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We believe in planning a deeply meaningful beginning to married life, and we love to see couples who feel the same. Molly and Josh’s sweet wedding day is filled with beautiful, yet completely personal details. The two were married in the middle of the giant pecan orchard where Molly has spent hours and hours riding the very same horse that carried her to her groom on her wedding day. They included a selection of Molly’s late grandmother’s favorite hymns within their ceremony, and even rode their prized ponies to their reception at her family’s farm. Topping off their day, “Pop” (Molly’s grandfather), surprised them with a memorable fireworks display!

Thanks to Ashlee Culverhouse for these sweet photos! P.S. See Ashlee’s own wedding on our site here!

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I borrowed my MeMa’s pearl earrings from my mother – something old and borrowed. My oldest sister, Ashlee, embroidered the most beautiful blue horseshoe on the underside of my dress, and I had a new, sparkling dress, of course!

Our venues are part of my heart and soul. Josh and I were married in the middle of a giant pecan orchard, the same orchard I spent hours riding through in middle school, high school, and college on the very same horse that carried me to my groom. Our reception was held on my parents’ farm in the middle of my mare’s pasture. My horses were pastured right next to the tent and received all the apples and carrots they could have ever wanted. Every time I go ‘home,’ I think about all the fun we had that night. Those memories will forever be just a few steps away.

Two family friends designed Molly and Josh’s flowers, using dahlias, peonies, succulents, ferns, roses, lilies, berries, Queen Anne’s lace, and tulips! “I don’t know how they did it, but they did it flawlessly! My flowers were by far one of my favorite things,” said Molly.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Absolutely. I wanted to get all of our pictures together and our family pictures done so that we could spend as much time as possible at our reception. We also gathered the bridal party and a few others at the house between the ceremony and reception to watch the Kentucky Derby – it’s important to get your priorities straight!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. As guests arrived, my violinist played a number of hymns that were provided to me by my MeMa. She was something special, and ever since she passed away, I wanted her to be included somehow in my wedding. While we were going through some of her things, we found a list of her favorite hymns, and I knew that was exactly what I wanted for the prelude. My absolute favorite movie in this entire world is The Man From Snowy River, so my bridesmaids walked down the aisle to Jessica’s Theme: “Breaking in the Colt.”

Between the hustle and bustle of everyone driving from the ceremony site to the reception, Josh and I were together, riding horses back to my parents farm. It’s a little more than a mile between the sites, and our time together was relaxing and beautiful. I am so lucky that my two most prized ponies were able to be a part of our wedding.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I loved every single thing about our wedding: the flowers, the horseshoe boxes, the kids roping the straw calves, my horses being a part of everything, and the band! If I had to have just ONE favorite, it would have to be my steed, Flint, carrying me to the ceremony. He was a perfect gentleman, and I couldn’t have dreamed of anything more magical. Also, a pretty memorable detail was the HUGE fireworks show that my grandfather, Pop, surprised us with. He has since passed away, and that was such a special moment for us to share with him.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. First, I must preface our first meeting with the first time I ever saw Josh. It was October of 2007 at the Georgia National Fair and he was the front and center act of the hypnosis show. I was in the audience and was smitten by his good looks and funny personality, even recording small video clips of him the whole show! In May of 2008, I came home for the summer and picked up my normal summer job at the local veterinary office. I was walking dogs outside the first time I ever saw him. After weeks of pondering, I asked him if he happened to be in the hypnosis show at the fair. It was him! I showed him all the videos I had taken of him and was sure I had scared him off. We started eating lunch together every day, and then we fell in love!
Tell us all about the proposal! My sister was scheduled to have her baby on a Sunday in Chattanooga. I made plans to go up with my mom for the weekend, and decided spur of the moment that I wanted to go see Taylor Swift that Saturday in Nashville. I bought the tickets and immediately called to ask Josh if he wanted to go. He did, so the next day we headed to Nashville. I wanted to walk downtown and take in all the pre-concert activities that were going on, but Josh wanted to get away from all of the people and get something to eat. We finally we settled on a roadside hotdog stand off the beaten path and headed toward a place to sit that Josh spotted up the road. I quickly scarfed my hotdog while taking in the garden around us. When I turned back around, Josh was holding the most perfect diamond ring in his hand and said, “Are you ready?!” Between my, “is that real?” “are you serious?” and “am I ready for what??” he got down on his knee and I said YES.
When did y’all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 210
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. I love red velvet, and I would not go any other way. My husband is more of a traditional fellow. He goes into a coma when he eats my mom’s Chocolate Groom’s Cake, and, as expected, he chose it for our wedding day, too.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Do what YOU want to do! I did everything exactly how I wanted to do it, and I don’t regret a single thing! I am so grateful for all the helping hands that helped me build my vision on that day. Spend more money on what is most important to you.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? The thing I looked, and still look, forward to every day is seeing him when I get home from work. We were long distance for over five of the six years that we dated, and I can FINALLY come home to him every single day!

Photographer: Ashlee Culverhouse Photo / Videographer: Perry Swanson / Ceremony Venue: Big Indian Creek Farm / Reception Venue: White House Farm / Florist and Special Details: Karen Freeman & Linda Troxel / Wedding Cake or Dessert Baker:Jan McCord / Caterer: Pat Coody, In Good Taste Catering / Rentals and Lighting: Tent-sational Events and Taylor Services / Band: Celebration Band / Paper Products: Created by Ben Freeman and Printed by FastSigns / Bride’s Gown: “D1410” by Essense of Australia / Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil/Jewelry: Erica Koesler / Hair Stylist: Katie Freeman Owen / Makeup Artist: Linsey McCord Freeman / Bride’s Shoes: “Heritage Western X Toe” by Ariat / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Heidi, Arabelle, Kylie, Nadia and Mirabelle” by J.Crew / Groom’s and Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank / Director: Cindi Holly / Additional Vendors: The Melon Vine and The Something Blue Shoppe / Ceremony Musician: Baylee Culverhouse / Officiant: Jim Hamlin

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Just love this wedding! They did western perfectly!

  2. avatar Abby reply

    You can feel the bride’s spunk jumping out of the pictures! LOVE the horses and all he personal touches. What a memorable day!

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A month after their intimate ceremony on the beach, Morgan and Brian gathered their family and friends back home together for a fun, casual reception. Even though the design between their Florida ceremony and Oklahoma reception switched from beachy to rustic, the most important thing remained the same: it was a joyful celebration of the love Morgan and Brian share. Y’all please enjoy part two of Morgan and Brian’s wedding, full of gorgeous styling by Kylie Swanson, and captured by the talented Aaron Snow!

Our reception took place on an equestrian farm in Tulsa. The horses were such stunning creatures and made beautiful wedding guests. I love being outdoors, so I really enjoyed the natural touches of the wide open spaces and grassy fields. All of the wood features and tables brought great warmth to the reception, and the greenery along the tables were extra lovely.

What was Southern about your wedding? Farm tables, horses, and the great outdoors!

What kind of food did you serve? We served a combination of some of our favorite foods at both our wedding and our home reception. Both were served buffet-style and were very casual.

Being a bride who never really had a particular “vision” for my wedding day, I honestly left all of the design up to our planner and designer, Kylie Swanson. She really made it her mission to get to know Brian and I as a couple, and that affected the outcome of both our wedding and our reception back home. Aside from having her focus on our aesthetic as a couple, I was drawn to bright colors and I love anything with great natural light.

For our cake in Florida, we chose to stick with something classic, and Kylie adorned it with fresh blooms. Our cakes at our home reception also included flowers and were not only beautiful, but also extremely delicious!

Tell us about your grand exit. We ran through a tunnel of smiles and sparklers and into a vintage hot rod getaway car.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? It was probably the time crunch–we got engaged and married in four months. For couples with short engagements, I recommend hiring a wedding planner, for sure!
Tell us a bit about your first dance. Our first dance was to the original version of “Crazy Love.” It was soft, sweet, slow, and intimate. It felt like we were the only ones there.
Did you toss the garter or bouquet? We did both!
Tell us about a way or ways you saved money or cut costs while planning. Kylie not only created two incredible events in a short amount of time, but she was also invaluable in budgeting everything and brought everything together seamlessly. She supplied us with great vendor teams and we trusted not only her vision, but also those she chose to work with.
What’s next for you as a couple? Three months after our wedding, we moved to England to be missionaries.
What are you most looking forward to about marriage? We are simply looking forward to doing life together. One of God’s greatest gifts is getting to share your days with your best friend.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Wedding planning can be inevitably stressful, so always keep what your wedding day is really all about in the forefront of your mind! Brian says to make every decision fun and to celebrate when you get something accomplished.

Photographer: Aaron Snow / Videographer: Pen Weddings / Planner, Designer, and Stylist: Kylie Swanson / Ceremony Venue: Marriott Marco Island / Reception Venue: KJM The Farm / Florals: Isn’t She Lovely (Florida) and Poppy Lane Design (Oklahoma) / Catering: Marriott Marco Island (Florida) and Ludger’s (Oklahoma) / Cake Baker: Marriott Marco Island (Florida) and Amy’s Cakes (Oklahoma) / Hair and Makeup: Blo OKC / Bride’s Gown: Monique Lhuillier / Bridal Salon and Veil: JJ Kelly / Bridesmaid Dresses: Dillard’s / Groom’s Attire: Banana Republic / Paper Goods: Gather & Co. / Rentals: Niche Event Rentals (Florida), Kahoy Studios (Oklahoma), and Marianne’s Rentals (Oklahoma) / Transportation: Tulsa Vintage Rides / Lighting: Zach Downing Productions

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Wendy reply

    Thank you so much for the beautiful feature. It was a honor to have Morgan and Brian celebrate their marriage at KJM The Farm! We wish the couple a very happily ever after!

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I’m pretty sure that if I told you that this wedding had a former Abercrombie & Fitch model for a groom, a bride that rode in on a white horse, and a ceremony that took place on a field covered in yellow wildflowers, you might think I was writing a romance novel. But y’all, it did! For their special day, Kelli and Michael wanted their California friends and family to feel the warmth of Southern hospitality and the fun of a Texas country wedding. With the help of Blue Ribbon Vendor, Two Be Wed, Kelli’s matron of honor’s parents’ ranch became the site of this sweet day, where guests were invited to make themselves at home and celebrate the newlyweds’ love with all things Southern. I love the South, and seeing it shared through our couple’s eyes makes my heart sing–Kelli and Michael even had a good ol’ tractor to transport guests!

We’re so thankful to Christianne Taylor for sharing this lovely day with us in V7!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. I was a new sophomore in Santa Barbara, where I had just transferred to my new school, and I didn’t know anyone. My dad and I were downtown at Brooks’ orientation, and we wandered into a coffee shop where Mike worked. I immediately noticed the ridiculously good-looking barista. Mike was literally an Abercrombie & Fitch model at the time, so I was understandably shy, and I made my dad go place the order! Months later, I ended up moving into a house in Montecito with four random roommates. One of the roommates, Lauren, happened to work at the coffee shop with Mike, and she quickly filled me in on the fact that this super handsome guy was only a year older than me, had never had a girlfriend before (crazy, right?!), and apparently was super sweet, soft spoken, and shy. And, he was a Christian and a Young Life leader at Santa Barbara High School! Of course, my crush quickly grew into a full-blown obsession. In the meantime, I had started casually seeing another guy, and that relationship ended just before Valentine’s Day. I went out for a single ladies’ Valentine’s Day dinner with Lauren, and she told me that Mike had been asking about me for months! When I had ended the relationship with the other guy on my own, she felt it was okay to finally let me know about Mike. Mike, in the meantime, didn’t know Lauren was chatting with me or that I had ended things with the other guy, but when I got home that night, he had left me a sweet message, asking me to coffee. We have been together ever since.

I had the amazing opportunity to meet and work with wedding dress designer Hayley Paige on an article for Houston Magazine. She comes to Houston often for trunk shows and has become a close friend. She is just the sweetest and most talented person I know. When Mike and I got engaged, she went above and beyond to make sure my dress was perfect and I had everything I needed. I had the privilege to shoot the owner’s of Now & Forever Bridal Boutique’s wedding in Hawaii the year before Mike and I got married. They, along with Hayley, have also become close friends, and they made my dress buying experience above and beyond wonderful.

What was Southern about your wedding? Everything: the decor, the environment, the horses, the ranch, the boots, the rustic theme, and the tractor.

We tried to do as much of our own stuff as possible. We had SO many friends with unique gifts and talents contribute to our day. We couldn’t have done it without them! I made/printed our save the dates, favors, confetti bags for the ceremony, and chalkboard signs for favors. I also printed and designed our wedding programs, which featured illustrations by Tricia Lowenfield.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Did you include any special readings? It was all so special. We did communion–our faith is an important part of who we are as individuals and a couple.
Who was your officiant? Why did you choose him/her? Our officiant was our pastor who has known me since I was young. I used to be the youth intern at the church with him, and he has mentored me for a long time. It was special to have him counsel Mike and I leading up to the wedding and to have him as a part of the big day.

Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: The horse we had the opportunity to ride in on! I also loved the birch sticks that lined the ceremony aisles–they had cascading ivy, vines, and white flowers on top. The cross at the end of our aisle had matching florals. The sun setting behind it made the water on the lake glisten. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful way to show our family and friends the warmth of the South.

We got married in Marquez, Texas at my best friend’s ranch. She was also my matron of honor and wedding photographer! Their ranch was such a blessing to have on our big day. Her family was so unbelievably hospitable, and they are much like family to me as well, so it couldn’t have been more perfect. The majority of our family and friends were coming from California, so we wanted to give them a real Texas experience. The ranch was the perfect fit! We had horses, a tractor, boots, and all! The ceremony took place on a field covered in yellow wildflowers, overlooking a beautiful lake. I love nature and wanted our wedding to be simple, elegant, and rustic.

Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: The coffee favors. He’s become a coffee connoisseur and we home-roasted a lot of coffee ourselves. Our wedding favors were bags of coffee from Northstar Coffee Co. that said “Love is Brewing”–we thought this was only appropriate, considering the role it played in our story.

We had one of my close friends make our cake and cupcakes. She has a vegan catering company called Ripe Cuisine, and everything was amazing. We had chocolate and carrot cake for Mike–it’s his favorite!

Date of your wedding: March 16, 2013
Describe the proposal: It was simple and sweet. We had decided to go on a break for a few months before getting engaged. We both had graduated, he moved to Seattle, and I was in Houston. The break made us realize we were ready to be together for life. He made the move to Houston a few months later, and proposed at my parents’ house.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Rustic, elegant, and organic
What was the weather like on your big day? Beautiful. It was in the mid-80’s during the day and the high 60’s at night. We had an outdoor fireplace and fleece blankets in baskets for guests to cozy up with.
How many guests attended your wedding? About 150
What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? Logistics! I am a creative, so the nitty gritty and numbers stuff have always been hard for me. I’m SO thankful for the girls at Twobewed–they were a Godsend! I couldn’t have done anything without them.
Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? It was so important to me that my bridesmaids not feel burdened, but loved the experience of our wedding. I wanted them to encompass our theme, but also be comfortable and embody the warmth of spring in Texas. I picked out some cute, ivory lace, corset-top sundresses from American Eagle that the girls all wore with boots.
What was your reception like? Intimate and informal. We wanted guests to feel at home, and not like there was a routine or regimen that needed to be followed.
What was the design inspiration for your reception? We had hanging string lights and several seating vignettes–lots of chaise lounges–for a cozy, but elegant, backyard ranch feel. The food was served on the porch, set up on rustic wooden doors converted into tables, with vintage wine barrels as the base.
Did you have a cocktail hour? If so, what was it like? Yes, but it was brief. We displayed chalkboard signs depicting our signature mocktails (it was a dry wedding, as our venue dictated).
What kind of food did you serve? We served upscale barbecue with veggies, prepared by Ara Malkein with Aracan Kitchen. He was the sous chef for Wolfgang Puck for several years in California, and he was such a joy to work with!
What was the funniest moment? What was the scariest? Our grand entrance featured Mike leading me in on a beautiful white horse, but my horse almost took off with me on the back of it! 

What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Don’t sweat the small stuff–none of it matters. Just enjoy every moment and take it ALL in. It flies by so quickly.

Photographer: Christianne Taylor / Videographer: Sweet Start / Planner: Two Be Wed / Graphic Designer: Rumford Graphic Design / Venue: Great Rock Ranch / Florals: Joanna Dunton / Caterer: Ara Malekin with Aracan Kitchen / Cake Baker: Ripe Cuisine / Bride’s Gown: “Hattie” by Hayley Paige / Bridal Salon and Accessories: Now and Forever Bridal Boutique / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride’s Hair Accessory: Serephine / Bridesmaid Dresses: American Eagle / Hair and Makeup: Shannon Bloodworth / Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss / Groomsmen Attire: H&M / Paper Goods: Vera Wang / Linens and Rentals: Aztec Rentals / DJ and Lighting: Unique Style Productions / Wine Barrels: Katy Barrel Co.

Two Be Wed is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Julie reply

    This is just the sweetest thing! I love the ‘meet cute’ sign!

  2. avatar Tricia Lowenfield reply

    So fun to see this beautiful wedding!! I loved working with the bride on her program illustrations.

  3. avatar Un First Look íntimo para dos – My Blog reply

    […] 1–2–3–4–5–6–7 8–9–10–11–12 […]

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