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Ellie and Nick met in a fraternity house in college, and while their love story might not have started in the most romantic way, their wedding is another story! Ellie and Nick worked with their florist, Botanica, to take the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts from a monochromatic museum into a romantic reception full of lush blooms, and of course, lots of Southern details! During their wedding planning, they not only focused on planning for their marriage, but on being hospitable and throwing a party guests would enjoy just as much as they did. I can’t help but love that they included a generational blessing given by their fathers and grandfathers. Such a sweet way to not only honor their family, but also to include them in their celebration.

So wonderful of Kristen Weaver to share this lovely day with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! During September 2013, I was in my last year of law school at the University of Chicago and Nick had just started his first year of medical school at the University of Florida. I made a trip to Gainesville for the weekend to see Nick and attend the UF-UT football game. On Friday, Nick suggested that we visit Paynes Prairie, a state park just south of Gainesville. We had the prairie all to ourselves and enjoyed seeing the wildlife and hiking the trails. Toward the end of our trip, we climbed to the top of a three-story watch tower and relaxed on the porch swing. Before heading back down, he got down on one knee to propose. After his very sweet speech, he reached into his pocket to pull out the ring, but accidentally pulled out the car keys instead! He had taken the ring out of the ring box so he could stealthily fit it into his athletic shorts pocket, but it had gotten caught up in the keychain. After a good laugh, I said yes!

I’ll admit, finding my wedding dress was harder than I anticipated. I bought a dress at the first boutique I went to–my mom, grandmother, and my three best friends were all there, and I foolishly let the excitement get to my head. Afterwards, I had some regrets, but assured myself that I would be happy when the dress arrived and I could try it on again. Well, it turned out that the boutique ordered it two sizes too small and then told me I must have gained weight (in fact, I had lost weight). I left in tears and tried to avoid talking about wedding dresses for as long as I could. Thankfully, my mom sensed my anguish and booked a trip to visit me in Chicago so we could go shopping for THE dress. We went to a few places, but we knew the search was over when I tried on the Esther dress at Vera Wang. We all cried (even our sweet bridal consultant!) and then celebrated with champagne and mini cupcakes. It was total redemption from our first experience and one of my favorite memories from wedding planning.

Describe your wedding flowers. We worked with Ian and Zoe at Botanica and they totally nailed it. I brought in pictures of loose, cascading bouquets and arrangements, but only had a vague idea of what colors I wanted. It was Ian’s idea to use more neutral tones for the ceremony and then pump up the color for the floral arrangements at the reception, which was in a rather monochromatic room.

We chose to have a first look. Those few minutes when it was just the two of us were the most peaceful moments of the whole day and a feeling I’ll remember forever. Even though we saw each other beforehand, nothing could have taken away the thrill of seeing him at the end of the aisle. It was the best of both worlds! Plus, we were much more relaxed in our pictures before the ceremony–after the ceremony, we were itching to get in there and celebrate with our friends and family!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We found out a few months before the wedding that there would be a huge evening festival in the same park where we were going to hold our ceremony. Thankfully, the music wouldn’t start until an hour after the ceremony, and the wonderful people at Botanica assured us that they could create a wall of greenery to stand between us and the event. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because the wall created so much privacy that the ceremony felt much more intimate than it would have otherwise, festival or not!

To begin the ceremony, my cousin sang the praise and worship song “10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman. Nick and I love the song and thought that it would set the ceremony off on the right foot. I chose “Dawn” from Pride and Prejudice to walk down the aisle to. I’ve always loved the book and the movie, and I thought it was a beautiful arrangement. Nick and I walked back up to aisle to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” We wanted something fun to let everyone know that the party had started!

We chose the Museum of Fine Arts with our guests in mind. Most of our guests were coming from out of town, so we wanted them to be able to enjoy their weekend without worrying about the logistics of driving, parking, and all that good stuff. The museum fit the bill of being close to a major airport, within walking distance of a ton of great restaurant and hotel options, and large enough to hold 180 people.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? To me, being Southern is all about family and hospitality. To honor our families, we featured pictures of our parents and grandparents at the ceremony and cocktail hour, we chose my uncle to officiate our ceremony, he read out of a Bible that has been passed down from my great-grandmother, and we had our fathers and my grandfather come up during the ceremony to give a generational blessing. We got to keep the handwritten notes from my grandfather’s blessing, and they are among our greatest treasures. In all of the wedding plans, we tried to focus on being hospitable and throwing a party our guests would enjoy just as much as we did. We had custom corn hole boards set up during the cocktail hour and on the patio during the reception. We made sure all of the children felt welcome and entertained by including a box at their seats with a coloring book, an I Spy game, and some other fun goodies. And of course, the food was Southern! Our cocktail hour appetizers included blackened alligator, fried green tomatoes, and game sausage. Dinner began with a basket of cornbread at every table and included a shrimp and grits station. Our late-night snack was BBQ pulled pork sliders on sweet potato biscuits. We made sure our guests went home with full bellies!

We had a wedding cake (lemon cream cake with raspberry filing and simple buttercream frosting) and a late-night dessert bar of fried Oreos, Twinkies, and Snickers with raspberry sauce!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Our love story didn’t start in a very romantic way–we met at his fraternity house during our sophomore year at the University of Florida. My friend had just finished an exam and was planning a low-key night in with her friend, Michael, and she invited me to tag along. Turns out, Michael was Nick’s best friend and fraternity brother (he even ended up being the best man at our wedding). Nick wandered into Michael’s room at some point during the night, we started talking, and we hit it off right away. We exchanged numbers and kept talking, even when I moved to Italy for a summer abroad. He asked me to be “official” from 5,117 miles away over Skype.
When did y’all get married? November 22, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 180
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Nick and I tried to keep in mind that the real event was committing ourselves to each other in front of God, our friends, and our family. All of the other stuff was just icing on the cake. With that in mind, we tried to be conscious of how we dealt with each other during the process, because we knew we were setting the foundation for our marriage.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? We got really lucky with an incredible team of vendors, but I will say that we just adored Bryan and Tracey from Lucky Lemon Films. They really took the time before the wedding to get to know us as people, not just as a generic bride and groom, and to let us get to know them. Nick and I are both camera shy, but they made us feel so at ease. Their work is incredible and we really felt like they captured who we are in the wedding film they created. We can’t stop watching it!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are enjoying settling into our first home together in Gainesville with our dogs. 2014 was a hugely busy year for us, so we are taking it easy and cherishing our first year of marriage!

Photographer: Kristen Weaver / Videographer: Lucky Lemon Films / Planner: Nancy Cotto / Venue: St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts / Florist: Botanica / Cake Baker and Caterer: Olympia Catering / Rentals: Botanica / Lighting: Encore Lighting / Band: Brett Foreman Band / Paper Products: Invitation Consultants / Bride’s Gown: “Esther” by Vera Wang / Bride’s Accessories: BHLDN / Hair and Makeup: Rachel Reumann / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Nordstrom / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Dog Sketch: DM Creative Studios

marissa Written with love by Marissa
6 Comments
  1. avatar Bridget reply

    What a delightful wedding. Her wedding ring is one of the prettiest I’ve seen.

  2. avatar Kristen Weaver reply

    I can’t say enough about how much I adored Ellie and Nick, and photographing their wedding was definitely an honor for us! They are a beautifully wonderful couple and I’m so happy to see her wedding published on Ellie’s favorite blog!

  3. avatar Michelle reply

    Wow, this place looks so amazing !

  4. avatar Kristin reply

    Where are the flower girl dresses from?

  5. avatar ashley reply

    Hi i was just wondering who the designer was for the bridesmaods dreses

  6. avatar 6 Wedding Themes That Will Rule 2017 – Cyprus Weddings Magazine reply

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What do you get when an interior designer and blogger bride teams up with the talented Jacin of Lovely Little Details in one of the most unique and creative cities in the South? You get Samantha and Samuel’s Austin wedding, and while I may be a little biased about the location, I guarantee there is plenty to love about this beautiful day–so much so that we split it into two posts! After drawing inspiration from their hometowns in Oklahoma and Australia, Sam and Sam brought their loved ones together at a meaningful celebration that represented of each of them individually, as well as the home that they had found in each other. We’re tickled pink that The Nichols and Lovely Little Details shared this gorgeous day with us for V7!

Labor Day 2011 is where it all began. I was enjoying a “staycation” with girlfriends at a local boutique hotel in Houston, Hotel Zaza. On Labor Day Monday, around 3 P.M., we thought we would catch the last few hours of sun before ending our weekend. Meanwhile, Sam had just landed in Houston from Australia to begin a new job at Macquarie Energy the following day. His apartment wasn’t quite ready, so at the recommendation of a fellow Aussie friend already in Houston, he checked into Hotel Zaza for a few days. Jet-lagged, all he wanted to do was go to sleep, but he wanted to get his body clock on track for his new job, so he decided to go lounge by the hotel pool instead. When Sam walked out to the pool to look for a lounge chair, I spotted him from afar and immediately thought he was attractive. Fatefully, the only available lounge chair poolside with any sun exposure was right next to me! He hesitantly sat down, and we slowly began a conversation. Being new to town, Sam didn’t even have a cell phone at this point. After an hour or so of casually chatting, he asked me to write down my phone number on a cocktail napkin. I have horrible handwriting, so Sam misread the number when trying to get in contact with me and contacted the wrong person. Thinking he had been blown off, he was embarrassed, but he managed to track me down via Facebook, thanks to the fact that I wrote my first AND last name down when sharing my phone number. I knew he was interested when he added me on Facebook only seven hours after meeting (isn’t modern technology great?!). We had our first date at a sushi restaurant two weeks later, and I was sold when Sam let it slip over edamame and sake that he was an “old-fashioned romantic.”

What is one thing that made your wedding different from anyone else’s wedding? I felt like we worked so closely with our planner to really get creative input from both Sam and me. Having someone who had experience with the Australian culture and all the idiosyncrasies that come with being an Aussie really allowed us to bring in some amazing touches all throughout the event, whether it be in the floral arrangements (including king proteas) or in the welcome bags /favors (Australian and Texan sweets), everything felt like it had a personal touch and significance to both of us.

I found my Liancarlo wedding dress at Ivory Bridal Atelier in Houston. It was such a special moment to share with my mom! I had secretly dreamed about trying on wedding dresses for years. We went to Ivory Bridal for our very first appointment of the morning, and I tried on a few all-lace gowns first, because I always thought that’s what I would want to wear on my wedding day! However, at the prompting of the girls at Ivory, I tried on some different styles too, just to see what I liked. When I spotted the detailed French lace on the Liancarlo, combined with the romantic tulle, I had to try it on. I had never seen the type of lace that was on the dress—it was so special and different! When I put the dress on and walked out to the mirrors, my mom started to tear up. I loved the fit and knew this was “the dress.” The dress was strapless, and I had always wanted to do a gown with straps and a keyhole back, so thankfully, Carlos Ramirez, the designer behind Liancarlo, worked to create a gorgeous build-up that made my gown feel so special!

Briefly describe your wedding flowers: Soft and feminine with an ethereal feel. We wanted to create a romantic, lush backdrop with the flowers, consisting of Japanese ranunculus, garden roses of all kinds, peonies, sweet peas, and hints of dusty miller to bring the sage gray color into the mix. The flowers were all shades of pink mixed with creams and whites.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? From Samuel: Definitely the task of coordinating a group of groomsmen that spanned five countries across three continents!

What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? From Samuel: The first look will always be a moment I will never forget. Laying my eyes on my bride for the first time, hearing her shoes on the sandstone as she approached, and the overwhelming happiness that overcame me at that point will never be replicated throughout my life.

Three adjectives that describe the day are: Romantic, personal, joyful–the day really was a real-life “fairy tale” for us both. Having our closest friends and family from all over the world in one place was unforgettable. The day was romantic and intimate for us both, while also being a joyful, lively celebration. Bringing together a mix of Australians, Oklahomans, Texans, Scots, and Germans made for an incredible party.

We chose to write our own vows, which made reading them to one another in front of our loved ones so special. I loved walking towards Sam down the aisle. That is a moment you dream about your whole life, and it was so special to walk towards him and see so many of our friends and family surrounding us with their support and love. One funny moment was that I could feel my veil slipping out of my hair as I got further and further down the aisle, because it was so long. It finally fell out completely, and I kind of just stood there and smiled, not knowing what to do! Luckily, my mom and a few family friends sitting on the ends of the pews stepped out and helped me get my veil situated back into my updo. It was a funny moment that helped lighten the mood!

Describe the proposal: On Sunday, May 16, 2013, Sam and I met for a casual dinner at one of our favorite local Tex-Mex restaurants, Torchy’s Tacos. Once we were finished, we decided to meet back at my house to watch a movie. Before I could even process what was happening, Sam jumped up and practically raced to his car as he said goodbye to me. Realizing he hadn’t said he loved me, he raced back to where I sat, kissed me quickly, and said, “I love you.” I was a little confused as to why he was in such a rush, but I didn’t think too much about it and took my time getting home. When I walked inside my house, I found a pathway of tea candles and rose petals lining our winding staircase. I followed the path all the way up to our rooftop deck, which overlooked the beautiful Houston skyline, lit up in the night. Sam was there waiting for me, surrounded by more candles and rose petals. He took my hands and told me all the reasons he loved me, and how blessed he felt to have found a home with me in a city once so foreign to him. Although he grew up in Australia and I grew up in Oklahoma, together, we had made Texas our home–the place where we met and eventually fell in love. Having the Texas skyline as a backdrop for Sam’s proposal was perfect and so romantic!
When did y’all get married? March 21, 2014
How many guests attended your wedding? 125
Did you try anything new or nontraditional? At the end of our ceremony, just after our officiant announced us as husband and wife and before our processional, we had an a capella group that were sitting as “guests” in the congregation stand up and sing the Beatles’ song, “Love.” It was a surprise for all of our guests, and seeing their reaction as we stood looking out from the altar was so fun!
What are you most looking forward to about marriage? I am just looking forward to doing life with Sam. He’s such an incredible person: hilarious, kind, sensitive, supportive, and strong. I know that no matter what we might face, having him by my side will be a comfort.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? We both agree the BEST decision we made was hiring a wedding planner! Jacin of Lovely Little Details was an absolute delight to work with, and made the entire wedding planning process so fun and stress-free. Knowing that she was on top of all the tiny details made it possible for us to enjoy the fun that comes with being engaged and putting together a day to celebrate the merging of two families!

Photographer: The Nichols / Videographer: Elysium Productions / Planner, Designer, and Florist: Jacin Fitzgerald of Lovely Little Details / Venue, Caterer, and Cake: Green Pastures Restaurant / Bride’s Gown: “5844” by Liancarlo / Bridal Salon: Ivory Bridal Atelier / Bride’s Shoes: “Hangisi Satin Pumps” in Light Pink by Manolo Blahnik / Bride’s Veil: “9849” by Liancarlo / Bridesmaid Dresses: “G560C,” “G629C,” and G425C in Blush by Amsale / Hair Stylist: Katie Sullivan of Azur West Salon and Jeni Hoover / Makeup Artist: Kristin Daniell Makeup Artistry / Groom’s Tuxedo: Burberry / Groomsmen’s Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse / Invitations: Southern Fried Paper / Calligraphy: Moya Minns of MM Ink / Watercolors and Bridesmaids’ Brunch Invitations: Momental Designs / Rentals: Marquee Event Group, Loot Vintage Rentals, and Townsley Designs / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Guest Shuttles: R&R Limo Bus / Getaway Car: Antique Limousines of Austin / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Cigar Roller: Bobalu

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

    love the venue and the flowers!!! also, the fact he proposed after buying her torchys was genius!

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When planning an outdoor wedding in the South, the weather is always a tad worrisome–we even have a tradition for keeping Mother Nature at bay! Cara and Jerrit managed to throw a Southern soirée in perfect weather, but what they hadn’t thought of was airplanes flying overhead during their ceremony. Good thing most Southerners have never met a stranger, because a family friend in attendance was married to an air traffic controller. When that first plane flew overhead, he sneakily called the air traffic control tower near the venue and requested that all planes due to fly over Robert E. Lee Park in the next half hour be diverted! Talk about Southern hospitality, y’all!

P.S. You have to see Jerrit’s “groomal,” as he coined it. I love when couples have fun with tradition!

Thanks to Ryan Price for sharing this beautiful day with us!

I spent a lot of time with the ladies at Stems of Dallas figuring out how to mesh my understated old world romance vision with Jerrit’s rustic aesthetic. In a mock arrangement Stems created for us, the girls included a few little foliage twigs, which Jerrit had pointed out, saying “I like these sticks.” That ended up being a running joke with the girls at Stems, but it also ended up being the idea that tied everything together. At our ceremony, they weaved floral-dotted greenery through four of the support columns and across the top to frame the area that would be our altar. I think the ceremony flowers were my most favorite decorative aspect of the entire wedding. Jerrit, being a beer-loving Southern boy, decided he really wanted hops boutonnieres. The dried hops had a beautiful golden color, so the girls at Stems added some to my bouquet as well, which was was a gorgeous and a personal detail that I loved!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I LOVED wedding dress shopping! I was only in Dallas for the weekend, so we had many appointments booked at various Dallas-area bridal boutiques. At the first salon, I tried on a few lovely dresses, and then put on a stunning La Sposa gown. Once the woman helping me fanned out the double-layered chantilly lace train and handed me a mirror, the tears began to well up. I kept all of my other appointments and certainly found other dresses that I thought were beautiful, but the La Sposa gown was still in my mind. That salon was closed on my final day in Dallas and I had to fly back to New York the next morning, so my dad found another salon that carried La Sposa gowns. He called the store, and convinced them to squeeze me in, last minute, to try on the dress. I knew it was the one the second I walked out of the dressing room when both of my parents and I started to cry.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Though getting married outside is beautiful, you can’t control all of the elements, and one element we failed to realize could be an issue on our wedding day was airplanes. I never really noticed them until our rehearsal, when over the course of an hour, about 20 planes flew overhead, leaving or landing at Love Field, and it was surprisingly loud. I prayed that night that we would magically not have any airplanes fly over Lee Park between 5:30 and 6 on our wedding day. At the ceremony, right after I took my place next to Jerrit, a plane flew overhead and I thought, “Oh God, please no.” Literally, not one more plane after that! The next day, I found out that one of my mom’s best friends from college is married to an air traffic controller. When that first plane flew overhead, he very discreetly called the air traffic control tower at Love Field and requested that all planes due to fly over Lee Park for the next half hour be DIVERTED! I couldn’t believe it…apparently we have friends in high places!

We wrote our own vows and they were stunning. We were amazed that even without writing them together or seeing each other’s vows prior to the ceremony, we somehow wrote vows that were perfectly in sync. We both mentioned how silly we had felt starting online dating profiles, and referenced our sub-par Mexican dinner first date. In the earlier part of our relationship, Jerrit told me that his youth pastor (who officiated our wedding) gave him some of the best advice he had ever gotten: if you love a woman, you have to work to make her fall in love with you again every day. In his vows, Jerrit promised me would do just that. Jerrit also regularly tells me that I’m his favorite, so he concluded his vows with, “You’re my favorite today, tomorrow, and all the days of our lives.”

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Our main goal in choosing a venue was to have ceremony, cocktails, and reception at one location. With the majority of our friends being from out of town, we figured it would be easiest for everyone involved. We chose Arlington Hall because it matched us, our personalities, and our vision. I love antiques, and we are fairly laid back as a couple, so we wanted a venue that felt home-y. We also wanted to get married outside. Arlington Hall is beautiful and elegant without being overdone or super formal. Jerrit particularly loved the idea of bringing all our New York friends to Robert E. Lee Park in Dallas.

I think there are a lot of elements to weddings in the South that we don’t even realize are Southern traditions–Jerrit and I were shocked how many times we had to explain the concept of a bridal portrait to folks up here in New York! I did, in fact, have a bridal portrait taken and displayed at the reception. Jerrit also decided that in the interest of equality, if I got a bridal portrait, then he was entitled to a groom’s portrait, or “groomal” as it is now coined. He took his buddy and fellow photographer, Jon, out to a stable in Hudson Valley, wore his wedding suit, put his old tobacco pipe in his mouth, and took a rather majestic (and silly) photo on horseback. It was a highly anticipated detail amongst our vendors and a true testament to our silly personalities.

Along with our delicious wedding cake by Frosted Art Bakery, we had mini pies, as an homage to my grandmothers, both of whom are deceased, as our wedding favor. I have such vivid memories of both grandmothers baking, and wanted to pay a tribute to their memory and the true Southern value of expressing love and hospitality through food. We had four different flavors: cherry, pecan, lemon chess, and chocolate, which were the four main flavors my grandmothers used to bake. My mom’s mom, Grandma Moeller, made cherry pie every time we visited her house because it was mine and my brother’s favorite, and she often baked pecan pie with the pecans from the tree in her front yard. Lemon Chess is my dad’s favorite, so we often got that from his mother, Granny Massey. My favorite story is chocolate pie, which was a staple at any family gathering where Granny Massey was present. Granny Massey was never able to get the recipe proportions quite right, so the pie filling never fully set. It tasted delicious, but was also always runny. Every time Granny made the pie, she would exclaim, “Well, I just don’t know what happened–it’s just never done this before!” That pie has remained a little family joke for as long as I can remember, garnering the nickname “Chocolate Soup Pie.”

Before you go, take a peek at Cara and Jerrit’s wedding film by Candelight Films!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Jerrit and I met in New York City four years ago on OKCupid, though neither of us were actually expecting to meet someone there. Jerrit was sick with the flu when he joined, and I heard from a girlfriend that she was going on a lot of dates and getting a lot of delicious meals, so I thought, “What the heck?” A few weeks later, I was dating Jerrit, and we ceremonially deleted our online profiles together. After a couple of messages back and forth, Jerrit and I discovered we grew up less than 10 miles from each other in Dallas and agreed to meet for Mexican food in the city. By our third date, I was totally falling for him. A couple months later, Jerrit was trying to teach me to drive a stick shift, and ended up stalling the car in the middle of an intersection. I threw a fit, gave up, and refused to continue driving, so Jerrit drove me home. He made a little joke, which I took seriously, and, again, got all pouty. Jerrit laughed and said “Oh, I’m just joking! It’s not that big of a deal. I love you.” We both froze, jaws on the ground, and seconds later, after he had pulled it together, he said “Well, I do.” It took me far too long to say it back, because I was still trying to catch my breath, but once I finally got the words out, I knew I was going to marry the boy who had just accidentally told me he loved me.
Tell us all about the proposal! Jerrit is a wedding photographer and he has shared his love of photography with me over the course of our relationship. I find that since we both enjoy taking beautiful photos, we never remember to actually take photos of the two of us doing stuff together; something I complain about. For Christmas 2012, I was on tour with “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” so Jerrit gave me a gift certificate for my favorite vineyard on Long Island and said it was “something for us to look forward to when I got home”. Six months later, when I finally got to return to NYC, Jerrit and I planned a day trip out to Duckwalk Vineyard on the North Fork. He suggested we buy a few glasses of wine and some cheese and crackers and set up a little picnic. Jerrit set up a tripod and camera so he could appease my lack-of-photo complaints. After his glass of wine (which he downed rather quickly, I noticed), Jerrit asked if I could focus the camera for our photo shoot. I leaned over to look through the view finder, and I saw the beautiful vineyard, Jerrit on bended knee, and the words “Marry Me” written in the sky. I burst into tears, and somehow, I managed to squeak out a “yes.” Jerrit then took me back to the restaurant where we had shared a romantic dinner the first time we had visited the vineyard. Jerrit had made a series of audio and video recordings telling me the details of all his steps in the process and how he was feeling during each of those milestones, which was super romantic and heartfelt memento to remember that special time in our lives.
When did y’all get married? October 18, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Jerrit and I did some pre-marital counseling with our officiating pastor before the wedding. He had us do this questionnaire that he calls the “pre-marital SAT,” which was super interesting and a great guide to our future union. We each had to answer the hundreds of questions separately, and both sets of answers were then compared and broken down into areas of agreement or disagreement. Through a series of skype sessions (since we’re in NYC and Mark is in Florida), we talked through each and every topic/question we disagreed on, or if one of our answers stuck out as maybe needing to be discussed. It was an awesome platform to identify and begin discussion in areas where we might not see eye to eye, as well as a safe way to have what could be very difficult and vulnerable conversations. Jerrit and I also started working with a financial planner during our engagement so that we would have a plan for how to approach finances once married. Combining bank accounts and incomes was certainly something neither of us had even come close to before, so working with someone who is not only a financial advisor, but also a friend, was a great way to start those discussions.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Married life is so much fun! After just a few months, we already feel like we know one another so much better. We laugh often and talk about pretty much everything, so we are most excited about continuing to deepen our friendship and love for one another. We’ve also talked about starting a wedding planning/photography company together, so it could be exciting to build a family and a family business.

Photographer: Ryan Price / Videographer: Candlelight Films / Planner: Kay Watson / Ceremony Venue: Lee Park / Reception Venue: Arlington Hall / Florist: Stems of Dallas / Dessert Baker: Frosted Art Bakery / Caterer: Food Glorious Food / Lighting: Beyond Lighting / Band: IDT / Paper Products: Southern Fried Paper / Bride’s Gown: “Denia” by La Sposa / Bridal Salon and Veil Bridal Boutique of Lewisville / Hair Stylist: James DeFrange / Makeup Artist: Jacqueline Barnett / Bride’s Shoes: Emmy Shoes of London / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Monique Lhuillier / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Transportation: Premier Transportation String Trio: Serenata Strings

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Ryan Price reply

    I sure do love this couple… such an amazing wedding to be part of. Thanks for featuring it!

  2. avatar Arlington Hall Dallas Wedding | Ryan Price Photography reply

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