Southern Weddings

Hard to believe it, ladies + gents, but fall is right around the corner!  We can think of nothing better to usher in cooler temps than this gem of a wedding, sent to us by photographer Whitney Lee.  From the woodsy lighting details of the barn at Plano Bridge to the sweet sticky buns set up at the reception; from the candy bar with items chosen for deliciousness, not color coordination to the ridiculously fun looking reception activities (including mask-wearing and pinata smashing), we couldn’t have planned it better ourselves.

Describe your wedding flowers: I didn’t have my heart set on any specific flowers, I wanted to give them all a chance. I wanted things that looked juicy, and woodsy, lots of berries, lotus pods, things that have a great shape, nice lines, and a bit of structure to them. We used lots of succulents (from my neighbor’s yard), horse apples from my aunt and uncle’s place, a huge mossy log, along with a wonderful mix my florist put together. She was amazing!
Describe your wedding cake: The cake was a fairly simple cupcake tower. We wanted something resembling a cake for the tradition of it, but we wanted to focus more on the desert table, and it was delicious. It was covered with locally baked cookies, brownies, kolaches, cinnamon rolls, and a variety of pies. The table was decorated with tree slices, mossy branches, ferns, mushrooms, small orchids, and horse apples.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Planning it from Macau (island west of Hong Kong), resources were scarce and everything had to be planned over the phone. We are DIY kind of people, so the week before was crazy busy. Jon collected, cut, and molded grapevines into sculptural décor. We built an outdoor light fixture made of hundreds of hanging lights. We got crafty with the signs, assembled welcome bags for out-of-towners and finished a 2-D stop motion movie made with 12,000 still images. It was exhausting, but worth it.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Standing behind the door before walking down the aisle. Hearing the most beautiful music, and crying in disbelief that this was happening. Thinking that all the people I love are behind the door along with the man I was meant to be with, my best friend was waiting at the end. Everything has come together, everything was as it should be, and everything was perfect.
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future?  Jon and I are currently traveling with a touring circus. We will be traveling through Europe in the fall, and then back to work in Amsterdam for the rest of the year.

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.