Your wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye. After the cake's eaten and your guests go home, the only things you really have to remember the first day of your marriage are the memories of the day and the photos to back them up.

Join us on a walk down memory lane where Kathleen and I talk about what it was like getting our photos soon after our wedding days, how the photos have helped our marriages, and what they mean to us now years later.

This is an especially great listen if you're looking for a wedding photographer as we talk about the importance of having someone you trust to capture this important day. And if you're already married, we hope this episode encourages you to go through your wedding photos with your spouse and reminisce about the day your new family began.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a Catholic wedding photographer who loves to encourage couples through the short season of engagement. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today. My husband, Brandon, and I live in Langley, BC, Canada.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

ABOUT KATHLEEN

Kathleen and her husband Jesse are Catholic musicians and worship leaders for their band, Found Together. They host The Catholic Date Night, an online community of married and engaged couples who want to level up their marriage vocation through intentional, meaningful, and fun monthly date nights. Kathleen and Jesse currently live in Brantford, Ontario with their three small children.

Hang out with her online:

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight 

Website: thecatholicdatenight.com

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Date Night. 

Listeners of the show can use the code GOLDENDATE for a one-month free trial.

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag us on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

What's the hallmark of a good date? What does dating in marriage look like? What does dating DO for your marriage?

Kathleen and I explore all these things and more in this episode. I've looked up to Kathleen as a date-your-spouse pro and loved hearing her insights into what being pursued by her husband and showing interest in him on a regular basis has done for her marriage. After all, The Catholic Date Night was born out of their natural desire to see spouses enjoy each other's company and grow closer together — something they're gifted in themselves.

This episode mainly explores dating WITHIN marriage, not dating on the journey to marriage. If you'd like to hear about that, let us know!

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Date Night. Find out more at thecatholicdatenight.com

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight

Listeners of the show can use the code GOLDENDATE for a one-month free trial.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a Catholic wedding photographer who loves to encourage couples through the short season of engagement. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today. My husband, Brandon, and I live in Langley, BC, Canada.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

ABOUT KATHLEEN

Kathleen and her husband Jesse are Catholic musicians and worship leaders for their band, Found Together. They host The Catholic Date Night, an online community of married and engaged couples who want to level up their marriage vocation through intentional, meaningful, and fun monthly date nights. Kathleen and Jesse currently live in Brantford, Ontario with their three small children.

Hang out with her online:

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight 

Website: thecatholicdatenight.com

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag us on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

Friendship includes shared hobbies and interests, but it goes much deeper than that. What does friendship in marriage actually mean? What do you do if you don’t feel like you’re friends with your spouse? 

There’s definitely work required to cultivate true friendship with each other, but that effort leads to joy and intimacy — and who doesn’t want that in their marriage?? 

Kathleen and I explore what it means to see your spouse as a mystery, the special access you have to your spouse that no one else has, and how friendship can help your marriage through good & hard times.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a Catholic wedding photographer who loves to encourage couples through the short season of engagement. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today. My husband, Brandon, and I live in Langley, BC, Canada.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

ABOUT KATHLEEN

Kathleen and her husband Jesse are Catholic musicians and worship leaders for their band, Found Together. They host The Catholic Date Night, an online community of married and engaged couples who want to level up their marriage vocation through intentional, meaningful, and fun monthly date nights. Kathleen and Jesse currently live in Brantford, Ontario with their three small children.

Hang out with her online:

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight 

Website: thecatholicdatenight.com

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Date Night. Find out more at thecatholicdatenight.com

Listeners of the show can use the code GOLDENDATE for a one-month free trial.

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag us on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

From meeting as teenagers on a NET team to now almost 15 years of marriage, Jason & Laura Smith have really grown up together. They were the first of their friends to get married and figure out what “building a life together” really meant. 

 In this episode, Jason & Laura share about how they started dating the day NET ended (literally), the long-distance challenges they faced as they dated, and what being newlyweds and university students at the same time was like — and that’s just the first half of the show. 

 Listen in as they tell of the importance of building and relying on their community to get through the hard stuff and navigate the everchanging seasons of parenthood and life.

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Wedding Program Template.

 Find out more at laura-anne.ca/shop

 Use code BECOMINGGOLD for 15% off The Catholic Wedding Program Template at checkout.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a wedding photographer, wife, and guide for Catholic couples navigating how to prepare for marriage while planning a wedding. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today.

I'm at my best people watching behind the camera or snuggled into the corner of a comfy couch for a heart-to-heart. I love telling stories of people like you trying to change the world and hearing about all the details that go into living a life made for greatness.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag me @lauraannesmid on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

Kathleen and I became friends in our early twenties and saw each other go THROUGH IT with dating relationships, y’all. With a decade in between our meeting and now, it seemed fitting to look back and reflect on what we’ve learned about relationships and how we’d share those lessons with our 22-year-old selves. 

And if you hear a baby while you listen that’s just our tiny third host of the show, Mary ♥️

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Date Night. Find out more at thecatholicdatenight.com

Listeners of the show can use the code GOLDENDATE for a one-month free trial.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Be Healed by Dr Bob Schuchts 

Restore the Glory Podcast from Jake Khym & Dr Bob Schuchts

Fr Mike Schmitz Talk 

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a wedding photographer, wife, and guide for Catholic brides navigating how to prepare for marriage while planning a wedding. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today.

I'm at my best people-watching behind the camera or snuggled into the corner of a comfy couch for a heart-to-heart. I love telling stories of people like you trying to change the world and hearing about all the details that go into living a life made for greatness.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

ABOUT KATHLEEN

Kathleen and her husband Jesse are Catholic musicians and worship leaders for their band, Found Together. They host The Catholic Date Night, an online community of married and engaged couples who want to level up their marriage vocation through intentional, meaningful, and fun monthly date nights. Kathleen and Jesse currently live in Brantford, Ontario with their three small children.

Hang out with her online:

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight 

Website: thecatholicdatenight.com

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend and tag us on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review to help more people discover the show.

Marnie & Glenn Wynans share the story of their 33-year-long marriage, a relationship tested through fire after being thrown into the depths of their vows right away. 

From a wedding day they wanted to redo, to living in a tiny trailer as newlyweds, to learning what it meant to rely on God wholeheartedly, these two have been through the highs and lows of life together. 

Marnie & Glenn talk about what it was like walking through multiple miscarriages, the longing to fill their home with children for years, and how that experience made them realize how much of a gift each of their children truly was when they came along.

Their married life has been tried to the limit and they’ve come out the other side stronger together. They’ll be the first to tell you they haven’t done everything perfectly, but their humility and willingness to grow together, even after all these years, is a beautiful example of married love.

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Wedding Program Template.

Find out more at laura-anne.ca/shop

Use code BECOMINGGOLD for 15% off The Catholic Wedding Program Template at checkout.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a wedding photographer, wife, and guide for Catholic couples navigating how to prepare for marriage while planning a wedding. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today.

I'm at my best people-watching behind the camera or snuggled into the corner of a comfy couch for a heart-to-heart. I love telling stories of people like you trying to change the world and hearing about all the details that go into living a life made for greatness.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag me @lauraannesmid on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

I’m joined by Kathleen LeBlanc from The Catholic Date Night to chat through the ever-changing and ongoing adventure of growing in faith with your spouse.

It’s easy to pigeonhole spiritual growth into one area, but the journey to heaven involves every part of ourselves integrating and becoming whole.

We share our experiences focusing on our own path to holiness, how we’re living that out in each of our marriages, as well as how we encourage our spouses in their relationships with Christ and are inspired by their unique stories, too.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a wedding photographer, wife, and guide for Catholic brides navigating how to prepare for marriage while planning a wedding. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today.

I'm at my best people-watching behind the camera or snuggled into the corner of a comfy couch for a heart-to-heart. I love telling stories of people like you trying to change the world and hearing about all the details that go into living a life made for greatness.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

ABOUT KATHLEEN

Kathleen and her husband Jesse are Catholic musicians and worship leaders for their band, Found Together. They host The Catholic Date Night, an online community of married and engaged couples who want to level up their marriage vocation through intentional, meaningful, and fun monthly date nights. Kathleen and Jesse currently live in Brantford, Ontario with their three small children.

Hang out with her online:

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight 

Website: thecatholicdatenight.com

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Date Night.

Find out more at thecatholicdatenight.com

Listeners of the show can use the code GOLDENDATE for a one-month free trial.

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag us on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

In a long-distance relationship? You’re gonna want to listen to this.

In this episode, Shane & Sarah Fitzsimons share the grand adventures God invited them into as individuals and the truly incredible way those journeys had them cross paths. From a first meeting that one of them hardly remembers to essentially swapping places in their respective home countries, Shane & Sarah learned a lot about themselves and how to make long-distance love work. This Irish-Canadian romance shows how much bigger and better God’s plan is than what we can imagine; not even borders can contain it!

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Wedding Program Template.

Find out more at laura-anne.ca/shop

Use code BECOMINGGOLD for 15% off The Catholic Wedding Program Template at checkout.

ABOUT LAURA-ANNE

I'm a wedding photographer, wife, and guide for Catholic brides navigating how to prepare for marriage while planning a wedding. Sit with me over a hot French Press (before noon, at least) and I'll talk your ear off about the book I'm currently flying through and all the dogs I saw in the neighbourhood today.

I'm at my best people-watching behind the camera or snuggled into the corner of a comfy couch for a heart-to-heart. I love telling stories of people like you trying to change the world and hearing about all the details that go into living a life made for greatness.

Hang out with me online:

Instagram: @lauraannesmid

Website: laura-anne.ca

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag me @lauraannesmid on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show. Thank you kindly ♥️

I'm joined by Kathleen LeBlanc from The Catholic Date Night to chat all about the occasion coming up: Valentine's Day.

Should it be a big deal? Does it get a bad rap sometimes? Do we even do anything for it anymore??

With just under a week to go until Valentine's Day, now's the time to check in with your significant other about what you're both expecting (or not expecting) for the festivities and we share why we want to manage expectations for the well-being of our marriages.

And in case you've got little ones around, there's a brief mention of sex and intimacy toward the end :)

Resources Mentioned:

The 5 Love Languages

This episode is brought to you by The Catholic Date Night.

Find out more at thecatholicdatenight.com

Instagram: @thecatholicdatenight

The next LIVE date is Thursday, February 16 — the perfect Valentine's gift! 

Listeners of the show can use the code GOLDENDATE for a one-month free trial. 

If you liked this episode, please share it and tag @lauraannesmid on Instagram! And please leave a rating & review so more people can discover the show.

Spoiler alert: the answer is YES.

There is so much beauty, truth, and goodness in a wedding day and you can absolutely use this occasion to share that in an intentional way with not only your non-Catholic guests, but *everyone* involved in the day!

Listen to my chat with recently married bride Phylicia Aalbers and hear all about how she and her now-husband started thinking about this exact thing from the beginning of their engagement.

WANT A SIMPLE WAY TO EVANGELIZE AT YOUR WEDDING?

AND save the headache of figuring out how to format a ceremony program booklet for print??

Get the Catholic Wedding Mass Program Template here! It's a customizable Canva template for you to help your guests follow along as you enter the Sacrament of Marriage. Use code BECOMINGGOLD for 20% off at checkout!

I simplify engagement so Catholic brides can focus on preparing for marriage instead of being overwhelmed by planning a wedding.

WEBSITE: https://laura-anne.ca/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lauraannesmid/