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We’re convinced at Southern Weddings that we get to share the stories of the absolute sweetest couples in the South, and Caroline and Chase are certainly no exception to that! After their dorm cafeteria meet-cute and a perfectly literature-themed proposal (Caroline is a high school English teacher!), they spent their senior year of college thoughtfully planning for their Heritage Haus wedding and preparing for marriage. Caroline’s advice for brides hit the nail on the head: “We absolutely loved our wedding, but the day was such a crazy blur. Being husband and wife is a forever commitment and blessing, so enjoy the season of engagement, but prepare yourself to be committed ’til death do you part!”

Thank you so much to our Blue Ribbon Vendor Kristen Kilpatrick for sending this lovely day our way!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. My mom, grandma, future mother-in-law, and four of my closest friends spent a Saturday morning in Austin looking for a dress with me! We went to two different stores. At first, I fell in love with a traditional dress that had a full skirt. That evening, I went back through pictures we took of our favorite dresses of the day. I realized the dress I thought I loved didn’t feel very “me,” so I went with a more form-fitting dress that had also caught my eye that day! In order to add some flavor to the dress, I had the designer create off-the-shoulder sleeves that could be removed. I’m so glad they were able to add in this lovely detail!

I absolutely loved our flowers! They definitely exceeded my expectations. I wanted the color palette to be simple–we had greens with white and pink. Everything looked very earthy and ethereal.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We didn’t do a first look. I think our wedding was more traditional overall, so I wanted to keep with that idea. Plus, I’d always envisioned what my husband’s face would look like when he saw me walking down the aisle!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Although we didn’t have a Catholic ceremony, my aunt, who is a nun, spoke after a reading from Ephesians 5 from our pastor. She spoke about the covenant of marriage and the history of my family from Switzerland. She is the kindest, most Jesus-loving woman I have ever met, so it was an absolute honor to have her speak on the best day of our lives! It meant so much to me and my entire family that she made the trip down to Texas and that she was able to speak such truth during our ceremony.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We knew from the start that we didn’t want something with an urban feel. That just didn’t feel like us. We perused venues around Austin and found Heritage Haus. We knew right away that this was the place for us because of the beautiful Hill Country setting, the quaint white chapel, and the stately barn! Not to mention, the lovely owners of Heritage Haus made us feel like family.

We chose a simple white, three-tiered cake adorned with real flowers. The surprise was the strawberry frosting between the layers–when we cut into the cake, you saw a hint of pink! The cake was delicious and just what I wanted! Although we didn’t get to join the cocktail hour, we also had cookies and cupcakes from Polkadots available to our guests. I knew from the start that I wanted to have sweets available to our guests during the cocktail hour! We had sugar cookies in the shapes of Texas with a heart over Austin, longhorns, and cookies with the letter “A” in the center. All of the sugar cookies were white with gold details.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Chase and I met in a dorm cafeteria at the University of Texas during our freshman year. We had mutual friends and started having lunch together. He even made his famous gourmet PB&J for me! Although we were fast friends, we didn’t start dating until the beginning of our sophomore year, much to Chase’s chagrin. When I finally confessed that I did indeed want to date him, we both knew we were in it for the long haul. We got engaged our senior year and were married just three weeks after graduation!
Tell us all about the proposal! Chase proposed on November 22, 2014. He asked me to dinner under the ruse of celebrating my recent birthday. We went to dinner at my favorite restaurant in Austin. As we were eating, the storm of the year ended the drought of 2013-2014 emphatically. We braved the torrential downpour and drove around Austin, slowly making our way to the overlook where Chase had first asked me to be his girlfriend, and where he had first told me he loved me. At our favorite spot in the city, overlooking the Greenbelt, our friends had gone out on the cliff in the rain to set up a tent, candles, and my favorite books. Chase had written a literary scavenger hunt in my journal. Each clue directed me to another page in one of my favorite books, declaring his love for me and telling our story. The last clue directed me to 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.” In the margins, Chase had written his proposal.
When did y’all get married? June 13, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 180
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we had traditional vows!
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance song was “Green Eyes” by Coldplay. We both love Coldplay, and the song really resonated with me because of Chase’s green eyes, and the line, “Honey, you are a rock upon which I stand.” This line made me think about the ways Chase holds me up and points me to Jesus. My dance with my dad was also extremely special! We danced to Johnny Cash’s “You Are My Sunshine.” My dad used to sing this song to me when I was little, and it is still one of his favorite songs. He didn’t know that we would be dancing to that song, so of course, the tears really started to flow when he realized what song we were dancing to!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There were so many details we loved! Since our wedding was in the Texas Hill Country, the gorgeous summer sunset was the best free detail we could have asked for! The flowers really tied my vision together. We also used floral china plates for dinner, which was a perfectly sweet, feminine detail!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We always knew that we wanted to do some kind of pre-marriage counseling to help prepare us for spending the rest of our lives together. The Austin Stone, our church, has a great pre-marriage counseling service that we signed up for the day after we were engaged. We were matched with a couple from the church who took us through the curriculum, challenging us every step of the way to confront each other and grow together.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We wanted to make sure we did our senior year right by spending as much time with friends as possible, which was sometimes difficult because of wedding planning! Other than that, we were very blessed to have very minimal stress during the whole wedding planning process.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The ceremony was just so sweet. Walking toward my husband, hearing Sister Alice speak, praying with my husband, and walking hand-in-hand with him out of those chapel doors was something I’ll always remember!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Prepare yourself for marriage, not the wedding! We absolutely loved our wedding, but the day was such a crazy blur. Being husband and wife is a forever commitment and blessing, so enjoy the season of engagement, but prepare yourself to be committed ’til death do you part!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Currently, we call Houston, Texas home! I am a ninth grade English teacher and JV soccer coach, and Chase is an engineer with a general contractor. We look forward to continuing to call Houston home, and also are exploring the possibility of doing mission work abroad in the next couple of years.

Photographer: Kristen Kilpatrick | Planner: Natalie Conlon | Venue: Heritage Haus | Florist: Flora Fetish | Cake and Dessert Baker: Polkadots Cupcake Factory | Caterer: Whole Foods | Rentals: Loot Vintage Rentals and Bee Lavish Vintage Rentals | DJ: Byrne Rock | Paper Products: Minted | Bride’s Gown: Augusta Jones | Bride’s Veil and Hairpiece: BHLDN | Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Makenzi Laine | Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Joanna August and Nouvelle by Amsale | Menswear: Jos. A. Bank

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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My heart fills right to the brim thinking about the Texas Sweethearts editorial in Southern Weddings V8. The story we dreamed up for this shoot–an undeniably charming Texan wedding uniting a pair of high school sweethearts who fell in love under Friday night lights–was one of our first ideas for V8, and we immediately knew it would hold a special place in our new issue. Everything came together so naturally, from the tremendously talented team who came onboard to help us bring our vision to life, to the too-perfect-for-words venue, Star Hill Ranch, to our incredible group of reader models (including a bride and groom who are real life Texan high school sweethearts–the journal in these shots is really hers!), to even the weather, which was as lovely of a Texan spring day as you can ask for. I’m the SW office’s resident Texan, so I had fun helping to bring the Lone Star State into this shoot in really unique ways–frito pies, a nod to homecoming mums, and the colors of the flowers (inspired by the magical Hill Country sunsets), to name a few. We hope y’all loved seeing the results of this meaningful editorial in V8–here are a few more of the beautiful photos by our Blue Ribbon Vendor Kristen Kilpatrick!

P.S. If there are any fellow Friday Night Lights fans out there (the SW gals are obsessed), see if you can spot a few nods to our favorite show! FNL played a big role in helping us hone in on this shoot’s feel and aesthetic :)

It was a only fitting for these high school sweethearts to include a few details from their dating days into their wedding–her journal and their class rings, to name a few. As a wedding gift, she gave him a dapper pocket watch engraved with his former jersey number!

We wanted our bride, groom, and bridal party to look stylish, but still right at home in the Texas landscape. A dapper blue suit and chambray for the gents, plus a gown and bridesmaid dresses with great texture were just right…paired with cowboy boots across the board, of course!

This was one of our favorite details from this shoot–as a nod to the oh so Texan tradition of homecoming mums, our groom gifted his bride with a single bloom to add to her bouquet. Homecoming mums originated as single chrysanthemums, so this sweet twist on the tradition (perfect for couples who are former homecoming dates!) was both appropriate and elegant.

The chapel at Star Hill Ranch is too adorable for words, and we jumped at the chance to stage an indoor ceremony for an editorial! Katy of Without Wax, Katy gussied up the space with candles, gorgeous greenery, and a few statement blooms.

Does it get much sweeter than this? We tried to rein ourselves in when it came to literal Friday Night Lights details, but this tugs-at-your-heartstrings catch phrase was too perfect to pass up–Southern Fried Paper did an amazing job creating the chambray signage for us!

Like many corners of the South, Texas claims a few culinary specialties, and we knew we had to include them as a tribute to our bride and groom’s Texas roots. Cornbread, pimento jalapeno Texas toast, and even an upscale take on frito pie were on hand, many thanks to Pink Avocado Catering.

We loved working with Without Wax, Katy on this editorial, and her styling eye really shined as we set the table! Exposed wood, chambray, pewter, blue glass, and navy velvet created a gorgeous, rich tablescape that fit in so well with the Hill Country landscape. The colors of the flowers were inspired by the vibrant sunsets in Texas–we were even treated to a sunset that matched the blooms perfectly as we wrapped up our shoot!

Y’all, don’t you want to dig right into that luscious chocolate cake? It was the perfect pairing with yet another Texan favorite: Blue Bell ice cream, made right down US 290 in Brenham, Texas.

This shot is one of our absolute favorites from the shoot, if not from the whole magazine–it’s definitely one for the SW history books!! It almost didn’t happen, since we couldn’t get a hold of the perfect truck ahead of time, but turns out, they had one that was just right on hand at Star Hill Ranch. It was meant to be!

Stay tuned to see the behind the scenes photos from this shoot day next! And be sure to pick up a copy of Southern Weddings V8 to see the gorgeous spread–it’s now on news stands across the Southeast, as well as online here.

Photographer: Kristen Kilpatrick Photography | Film Processing: PhotoVision | Designer, Stylist, Props, and Florals: Without Wax, Katy | Venue: Star Hill Ranch | Caterer: Pink Avocado | Cake: Polkadots Cupcake Factory | Paper Goods and Fabric Signage: Southern Fried Paper | Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher | Hair Stylist: Andrea Juarez | Makeup Artist: Makenzi Laine | Rentals: Loot Vintage Rentals | Pewter China: Match | Bride’s Gown: “Indigo” by Modern Trousseau | Veil: BHLDN | Bridesmaid Dresses: Eva Franco for Lover.ly | Ties: Noose Neckwear | Pocket Watch: RC Personalized Gifts

Kristen Kilpatrick and Southern Fried Paper are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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  1. avatar Kelly reply

    Oh I just love Victoria! Seriously the sweetest and this editorial was hands down my fav! I’m also a FNL fan and loved the touches! Great editorial ladies! Y’all knocked this out of the park!! Xoxo

  2. avatar Kristina reply

    I love all things Friday Night Lights so this editorial is hands down my favorite! Y’all did an amazing job as always :)

  3. avatar Southern Weddings Magazine Feature – Texas Wedding Calligrapher reply

    […] is always a joy working on content to be featured in the Southern Weddings Magazine.  Those girls have a keen eye and know how to organize a thoughtful, inspirational event for […]

  4. avatar Maureen reply

    So cute and love seeing Victoria’s smiling face!

  5. avatar Abby Opersteny reply

    Completely swooning over all the FNL-inspired details! One of your darling reader models is a sorority sister of mine, and we have just raved over this shoot. Job well done!

  6. avatar Dana reply

    obsessed with all of this!

  7. avatar Tomasz reply

    amazing style!

  8. avatar Southern Weddings Magazine Feature – Texas Wedding Calligrapher | Left Handed Calligrapher reply

    […] is always a joy working on content to be featured in the Southern Weddings Magazine.  Those girls have a keen eye and know how to organize a thoughtful, inspirational event for […]

  9. avatar Darek Novak reply

    Great colours. love the analog feel.

  10. avatar Happy 10th Anniversary Southern Weddings! My 10 Favorite Editorials – Kyla Mary reply

    […] The blue, the florals, the small-town setting, and the inspiration are so dreamy! The SW gals pulled their inspiration from Friday Night Lights, and a sweet fellow blogger modeled with her husband. I guest posted for Victoria earlier this year and she and her husband Ben are the perfect Texas couple for this editorial! View the original post here. […]

  11. avatar Happy 10th Anniversary Southern Weddings! My 10 Favorite Editorials – Kyla Mary reply

    […] The blue, the florals, the small-town setting, and the inspiration are so dreamy! The SW gals pulled their inspiration from Friday Night Lights, and a sweet fellow blogger modeled with her husband. I guest posted for Victoria earlier this year and she and her husband Ben are the perfect Texas couple for this editorial! View the original post here. […]

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In the Sweet Tea Society, we believe that while details are nice, true love always, always wins. When the heritage and family that we value so much becomes part of a wedding day through the details, it’s incredible, and I think Amber and Patrick found that magic combination with their family wedding portrait display! I love how they not only honored their families, but also strong marriages, by sharing how long each couple had been married. I can only imagine the stories those couples could tell, and the sage advice they could give!

If you know me, you know I also can’t pass up giving Amber props for her AND her bridesmaids’ stoles–so chic!

Big hugs to The Nichols for sharing this sweet day!

Tell us all about the proposal! The night of the proposal, Patrick planned dinner for us at The Driskill, a beautiful, historic hotel in our hometown of Austin, Texas. I think Patrick knew I would say yes after he treated me to red wine and a juicy steak! After enjoying dinner, we walked around downtown until we came to a special bench near Patrick’s work building, Frost Bank Tower. The bench has special meaning because we sat there and prayed together the day before his job interview over a year ago. We prayed for a lot of things that day–obviously, that his job interview would go well the next day, but also for our future together and that God would use us and our relationship to glorify Him. We sat on the bench and started talking about how much we had grown in that year, and then Patrick got down on one knee and proposed! After the proposal, we walked to The Belmont, a really cute concert venue nearby. We saw one of our favorite local Texas country artists, Wade Bowen, and Patrick surprised me by having a bunch of our close friends at the concert waiting to celebrate with us! Later that night, we also made a stop by J.Blacks, the bar where Patrick and I first met! The next day, both of our parents came up for the University of Texas football game, and then we all went out to celebrate with some Mexican food!

Describe your wedding flowers. Our florist used large, lush, organic mixed greens and red and burgundy flowers, including dahlias and ranunculus, with a few pops of plum and fuchsia flowers for depth. The bouquets were accented with trailing burgundy velvet ribbon.

We knew we wanted our wedding to feel cozy, so we kept that in mind when we were looking at venues. It seemed right when we saw an indoor fireplace and an outdoor fire pit with rocking chairs around it at the venue we chose. It was out in the Hill Country of Austin, so there were beautiful views. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling made the venue feel very elegant, while still maintaining the cozy feel we wanted.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We had a solo acoustic guitarist play the music during the ceremony. The most significant song during the ceremony was “Come Thou Fount,” which we had him play when we had communion. It meant a lot to both of us because our faith is the most important thing to us. Our first dance song was “Oh Tonight” by Josh Abbot Band. We both love Texas country music and have always loved singing this song together in the car, so it just seemed right that it was our first dance song. My father-daughter dance was to the Texas fight song, because my dad and I are both University of Texas alumni. Our whole family went to The University of Texas, so we are very big Longhorn fans, and it is a big part of our bond as a family.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? I would advise wedding planning over wine, cheese, and especially chocolate! What helped take stress away from us was remembering that the wedding is only one night, but marriage is forever.

Our wedding cake was a four-tiered vanilla pound cake with vanilla frosting. The groom’s cake was a pecan pie from Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop. We also had chocolate cupcakes topped with salted caramel and vanilla cream cheese frosting, drizzled with salted caramel. Patrick’s favorite dessert is pecan pie, so his mom always makes one before we visit them. For Patrick’s “grooms cake,” we had a pecan pie, and his mom also made 150 mini pecan pies for the guests.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met through mutual friends at a bar in downtown Austin, Texas. We saw each other again the next day at a church service and ended up going out the next week for our first date.
When did y’all get married? February 7, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 275
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We prepared for marriage by doing pre-marital counseling through our church. We read books and material on specific subject matters like finances, in-laws, communication, etc.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I am a people pleaser and love for everyone to be happy, so when planning, telling someone I didn’t like something was very hard for me. My wedding planner, Ellen Westcott with Westcott Weddings, was very helpful with taking care of the challenges!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We kept the alcoholic beverages to beer, wine, and champagne, rather than liquor. Instead of doing a bunch of different appetizers, we did one big appetizer, and we opted for a DJ instead of a band. All of these decisions saved us a lot of money and turned out great.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Patrick and I gave a speech together after the maid of honor and best man toasts. It meant so much to stand in front of our friends and family and thank them for their love and support on this journey.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are looking forward to learning how we can use our talents together to help serve others.

Photographer: The Nichols / Videographer: Moonlit Weddings / Planner: Ellen Westcott of Westcott Weddings / Venue: Ma Maison / Florist: Meredith of Brisol Lane Floral Design / Wedding Cake or Dessert Baker: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop / Caterer: Whole Foods/ DJ: James Jumonville / Paper Products: Minted / Bride’s Gown: Lazaro / Bride’s Hairpiece, Earrings, and Sash: Sabina K W / Hair Stylist: Mandy Silver / Makeup Artist:Makenzi Laine / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Groom’s Attire: Banana Republic / Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A Bank

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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