In short, Fr Jason Lody made our wedding ceremony incredibly personal and engaging, and we feel so very lucky to have had him officiate. If Fr. Jason is available for your wedding, I cannot imagine anyone better to officiate your ceremony and b...e present as you begin your marriage. We cannot say enough about him and plan to visit him in Centreville as frequently as we can. THANK YOU, FATHER JASON!
Background: My husband and I were both raised Catholic on Long Island- he was married once before and did not have an annulment, and neither of us ever became part of a local congregation (officially or otherwise). Additionally, we both wanted to hold our ceremony outdoors, while maintaining the tradition of a Catholic ceremony. The task of finding a religious officiant seemed slightly daunting, but after a few days of searching using various key words, we found Fr. Jason.
Initial Communications: From the first communication, we wanted Fr. Jason to officiate our wedding. He was quick to respond to e-mails, and when we decided to meet him, he asked us to come after mass at St. Anthony’s. We decided to attend to get a feel for his style, and have never been part of a warmer, more personal service. A few of his future couples were in the audience – he remembered their wedding dates, names, and even cited the readings they chose. Our introductory meeting after the mass felt like meeting of old friends- his sense of humor meshed easily with ours and we were immediately comfortable. The process to confirm the date was simple with a donation to the church, and we were relieved he was available.
Preparation/Rehearsal: Fr. Jason provides a very simple outline of the traditional Catholic ceremony, and allows each couple to select readings and a unity ceremony that speak to them. When we sent him our readings he provided great feedback, as well as tips/tricks for executing the unity candle ceremony outdoors. He does not attend the rehearsal when there’s no mass, which was no problem for us. We had a prep call the week of the wedding, where he walked us through each and every detail, more so than any other rehearsal.
Wedding Ceremony: Fr. Jason arrived to the ceremony site an hour early and worked directly with our wedding coordinator to confirm the details, timing, placement, etc., all of which aligned directly to our previous discussion. Fr. Jason made it so that my husband and I didn’t have to think about anything but the moment and each other. For each part of the ceremony, he told us exactly what to do and how to do it. His homily and blessing were funny, sweet, and poignant. Our absolute favorite part was when he paused and encouraged us to look out at our family and friends smiling back at us. It allowed us to truly absorb the moment and for me, see everyone for the first time, since my laser focus all the way up the aisle was on my groom. Post Wedding: After a sweet moment with just my husband and I just after the ceremony, Fr. Jason took a selfie with us and confirmed his plan to send out the signed marriage license (which he did the following day). So many guests asked if he was our parish priest, and how long we knew him. Every guest felt that the mass was simply “us,” which is all we could’ve hoped for.