Google+ Real Texas Wedding: JoAnn + Jon, Part I - Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings

My goodness this is a fun wedding!  I would expect nothing less of a couple currently traveling with a touring circus, however (really, they are!).  Stevie Thompson of the Garden Co (979-743-4648) put together the bright, festive florals, while JoAnn took care of all the planning details herself.  Her outdoor “chapel” is pretty fab, no?  Check back soon for some surprising reception activities and more lovely Whitney Lee images!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. We meet the first week of college. We were neighbors and on the same bus route. He said “the wheels are squeaky” and I agreed.
Describe the proposal.
We were living just south of Hong Kong at the time. For my birthday, Jon was very sneaky and took me to a beautiful hotel in the city. He built a tent made of sheets, it felt like camping, but in a hotel. He asked me, I said yes, and then we ordered waffles.
Three adjectives that describe the day are:
Authentic, happy, fun
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration?  What was Southern about your wedding?
I was born and raised in Texas (my husband was not born in the South, but we have adopted him since) and the wedding celebrated this – not the boots or the cowboys, even though those were plentiful, but the family, friends, being outside, under the giant oak trees, and dancing till late in the barn. We ate delicious southern food on picnic tables under the sky. We didn’t use placecards, seating charts or white linens. We just wanted people eating and enjoying themselves.  The wedding focused on keeping everyone entertained and celebrated family, from family portrait sessions, to a sandbox and piñata and pumpkin decorating for the kiddos and lots of shots for the adults. We also had a slideshow that included everyone present and celebrated our “decade of love.”
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: We were living outside of Hong Kong, so buying something off the rack was not going to work. I found a dress-maker in a little studio in Sheung Wan. I worked out the design with her and she made it for me.

Written with love by Southern Weddings
42 Comments
  1. avatar Latest Men Fashion Trends reply

    Looks like an amazing wedding :) Congratulations to JoAnn and Jon!

  2. avatar Karina Martens reply

    Love the outdoor shots! The bride looks so relaxed and happy.

  3. avatar Joy reply

    I love the banner shot so much! The font plus that gorgeous sky make that image really capture that this a very Texas wedding. Kudos to the photographer and the happy couple for making it happen.

  4. avatar Carrie reply

    Whitney Lee Photography did a great job! It looks like a picture perfect day for the happy couple!

  5. avatar Erica Nix reply

    What an amazing wedding! It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland!

  6. avatar Chandy reply

    The horse bouquet one is my favorite! Or maybe it is the haystack one. Hard to choose! I love that ring shot too!

  7. avatar Becca reply

    I’m in love with these photos. I wish I had this quality at my own wedding!

  8. avatar Jillian reply

    This really was the most ‘authentic’ wedding I have ever been to. Everyone was really happy, comfortable, and having blast letting loose and just being themselves.

  9. avatar fred reply

    These shots are fantastic, looks like a great wedding… the horse shot is classic "Texas"Whitney Lee Photography has a beautiful eye for photos.

  10. avatar Emily reply

    delightful wedding! creative couple and creative photos to match!

  11. avatar Dilly reply

    Great happy celebration – love, family, friends, and the big Texas sky. Truly ONE-Of-A-KIND!

  12. avatar Rowenna reply

    What beautiful images! The colors are amazing… It must have been such a beautiful day filled with so much love, family and friends. The happiness is really captured here and is projected through these particular photos. Great job!

  13. avatar Olivia reply

    What a wonderful quirky wedding! The photos do a fabulous job of capturing how perfectly they created a wedding that matched their personalities. Beautiful pictures for a beautiful occasion.

  14. avatar Deanna reply

    Awesome photos! I just love the smoochin’ in the shade of a hay bale – too cute!

  15. avatar Diana reply

    Gorgeous. I am planning my wedding now, and can’t believe JoAnn did it all herself! Brilliant! And the photos seem to capture perfectly the surroundings, the details, and the love of the couple. Exquisite.

  16. avatar Kari reply

    Captures what a wedding should really be about: family, friends, fun (so natural)… awesome colors!

  17. avatar Amanda reply

    LOVE the details! Fabulous creativity on the wedding and on the photos, LOVE IT.

  18. avatar Mandy reply

    One of the best, most creative weddings I have ever attended. It was a beautiful day!! So heartfelt! Loved the dancing, the pictures, the slideshow, the halloween masks, the food, and the eclectic guests!!! Truly southern and perfectly memorable! Love you so very much Joann & Jon!

  19. avatar Carrie reply

    The wedding of the year! Nothing like a good old country wedding in Dubina, Texas!

  20. avatar Deidra reply

    I have never seen a door under a tree, but absolutely love the significance of an entry to a new life together! This detail, along with all the others incorporating the beautiful outdoor setting makes for a collage of pictures that truely have a feeling of "relaxed joy" about them!

  21. avatar Mardelle Atkins reply

    Everything is so lovely and everyone is so happy! Really the images convey the best of Texas; you can almost smell the sweet fall air and the fresh mown hay. Everything is beautiful, classy, creative, and unique.

  22. avatar Heather reply

    Love these shots, especially the ones with the door!

  23. avatar krist reply

    what a beautiful, colorful wedding! the images really let the heart of it all shine through!congrats!

  24. avatar Donna reply

    What a wonderful, fun way to start ones life together. Really love the smoochn behind the haybale. Love the dirt isle to walk down. Very creative and beautiful. Best Wishes. Jean thanks for sharing website.

  25. avatar Amanda reply

    Beautifully Simplistic – a focus for the meaningful moment to share with loved ones. my favorite photo has to be the one with masks – it is refreshing to see a different take on wedding photography!

  26. avatar K. Rush reply

    The natural beauty of Texas really came out in your pictures as a wonderful back drop for your wedding. The kolaches and other desserts you find in the bakeries–and only there you can find them–were the "icing on the cake." If I had to get married all over again–I’d choose the way you did it. The round hay bails were also a missed and welcome site that is so typical and I think beautiful.Your photographer was great and it just looks so fun.I will have to buy or find a copy to have if it gets published. I’d want to show people–this is where I came from too. It would sit on my coffee table for all to see but out of the way from curious little boys hands.

  27. avatar Victoria reply

    Amazing photos!

  28. avatar Jon T reply

    Cool wedding and awesome setup all the way down to what looks to be a hand stitched quilt for the dressing area!

  29. avatar Leslie reply

    I love to see the couples true personality shine in the details of their wedding. Love the bouquets, the doors and the flowers in the beer bottles.

  30. avatar Elizabeth reply

    The pictures truly portray what the bride really wanted out of the wedding; that is a wedding in the country surrounded by friends, family and fun. I love the colors and the style of the whole affair. I can tell a lot of thought was put into this wedding. Just beautiful!

  31. avatar cindi reply

    What a beautiful southern wedding! Such a special day for the happy couple to always remember. . . . Thanks for sharing, Jean! :-)

  32. avatar Wendy reply

    awesome photos! unique shots and creative props.

  33. avatar leah p. reply

    what a creative, thoughtful and GOREOUS wedding! captured so beautifully by ms. whitney lee. amazing, as usual :)

  34. avatar Katie reply

    Wow, exquisite photos. What a beautiful wedding!

  35. avatar Trish reply

    These wedding photos capture the feelings and surroundings, absolutely beautiful. I also love the creative and playful theme of the shots—matches well with the couple!

  36. avatar AJ (Jean) reply

    The pictures capture a perfect outdoor Southern wedding. Family, Friends, and Fun!!! I really loved the "old door" entrance and of course, the beautiful liveoak setting. Priceless!!! Photography at its Best. Congratulations Jo Ann and Jon!!!

  37. avatar Linda reply

    This is a fun wedding to read about. So glad that they made it fun for family & friends. Great pics as always from Whitney Lee.

  38. avatar Cookie reply

    It was truly a "story-book" wedding – from the creative, handmade wedding invitations to the wild flower bouquets. Jon created fantastic "chandeliers" for the barn from twigs and tiny lights (later bought by an interior designer who was present). Between JoAnn and Jon not a single detail was missed. They created a unique, fun experience for all!

  39. avatar Jennifer New reply

    It was THE most creatively beautiful celebration of love I have ever witnessed. I was honored to be a part of it and felt nothing but love and peace of mind in the air. Even the horses were lovely. =)

  40. avatar Elisabeth reply

    Such a beautiful celebration!

  41. avatar Katherine reply

    I am in love with these photos…..so creative and really capture the personality of the couple. It looks like a dreamy wedding!

  42. avatar judith houle reply

    Salut,C,est magnifique et extraordinaire,le plus beau des mariage!!!

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