Southern Weddings

Photographed by Nine Photography (a loyal SW sponsor) and planned by Jennifer Ashford of Altar Ego Weddings, Tara + Mark’s wedding at the 1899 Farmhouse was an autumnal dream come true!  The bride looked sweetly Southern in her open-back Monique Lhuillier gown while her bridesmaids stunned in their Alvina Valenta + Jim Hjelm frocks.  I think what I like best about this Texas wedding (besides the golden glow of the sunset ceremony, of course!) are the rustic floral arrangements and bouquets from The Urban Blossom Floral Art Studio.  Wonderfully wildflower perfect!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  The short story is that we met at work, but, of course, that is not the whole story!  I had started a new sales position at a large company that required new employees to train with several other seasoned sales people.  Mark was training me and we were chatting between calls when an instant message popped up on his screen from another co-worker asking, “Did you ask the new girl out yet?”  Mark closed the IM as fast as anyone possibly could, thinking he has been smooth, but of course I had already read it and now knew he had a little crush.  After many weeks of casual flirting, a few group lunches, and casual work get-togethers, I still hadn’t been invited on an official date, so decided I would call Mark myself.  I called on a Saturday thinking I could leave a cute and smart message when, to my surprise, he answered!  Being quick on my feet I asked if he was busy and whether I could sit with him again to further sharpen my sales skills.  Mark tells me he still didn’t think I was flirting with him but after a slow day with lots of downtime to chat, he finally asked me out for real!  It didn’t take long to see we had a ton in common and always had a lot of fun together.
Describe the proposal.  Mark & I were in NYC for the weekend with his cousins from Philadelphia, so we stayed Saturday night to spend a night alone before taking the train back to Philly the following morning. We had booked a budget hotel and, on our way there, Mark reveled a surprise: he had upgraded us to The Carlton on Madison Avenue! This alone didn’t raise any suspicion since Mark does romantic things, especially on vacation. Then after checking in we discovered our room was a suite, on the corner with an awesome view, the concierge had really hooked him up, again, no real red flag’s registering yet… until dinner!  He had another surprise: we were going to Tavern on the Green for dinner, which was wonderful except Mark seemed distracted.  He kept looking around me until I finally turned around expecting to see a beautiful woman sitting behind me, but no one was there.  On top of that he seemed really concerned about how long we were taking at dinner.  After dessert, he revealed the last surprise: he had arranged for a carriage ride through Central Park to pick us up after dinner… Red Flag!! I knew something was going on but tried not to convince myself of anything. He had told the driver of his plans to purpose and asked him to stop at a scenic spot, knowing I would want to get out to take a picture, which I did, but my flash was not cooperating so Mark took the camera from my hands and got on one knee.  I remember seeing the ring as a sparkle in the dark and remember kneeling down to kiss him and accept his proposal, but the rest is a blur.  We got lost leaving the park since we were too distracted calling family and friends with the news.  I finally saw the ring when we stopped to sit and get a drink to celebrate.  It was exactly what I would have picked, dainty and antique looking, and at that moment I realized just how well he knows me. It was a perfect evening we won’t ever forget!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Fun, happy and optimistic.