Callie and Chris are a couple after our own hearts! Not only did they celebrate their wedding day in true Southern fashion–in cowboy boots and pearls, surrounded by their favorite people at Classic Oaks Ranch, under the beautiful Texas sky–but they also ever-so-carefully prepared for their marriage while planning their sweet celebration. Callie prayed throughout their planning process that they would not solely be focused on their wedding day, but also be prepared for the days to follow and “the most important part,” their marriage!
Thanks so much of Anne Brookshire for sharing this special day with us!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I wanted something comfortable and romantic. I had been eyeing a dress online and planned to try it on once I had a break from work. My mom and good friend, Megan, went with me, and they were the best support system! I tried on the dress that I thought I would love, but it just wasn’t right. Two dresses later, I tried on the perfect dress–elegant, comfortable, and goosebumps-worthy! There was a Sprinkles cupcake store right next to the bridal salon, so naturally, we made our way over to snack on a cupcake while I made the decision. It was a wonderful experience!
We focused on Ephesians 5:22-33 during our engagement and premarital counseling, so our pastor emphasized this scripture during our ceremony. This scripture is a great reminder of the husband and wife’s roles, and how together, man and wife seek to fulfill God’s purpose through submission and relying on faith. Chris’ grandfather, Pop Pop, also told the story of Abraham and Sarah during our ceremony, which was incredibly meaningful.
Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We didn’t end up doing a first look. Chris and I both loved the idea of our first moment locking eyes on our wedding day being while I was walking down the aisle, and I’m so thankful we stuck to that decision. It is a moment I’ll never forget!! We did have a first touch, where we exchanged letters and gifts, and boy, was that fun!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle, hands down. I didn’t think I’d be nearly as emotional as I was during that moment, but I lost it (in a good way!). There is truly nothing else in the world like that moment, and I’ll remember it vividly for the rest of my days!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? This was something I prayed for consistently during the planning process–to not be so focused on the wedding planning that I didn’t prepare for what was to come after that day, the most important part! I tried my best to enjoy the fun planning moments, but to not dwell on too many specifics. Chris and I had an incredible premarital counselor, and he taught us a lot about specific aspects of marriage that might be awkward to randomly bring up. We feel like we were given so much incredible advice, and now, we are enjoying the ups, downs, hard, and fun moments of marriage! It’s so incredible going through every journey in life with your best friend.
My aunt is a florist, and boy, did she pull out all the stops! We have very similar taste, so I knew she would make everything look just like I envisioned. I wanted big blooms and greenery to be the general theme, so we used peonies, garden roses, eucalyptus and succulents. All of the bouquets and arrangements turned out more perfectly than I could have ever imagined!
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. The bride’s cake was a very classic white wedding cake with fun, different fillings in every layer, including lemon, raspberry, cream cheese, and strawberry. The groom’s cake was classic chocolate cake with strawberries, but we added a fun twist and put antlers all over the top of it! Chris is a big fan of hunting, so it was the perfect touch at our ranch wedding.
We’re both from Southern states (Texas and Oklahoma) and loved the idea of getting married on a ranch. I looked into some different places, and Classic Oaks Ranch was the obvious winner. The owners of the ranch, Joe and Cathy, were absolutely incredible! They were both so relaxed and such a joy to work with when planning the best day of your life!
From the cowboy boots and cotton boutonnieres to the pearl necklaces and lace dresses, our whole night had both subtle and obvious Southern details! We got married under the Texas sky at a ranch and enjoyed some Southern rainfall as we left for the night, surrounded by our favorite people celebrating with sparklers! We also had bacon-wrapped quail as one of our appetizers, and I’m not sure if you can get more Southern than that! :)
How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Chris and I both went to Baylor University, and anyone who went to Baylor knows of a huge tradition we have every February called All University Sing. His fraternity and my sorority performed together during our senior year, and although we didn’t meet during that time, we had a lot of mutual friends and vaguely knew of each other. We eventually ended up at the same place at the same time, and he asked me to a fraternity take-a-date, which was to a minor league baseball game. We ate hot dogs and Dippin’ Dots, watched some baseball, and got to know each other, and the rest is history! He was so kind and pursued me so sweetly from the very beginning. I knew he was the one!
Tell us all about the proposal! Chris casually mentioned he wanted to have a date night, but that he had a special surprise. We live in Oklahoma City, and there’s a riverwalk area downtown where you can ride a riverboat. Every time we go to this area, I ask him if we can ride a boat because it looks like so much fun, but Chris always rolls his eyes because it’s a thing only tourists do. But that night, the big surprise (or so he told me) was that he had rented a boat for just the two of us! I arrived at his apartment (not suspecting anything) in casual clothes with my hair in a braid. He sweetly asked, “Babe, will you wear your hair down for me tonight?” He knew I would want my hair down for the proposal and pictures! I was reluctant at first, but didn’t think anything of it because he loves my hair down, so I unbraided it. We got to downtown, hopped on the boat, and then Chris got pretty quiet–when he asked me to take off my sunglasses, I knew! He asked me to marry him and I said yes. As we continued our ride, we looked around the curve to see our closest friends and family all along the river bridge!
When did y’all get married? June 26, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 325
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I did! My something borrowed was my maid of honor’s ring and lipstick! The red lipstick was a last minute decision, and I’m so glad I trusted my best girls on that one! My something blue was a cute sticker I put on the bottom of my shoes with “Mrs. Tkach” on one shoe and our wedding date on the other. My something old was my grandmother’s pearl wedding ring she gave me on my 16th birthday, the sweetest gift. My something new was a beautiful pearl necklace from my soon-to-be husband!
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Wedding invitations! It really boggled my mind that it’s possible to spend thousands of dollars on paper that people usually end up tossing, so I went with pretty simple invitations. I addressed all the envelopes using Mail Merge on my computer and printed them on my printer! Lots of labor, huge money saver!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Enjoy it! It’s so easy to hope for engagement while dating, and then hope for the wedding day once you’re engaged, but embrace every moment while you’re experiencing it because it will fly by. While it’s so tempting to think of the future, let every day and every moment with the love of your life fully hit you. Oh, and have lots and lots of cake.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are currently learning how to live life with me working full-time as a NICU nurse and Chris finishing medical school. Our next crazy journey will be finding out where he matches for residency. We’re just loving and learning and pursuing the Lord together, and there’s nothing better!
Photographer: Anne Brookshire / Videographer: Jake Brown / Planner: Sunny Looper / Venue: Classic Oaks Ranch / Florist: Annie’s Garden / Cake Baker: Cakes by Charlesa / Caterer: The Reata Restaurant / DJ: Ed Petty / Paper Products: Wedding Paper Divas / Bride’s Gown: “Onyx” by Catherine Deane / Bridal Salon: BHLDN / Earrings and Necklace: Mikimoto / Hair and Makeup: Kiss and Makeup DFW / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Celia” by BHLDN / Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse / Harpist: Jenny Glass
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