Mary Schmid, Kaleb Olivier united in Nuptial Mass

Mary Elizabeth Schmid and Kaleb Paul Olivier were united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony at Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Crowley on Friday, Jan. 3. The celebrant of the 7 p.m. Nuptial Mass was Father Matthew P. Higginbotham.

The bride is the daughter of Gregory and Donna Schmid of Crowley. She is the granddaughter of Clifton Istre of Crowley and the late Mary Arceneaux Istre, and Walter H. Schmid Jr. and his wife June of Lafayette and the late Rose Marie Dorr Schmid.

The groom is the son of Rebecca Broussard of Lake Arthur and Kevin Olivier and his wife Theresa of Lutcher. He is the grandson of Sanford and Verna Broussard of Gueydan, and Charles and Carolyn Olivier of Cameron.

For the evening Mass, the church was beautifully decorated from Christmas with white lit trees, red poinsettias around the altar and a large traditional nativity scene depicting the birth of Jesus. Silk rose pomander balls were placed as pew markers.

Before the ceremony, programs were given to the guests by Tristan and Kade Olivier, brothers of the groom. Brennen Bonsall, cousin of the groom, and Brantley Yeager, brother-in-law of the bride, served as ushers.

Traditional music was performed by Sarah Walker, violinist, and Ben Rhinehart, pianist. Musical selections chosen were “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” “Canon in D,”  “Trumpet Voluntary,” “The Gifts of Love,” “Ave Maria” and “Wedding March.”

Escorted to the altar by her father, the bride was radiant in a vintage high collar A-line gown of ivory satin with an overlay of delicate lace. The bodice was adorned with lace and intricate beading detail along with an illusion back which buttoned down. Her chapel train was also elegantly detailed with lace and beading. For her headpiece, she chose an elbow length veil edged with lace, pearl and crystal accents, along with a blusher.

The bride carried a bouquet of ivory baby’s breath sprinkled with ivory roses and dark blue accent flowers. Her bouquet was wrapped in vintage lace with pearl embellishments and graced with her maternal grandmother’s rosary.

In keeping with tradition, the bride wore her paternal grandmother’s pearl bracelet as something old, her dress as something new, her maternal grandmother’s rosary as something borrowed and her bouquet as something blue.

Serving as maid of honor was Catherine Schmid, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Paige Broussard, sister of the groom; Gretchen Swinkey, friend of the bride; and Christina Yeager and Theresa Schmid, sisters of the bride.

Each bridesmaid wore a long chiffon A-line dress with pleated bodice and pleated cap sleeves. A different winter color for each attendant was chosen. The colors were plum, marine, truffle and peacock. The maid of honor wore a different style long chiffon dress with pleated cap sleeves in the color lapis.

All the attendants carried matching bouquets of mixed flowers in all the chosen colors wrapped with organza ribbon in the same color of each attendant’s dress.

The groom and groomsmen were formally attired in black tuxedos. The groomsmen’s vests, ties and boutonnieres were in the colors matching the bridal attendants they walked with. The groom chose to wear a striking dark blue velvet sports coat with his formal attire. 

Serving as best man was Hunter Olivier, brother of the groom. The groomsmen were Thad and Nick Love, friends of the groom, and Matthew and Christopher Schmid, brothers of the bride.

Serving as flower girls were Kirsten Thibodeaux, godchild of the groom; Maley Bonsall, cousin of the groom; and Aubrey LaCombe, sister of the groom. They all wore beautiful formal ivory dresses, each in a different style. Kirsten carried a bouquet of petite marine flowers, Maley wore a wristlet with the same flowers and Aubrey carried an ivory baby rose pomander.

They were joined by the ring bearer Landen Yeager, nephew of the bride.  He carried a Bible tied with lace and raffia with silver wedding bands on top.

During the ceremony, sacred scripture readings were read by Michael W. Istre, cousin of the bride, and Gregory Schmid, father of the bride.

Offertory gifts were brought to the altar by Julia and Isabel Istre, cousins of the bride.

A reception following the ceremony was held at the National Historic  Landmark, The Grand Opera House of the South. Le Grand Hall, with a beauty all its own, was elegantly decorated with floral arrangements placed throughout.

A gorgeous food display was specially designed to enhance the reception area. The centerpiece of the display consisted of an arrangement of deep blue and purple hydrangeas interspersed with delicate blue and purple feathers. Delicate ivory drapes served as backdrops behind the length of the food tables to create a unique vision.   

Guest tables were decorated with Mason jar centerpieces of baby’s breath and hydrangeas atop a burlap base trimmed with lace. Placed on the sides of the bases were two lit votive candles wrapped with the bride’s maternal grandmother’s lace.

The bride’s cake was classically simple. A lovely three-tiered round ivory cake with a vintage look was centered on a silver plateau. All three layers were filled with a strawberry filling topped with a buttercream icing. The top of the cake featured a pair of handmade owls dressed in wedding attire.

The bride’s table was accented by a lit three-panel window backdrop with columns on each side that held floral arrangements of ivory and blue flower sprays along with deep purple orchids.

The groom’s table, placed in front of an antique wooden backdrop, featured a music theme.  The backdrop was decorated with music memorabilia collected by the groom and some items given to him by his bride. Staying with the music theme, the groom’s cake was a white double layer cake with chocolate filling artistically designed in the shape of a Marshall amplifier.

Out-of-town guests registered from Mississippi and various points throughout Louisiana.

On the Thursday evening before the wedding, a rehearsal dinner was held at Fezzo’s Seafood and Steakhouse in Crowley in honor of Mary and Kaleb. Along with a delicious menu to choose from, theprivate dining room was beautifully decorated by Mary’s sister, Christina Yeager, using white linens, stemmed glass centerpieces and silver candle holders lit on each table. Pictures of the couple were placed throughout the dining room.