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For Britt and Travis’ friends and family, this wedding was fifteen years in the making. After growing up together, their decade and a half of friendship culminated with the most overwhelming (in a great way!) experience of their lives–their vows! Britt and Travis chose to devote their lives to each other through personal vows built from pieces of their favorite parts of friends’ ceremonies. Such a neat way to incorporate loved ones into a wedding day! We could not support Britt and Travis’ sentiments on their wedding more: while the details are nice, the most important thing was the people around them and the covenant that they made.

Big hugs to Sara & Rocky for sharing this sweet day with us!

Finding my wedding dress was a lot more challenging than I had expected. I wanted to feel like a bride, and for some reason, I just didn’t in anything I tried on. My youngest sister lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas and her roommate had suggested a store called Low’s in Brinkley. My mom and I decided to make a fun trip out of it and flew out to Little Rock one weekend. When we drove into Brinkley, I was a bit apprehensive, because it felt like we were in a ghost town. This three-story dress shop was just about the only thing still open, but it was well worth the drive! The Allure gown that I chose was exactly what I was looking for–I just felt like a bride in it. The combination of lace and tulle with some very subtle beaded accents fit my personality perfectly!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? This was a really hard decision for us. As someone who has photographed weddings, I understand how sweet and special a first look can be, but I wanted to experience all of the emotions and excitement that comes with not seeing your future husband until walking down the aisle. I also wanted the time before our ceremony to be spent with our individual families and wedding parties. I knew that if we had a first look, I would fill the time with pictures and tasks that I needed to let go of. I’m so grateful that we went that route, because it allowed us to enjoy sweet time with family and friends that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Over the past five years, I’ve been to and photographed a lot of weddings, and for some reason, I had decided to write down parts of the vows that I really loved and remembered. I went back and asked several of those friends if I could borrow parts of their vows, and we put them together to come up with our own version of vows. Our favorite phrase was the very end, and it said: “Letting nothing divide us for we are made new; all our days forward, you are my beloved and I am yours.” We intentionally chose the words “letting nothing divide us” because we believe that it’s our responsibility to fight for our marriage, and that it is a choice to let nothing divide the covenant that we have made both with the Lord and with each other.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Saying our vows to one another was pretty surreal. To think back on 15 years of friendship and see all that the Lord had done to get us to that exact moment was easily one of the most overwhelming experiences of our lives.

Long before we got engaged, a family friend purchased an organic pecan farm in our hometown that they invited us to come and see. They shared with us their vision of hosting gatherings of all types, providing education about organic farming to students, and creating community, with the ultimate goal of serving the Lord through this gift. Once Travis proposed, I didn’t even think twice about where I wanted our wedding to be. When we got engaged, Chandelier Grove was simply a farm house and the pecan grove, and that was more than I had ever dreamed of. Over the course of our 11 month engagement, they purchased two 200-year-old barns from an Amish family in Canada and had them resurrected on the property. One of my favorite parts of the property is the 2000 wood slats that Stacey hand stained for the barn and chapel. As she stained the ceiling, she prayed over the property. Each time a verse would come to mind, she would carve the verse into the wood, so if you look up, you can faintly see the carvings of scripture all over the barn and chapel. There are literally thousands of little details like this on the property–it’s incredible!

Describe your wedding flowers. My sweet friend, Stacey Crowe, who owns Cornelius in Tomball, Texas, went above and beyond to make sure that every little detail was beautiful! I knew that I wanted lots of beautiful earth tones and textures that would complement the property, so we used things like brunia nodiflora, curly willow, pampas grass, thistle, seeded eucalyptus, scabies, plumosa, lotus pods, privet berry, apricot stock, and tuberose, as well as some of the magnolia off of the property. I wanted the colors to be a mixture of soft and rich tones, so we went with blush tones in protea and garden roses, combined with the rich colors coming from blackberries, garden roses and dahlias. After our wedding, Stacey went to my parents’ house, picked all of the extra flowers up, rearranged all of them, and took them to local nursing homes. If that doesn’t speak volumes about her character and her heart for people, I don’t know what does!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. I grew up going to The Whistle Stop in Tomball. They are known for their great desserts, so I decided to ask them if they might be up for attempting a dessert bar for our wedding. They made a three-tiered Italian cream wedding cake with cream cheese and pecan icing, a triple layered chocolate cake for the groom’s cake, samoa and heath bar pretzel rods, butter banana rum cupcakes with pecan penuche icing, pineapple carrot cake, key lime pie, and hummingbird cake. I don’t think there was a single thing left from the dessert bar at the end of the wedding. They did an amazing job!

Our engagement season came with a lot of trying life circumstances at home. If there was a challenge that could happen–job change, moving, terminal illness–you name it, it happened. But in all of that, there was this very real, very constant reminder of how fragile and special life is. It kept us grounded, and forced us to really consider what is important. Don’t get me wrong–I love the details and all of the pretty things, but at the end of the day, those things had absolutely no bearing on the purpose of our wedding day. Rather, it was the people around us and the covenant that we made that mattered most.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Travis and I met in 7th grade in Tomball, Texas. We became part of the same friend group fairly quickly and spent most of the last 15 years as really close friends. My parents and siblings have always loved Travis, and joked about how they were going to find a way to make him part of our family–my sisters even made him sign an “adoption contract” to ensure that he wasn’t going anywhere regardless of who he married! Clearly, we weren’t getting the hint! In the summer of 2012, I took a job in Missouri, which meant that we were 12 hours away from one another. About two weeks after I moved, I got a phone call from Travis asking if he could come visit me one weekend. I honestly didn’t think a thing about it! We spent the entire weekend hanging out with my sister, hiking the Ozarks, and catching up on life, and then he went home. I figured that I would see him again at Christmas or the following summer when I was home, but two weeks later, he came back to visit again, and this persisted every few weeks for months! A couple months into his visits, he sat me down and told me that when I was ready, he would like the chance to pursue me. It took me awhile to come around, but I finally agreed to go on one date. We dated for a year and got married in October 2013. I think that everyone we know had been asking when this would happen since we were 12!
Tell us all about the proposal! In October 2013, we had gone up to Austin, Texas to see Travis’ dad for the weekend. Travis told me before we left that his cousin was running a marathon in Austin and wanted to see us while we were in town. I had my suspicions that something was up because he told me that we had to get breakfast with them and would need to leave super early to get there. Last I checked, no one finishes a marathon before 7 a.m., but who was I to question what the athlete had deemed a reasonable time? I noticed pretty quickly that we were not headed to a restaurant when Travis pulled over on the side of the road by Zilker Park. He walked me through the woods and down a trail to Town Lake, where a canoe was waiting at the edge of the water. From there, we paddled down the lake to a dock that was lit up by candles, with breakfast and coffee waiting. One of our favorite times of the day is breakfast, so he knew that it would mean a lot to me to have a sunrise proposal. I only finished about half of my cup of coffee because I was so nervous, but Travis kept encouraging me to finish it. Finally, he got impatient and told me that if I wasn’t going to drink the coffee, I should just throw it into the lake. What I didn’t know was that at the bottom of the coffee cup, he had written “Marry me, Britt?” When I finally saw it, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Before I knew it, all of my siblings and parents came out of the woods where they had been videotaping and photographing that moment. I had always told Travis that I wanted my family to be there, so he flew all of my siblings in from California, Colorado, and Arkansas to make sure that they were part of the day. Then, to top it off, he had scheduled time for my mom and sisters to go look at wedding dresses with me, since we all lived in different states. It was a pretty incredible day that I will never, ever forget!
When did y’all get married? October 4, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 230
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? I’m a big believer in small business. Every business has to start somewhere, and that means that someone has to take a chance on them. I chose to work with a lot of creatives who had never actually executed a wedding because they didn’t have the demand that a lot of well-known vendors do, so they were more reasonably priced. It was exciting to work with people who were so eager to have the opportunity, and who paid such close attention to details. They all did a phenomenal job!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We just purchased a 1928 craftsman-style house in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas. We are so excited to make it a home and start hosting our own gatherings. We LOVE community, and we look forward to seeing what the Lord will do with this gift.

Photographer: Sara & Rocky Photography / Videographer: Brittan Pittman / Planner: Britt Latz Visuals / Ceremony and Venue: Chandelier Grove / Florist: Stacey Crowe / Dessert Baker: The Whistle Stop / Catering: Black Walnut / Rentals: Any Occasion Rental / DJ: Michael Green / Bride’s Gown: Allure Bridals / Bride’s Jewelry: Christine Elise / Bride’s Hair and Makeup: Sarah Roark / Bridal Party Hair and Makeup: Makeup Texas / Bride’s Shoes: Ann Taylor / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Em and Lee / Menswear: Jos. A. Bank

marissa Written with love by Marissa
19 Comments
  1. avatar Loverly reply

    We are swooning over the lush floral arrangements throughout this entire wedding! So gorgeous!

  2. avatar Sara Garza reply

    Thanks SO much for the feature today!! It looks absolutely stunning. We are grateful for you guys and our couples like Brittany and Travis.

  3. avatar Brittany + Travis | sara & rocky reply

    […] are so excited to have had Brittany and Travis’ wedding feature on Southern Weddings yesterday! These two are insanely wonderful. We have so enjoyed getting to know them and are […]

  4. avatar Mindy Reich reply

    Beautiful Wedding! My daughter just got engaged and they would like to look at Chandler Grove. Would you be able to provide us with contact information. My daughter and her fiance are both very strong Christians. Thank you! Mindy

  5. avatar Barbara Powell reply

    I am interested in looking at this venue for my daughters wedding reception and we live in Tomball. I have driven to the place and done multiple online searches but cannot find a telephone number or email address for Chandelier Grove. Could you please forward one to me? Thanks.

    • avatar Maria reply

      Beautiful Whimsical Wedding. I am recently engaged and grew up in the area. I was hoping you could provide us with the Chandler Grove contact information. I would love to check it out, but had no luck looking online.

  6. avatar Natasha reply

    Loved the blog.I was wondering if you could give the contact info for The Chandelier Grove. I cannot seem to find anything online.

    Thank you,
    Natasha

  7. avatar Candice Garner reply

    This wedding is so beautiful! I have been searching for a place like this. I can not seem to find the contact information anywhere either. Has anyone had any luck?

    Thank you so much,
    Candice

  8. avatar Kelley reply

    My fiancé and I have been trying to reach out to Chandalier Grove to see their venue. The place and photos just speaks to us both and the story above completely overwhelmed me with the huge Christian base of this place. Could you please provide us with contact information so we could reach out? Thank you so much

  9. avatar Teresa reply

    Hello,

    Do you happen to have the contact information of the venue Chandelier Grove?

    Thank you

  10. avatar Catherine reply

    I love hearing about this venue!! Would you be able to send me their contact info? I can’t find it anywhere. Thank you so much!!

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  12. avatar Jennifer reply

    I love everything about this post! Could I receive the contact information for chandelier grove? I can’t seem to find anything online, and I’d like to have my wedding here!

  13. avatar Tori reply

    This place is beautiful! Could anyone provide me with the contact information? Thanks so much! :)

    • avatar Marissa reply

      Hi Tori! Thanks for your comment, it sure is a beautiful space. We looked around, but unfortunately cannot locate their contact information. We believe it might be a private property. We do have some great venues in the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory! https://southernweddings.com /vendor-category/venue/ Hope you find the perfect place. xo! Marissa

    • avatar Stacey reply

      Hello Tori,

      This is Stacey, I’m the owner of the farm above. You’re welcome to contact me via [email protected].

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I couldn’t help but smile when I read Sally Ward and Patrick’s love story–they met when they were both dating other people and became friends–keeping their relationship platonic for three years before realizing that they felt something more for each other. The beginning of mine and Dave’s relationship was similar, and I’ve said ever since then that you can’t meet your soul mate without it having an effect on you. Sally Ward and Patrick are further proof of this, and every detail of their wedding expressed their joy and gratitude for their relationship and their story!

Thank you so much to Geneoh Photography for sharing this gorgeous, meaningful day with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I took three trips to various stores in Nashville without any luck. I knew what I wanted, but I wasn’t finding it! One Sunday morning, my sister-in-law, Caroline Brewer, called me and told me The Bride Room was having a sale, so we went to go take a look. We didn’t have any expectations of finding the dress, but when I put on the second dress, I just knew I had found it! We quickly called my mom and asked her to bring her veil to see if it worked with the dress, and it was the sweetest match!

We did not do a first look, and here’s why: I believe the moment that the groom sees his bride for the first time is a really holy, sacred, and extremely symbolic experience. I wanted to be in the church for this moment, and to wait and see each other until we were living out that significance. Patrick was told that me walking down the aisle to him would be the closest thing to heaven he would ever experience until he gets to the Kingdom. Also, I wanted to walk to him and vow my life to him in the presence of all of our people. That way, that powerful moment that embodies indescribable emotion was seen by “our great cloud of witnesses.”

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Our readings were read by two of our favorite and most life-giving couple friends. These two couples are friends with both of us and walk with us in our everyday lives. They read Hebrews 12:1-2 and John 15:1-5.

We loved the second line march from the church to the trolley in the park. We danced, laughed, and waved our flags with all our friends behind us for four blocks, and when we got to the park, we popped champagne before hopping onto the trolley!

See any familiar faces below? Caroline and Clark are on the right–Clark is Sally Ward’s brother!

We felt strongly about getting married in a church. We chose our church as the ceremony venue because it is where we had been going for a year and a half together, and it is in the middle of our neighborhood that we love. We knew that every Sunday would be a reminder of our vows, and that felt really exciting to us. The reception venue belongs to our family friends, and they just started hosting weddings recently. We didn’t want to use the barn because I didn’t want a rustic look, so instead, the barn was a beautiful backdrop to our event (and a nice rain plan!). We knew we wanted the reception to be outdoors–it just fits our personalities, and this farm is simply gorgeous.

I grew up loving to climb trees, and I was especially fond of a great big magnolia tree that sat to the left of my childhood home, so I thought, how cool would it be if I picked leaves from THAT tree and made them the place cards at the wedding? I wanted every detail to hold meaning, and that house is so special–it made me so delighted to see a piece of my childhood with us on our wedding day. Sarah Tate did the most beautiful job writing everyone’s names in white ink on the bottom of the leaves.

Describe your wedding flowers. Simple, elegant, and organic. I wanted to use greenery with some white thrown in just about everywhere. For my bouquet, we paired budding peonies with olive leaves–it was timeless and elegant. For the bridesmaids, we paired silver dollar eucalyptus with budding white tulips, which was a pretty complement to the long blush dresses. On the tables, we ran greenery down the middle of the tables and added touches of white florals. For the arrangements, we used some silver dollar eucalyptus and a few white and pink peonies from our garden!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There are so many, I honestly can’t decide! The first dance was so memorable. Patrick surprised me with Sanders singing “Somewhere.” The lights were on us, and we never even realized that people were watching us! It felt like it was just the two of us dancing around the living room. When the band took a break, Patrick had lined up a list of monumental songs from our past, with friends from all stages of our relationship. It was absolutely priceless and something I will never forget. Patrick also surprised me with a huge fireworks show as we were leaving! It was so gorgeous and overwhelmingly magical.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I dated one of Patrick’s friends/roommates my freshman year of college in 2006, and he introduced Patrick and I on a double date. Crazy, huh!? We quickly became friends and remained just friends for three years. We later discussed that we always felt a magnetic connection when we were together–it’s hard to describe, but I always knew that he was very special! During our last year at Ole Miss, we ended up being the only two of our friends who wanted to go watch a meteor shower out in the country. Patrick kissed me that night for the first time under the gorgeous fall sky as some deer pranced around us! We completely fell in love that summer in 2010, and our hearts hurt when we had to split ways as he had committed to working for Peru Mission for a year after college. We continued to fall in love via handwritten letters sent across the ocean and our third-wheel friend, Skype. When Patrick launched his company, Nisolo, in Peru, I joined him for several months to help, as well as teach English to the Peruvian community. What an adventure! In June 2012, Patrick moved Nisolo to Nashville, my hometown, and we began our lives in the same city again. Bliss!
Tell us all about the proposal! Patrick spent the summer of 2013 in Boulder, Colorado, and I went and visited him at the end of the summer. We planned to drive to Montana for a friend’s wedding and then on to Yellowstone and Jackson, Wyoming. The thought had crossed my mind that he might be proposing that week because he was looking at me in a different way, but I tried not to get ahead of myself at every breathtaking view, wondering if he might drop to his knee! Our last stop was Jackson, where we found a campsite in the middle of nowhere, and he asked me if we could go on a walk. Before I knew it, Patrick was walking me through how he felt and his journey to get to where we are today, and after a lot of really beautiful and powerful words, he proposed! We looked around in complete amazement at what had just happened and saw crazy storm clouds quickly approaching, so we ran back to our car to take cover and head into Jackson Hole to celebrate. During our short drive, we stopped to get out of the car–just then, the sun peeked out of the clouds and there was a crazy brightness on our faces! Overwhelmed with emotion, I cried as I felt the sun on my face and saw the sun beaming out of the darkness. Then, we turned away from the view of the Tetons to the opposite side of the road to find a rainbow stretching across the entire field of sage. It was so beautiful, and we truly felt God’s presence there with us, affirming us in this decision. We will never ever forget that day.
When did y’all get married? May 17, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 315
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. I could not choose just one flavor, so the top layer was strawberry, the middle was almond buttercream, and the base tier was pistachio, all with cream cheese icing. It was divine, and made by a dear family friend who just relaunched her local bake shop! We loved the simple white design with touches of greenery and color. We positioned the cake under a hanging wreath that was lit up, and placed it on a silver platter that made it look so elegant.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Ask for what you need (from both vendors and friends)! I had several moments when I had to openly tell vendors where we were with our budget, and many of them found ways to make things work so that it was still beneficial for both of us.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Truly think about what makes your relationship special and embrace that in every detail. Whether it is song choices, readings, activities, venues, or props, choose them because they embody your story. I believe it makes the day so personal and incredibly meaningful to you as the bride and groom. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! People love LOVE and feel honored to play a part in your day. Finally, stay organized along the way. Get to know Google Docs if you don’t already!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Not having to say goodbye every night! We are so thankful for the time we get to share together now by just coming home! More importantly, marriage has a way of sharpening us, and I am really excited about that.

Photographer: Geneoh Photography / Videographer: Clark Brewer, Campbell Brewer, and Darius Fitz / Planner: Linley Stokes / Ceremony Venue: Midtown Fellowship – 12 South / Reception Venue and Lighting: Hidden Trace Farms / Florist: Mayfield Flowers & Events / Wedding Cake: Franklin Bake Shop / Caterer: Chef Penelope / Rentals: 12th Table and Liberty Party Rental / Band: Erik Blue Band / Invitations: Chelsea Petaja / Paper Map: Anna Woodyard / Bride’s Gown: “JH8360” in Ivory by Jim Hjelm / Hair and Makeup Artist: Giovani Diaz / Bride’s Shoes: “Bolivar Wedge” by Nisolo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “DC Long” in Tiny Dancer by Ceremony by Joanna August / Men’s Suits: Street Tuxedo / Men’s Shoes: Nisolo / Invitation Envelope Calligraphy: Megan Henrich / Place Cards Lettering: Sarah Tate

lisa Written with love by Lisa
10 Comments
  1. avatar Corinna Hoffman reply

    Love the rustic and nature theme of this wedding!

  2. avatar Amy reply

    Beautiful wedding and great imagery Gene!! Stunning!

  3. avatar Emily reply

    I completely identify with everything Sally Ward wrote about her ceremony – love the idea of being reminded of your vows every Sunday at church, and of a “cloud of witnesses” gathering.

  4. avatar Loverly reply

    Love the big bow ties- they look great on the groomsmen! And the leaf name cards are so creative!

  5. avatar Carly reply

    Any contact information for this gorgeous venue?

  6. avatar Kelsey reply

    I love this venue! Any information about how to contact Hidden Trace Farms? Are they still doing weddings?

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