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While Lisa is our resident Texan, I lived there all summer long and got a fun taste of Texas culture. Since I think I have a pretty good understanding of the area, I would say Amanda and Chip captured laid-back Texas style perfectly! These two lovebirds turned the reins over to their planner, Sweet Pea Events, with the concept of a Southwestern theme that was completely organic, unique, and colorful! The bright florals with feather accents and Amanda’s turquoise conch belt and chambray button down are all fantastic, but my favorite part of Amanda and Chip’s wedding has to be their location. From their sweet proposal to their wedding day, I love how their own home played such a big part in creating traditions and memories!

Thanks to Sara & Rocky for sharing this fun wedding with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! Every summer, Chip flew for a fishing lodge in Alaska, and for the rest of the year, he lived with me. In the spring of 2012, we started wistfully looking at houses online, deciding that we would want to move “hopefully” within the year. We found a gorgeous house on acreage fairly close to my parents’ house and Chip’s winter job, and even drove over to it to admire it from afar. When he returned in October, Chip was in charge of finding a realtor and setting up appointments to look at homes. After a few uninspired tours, Chip suggested we go look at the “unattainable” house we had coveted in the spring, because it was STILL on the market. It was gorgeous and absolutely perfect, and we knew we belonged there. We worked really hard to figure out a way to make it work, and after the new year, we put in an offer. Four months later, we closed on it. One week after closing, Chip and I were walking one of the fence lines as we neared the lake in front of OUR house. When we reached the water, Chip pulled a ring out of his pocket, kneeled down, and asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I’m certain the world stopped and the air stilled. Apparently, he had been planning to propose ever since we put the offer in on the house!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I knew I wanted something that embodied the same laid-back feel we wanted for our wedding, and I wanted to wear a turquoise conch belt. Since we decided to get married six months after our engagement, I didn’t have a lot of time to look. I ultimately decided on a completely custom dress. I provided pictures to the designer, and set off to find the perfect fabric. We also had to create the belt ourselves, since I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. I purchased three different belts and my dad picked pieces from two to make the perfect accessory for me.

Chip wasn’t too opinionated throughout the wedding planning, but he was fairly adamant about the song selections. He really wanted me to walk down the aisle to an acoustic instrumental version of “Amanda” by Boston. We walked back up the aisle to “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We decided on our house because it has a beautiful view, was centrally located for all of our guests, and we didn’t have to pay for it! Plus, it was our dream home and we wanted our life together to start at a place that inspired and moved us.

Describe your wedding flowers. Completely organic, natural, unique and colorful. We wanted a Southwestern theme for our wedding, and since I work in the wedding industry, I wanted to evoke a feeling and style that I hadn’t seen before. I also knew I wanted to incorporate natural and fall elements. With only that and our wedding colors in mind, my boss, the amazing Debby Jewesson of Branching Out, came up with the most incredible designs. I had no idea what she was doing for our wedding until the day-of, but I trusted her. She and her team used turquoise pots, teak wood bowls, quartz and amethyst geodes, antlers, feathers, and hammered silver elements. For flowers, she included pampas grass, protea, air plants, succulents, ranunculus, and beautiful roses, as well as all different textural floral and greenery.

Chip was super excited to hire Layered Bake Shop–we loves Shannon’s cakes. We decided to do a trio of wedding cakes for a more aesthetically pleasing design. I left Shannon to her own devices with only the colors and style in mind. She incorporated turquoise nuggets, watercolor, and stylized Southwestern designs. Branching Out brought dahlias, geodes, and airplanes as accents. The cake was traditional wedding cake and amaretto with swiss buttercream. The groom’s cake was an angry grizzly bear, inspired by Chip’s time in Alaska. The best part was a large chunk of cake missing from the back of the three tiered cake, with the bear holding the cake in his hand!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? I did bridal portraits beforehand. We decided to get married outside and we had a groom’s cake. I love talking about these things with my friends that live elsewhere in the country. The boys all wore jeans and boots, and Chip had a specific bourbon he wanted served at the reception!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met on eHarmony in 2010. I think we were both just trying to meet people we had things in common with, without wading through the bar scene in Dallas. Chip was splitting his time between Dallas and Paris, Texas, finding it difficult to settle in either place. He says that I was the first person he was matched with and I had 98% of things in common with him. On the flip side of that, I think I ignored his initial contact for a good three weeks–I thought he was too short! Once we began talking, we immediately hit it off. Our first date was two or three weeks later, a few days before Halloween. After we talked on the phone and texted quite a lot, we had lunch at a burger place in Dallas. We sat on the patio talking for three hours. Chip ended up with a sunburned face and raccoon eyes from his sunglasses! We dated for a few weeks, but I wasn’t sure if we were compatible, because he seemed nervous a lot. Finally, in December, I got to see the real Chip. He is a pilot and took me flying along the Red River and around Lake Texoma. He was self-assured and confident, and I realized I was falling in love with him! Five months after our first date, he decided to move to Dallas for good.
When did y’all get married? November 9, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 75
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We don’t have “a song,” so finding a first dance song was challenging. We knew we wanted a country song, and ended up choosing Randy Travis’ “Deeper Than the Holler.” Chip’s mom chose a song that she used to sing to him when he was little, “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are so happy to share this life together. We are looking forward to raising a family here and recently welcomed the sweetest baby boy to our family.

Photographer: Sara & Rocky Photography / Planner: Sweet Pea Events / Ceremony and Reception Venue: Private residence / Florist: Branching Out Events / Cake Baker: Layered Bake Shop / Caterer: Low Country Quisine / Rentals: Posh Couture Rentals, Ducky Bob’s, and Shag Carpet / Lighting: Astounding Sounds / Band: Empire 6 / Paper Products: Southern Fried Paper / Bridal Salon: The Blushing Bride Boutique / Hair and Makeup: Angie Williams Hair and Makeup / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids / Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Southern Fried Paper is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar AND reply

    Beautiful wedding but there’s no ‘h’ in Lake Texoma!

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You guys know I’m a sucker for a non-traditional dress. Alison’s pink Vera Wang was a show-stopper, but still looked perfectly whimsical to fit into her outdoor brunch “I do’s” with hubby, Brent. I am absolutely loving their breezy ceremony set-up, calligraphy details and lush green florals, courtesy of The Byrd Collective. We wish we could join in on Alison + Brent’s fun wedding from Paige Newton Photography!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Wow. It was quite an experience. I fell head over heels for the blush dress in Vera Wang’s collection for David’s Bridal the second I saw it. I was trying to save money and ended up buying another dress that I wasn’t happy with. After lamenting the decision and trying the blush pink dress on several times with friends, I stumbled upon a Three Nails Photography giveaway for my dream dress in my size! I held my breath for weeks and jumped straight out of my chair when I WON!

Brent knew that advent calendars were one of my favorite Christmas traditions. So when I made one for us, he decided to surprise me with a very special present on the last day! The ring was tucked in a chocolate candy wrapper (I have a major sweet tooth). I was in such a state of shock that it took me a minute to realize that he was down on one knee! It suddenly made sense why my parents had been avoiding me all morning. They had known since Thanksgiving when he had asked for my dad’s permission and they had all gone ring shopping together!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? No. That moment when I was walking down the aisle and we were both crying our eyes out was well worth the wait.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes! Brent’s were amazing. My favorite parts were the opening and the end. They started out very sweet and simple. “I promise to hold your hand under tables, in public, during the movies, while you sleep.” And the end was so special. “I look forward to the day it is no longer just us. To the day that we begin a family, and to working together as one body. I will be our hands, while you are our eyes. And you will be our heart, while I am the flesh, bones, and even armor that protects us.”

Two things I love: fun accessories and happy couples. Don’t y’all love Alison’s little black hair bow above and her adorable post-ceremony photo with Brent, below?

Ashley with The Byrd Collective is a floral genius. I wanted the flowers to be romantic and wild and she captured it perfectly. The room smelled gorgeously of sweet buds and delicious brunch food.

What range did your wedding budget fall into? I went over budget, broke down and hired a wedding planner. If I had been smart about it, I would have saved a lot by hiring her earlier on! We hit around $25,000. It could have been done for much less if I had planned my rentals earlier in the game and been better at budgeting — another handy reason to hire a planner.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Prioritize. If you aren’t good with budgets, then find someone who is immediately and follow your gut. Write thank you cards as you receive the gifts and make a list of those you’ve sent. Also, don’t borrow or buy your dishes. Washing 300 dishes isn’t anyone’s idea of a fun way to spend their first two weeks of marriage.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We became the best of friends during our last year of college at Texas State University. My maid of honor was also his good friend, so when he invited me to be his date at a wedding in his hometown, I didn’t hesitate. There is something extremely charming about a Southern gentleman and a small town wedding. But I bet I don’t have to tell y’all that!
In what month did you get married? I have always wanted to be a June bride and loved the date 6-2-12. Should be easy enough to remember!
How many guests attended your wedding? Close to 120.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding. Julia Ward sang “Love is a Big Deal” by Miya Dunets as I was walking down the aisle and as our first dance. It is hauntingly beautiful and has always brought tears to our eyes.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: When we sat down at the bakery to taste flavors, we had no idea what we were in for. We ended up choosing four different flavors because they were all so incredible. We chose to leave off the outer icing and drizzle the top with caramel. It gave it that wild and undone look that matched the flowers, but we placed two romantic brass swans on top to give it a polished touch.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The way it all felt very “us” from the bridal party outfits to the decor and food.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our families are from the South (Mississippi, Alabama, and deep in East Texas) so the accents alone made it feel very Southern. Other than that, we had several Southern touches. For brunch, we served scratch biscuits and gravy, I wore my something old/new/borrowed/blue in the form of wedding jewelry from our grandmothers and great grandmothers. The entire wedding had a family reunion feel which we loved, and we asked everyone to dress for my favorite Southern love, Sunday brunch.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I tried to do it all myself, while living in Arizona. If we hadn’t moved back to Austin a month before the wedding, I don’t know how I would have pulled it off. Having our friends and family around helped tremendously.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The photography! We’ll cherish these photographs forever.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The look on Brent’s face when I saw him standing at the altar. It was the sweetest moment of our entire relationship.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We just moved home to Austin because we’d like to settle down, begin planning a family of our own, and enjoy every day that we are back where the people are friendly and the land is beautiful.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
11 Comments
  1. avatar Lynn reply

    I love the signs for the drinks and the beautiful range of colors in the bridesmaid dresses the most. Hope you had a great labor day weekend and are excited for the official return of pumpkin spice lattes and salted caramel mochas starting today!

  2. avatar Sharon @ Red Poppy | Pink Peony reply

    Love the dress in blush pink! I wore it in ivory. Beautiful photos!

  3. avatar Leah Muse reply

    Holy gorgeous. That dress is amazing, the photography is beautiful and bright, and the details are so charming!

  4. avatar Emily @ BDW reply

    It was a blast helping Alison + Brent pull off their wedding vision along with some of my favorite people. Alison is such a talented artist and hand letterer, too! Thanks for featuring :). And, congratulations, Martins! xoxo

  5. avatar Katie @ Lovebird Productions reply

    Stunning! It is amazing how romantic sheer curtains can be.

    And the blush dress…perfect!

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  10. avatar ann reply

    Who designed/made the corn hole bag board. Its amazing.

  11. avatar Jenna reply

    I am planning my wedding right now and REALLY want to copy your corn hole boards. I was going to paint the design myself but I was just curious if yours was a decal you got made or hand painted? If it was a decal do you mind telling me where it was from?
    Thank you!!

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