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Courtship: Both Lillian Blotkamp and Luis Pinto de Sá emphasize that they are not native St. Louisans. Lillian hails from Washington D.C., while Luis is from Portugal. Both came to the city for PhD programs: Lillian, in 2011, to study musicology at Washington University, and Luis, in 2013, to study philosophy at St. Louis University. As active Catholics, they joined a young friends group at the Cathedral Basilica. After years of friendship, Luis recalls Lillian’s birthday party as the game-changer. He took a shot of tequila to settle his nerves—Lillian was surrounded by a group of guys—approached her, and asked her out.
Proposal: In December of 2017, the couple traveled to Portugal to introduce Lillian to Luis’s family. Unbeknownst to her, Luis had a second intention in mind. In the town of Fatima sits one of Portugal’s most famous Catholic sites where it's said that Mary appeared to a group of children. Through winding olive orchards with stone walls, they walked a meditative pathway. At the sacred, beautiful site, Luis asked Lillian to marry him.
Ceremony: Lillian and Luis’s ceremony featured a traditional Catholic mass at the Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End. The exchange of vows and rings were two of the day’s most special moments. For Lillian, another cherished experience was when a group of her former church choir friends sang "Ave Maria." In addition, Lillian wore her great-grandmother’s tennis bracelet, her “something borrowed,” as well as a veil made by her mother. She fastened her grandfather’s Marine Corps pin in her bouquet. Carrying pieces of her family through the ceremony made her wedding day more meaningful than she can say. The fact that three of Luis’s former friends from seminary, the first people he met when he came to the United States, married them meant the world to him.
Reception: Lillian describes the Lemp Grand Hall as a space that speaks for itself. Providing a fun, down-to-earth vibe for their guests mattered more than trendy decor. They let the exposed brick and beams, old-style lamps, and wooden bar emphasize the space’s characteristic vintage. Subtle blue and silver accents, as well as centerpieces of glass vases filled with blue and white hydrangeas, decorated the hall. Dancing to Otis Redding’s "These Arms of Mine," Lillian and Luis watched the family and friends who had come together from around the world enjoy the evening, St. Louis-style.
The Details:
Ceremony venue: Cathedral Basilica
Reception venue: Lemp Grand Hall
Photography: Zoe Life Photography
Dress: Stella York
Bridesmaid dresses: Alfred Angelo
Hair & Makeup: Boulevard Hair Company
Tuxes: Men's Wearhouse
