Southern Weddings

When I first read Kate and Tanner’s interview, I couldn’t resist asking Emily right away, “Are Kate and Tanner’s wedding pictures fabulous?” She confirmed that they were, and while I waited to see them, it felt much like waiting to see pictures from a friend’s wedding. Kate seems like the kind of gal who would be so much fun to hang out with and chat with about all things wedding! She and Tanner drew inspiration for their glamorous Dallas wedding from one of the most meaningful places–their rose gold wedding rings that symbolize their commitment to one another. I love her reminder that “You can’t go wrong with weddings. They’re all beautiful, and at the end of the day, we were married! That’s all that really matters.”

A big thank you to F8 Studios for sharing Kate and Tanner’s big day with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. My best friend, Cecily Richardson, and my mom, Sandi Treliving, accompanied me for a day of shopping in Dallas! We went to four wedding dress shops in total with the last stop of the day being the Neiman Marcus Bridal Salon in Downtown Dallas. I had tried on so many dresses that day and literally loved them all. I can’t remember if it was my mom or Cecily, but they found a dress tucked amongst them all and said, “What about this one?” It looked a little risqué as it dipped low in the front and had a sheer back, but I thought I’d give it a try. As soon as I put it on, I knew it was the one! Fit me like a glove and was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Funny enough, it was packed up ten minutes after I tried it on and shipped to another store—it was only there for a one-day trunk show! Talk about lucky! I added an extra foot of length to the train and everything was hand-done by the designer, Reem Acra. They didn’t end up putting the dress into production from the line, so I ended up with a custom Reem Acra gown! The tailor at Neiman’s put the finishing touches on the dress.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We didn’t. As modern of a woman that I’d like to think that I am, I really wanted to feel all the emotions possible of seeing each other for the first time, walking towards becoming husband and wife, and being in front of our family and our friends. When we locked eyes across the aisle, it was such a powerful moment. I want to do it all again!

Our ceremony and cocktail hour music was played by the Dallas String Quartet—Electric Strings! Our family members walked down the aisle to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole. Our wedding party walked down the aisle to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis. I walked down the aisle to “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones and we walked out as husband and wife to “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles. Our first dance was to “That’s How Strong My Love Is” by Otis Redding. My father/daughter dance was to “My Girl” by The Temptations. Tanner and his mom, Lynnae, danced to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. I also had an outfit change into my “party dress” and we were reintroduced to the room to “Love on Top” by Beyonce.

My ring is rose gold and Tanner’s is platinum with rose gold inner lining, so rosey-golds were the theme of the wedding. We had peonies, garden roses, orchid chandeliers, cherry blossom trees, you name it! I wish all of those flowers could live forever. There were so many, I felt like I was in a love garden! My bridesmaids had similar flowers with white anemones in their bouquets. The groomsmen’s boutonnieres were white anemones as well. The tables were set with gold/orange orchids on each setting.

My jaw dropped when I saw these tables! I can hardly imagine a more glamorous centerpiece design, and those lucite chairs are so modern and fun.

Our wedding cake was a lemon cake with ginger/cream cheese frosting. It was decorated in metallic gold fondant. Tanner’s cake was a traditional Southern hummingbird cake, his favorite!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Tanner and I met at Pepperdine University. He was a junior; I was a freshman. We had mutual friends, but were both dating other people at the time. I hadn’t seen Tanner in a year or so and thought he had graduated (he had taken a break from college) until the first semester of my senior year. We had a class together and instantly rekindled our friendship. We remained friends until after graduation, but that was it. He had tried to take me on a few dates but I had politely denied. We continued to text each other randomly and I remember asking him via text “When are we getting married?” He wrote back “Cherry blossoms in DC this June!” It wasn’t until Christmas after graduation that he and I had a serious conversation about him visiting me in Dallas. I had tickets to the NBA All Star game, coincidentally on Valentine’s Day, so I invited him to town to attend the game with me. He was my first valentine and my last! The rest is history, and on April 20, we were married in Dallas, under Cherry Blossom trees!
Tell us all about the proposal! Tanner and I both love to ski. The first trip we took together was to Santa Fe, NM during our first year of dating. He told me he loved me on the chair lift during that visit. Two years later, we went back for another ski trip, and this time, he asked me to be his wife at the top of the mountain! It was so exhilarating; I couldn’t ski down the hill! Santa Fe is incredibly romantic, between the pinon wood and the art galleries—I highly recommend it to other couples!
When did y’all get married? April 20, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 235
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Definitely not. All I could think about was kissing him, so repeating someone else’s words was hard enough for us both!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Probably the orchid chandeliers, nine total. They hung from various points of the ceiling in the ballroom. I also loved the cherry blossom tree where we hung the escort cards in the cocktail area.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our rehearsal dinner was at Sammy’s BBQ in Dallas. We had Brian Houser playing/singing along to acoustic songs during dinner. It was followed by a Welcome Party at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. The theme of this party was Southern chic. We did all greens, whites and wood colors. We had wooden benches with raw edges, tables with Jan Barboglio rod iron details and more! As far as the wedding itself goes, our Minister married Tanner’s parents and his sister previously! They are all from Amarillo. We served jalapeño margaritas at our cocktail hour and the band played “Friends in Low Places” at one point! There may have even been some line dancing!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Honestly, the whole process was pretty seamless. I think that since we were engaged for 14 months and started planning within a month of being engaged, we decided on things early on and then when it was time to review them closer to the day, no one could remember what we had decided on! We figured out that you can’t go wrong with weddings. They’re all beautiful, and at the end of the day, we were married! That’s all that really matters.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Bella Flora of Dallas. They made it happen!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Tanner and I had our appetizers in a private holding room while everyone else was at cocktails after pictures and they were flipping the ballroom from ceremony mode to reception mode. He and I just got to chill and relax alone!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Call me! Anytime! I love everything about wedding planning and would love to help anyone I can! But sincerely, I think it’s incredibly important to keep your eye on the prize. You’re planning this celebration in honor of you and your husband. Focus on what will make you both happy in the long run, because the celebration comes and goes so fast! You’d be surprised, but you’re not the only one experiencing a ton of emotions. There are people around you who are reacting to the excitement or stress FOR you. Be strong for them! Be patient. Be gracious. Be a Southern woman!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We were looking at dogs the other weekend! We’re homebodies. A big night out for us is a late dinner and a few bottles of wine with friends! We’re both really respectful of each other’s individual time (I need a girls night every now and then) but we hate leaving each other’s sides too! We’re taking it one day at a time, dreaming together, supporting each other’s passions for work and looking at what our next move together will be!

Photographer and Videographer: F8 Studio | Planner: Mary Wright Shah from Diamond Affairs | Ceremony and Reception Venue: Ritz Carlton Dallas | Florist: Bella Flora of Dallas | Wedding Cake and Caterer: Ritz Carlton Dallas | Rentals: Ducky Bob’s and Posh Couture Rentals | Lighting: Beyond Lighting | DJ and Band: DJ Lucy Wrubel, Dallas String Quartet, Party on the Moon | Welcome Bags: The Wedding Chicks Shop Bride’s Gown: Reem Acra | Paper Products: Paradise Design Co. & Tara Jones Calligraphy | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bride’s Veil and Earrings: Neiman Marcus | Bride’s Diamond Bracelet: Vintage | Hair Stylist: James DeFrange of Pura Vida Salon | Makeup Artist: Mayra Rams-Sanabria with My Fabulous Faces Design Group | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Custom by Nha Khanh | Groom’s and Groomsmen Attire: Mister Tuxedo | Transportation: Wynne Sedan & Limousine Group

Written with love by Lisa