All wedding guests (regardless of where they're staying or if they're local to Baton Rouge or not) are invited to take the shuttle bus. PARKING: There is a paid parking lot directly behind City Club / next to The Watermark as well as a paid parking garage across from The Watermark / next to The Indigo Hotel for anyone who wishes to park nearby before taking the shuttle bus. PRIOR TO THE CEREMONY: The bus will take two laps from The Watermark Hotel to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. The departure times are approximately 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm. Please plan to board this bus 15 minutes before the departure time. FOLLOWING THE CEREMONY: The bus will take two laps from Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church to City Club of Baton Rouge to bring all guests to the reception.
Yes, the dress code is semi-formal. We encourage our male guests to dress in a suit and tie and female guests in an elevated cocktail, midi, or ankle-length dress. Our ceremony and reception are both indoors. Please note that the ceremony will take place in a Catholic church, so we ask that you keep that in mind when selecting your outfit for the occasion.
While we wish we could celebrate with everyone, we kindly ask that only those listed on your invitation attend the ceremony and reception.
We are thrilled to welcome all children who are listed on your invitation! If you are traveling from out of town and need assistance coordinating childcare during the ceremony or reception please contact the Mother of the Bride.
Yes, there is plenty of free parking at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. Security will be on the premises to ensure the safety of all guests.
Yes, there is a public parking lot located directly behind City Club. Please note that there is a small fee to park in this lot. Security will be on the premises to ensure the safety of all guests walking to and from their cars. We encourage all guests who will be enjoying cocktails to consider carpooling or booking an Uber or a Lyft.
Yes, we will have a shuttle taking guests from The Watermark Hotel to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. Following the ceremony we will have a shuttle taking guests from Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church to City Club of Baton Rouge. A full shuttle timeline will be added to the website before the wedding. Please keep an eye out for details! If you plan to use this shuttle, please let us know when you submit your RSVP.
Guests can arrive as early as 5:30 p.m. We ask that you please arrive early to give yourself enough time to find your seat. The wedding ceremony and Mass will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. and will last for about an hour.
The ceremony will include a Catholic Mass. We ask that you remain reverent while in the presence of the Lord at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. We kindly ask that all cellphones be silenced or turned off before the ceremony and that no photos be taken while inside the church. We ask that all present in the congregation participate in the Mass by sitting, standing and kneeling at the appropriate times and as a sign of reverence during portions of prayer. Please note that we, as Catholics, believe that the Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Christ. To receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion is to receive Jesus - his body, blood, soul and divinity. If this is not a belief you share, we ask that you please refrain from taking Communion. We ask that our Catholic guests who are prepared to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion please do so in a state of grace. (In the Catholic Church, the state of grace is a condition where a person is free from mortal sin.) We encourage all guests who will not be receiving Communion to come up to receive a blessing. To do this, please walk to the front of church at the appropriate time and simply cross your hands over your chest to indicate to the priest or deacon that you would like a blessing. Sacred Heart of Jesus Church does have a Communion Rail with padding for your knees. You are invited to kneel or stand to receive the Eucharist or a blessing.
The exact definition of a sacrament is that it is "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church recognizes the existence of Seven Sacraments instituted by Christ: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist (or Communion), Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life.
As Catholics, we go to Confession to receive forgiveness for sins from a priest, who acts as an instrument of God's love and mercy. This practice is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who gave his apostles the authority to forgive sins. Friday, March 7 - 7:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church - 8:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church - 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Saturday, March 8 - 3 p.m. at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church - 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church - 3 p.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church
Because we will be choosing our own readings, our Nuptial Mass will not fulfill your obligation to attend Saturday evening or Sunday Mass. We encourage you to attend Mass on Sunday at one of the following churches: Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church: - 9 a.m. -11 a.m. St. Agnes Catholic Church: - 8 a.m. (ASL Interpreted) - 9:15 a.m. (Traditional Latin) - 11 a.m. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church: - 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. Christ the King Catholic Church: - 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Spanish) - 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
We're so grateful to have you celebrate this Mass with us! An outline of what to expect from a Catholic Mass can be found here (please copy and paste the below link into your browser): https://www.usccb.org/offices/public-affairs/structure-and-meaning-mass
Fr. Josh Johnson is the vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, as well as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish. He is a published author and the host of the Ascension Presents Podcast called “Ask Fr Josh" where he answers questions dealing with morality, spirituality, relationships, evangelization, catechesis, scripture and more, and responds to them in a prayerful way that brings people closer to Christ. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you would like to listen. Fr. Josh has been an involved witness to our love story, as we regularly attended Mass at Sacred Heart during our time of long distance when Peyton was living in Baton Rouge. He stayed one step ahead of us by asking "Is this your boyfriend?" when Peyton introduced Mason to him, and asking the couple "Where's the ring?" before Mason proposed! Having Fr. Josh marry us is such a gift! He has guided us so much in our own faith journeys and our walk towards eternity. We are grateful to have him play an integral role in our sacrament of marriage. Deacon Michael Parker will be assisting Father Josh during our wedding ceremony. He is the Area Director for Vagabond Mission in Baton Rouge, the Deacon of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant, and Co-Chaplain at St. Michael the Archangel High School. Deacon Michael and his wife are dear friends of ours and we are thrilled to have him also play an integral role in our sacrament of marriage and journey to becoming Mr. and Mrs. Gardner.
Sacred Heart, dedicated in 1942, is a traditional cruciform (cross-shaped) church, beautifully blending the Roman and Byzantine styles. The 119-foot campanile (bell tower) dominates the exterior with its strong upward gesture toward heaven. Its unusual cupola (dome) is constructed in the shape of a bell. The multi-colored tile design repeats the letter “V”, calling to mind the famous “V for Victory” slogan of World War II. The design proclaims the theme of the building: Christ’s Victory over Sin and Death.
Sacred Heart’s twenty-eight unique paintings were created by the Benedictine monk Reverend Gregory deWit in 1937, just before World War II. The sophisticated, temperamental, and sometimes irreverent priest/artist was far outside the experience of provincial wartime Baton Rouge. His extraordinary paintings in Sacred Heart caused even more controversy than his personality. Inspired by the Sicilian Byzantine mosaics, the signature characteristics of his style include boldly outlined figures, mastery of light and shadow, elaborate drapery, anatomical distortion for the sake of emotional emphasis, and subtle humorous details. Two formidable warrior-angels guard the sanctuary. In the dome of the apse behind them, deWit’s masterpiece of the Victorious Christ dominates the interior. Based on a mosaic in Sicily’s Monreale Cathedral, the overwhelmingly powerful Christ leaves no doubt that here is a King above all others.
A chef-curated buffet style dinner will be served with an abundance of offerings that should suit all dietary needs. If you have a food allergy that requires no cross-contact, please note that in your RSVP.
Dinner and drinks will be available upon arrival to the reception. Please enjoy!
Since its inception in 1957, The City Club has been a beacon of tradition and excellence in the capital city. What began as a men’s club over six decades ago is today a thriving professional and social club that welcomes a culturally-diverse membership. The City Club, a magnificent brick and masonry structure with an Italian Renaissance façade, was completed in 1894 on property purchased by the United States government for $14,500 from Dr. Jean Bertrand Duchein for use as a post office and federal courthouse. After years of use for those purposes, and several years of serving as city-parish offices, the building was remodeled to become the City Club of Baton Rouge.
We encourage our guests to consider driving to Baton Rouge or flying in and renting a car. For a direct flight into Baton Rouge, the city has a small regional airport, the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR). The largest nearby airport with the most economical airfares will be the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) which is about an hour drive away from Baton Rouge. While the ceremony and reception venue are located near and in downtown Baton Rouge, we encourage out of town visitors to have a car to best explore the city while you're here.
Yes, please see the registry tab on the website for more information.