Southern Weddings

Amanda first popped onto my radar on instagram, where her bright and colorful life caught my eye. I figured there must be a bright and happy house and a bright and happy couple, as well, and I was right! Tyler and Amanda have created a very sweet newlywed nest in Fort Worth at the ripe old age of 25, and I think y’all will love taking a peek inside. Huge hugs to Heather Rowland (who just launched a new site!) for these colorful photos!

The couple: Amanda Lackey, 25, and Tyler Lackey, 24
Years married: 1 year 10 months
Where you live: Fort Worth, Texas
Tell us a little bit about yourselves. We’ve known each other as long as we can remember (yes, that includes the awkward pre-teen years), and we’ve walked through a lot of seasons together! Amanda is a lifestyle photographer, wardrobe stylist, and blogger. She loves community, giving back through acts of service, and saying yes even when that means figuring it out later. Tyler works with a commercial electric company by day, and he is a musician, songwriter and producer by night. We are first and foremost the best of friends, and we dream of traveling the world together.

Tell us your love story in one sentence. We were childhood friends turned high school sweethearts, and today we call one another husband and wife!
Do you rent or own? We live on the outskirts of downtown where we can walk to museums, parks, shopping and dining. Everything is accessible and we feel extremely blessed to live in such a beautiful place. As of now, we rent from Amanda’s parents who bought our condo as an investment, so we’ll more than likely live here until we feel our time here is complete.
Tell us about the process of moving in together. Luckily, we were always on the same page with visual aesthetics and our styles have always been compatible. We really enjoy all forms of art, so we brought together our two loves of music and art to make it a place we can call home.
Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? Last fall we had our entire home painted a bright, refreshing white and it was love at first sight! As much as Amanda loves her pink office, the living room is where we come at the end of each day to rest and enjoy one another.

What is your favorite part of being married? Going through life with a teammate by your side, and the comfort of knowing we’ll always end the day together.
What has been the most surprising thing about marriage? People tell you communication is key, but we never knew how true that really was until we were married. It’s a bit cliché, but communication is everything. When we don’t quite see eye to eye, we’ll talk it through until we really understand where each other is coming from. When we listen to one another, it makes our days together that much more fun!

Who cooks dinner? Tyler’s goal is to be the master chef of our kitchen, and I’m quite okay with it!
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? On weeknights we can usually make a pretty mean pasta in less than an hour. It fills us up, and it’s quick and easy. On the weekends we love exploring new places, but sushi is our go to.
How does your family handle finances? Tyler previously worked for a bank, which gave us an incentive to spend our money wisely. I prefer to have Tyler set the budget as he is better with saving. This way our budget stays on track, and each week we touch base to make sure we’re on the same page. We appreciate that we both bring different aspects to the table when it comes to budgeting.

What most makes your house feel like home? Although we both have pretty busy schedules, the past year has really taught us to enjoy the little things. Our favorites include a chubby cat named Olivia, an extensive collection of vinyl records, the smell of scented candles, and a couch that allows for the best naps of all time.
Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? We splurge on the essential pieces we know we’ll love forever. Pieces that are made with great quality, and can possibly even be passed down to next generations. I find conversational pieces and statement pieces all over: yard sales, shops found while traveling… HomeGoods and Target are always in the running for something fun and inexpensive.

What is your favorite memory from your wedding? Besides having all the people we love in one room, a memory that always makes us smile is when we shared a dance together after the reception with just us and the band in the room. We soaked it all in, and the memory of that moment was the perfect start to our beginning!
How do you remember your wedding in your home? I love having our wedding album on our coffee table so guests can view it at anytime. We also have photos of our wedding spread out in each room in subtle ways. It’s a small and sweet reminder of the beauty that day held.

Which items from your wedding registry do you use the most often? We registered for a steamer at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and although it wasn’t the most expensive thing on our registry, it’s 100% what we’ve used the most! I use it almost every time I do laundry, and we often have friends and family who ask to borrow it! It’s much easier than ironing and it makes your clothes look new and fresh!
What different decisions, if any, would you make for your registry if you knew then what you knew now? We would register for more vital pieces versus small pieces. Register for things you’d have a hard time buying for yourself! I was too afraid to register for anything too expensive, but people often like to go into gift giving together so they can always split the cost.

What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities? Communication, putting each other first, and knowing everything else falls second. Marriage comes first.
Do you have a favorite date night idea to share? We love going to the museum for new exhibits. If you’re on a budget, some museums are even free! You can never go wrong creating new adventures together and getting creative with date nights. It works well for us to switch who picks date night each week, that way, we both get to choose often and do something different each week.

What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? Tyler: I like being a helper when needed as it relates to her business. I love watching her in her profession. Amanda: I love keeping a clean home for Tyler, a place that always feels comfortable, inviting and warm.
Do you have children? We don’t have children yet, but if it’s in the Lord’s plan we are open to the idea in a few years. Right now we are loving the stage of life where we can travel and go on an adventure on a whim on any given day. With kids comes a lot of responsibility, and right now we’re really enjoying the stage of newlywed life.
Before getting married, I wish someone had told me… how many clothes girls actually DO have in their closets (Tyler). …that dreaming together provides one of the sweetest forms of romance (Amanda).

This year, our family is most excited about… our second annual Christmas together. Since we got married on a holiday (New Year’s Eve), there’s something special about holidays for us. We love the feeling of community and the traditions that come alive during the holidays. We are excited to continue another year of gift giving to our family and friends together, and look forward to creating new traditions as well as carrying on the ones started in our first year of marriage.
Is there anything else about your home or family life that you think our readers would be interested in? Six months into our marriage, Tyler’s dad was diagnosed with stage four melanoma cancer. Nobody prepared us for that during our engagement season, but it has taught us so much. Through our trials, we have learned to extend love and grace in all circumstances. The Lord will never give you something you can’t handle, and we are thankful to be on a team together. Through any season of life, prayer and communication are vital to our marriage, and at the end of the day, we just have to find a reason to laugh!

We’re so grateful to Amanda and Tyler for sharing their hearts and home with us! Be sure to follow along with them:
Amanda Marie Portraits
Amanda’s instagram
Tyler’s music

Friends, any favorite spots in their home? I think mine is those hot pink planters!!

P.S. We’d love to hear from you! Our hope is to feature REAL couples in the South – your inspiring friend, super talented cousin, or neighbor with the cutest house – the kind of person everyone would love to “e-meet.” If that sounds like you or someone you know, take a peek at our Southern Newlywed submission page and shoot us an email!

Written with love by Emily