Southern Weddings

Today’s wedding hits close to home for me–it took place less than an hour away from my parents’ house, and is where one of my sweet college sorority sisters is getting married this fall! As with many of our Texan couples, Summer and Jonathan did not shy away from including some state pride in their wedding day. Country tunes and two-stepping at the reception? Check. Cowboy boots for all? A no-brainer. A getaway pickup truck? Absolutely. Jonathan and his groomsmen even wore Texas star-shaped sherrif badges as boutonnieres–so fun!

Thank you kindly to Flora and Fauna for sharing Summer and Jonathan’s wedding with us!

Jonathan is an incredible date-planner. We’ve had meals “around-the-world,” starlit picnics with tea light candles in mason jars, and fancy nights out on the town. But it’s always the same: he knows, and I don’t. So, when he whisked me off to an adventurous date in Chappell Hill one day, I was clueless. We met the owner of a ranch, and it was almost as if she wasn’t expecting us. Accompanied by a cowboy named Chris, we bridled our horses, locked our boots into place, and rode off through a field of wildflowers. The bluebonnets were in bloom, the cows, calves, and longhorns were really busy eating grass, and the sun bent beams through the clouds–I was in heaven, and Jon knew it! Rather abruptly, Chris remembered he needed to take care of something that had to do with ranch life, so he tied up our horses and we grabbed two lawn chairs and took in the beauty around us. Jon said, “Let’s go to the fence.” Then, he took me in his arms and proclaimed his undying love for me. He got down on one knee to the beat of my “What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?” and asked me to be his wife.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Jon washing my feet. It’s a biblical parallel to when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. In that day, and any day for that matter, it was a humbling thing for a man to do for someone. It came to represent the humility necessary to serve others, a mandate for all Christians. The Bible tells men to serve their wives, as Christ served the church. Jon got down on the ground in his suit, took off my boots, and washed my feet in front of the crowd to display his commitment to serve me for the rest of our days.

Our first dance song commemorated the night that Jon wanted to kiss me but didn’t–we had gotten dressed up cowboy/cowgirl style and went to the Humble, Texas rodeo to listen to our favorite band, the Josh Abbott Band. They cleared the floor of animals and we headed down with the crowd to dance. They played “Oh Tonight” which has a line that says “Go on and kiss me on the mouth, you know you want to and you should’ve done it by now.” I was sure that all those elements–the lights, the privacy of being in a crowd, my dress, the closeness of our faces, THAT LINE– would’ve made for the perfect first kiss story. After months of leading up to it, surely, SURELY, but he didn’t do it. We had a good laugh dancing to the song and kissing at that part at our wedding.

We aren’t just Southern–we’re Texan! We ordered pecan, pumpkin, and apple pies from a local bakery in Montgomery, Texas. We played country music and two-stepped. We left our reception in a hay-filled truck bed. Our wedding cake was even made by the sweetest old lady from backwoods Texas named Barbie, who ran her shop out of her trailer. It doesn’t get more country than that.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met at a fightin’ Texas Aggie tailgate and Jonathan was head over boots. Me, not so much, but I was excited about the prospect of new friends in Houston. I started going to his church’s young adult service, and Jonathan became more and more charming and impressive over the weeks. Since he was my small group leader, we couldn’t date, so we proceeded to be “just friends” over weekly frozen yogurt, weekends with my family, and an absurd amount of text messages. Finally, we went on our first date, but something just didn’t feel right, so I ended it. For about two months, we barely spoke. Suddenly, on New Year’s Eve, I realized I actually cared a lot about Jonathan, and I knew I had to tell him, so I wrote him a card and sent it in the mail. He wrote me back, clearly misreading the intent, so I realized I had to tell him to his face. When I saw him at a meeting with the other small group leaders, we had an awkward interchange, and then in front of everyone, I told him how I felt. We finished the conversation at his house, on his porch. He, understandably, was blindsided, but he gave me hope. As we sat on his porch, I saw it–60 years from then, gray, worn, joyful. Rocking back and forth and holding hands and looking at the life we built. I knew that night that I loved him. Three days later, he came over for a Bananagrams, homemade wine (his!), record-playing, windows-open kind of evening. We became best friends that night, and three and a half months later, he asked me to be his wife. I’m sure glad I wrote that card. :)
When did y’all get married? October 27, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 300
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I walked into the first bridal store I could find and picked the first dress I tried on!
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We didn’t. We wanted that moment of seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle, and it was so special. I’ll never forget his face: full of pure joy. I felt like I was coming home.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? “Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the Church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves Himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:21-33
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I began teaching 11th grade English at a charter school in August. I had training through all of July and our biggest round of exams fell right after the wedding, so my husband planned most of the wedding and organized EVERYTHING around it. He’s a good one!
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? Round Top Collection. They are family friends of ours and supported us by supplying a bunch of sweet antique items for us to use to decorate.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? It’s cliché, but I loved when I saw Jon’s face as I walked down the aisle. He has a particular smile he uses when he’s REALLY happy, and he was also a little teary. It was wonderful.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Marry a man who is invested in it. This isn’t “your” thing–it’s both of yours.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are currently applying to a program that will take us on an adventure around the world!

Photographer: Flora and Fauna / Venue: Olde Dobbin Station / Florist: Carter’s Florist / Wedding Cake Baker: Cakes by Blondie / Caterer: Carol’s Catering Service / Special Details: The Round Top Collection / Bride’s Gown: Essense of Australia / Paper Products: DIY / Hair Stylist: Lauren Neat and Karen Robare / Makeup Artist: Ashley Dickson / Groom’s Attire: J.Crew

Written with love by Lisa