Olivia and Sean’s St. Monica Catholic Church Wedding in Mishawaka, Indiana was colorful, joyful, faith-filled, and completely their own. From a beautiful Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Monica to portraits around the University of Notre Dame and a vibrant reception at Dahnke Ballroom, their entire day was filled with so much personality. And my associate team, lead by Megan, captured the day perfectly!
Bright pink, orange, blue, and green appeared everywhere, from the bridesmaids’ mismatched dresses and overflowing summer florals to the colorful details waiting for guests at the reception. More than anything, though, Olivia and Sean wanted their wedding to reflect the life they hope to build together: one rooted deeply in their faith, but always filled with plenty of whimsy and laughter. And that is exactly what their wedding day became.
It all Began at Notre Dame Law School
Olivia and Sean first met during law school orientation at Notre Dame, although their second meeting was perhaps a little more memorable. Sean said hello to Olivia at Bar Review, and Olivia promptly called him the wrong name.
As the semester continued, though, the two became inseparable. Late nights studying together in the library turned into walks around the lakes, movie nights, and a friendship that eventually became something much more.
Their shared Catholic faith also became an important foundation of their relationship. Early on, Sean told Olivia that he hoped to find someone who took her faith seriously but didn’t take herself too seriously. It stuck with her, and eventually became something they hoped would characterize their own marriage: a life rooted in the Lord while still leaving plenty of room for joy, laughter, and fun.
A Colorful Start to the Wedding Day
From the very beginning, Olivia and Sean’s wedding day felt joyful, relaxed, and full of personality.
Olivia spent the morning getting ready with her family and closest friends before heading to St. Monica. Her floral wedding gown was one of my favorite details of the day, with dimensional flowers throughout the lace and dramatic off-the-shoulder sleeves that gave it such a fun, romantic feel.
The color palette started showing up before the ceremony too. Olivia’s bridesmaids wore a mix of bright pink, orange, blue, green, and floral dresses rather than one traditional bridesmaid color. Each carried a bouquet designed to complement her individual dress, while Olivia’s bouquet brought all of those colors together with pink, peach, orange, blue, and lavender flowers.
It was such a perfect preview of the celebration ahead: colorful and playful, while still feeling completely at home alongside the more classic elements of their Catholic wedding day.
From there, everyone headed to St. Monica Catholic Church, where Olivia and Sean would finally see each other and begin the part of the day that mattered most.
A St. Monica Catholic Church Wedding in Mishawaka
Olivia and Sean were married during a beautiful Catholic ceremony at St. Monica Catholic Church in Mishawaka, surrounded by their family and friends.
St. Monica is especially meaningful to me personally. It is my home parish, the church where I received my First Communion and Confirmation, and the same church where my parents were married 51 years ago. Being able to photograph Catholic weddings within a church that has played such an important role in my own family’s faith story is always incredibly special.
Olivia and Sean’s wedding was photographed by Megan for the Cat Alkire Photography associate team, and their ceremony was filled with all of the sacred moments I love seeing preserved during a Catholic wedding Mass.
After exchanging vows and becoming husband and wife, the two walked back down the aisle absolutely beaming before heading to Notre Dame to celebrate.
Planning a Catholic wedding in the South Bend area? You can also read my guide to Catholic churches for weddings in South Bend.
Colorful Wedding Photos at Notre Dame
After the ceremony, Olivia and Sean headed back to the place where so much of their story began.
Their wedding party joined them for photos around the University of Notre Dame, and the bright summer color palette looked incredible against campus. Instead of choosing one traditional bridesmaid color, Olivia’s friends wore a mix of blue, hot pink, orange, green, and floral dresses. Their bouquets were coordinated individually with the dresses, creating such a fun mix of color when everyone came together.
After wedding party photos, Olivia and Sean had time for portraits at some of Notre Dame’s most recognizable locations.
Returning to the Notre Dame Grotto
The Grotto was an especially meaningful stop because it was also where Sean had proposed just two weeks before the bar exam.
Sean had convinced Olivia to step away from studying for a walk around campus, stopping at several places that had become important throughout their relationship before ending at the Grotto. The location also carries a beautiful piece of Sean’s family history: more than 75 years earlier, his grandfather and hero, Hal Tehan, had proposed to his grandmother there too.
Their friend Sister Abigail photographed the proposal, and afterward Sean had even more surprises waiting. The two had dinner at Cafe Navarre, where they had their first date, before heading to a surprise party with their friends and members of Olivia’s family whom Sean had flown in for the occasion.
Returning to the Grotto on their wedding day, now as husband and wife, made their portraits there that much more meaningful.
They continued around campus for portraits in the gardens and near the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. With Olivia’s colorful bouquet, floral wedding gown and statement sleeves paired with Sean’s classic black tuxedo, their portraits felt playful while still having a timeless quality.
For couples planning their own portraits on campus, my guide to Where to Take Wedding Photos at Notre Dame shares more of my favorite locations and what to consider when building portrait time into a wedding timeline.
A Colorful Dahnke Ballroom Wedding Reception
The celebration continued at Dahnke Ballroom at the University of Notre Dame, where the color from the wedding day carried straight into the reception.
Green linens covered the tables while small arrangements of orange, pink, yellow, blue, and white flowers filled glass bud vases throughout the room. Green glassware, colorful votive candles, and simple modern table numbers completed the design.
It felt fresh, playful, and perfect for summer.
One of the best personal touches came later in the evening when guests opened Christmas crackers, a nod to the years Olivia’s family spent living in London when she was a girl. Soon colorful paper crowns were everywhere, including on Olivia and Sean as they cut their wedding cake and celebrated with their guests.
It was such a fun way to incorporate part of Olivia’s family story into the reception without losing the colorful, whimsical feeling of the day.
Sunset Over Notre Dame
One of the advantages of a Dahnke Ballroom wedding reception is the view.
As the sun began to set, Olivia stepped outside onto the terrace for a few portraits overlooking Notre Dame. The sky softened into shades of peach and pink, with the Golden Dome visible in the distance behind her.
After meeting at Notre Dame Law School, studying together in the library, walking around the lakes, falling in love on campus, and eventually getting engaged at the Grotto, there was something especially fitting about looking back toward Notre Dame on their wedding night.
A Wedding Full of Whimsy and Laughter
Once dinner and formal dances were finished, the dance floor quickly filled.
Paper crowns stayed on, jackets came off, and Olivia and Sean spent the rest of the night surrounded by the people they love most. Their reception was energetic, colorful, and wonderfully un-serious in all the best ways.
Looking back at their wedding, I keep coming back to what Olivia shared about the kind of marriage she and Sean hoped to create together: one rooted in the Lord, but full of whimsy and laughter.
From their Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Monica to colorful portraits around Notre Dame, Christmas crackers at Dahnke Ballroom, and a packed dance floor to end the night, I can’t think of a better description of their wedding day.
Olivia and Sean, congratulations! It was such a joy for the Cat Alkire Photography team to document this beautiful beginning to your marriage. And as always, a huge shoutout to Megan and Allie who photographed this day beautifully and captured their personalities so well. I am forever grateful to you.
And the vendors that made it all possible:
Photographer: Cat Alkire Associate Team | Ceremony Venue: St. Monica Church | Reception Venue: Dahnke Ballroom | Florist: Country Florist | Planner: Belle Behind the Ball | Stationery: Rachel Ai Studio | Rentals: Burns | DJ/Band: In Tune DJ | Videographer: Foster Films | Catering: Navarre Catering | Cake/Bakery: Sweet Mandy B’s | Wedding Dress Designer: Lea-Ann Belter | Wedding Dress Purchased At: Elizabeth Cole Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids
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