Southern Weddings

I think it is safe to say that Maegan and Jared are one of the absolute coolest couples we’ve ever had the privilege of featuring. Maegan is a puppeteer/ventriloquist/model/actor, and Jared is a comedian/musician, so it’s no surprise that their unique careers are what first led them to cross paths–Jared reached out to Maegan online, she attended one of his shows, and the rest is joyful, adventurous history. While they now live in Tennessee when they’re not on tour, they chose their home state of Texas for their wedding, allowing them to celebrate with many of their favorite things (coffee food trucks, a Tex Mex spread for dinner, and perfect Texas spring weather, to name a few), as well as their favorite people–Maegan’s nine younger siblings all participated in the ceremony. I loved reading about the heart behind Maegan and Jared’s inspiration and their memories from their gorgeous day, and I hope you do too!

Thank you so much to the talented Heather Hawkins for sharing this celebration with us in V8!

Tell us about your wedding flowers. How did you choose them? What did you love about them? Flowers are so symbolic to me and the growth of our relationship, so we wanted a very natural, loose, garden feel with lots of texture in purples, whites, and blues with lots of greenery. After working with Andi and Abby for a couple months, I had no qualms just totally letting them take the wheel–they knew what I wanted, and ordered and foraged whatever their hearts desired. And it was PERFECT.

There were so many special moments, but one of the stand outs for both of us was our around-the-corner prayer before the ceremony. We wanted to save our first look for the aisle, but also wanted a moment together beforehand. There was a perfect little cottage corner covered in gorgeous greenery, and we came out and stood on either side. As soon as we saw the other’s hands peek out around the corner, we pretty much lost it. We talked for a minute or two, then prayed with each other. Then, all the butterflies spawned into a million more, but it was the best, most excited feeling.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Did you include any special readings? The ceremony was so sweet and so profound. From the moment I came around the corner and saw Jared’s teary face for the first time, then hugging my dad after he gave me away, there was just such a joyous peace and thankfulness that stayed throughout the whole day. The sound of the music being played under the trees rustling in the soft breeze–it felt like our own little corner of the world stood still and joined in the moment. Exchanging personal vows was so meaningful, and I pray I’ll always remember the look in Jared’s eyes as vividly as I do now.
Who participated in your ceremony? Family members, friends? If so, what did they do? It was super important to me to have my siblings be a part of the wedding, so, in addition to the three older siblings who were in the wedding party, we had the remaining six walk down the aisle in pairs to sit on the grass on my side in front of the bridesmaids. My dad prayed over us when he handed me over to Jared, and that was a sweet moment. We also had an awesome friend, Ed Newton, officiate and he did such a great, heartfelt job.

We were so excited to have live music throughout our wedding. A friend who is a violinist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra played as guests arrived. For our processional, our full band played “Future/Past” by John Mark McMillan, “All That I Am” by Phil Wickham during our foot washing, and “Do You Believe in Magic” by The Lovin’ Spoonful for the recessional.

We knew we didn’t want a long engagement, but we also knew we wanted an outdoor wedding with pretty weather, so that landed us in May. We set our date and talked about lots of location options, but loved the idea of Austin. My family is from the Fort Worth area and his is from right outside of Houston, so it was a great in-between and still gave us a super fun destination feel. We love the vibe and the food trucks, and knew it’d be a good time. Picking a venue was definitely our biggest struggle! We knew the feel we were looking for and just weren’t finding it. I reached out to a wedding planner out of desperation–someone I knew had similar style and knowledge of the area–and it turned out to be the best accidentally genius thing I did. Melanie helped us get creative with a space we had loved from the beginning, but thought was too small, then helped us find a separate outdoor ceremony space. She was so awesome, we convinced her to stick around for the rest of the planning process and we were SO thankful to have her. The ceremony was outdoors at Angel Springs Event Center, a little gem I had to book last minute that ended up being so beautiful. The reception was down the road at The Union on Eighth. We loved this venue from the moment we saw a photo! It’s a transmission shop-turned-wedding venue–the owners have done an incredible job with the space and it was the perfect place to dance the night away. It had the industrial, but still warm and romantic, feel we loved, and Jared loved having man card bragging rights telling his buddies we were having our reception at an old car shop. It was a total win-win. Oh! We got married in Georgetown, Texas, which is in Williamson County, Texas. Jared’s home (and now mine, too, of course) is in Franklin, Tennessee, which is in, wait for it, Williamson County, Tennessee! That’s probably dumb and not worth printing, but I thought it was #destiny and, also, it held special meaning for us as a couple.

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. Oh, baby, the SWEETS. Our cakes were unbelievable, and as if they weren’t enough, we also had donuts and pies–some made by my grandmothers, some from a favorite date spot in Dallas. We kinda went overboard, but don’t regret a bit of it.
Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? Not traditions, exactly, but I did ask both my grandmothers to make our favorite pies, and the Hoosier cabinet we displayed them on belonged to my great-grandmother. They lived in a tent with a dirt floor on the oil field where my great-grandpa worked, and that little cabinet was her whole kitchen. It was in my grandma’s kitchen and has been in our family for as long as I can remember. I’ve always thought it was the coolest thing and was so excited when my parents said we could pack it up and tote it to Georgetown for our big day. It was one of my favorite details.

Tell us about your grand exit. We went with sparklers and drove off in his uncle’s Corvette–we sped off, stopped off around the corner, and just looked at each other. We both yelled “WE JUST HAD THE BEST WEDDING EVER” and had an awesome little geek-out moment over being married and on top of the world.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Long story short, he came across my name and reached out to me online to make a “business connection.” Coincidentally, a coworker had just seen him perform, making him legit and not a creepy magician stalker, so I responded. After a couple of months of talking and courageous persistence on his part, I went to a show he was doing in town. He was funny, cute, really talented, and super nice. We hit it off and he changed his flight, rented a car, and drove out to meet my family in our blue house in the country, among the chickens and ducks. It has been the best of rides ever since.
Describe the proposal: After a day that included an awesome breakfast (because our relationship has been built on a foundation of good food and coffee) and a hike down to a waterfall, he took me to an abandoned bridge overlooking the mountains of Alaska and (after saying some really sweet and genuine stuff that melted my heart) he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. It was simple and breathtaking, and I can’t imagine a more perfect moment. (Plus, he had mounted his GoPro, so we got to cry all over again watching it later.)
How did you prepare for marriage while planning your wedding? Planning for marriage is SO important! A wedding can be your “happily,” but marriage is the “ever after!” (I just made that up and feel kind of proud.) We did some book studies together, listened to teaching podcasts, and also went through premarital counseling. I cannot say enough about the importance of premarital counseling–it is SO worth the time and effort and truly makes such a difference.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: JOY. That’s all I’ve got.
How many guests attended your wedding? About 200
What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? I don’t think anybody can say they went through planning a wedding completely unscathed! We had our chosen food truck fall through just a few months before, we didn’t nail down a ceremony venue until six weeks out, and of course, my face had an allergic reaction to makeup that was still healing on our wedding day. I only say all of that to say: you know what? It all came together and totally didn’t matter–looking back, I barely even remember those things!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? I just knew I was going to find my dress at a certain shop in Tennessee and made an appointment for the next time I’d be in town. Meanwhile, we went to visit Jared’s family in the Houston area after getting engaged, and his mom, sister, and I decided to go look just for fun. (Famous last words.) We pulled a few I liked and I totally had the “moment” when I put on “the one.” I FaceTimed my parents, and through happy, girly tears said, “Heck yes!” to that dress. I instantly fell in love with the elegant, no-fuss fit and the neckline. Jared likes my shoulders, but I knew I didn’t want a strapless dress…this was a perfect win-win.
Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? I knew I wanted a cohesive, but not contrived feel. I gave them words like “effortless,” “romantic,” and “French,” and we laughed because wedding brain sounds ridiculous sometimes. I love everything Alexandra Grecco puts out, and her tulle skirts were a big inspiration. Some girls went with those and some went with other styles, but we all worked together with a color palette, Pinterest board, and group text. At the end of it all, we brought and laid out all the dresses, skirts, and tops we’d gathered and decided on our lineup–some girls swapped and picked out their look the night before. It was a blast.
How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your ceremony? Jared’s sweet family rented the cutest little house for the girls to get ready in, and we had such a blast getting ready together and dancing to music. My brother brought us coffee and donuts for breakfast and my mom came with my siblings to hang out with me and make lunch. Jared and I also exchanged notes and gifts (Shinola watches). I read his over-achieving six-page note and had all the girls crying (and me so ready to marry that boy).
Who was one of the most special guests at your wedding? As Jared got older, he always hoped his Meemaw would be able to see him get married, so it was extra special to have her there. She’s 88 and one of his biggest fans. She’s always told Jared that some girl would come along and not be able to resist those dimples. She was right.
Did you try anything new or nontraditional? Instead of the traditional cocktail hour, we did a coffee and donuts hour with Krispy Kreme donuts and an amazing coffee truck. The coffee truck served the usual menu, plus a specialty rosemary honey latte–it was a huge hit!
What was Southern about your wedding? We’re both from Texas and Jared has lived in Nashville for the last six years, so we love the South, but weren’t looking to have Lone Star decor or cowboy boots. What we love about the South is its friendly, welcoming heart–the South welcomes people with open, giving arms and invites them in for a good time and good food. That was the Southern charm we wanted to give back to our guests. Oh! And our father/daughter dance was to “You Are My Sunshine” which my dad has always sung to me and my sisters. That’s totally Southern.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? I’ve moved to Nashville and am loving the city and community there. Our schedules have kept us on the road a ton, so in between all the craziness, we’re just loving doing everyday life together and finding our groove. We’re still figuring out what scheduling will look like for us and trying to do as much together as possible, so we’re brainstorming ideas for a combined show and are excited about the future! That future will eventually include the adventure of children, but we’re content enjoying the adventures along the way there. ;)
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Make a priority list and beware of the Pinterest plague. Those were a couple things that helped us a lot. Right off the bat, we made lists of our top three priorities for the day. We wanted 1). to be married by the end of the day, 2). to get awesome photos/video of it all, and 3). for everyone to have a great time. That list kept us sane. In regards to Pinterest, it’s an awesome tool that I definitely utilized, but it’s so easy to get so sucked into the land of everyone else’s pretty that we lose sight of our own! The best thing I did was take a break from wedding blogs for a couple months, focus on Jared, and start a board that had no wedding photos–only inspiration from textures, colors, editorial shoots, and art (all images that resonated with me personally). It helped me hone in on creating something authentic and more “us.” And, of course, the only reason we have to buy the white dress in the first place is because of the boy who swept us off our feet and put a ring on our finger. If nobody shows up but you two and the preacher, you still get your happy ending/beginning. Everything else is just extra fun. :)

Photographer: Heather Hawkins | Videographer: Henry Weddings | Planner: Mayhar Designs | Ceremony Venue: Angel Springs | Reception Venue: The Union on Eighth | Florals: bows + arrows | Caterer: Whole Foods | Coffee Truck: Lucky Lab | Cake Baker: Cake and Spoon | Pies: Bride’s grandmothers and Emporium Pies | Bride’s Gown: “Isla” by Enzoani | Bridal Salon: Brickhouse Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: Tulle Skirts in Dusty Blue by Alexandra Grecco | Hair and Makeup: Amy Clarke | Band: David & The Dimes | Menswear: Ted Baker, Allen Edmonds and JCrew | Paper Goods: Whitney Farnsworth | Linens: 12th Table

Written with love by Lisa