.

 

 

 

Churches exude a special ambiance during this time of the year. And on this snowy December day, the spirit of the season was high. Lorenza says, “About a month before, Pete and I were watching Home Alone. There’s the memorable scene when Kevin, Macaulay Culkin’s character, goes to the church and O Holy Night starts to play. Pete looks at me and says, ‘We have to have this song in our wedding.’ It wasn’t originally in the lineup. So I called my mom and she made arrangements.”

 

 

 

 

Lorenza finishes, “Here we are in this gorgeous church, surrounded with everyone we love and care about as an amazing choir performs O Holy Night. Snow is falling outside, Christmas is just too weeks away… it couldn’t have been more perfect.”

 

 

Look forward to next week when Lorenza shares the final chapter in her Real BB Wedding story!

Couple’s Vendor List

Venue (Receptions): New York Botanical Garden
Venue (Ceremony): The Church of St. Paul the Apostle
Photographer: The Hons
Videographer: NST Pictures
Planner: Vision Event Co.
Bride’s Dress: Pnina Tornai
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Groom’s Tux: The Black Tux
Hair: Laura Burns
Makeup: Jennifer Wobito
Caterer: Starr Catering Group
Cake: Everything LuLu
Rings: Sako Diamond Corp (Bride) + David Yurman (Groom)
Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitations
Music: DJ Longfellow (Scratch Weddings)