Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Our Lady, Queen of the Americas Church, Conneaut Lake

A wedding at Our Lady, Queen of the Americas Church in Conneaut Lake happens in a church with an unusual design. Folding doors and panels behind the altar can open to double the seating, a feature the parish uses in summer, so the space can feel intimate for a small wedding ceremony or open up for a big family crowd. Ask your photographer and videographer to see it both ways when you visit, because the size of the room changes how the processional and the vows will look in your pictures and film.

Outside, Mary's Garden sits to the right of the entrance and holds a labyrinth for prayer and meditation, and a small cemetery with statues and a shrine of the Stations of the Cross lies behind the church. These are places of prayer, so ask the parish office before planning any wedding photos on the grounds. The church entrance itself is a natural spot to gather your family once the ceremony ends.

The parish asks couples to contact the priest as soon after the engagement as possible, and at least six months before the date. A marriage preparation program through the Diocese of Erie is required for every couple, including Pre-Cana. Catholics are encouraged to celebrate their marriage within a Mass, which is worth knowing when you plan the length of your wedding day and how long your videographer should film.

• Call the parish at least six months ahead; office hours are Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
• Plan for the diocesan marriage preparation program and Pre-Cana.
• Ask about photo and video guidelines, and walk through the church with your photographer.

A little about Our Lady, Queen of the Americas Church

For nearly 50 years, Catholics here gathered for Mass at Conneaut Lake Park and in community buildings, until this church was completed and dedicated in May 1959. It was first named Our Lady of the Lake and later renamed Our Lady, Queen of the Americas, with Our Lady of Guadalupe as its patroness.