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Jessica and Sawyer may have chosen to forgo a few traditions, but they made sure that sweet Southern hospitality was not one of them! Since they had guests coming to town from all over the country, they wanted to give them a taste of what they love about Texas through their venue and menu selection. Opting for a laid-back vibe, these two chose to add only simple decor to the already-lovely Brooks at Weatherford and let their Tex-Mex menu (fajitas and margaritas!) shine! And of course, their dance floor was open all night! I think I might be having guest envy, y’all!

Big SW hugs to< a href="http://www.sarahmckenziephoto.com" target="_blank">Sarah McKenzie for sharing their special day with us!

I knew exactly what I was looking for before dress shopping: something classic with sleeves and lots of lace (think Kate Middleton). I actually only went to two stores, and my wedding dress shopping was complete in one day. It was an overwhelming, but super fun, experience, and my mom and I had a great time.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t sweat the small stuff. I know it’s so hard not to, but seriously, it doesn’t matter! Your guests will not care if you forgot to print the ceremony programs or if you left your guest book at home. Try to remember that this whole wedding thing is about marrying each other!

We didn’t participate in too many traditions, as we wanted the focus of the day to be our marriage and getting to celebrate that with friends and family. However, since we had guests from all over North America, we wanted them to be able to experience all that Texas had to offer. Everything from our venue to our food and drink selections were meant to give guests a taste of what we love about Texas!

Sawyer popped the question in a sweet, private setting when we had a moment alone, which was exactly what I had wanted. We arrived home to a private family celebration, but the big surprise came the following week! I was surprised with a giant engagement celebration, courtesy of our TCU friends. I had friends who drove from all across Texas to attend, and we had an absolute blast, complete with a margarita machine and a freestyle rap battle (it was epic). It was such a sweet surprise and easily one of my favorite memories.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We decided to use a set of vows recommended by our church, and just changed a few pieces to better fit our relationship. This was my favorite verse/line that I read: “Today, I am reminded of James 1:17, which says, ‘Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights who does not change like shifting shadow.’ Besides the gift of salvation, you are the most precious gift God has given me.”

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? I think the most memorable moment of our wedding day was eating dinner together in the bridal suite. After the ceremony, we chose to eat alone so we could spend a few minutes relaxing. Our caterer brought in plate after plate of fajita fixings and two margaritas, and we got to sit on the couch, feet up, pigging out together. It was SO nice to have a moment of peace to enjoy our food and process the day before entering the craziness of the reception.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Since we were having Tex-Mex for dinner, we went with a triple Mexican vanilla cake, plus a Texas chocolate sheet cake for the groom’s cake. We wanted to give our out-of-town guests a taste of Texas while they were there!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I think my favorite part of our wedding was the laid-back vibe. We went for simple decor, dinner was fajitas and margaritas, and the dance floor was open all night.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Sawyer and I met pretty early on in our college careers at TCU, through a mutual friend, but didn’t get to know each other until we started working on a philanthropy project together junior year. I needed a date to my sorority’s formal that same fall, and the rest is history!
When did y’all get married? July 22, 2016
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 140
Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We did decide to do a first look! This was a recommendation from our photographer, Sarah, and was seriously the BEST decision. Taking photos (especially in the July heat) can be a less than fun experience, so getting to take most of our photos pre-ceremony was a huge relief. It also helped calm both of our nerves; Sawyer is my best friend and I didn’t want to spend our entire wedding day apart. We were able to spend more time with friends and family after the ceremony, and we got much more quiet time alone as well. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is on the fence–walking down the aisle was still incredibly special and emotional!
Describe your wedding flowers. I wanted our flowers to be the focal point of our decor. We wanted lots of neutral shades of white, cream, and dusty blues, along with tons of greenery accents. Our florist, Sage Fine Flowers, executed this beautifully! We had lots of hydrangea, thistle, greenery, and succulents that all came together to create a very light and summery look!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We participated in a marriage class and premarital counseling through our church. It was a great way to get to know each other on a deeper level and prepare to live together as a Christ-centered couple.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge we had was working within our budget. Events are my passion, so it was important to me that this day reflect us as a couple. We ended up having to prioritize what was most important for us and the guests. Things like fancy invitations and monogrammed napkins got cut from our priority list, but we didn’t end up missing them!
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? My wedding coordinator, Tracey, really helped keep my stress levels in check. I think that a lot of people assume that if they like planning events, they can get away with coordinating a wedding on their own. My full-time job is planning events, but no matter how experienced you are, it is impossible to enjoy your day as a bride without a dedicated person on-site running interference for you. I wanted to enjoy my day and I wanted my friends and family to do the same, and that would not have been possible without Tracey. She kept things running smoothly, and was crucial in pulling all of the final details together for me so that I had more time to enjoy my engagement season.

What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Sawyer and I are living in Fort Worth and already have what feels like a herd of dogs (it’s actually only two). We are looking forward to experiencing life together, traveling, and spending time with the people we love!

Photographer: Sarah McKenzie Photography | Videographer: Jared Christopher | Planner: Tracey Shellum | Venue: The Brooks at Weatherford | Florist: Sage Fine Flowers | Wedding Cakes: Pennie Miller | Caterer: A Sophisticated Affair | Rentals: Beautiful Event Rentals | Lighting and DJ: Exodus Sound Company | Paper Products: Wedding Paper Divas | Bride’s Gown: Lusan Mandongus | Bridal Salon: Bridal Boutique of Lewisville | Hair and Makeup: Micaela Evans of Kiss and Makeup | Bride’s Shoes: Betsey Johnson | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bill Levkoff | Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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