Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Our Lady of the Visitation Church (Shippensburg), Shippensburg

A wedding at Our Lady of the Visitation Church in Shippensburg happens under a roof that sweeps up on concrete arches to a fifty-foot peak. The altar stands at the focal center of the church, the pews face it, and large stained glass windows bring in daylight, so your wedding photos and video have strong lines leading straight to the two of you. Overhead, laminated beams hold a ceiling of red cedar, and slate from Pennsylvania and Vermont lines the sanctuary.

Your wedding ceremony is a Catholic sacrament, and the parish's message to engaged couples is warm and practical: contact the parish office or the pastor to set up a first meeting and begin marriage preparation, and try to leave about nine months for it. Get in touch even if your timeline is shorter, or if you simply have questions about getting married in the church. The parish invites couples to share the preparation with family and friends.

The church has a second level and ramps that give it flexible seating, worth a look with your photographer and videographer for a higher view of the aisle, if the parish allows it. The parish doesn't post photo or video guidelines online, so ask where cameras may go during the ceremony and how much time you'll have for family pictures afterward. Your wedding videographer should also ask about the music and microphones under that tall ceiling. The parish's social hall and education building share the property; ask whether any space is available on your wedding day.

• Contact the parish about nine months before your wedding day.
• Visit at the hour of your ceremony to see the light through the windows.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines and use of the second level.

A little about Our Lady of the Visitation Church

Shippensburg had a Catholic church as early as 1840, and Our Lady of the Visitation became a parish of its own in 1950. The present church was dedicated on July 2, 1967, and the parish also supports Catholic Campus Ministry at Shippensburg University.