Inspiration from the wedding of Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin for planning a wedding during the pandemic - Aleteia - July 22, 2020

Tableau of the marriage ceremony of Louis and Zelie Martin, mounted as part of an exhibit sponsored by the Shrine at Lisieux in St. Jacques Church, Lisieux, 2008. Photo credit: Ann Hess, with thanks to the Shrine at Lisieux.

In 2017 I wrote and published “The Wedding of Zelie Guerin and Louis Martin, July 13, 1858: ‘Frequently Asked Questions,’ A Story with 21 Photos to Celebrate Their Feast on July 12.” This year I was delighted to find that it had caught the eye of persons connected with Aleteia, which has published a number of stories about St. Therese and about Sts. Louis and Zelie. Cerith Gardner thought that their intimiate midnight ceremony might offer some help to brides and grooms planning wedding ceremonies during the pandemic, and she wrote “5 Unique Customs from Sts. Zelie and Louis Martin’s wedding ceremony.” I am so happy to think that the profoundly spiritual orientation of Louis and Zelie toward how to celebrate their marriage (not to mention that they married only three months after their first meeting, so it was clear that they did not want to invest time or energy in a big public wedding) can inspire couples who are facing so many complications in planning their wedding celebrations today. Enjoy!