We’re back this Weekly Wednesday with a double Baptism that we captured up in St. Joseph, Michigan (St. Joe) in Southwest Michigan! You may remember this extended family from exactly 2 years ago in July 2020 when we captured another Baptism Session for one of their other children: Sweet little Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s parents had another baby (her little brother) this year as did a sibling of her parents (so she has a new little girl cousin as well)! Since the kids were born so close together, both families decided to have a combined baptism up in their hometown of St. Joe, Michigan! Their mom Lee called us and hired us again to capture the joyous occasion, so we happily obliged!
Since it was a Double Baptism on the beautiful July day and it’s a much safer time (vs Summer 2020’s Pandemic), there was quite the turnout from family! Lee’s 2 sisters came in for the occasion, the God Parents were in attendance, and their extended family & loved ones were there!
We had originally wanted to go to the beach or the dunes a minute away for their formal Portraits prior to the double Baptism, but for time’s sake instead headed near the church for the Portraits near nature!
We were lucky to have a bit of cloud coverage for some nice afternoon lighting and the kids were all sweet and awake (always a bonus)! It was so good seeing everyone again after 2 years and it was great to see the new babies with 5 of their cousins! Kids having to have gone through the Pandemic really deserve all of the family & friend time that they can get now, so seeing the kids get to enjoy the time together was nice.
The priest for their Double Baptism was again Lee’s close family friend who headed in for the Baptism from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He loves the family and likes to quiz the kids on Catholic Baptism facts, so it’s always fun seeing the kids scramble for the answers and be involved.
It was pretty cute getting to watch 2 babies be Baptized together. Normally the baby Baptisms that we capture within the Catholic Churches in Southwest Michigan, Indiana, or Chicago one child has their own private Baptism, so we loved that these two cousins were baptized together! They had similar temperments with both being pretty calm and content (even during the actual water baptism, oil, & blessings over the hour & a half).
You may remember that last time in July 2020 a couple years ago we captured a Baptism for this extended family that we were in the back of a church around the Baptismal font in the back of the church, but this time the Baptism started in the front of the church, then eventually moved to the back.
Once at the back of the church around the Baptismal font the babies were blessed with oil around their necks, ears, forehead, and more.
It amazed us that the kids stayed awake and didn’t even cry!
Finally it was time for the actual water Baptism. The priest poured water over each baby’s head as each was baptized & blessed separately.
Each baby’s God Mother was given each baby’s candle to hold for the baby & the last Baptism blessings were said.
And so concluded the double baptism! As you can see, the babies even fist bumped at the end after their moms & dads were blessed!
After the Baptisms we captured some final family photos within the church up in Southwest Michigan.
After the Double Baptism ceremony Lee, her newly baptized grand babies, and all of the extended family headed down to enjoy a big family meal together at a restaurant! We were graciously invited, but Jenny’s sister’s family had just arrived for their annual visit to us from Arizona, so we had to get over to them elsewhere at a lake in Southwest Michigan (especially since Jenny’s parents were off in another state competing in rowing competitions). Thank you so much Lee for having us capture another 2 of your grandbabies’ Baptism(s)! We loved seeing all of you again and getting to partake in your beautiful ceremony (and are sad that we couldn’t make it to the meal afterward). We hope you all had a great meal afterward and we can’t wait to send you the final gallery in the next week!