Southern Weddings

It’s easy to love Kimberly and Salvador’s joyful wedding pictures–they look so happy and relaxed, just how I imagine every couple wants to feel on their wedding day! What I love even more, though, is how they crafted a wedding that was so meaningful to them. They were inspired by a Bible verse about a deeply rooted tree throughout their planning, which, in turn, inspired a loose theme of roots and growth. What could be more perfect for that than a wedding at the place where Kimberly’s roots are–her family’s (working!) farm? Even the flowers at the backyard reception were in pots, which now decorate Kimberly and Salvador’s newlywed home!

Thanks so much to Michelle Boyd for sharing Kimberly and Salvador’s wedding with us!

I dove into wedding dress shopping with a very specific idea in my mind, and ended up purchasing a dress that I had made fun of the first time I saw it! It took a couple of trips to David’s Bridal, and I was about to give up when I decided that I should try something different. The moment I slipped the dress over my head, I knew I had found it! Soft to the touch, a bit of lace along the neck and hemline, and ruffles down the back of the dress–it was perfect!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? YES! As a wedding photographer myself, I noticed that the “first look” was one of the rare moments that the bride and groom shared exclusively on the wedding day. I decided a long time ago that I wanted a first look at my wedding, and Salvador was definitely on board with seeing me as early in the day as possible! Those moments during the first look were my favorite from the entire day. It was so peaceful, calming, and perfect!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We chose “A Thousand Years” as our wedding song. Music is very important to Salvador, so we came up with a few ideas to make the song sound like “us.” A few of his groomsmen played an instrumental version consisting of the guitar, accordion, and the xylophone as the grandparents, parents, and bridesmaids entered. My lovely bevy of bridesmaids sang the words to the song as I walked down the aisle. It was such a neat moment! All of our guests loved how unique the music was, and we loved it too!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We initially planned to write our own vows, but we ended up going with the traditional ones. We rephrased them to sound more like us, but we really loved the promises originally written.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Psalm 1:3 “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” When we began dreaming about our wedding, we landed on this verse. We desired for our marriage to be like a tree that is deeply rooted, thriving, and prosperous. All of the details for our wedding stemmed from this idea, and this verse became the words that rooted us down in the midst of planning the wedding!

Picking a venue was really tough for me! I kept going over and over what would make the most people the most happy. My mom and Salvador had to remind me several times that the wedding needed to be about what Salvador and I wanted–not what we thought everyone else wanted. Since we wanted our wedding to center around roots and growth, we decided to have the wedding where my roots started: the house my parents built. It was a lot of work to turn a working farm into a wedding venue, but thanks to my family, it all came together beautifully!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Wedding cake is my favorite dessert, so it was very important that I find THE cake. We did taste tests at several bakeries around town, and I was on the brink of giving up when I found out that some of my friends were starting a cottage bakery. We scheduled a cake tasting, and I knew from the first bite that I had found the perfect wedding cake! We had a vanilla bean cake with rosette-styled frosting, along with two strawberries and champagne naked cakes. Salvador isn’t a huge fan of cake, so we did mini pies for the groom’s table. My family and I made the pecan pies with pecans from our trees, and The Prickly Pear Bakery made delicious apple, peach, and cherry pies as well!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met in college, but we didn’t become good friends until we started working together at Hardin-Simmons University. We would go out to lunch together, collaborate on projects, and go for walks around campus to take a break from the office. I always assumed we were just really great friends (even after he asked me out a few times), but Salvador always knew better! Being the patient and persistent man that he is, he stuck around in the “friend zone” for several years, waiting for me to figure out that we were perfect for each other. After I told him (for the third time) that I didn’t think it’d be a good idea for us to date, he backed off. Of course, I started to miss my best friend! I slowly realized that I had feelings deeper than friendship, so I asked him out on a date. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love, and all of our friends were so relieved that we FINALLY got together!
Tell us all about the proposal! We were in Hawaii celebrating the recent marriage of some of our best friends. On the last day of the trip, we collected shells on Hapuna beach, played in the waves, and soaked up one last beautiful sunset. I noticed that Salvador seemed distracted, but I didn’t think too much of it. Most of my friends were convinced that he would propose on this trip, but I honestly didn’t think he would! So I was totally surprised when he stole me away for a few quiet moments by the ocean after sunset. He gave me a box of sand from the beach, which I thought was just a souvenir. It wasn’t until he dropped down on one knee that I realized he had buried a ring in the box of sand!
When did y’all get married? July 6, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
Describe your wedding flowers. My bouquet was a mix of garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, and billy balls! The bridesmaids bouquets and the boutonnieres were a mix of yellow blooms, and I loved the pop of sunshine they added to the wedding colors! We decorated the yard and tables with a blend of pink and yellow flowers planted in pots. We wanted the flowers to have roots so that they would reflect our theme of growth. We’ve been enjoying the flowers all summer, and I love that our wedding flowers are decorating the steps of our first home together!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite details ended up being the things that we made ourselves. We wanted the details to be unique, reflective of us, and handmade. Salvador built our beautiful backdrop out of picket wood, and it turned out even better than I had imagined! He also cut coasters out of logs (which were hand stamped with our wedding logo–there are lots of perks that come with marrying a graphic designer) as favors for our guests. He also designed our invitation suite, AND he letterpressed our invitations, AND he brushed a watercolor wash over all of them! I made a few signs for the wedding, including the chalkboard menu and the labels for the tea table, and although it might be silly, I was really proud of those signs and loved how they turned out! I also loved the potted plants we used in place of cut flowers for decoration. Our wedding centered around the idea of growth and having roots that run deep, and we wanted the details of our wedding to reflect that. We also planted a tree in my parents backyard at the beginning of the reception!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The food and sweets were definitely Southern-inspired! We served sweet tea and lemonade popsicles to our guests before the wedding started, and we served a heap of Southern goodness at the reception, including biscuits with homemade butter, cool watermelon, and homemade pies. The reception felt like a typical summer evening in the South: good food, good company, a beautiful West Texas sunset, and plenty of sweet tea!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? It’s a tie: the Prickly Pear Bakery and Michelle Boyd Photography!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We had two very memorable moments from our wedding day. The first sight came at just the right time in the day. Salvador and I had both been busy and a bit stressed, and seeing each other made all of that melt away. Those 20 minutes of just me and him were bliss! The moment when our good friend and wedding officiant jumped out from the back end of our car as we were pulling out of the driveway was pretty unforgettable too!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? As soon as you get engaged, spend some time together in prayer thinking about your marriage. Planning a wedding is a stressful ordeal, and having a grounded view of why you’re doing it all is very important. Find a scripture that gives you both peace and lean on those words when everything feels like it’s reaching a boiling point. Remember that a wedding is a celebration, and perfection doesn’t need to be a part of it. And have as many bridesmaids as you want! Even if it is a full dozen. :)
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are both looking forward to sharing every moment of life together! We are so excited that we’re finally married and get to experience it all together!

Photographer: Michelle Boyd Photography / Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Hawkins Family Farm / Florist: The Knox City Florist / Wedding Cake: The Prickly Pear Bakery / Lighting: Unorthodox Weddings / Graphic Designer: Salvador Torres / Bride’s Gown: Galina Chiffon Gown with Ruffle and Lace / Paper Products: Red Circle Letterpress / Bride’s Shoes: Bandolino Sterling Platform Sandals in Pink / Groom’s Attire: Kohl’s

Written with love by Lisa