Downtown Savannah Wedding | Cathedral of St. John Paul the Baptist

Congratulations to Dr. and Dr. Boss! Jessica and Matt were married in the most beautiful venue in downtown Savannah- the Cathedral of St. John Paul the Baptist! The ceremony was actually conducted by the Diocese of Savannah himself- Bishop Gregory Hartmeyer! He has only conducted a few wedding ceremonies here since 2011 when he was appointed Bishop. He knew Matt, and his sister Kelly, back when he was known as Father Hartmeyer in Atlanta, where the kids took first communion and were altar servers. “They were happy to do it, good at it, so I was happy to see them”, said the Bishop. That was the start of a close relationship with the parents, the whole family, then Jessica and her family, that began way back in the 90’s. It was a very special and touching service, and I just felt so grateful to be there!

Jessica and the girls, and Matt and his best man got ready in the gorgeous Desoto Hotel on Liberty street. The girls had hair and makeup done at 40 Volume salon, then headed to their lovely multi-room suite with 3 balconies, light colored walls, and lots of window light which is amazing for details! (brides– you want a room like this to get ready in!) Kati Esser Designs provided some extra blooms that we played with for some nice detail shots. Her mom Ellen helped her get ready, and the sneak peek with the bridesmaids was the sweetest!

wedding detail photos of dress and flowers at desoto in savannah

wedding details in desoto hotel

bride and groom gettign ready for a wedding at desoto in savannah mom puttign boutonniere on son in savannah

Going to the chapel and we’re gonna get maaaaaarried! In the is case, the CATHEDRAL! It was so nice that all 3 locations were within walking distance of each other.

Have you ever seen anything quite so beautiful?

wedding ceremony at cathedral of st. john paul the baptist

After the ceremony is when the rain finally decided to make an appearance. To be specific, it happened when I had ALL the guests on the steps of the cathedral trying to take a group photo! I got one normal one, one with everyone cheering, then everyone ran for cover. The original plan was to take photos at the square across the street, but because of rain and mud, we took photos inside the cathedral instead. We then headed to the hotel for a while before cocktail hour started, and that’s where I got some amazing balcony photos! Natural light and neutral backgrounds resulted in some beautiful skin and soft portraits!

savannah desoto weding party portraits outside on a balcony

A reception at Soho South never disappoints! Again Kati Esser Designs and Anna Swanson of Rustic to Ritz Events had the most beautiful tablescapes set up, full of white hydrangeas blooms, and hundreds of candles! I love all the mismatched chairs and funky walls at Soho. The night was full of lots of fun and dancing, love, laughter, an awesome DJ who loved his job and it showed, a beautiful cake handmade by the Maid of Honor, and so much more!

candle lit tables at a wedding reception soho south savannah bride and groom dancing soho south savannah guests dancing at sohosouth wedding reception in savannah