Zach and Lauren are from Virginia and spent their honeymoon in Rome. They wanted to have a portrait session in the city. Love spread from their smiles in each shot and the breathtaking backgrounds of Rome surely helped make the photos unforgettable. Brides & Weddings recently interviewed the couple about their wedding, honeymoon adventure and advice for other engaged couples planning their perfect wedding & honeymoon!
In high school our lives overlapped in many different ways. We attended the same school and church, participated in the same extracurricular activities, and lived one neighborhood apart. But it wasn't until Zachary (who is a year older) left for his freshman year of college that we began dating.
In August of 2015 on a family vacation, Zachary stole me away for a romantic dinner. On our way to the restaurant, we stopped to visit a famous lighthouse in the area. Little did I know, Zachary had contacted the US Coast Guard, was made "Keeper of the Light" for the day, and proposed on the catwalk.
We decided to honeymoon in Rome specifically to attend the Sposi Novelli in Vatican City! This is an opportunity the Catholic Church offers to newly married couples. We were privileged in meeting Pope Francis, hold his hand and receive a nuptial blessing.
Before passing away, my Great Grandmother made rosaries. She lived to be 102 and donated thousands of rosaries to people all over the world! On our wedding day in May, one of her rosaries was my “Something Blue”. On our honeymoon in November, we brought it with us and it was blessed by the Pope.
We loved getting to experience the city in such a unique way. We love stories. My husband is a natural story teller and I could listen captivated for hours. The highlight from our photo session was an Italian couple grabbing our hands as they rapidly began telling us the story of their wedding day. They shared advice from their 60 years of marriage and wished us many blessings.
When we planned this trip we had no idea the last impact it would have. It was truly a once in a life time experience! The successor of St. Peter gazed into our eyes and in that moment his whole presence reflected Christ. His smile was jolly and welcoming, he spoke simply and humbly, and his laughter was contagious. We would strongly encourage others to seek out this experiences!