Wedding Photographers & Videographers at St. Joseph Church (Springfield), Springfield

A wedding at St. Joseph Church in Springfield begins in front of a tall brick church with a spire above its bell tower and small pointed towers at the corners. The front is divided into three bays, each with its own entrance, under a large pointed-arch window, which gives your wedding photos a grand, symmetrical setting for the whole wedding party. Inside, many of the windows hold stained glass, and the aisle leading to the altar is where your photographer and videographer will follow the processional.

The wedding ceremony here is a Catholic sacrament. St. Joseph is now one of the churches of the St. Rose Family of Parishes, along with St. Raphael, St. Teresa and others in Springfield, and the family's marriage page asks you to make arrangements with the parish before you set a date. Start by calling the parish office or one of the priests listed on that page, and expect marriage preparation before the wedding.

Sunday Mass at St. Joseph is at 8 am, so a visit to a weekend Mass is an easy way to see the light in the church and hear how the music carries. Bring that knowledge to your wedding videographer, who will want to plan where to put microphones for the vows and how sound moves in a tall church. On your wedding day, allow time after the ceremony for pictures inside and out front under the spire before you leave for your reception.

• Contact the parish before you set a date.
• Plan for marriage preparation with the priests.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines before your photographer plans the timeline.

A little about St. Joseph Church

St. Joseph became its own parish in 1882, and the church was built in 1892. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.