Southern Weddings

With Steel Magnolias at the tip top of my favorite movie list, you can imagine my excitement when Sarah and Nick’s “blush and bashful” wedding came through our doors! Sarah is one our delightful Blue Ribbon Vendors, so we were especially tickled to see her looking lovely with her handsome beau. Add in the absolutely adorable chapel at Northwest Forest and perfectly pink details created by fellow Blue Ribbon Vendor, Two Be Wed and I’m smitten! Best of all, Sarah and Nick’s wedding day was a reflection of their sweet relationship and exactly what they dreamed it to be. I’m sure Nicole would be tickled to see the gluten-free cookie favors!

Big hugs to Mustard Seed Photography for sharing this precious pink day with us!

I am a curvy girl, so I was super nervous to go dress shopping, but at Brickhouse Bridal, the consultant was so helpful and showed me what would look good on me. It ended up being the easiest day ever and I chose the fourth dress I tried on!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did decide on a first look. I am a wedding photographer, so I know it helps a wedding day flow better, and we are not superstitious, so that helped in the decision! Post-ceremony, we got to go right into our reception and have fun without making our guests wait an hour for us. I highly recommend first looks to anyone I can!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We chose our wedding venue because it was close to home and Nick’s grandmother used to work there–there is even an island on the lake there named after her!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We felt that a wedding ceremony with handwritten vows was perfect for us. The last year has been really hard for us, and writing our own vows was a way to tell each other and our guests how thankful we were to have each other to lean on.

Describe your wedding flowers. Our wedding flowers were one of the most important things to me. I looooove flowers! I had always wanted a spring wedding because I wanted peonies all over the place. Fawn was an amazing florist and we were lucky to have her!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We love cake, so of course, we had to have the best cake baker in Houston! Cakes by Gina was the one! Her cakes are just so tasty and her creations are amazing. The inside of my bridal cake was vanilla with raspberry cream filling and Nick’s cake was chocolate with chocolate filling.

For our favors, we made homemade cookies. My mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies were a must, as were my favorite cookie, macarons. Nick is half Hispanic, so his mom got Mexican wedding cookies as another option!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. After much thought and nudging from friends, we each gave online dating a try! I, Sarah, was on for about a year before we got “matched,” and Nick was only on for two weeks! I made the first move by telling him how cute his beard was. After a few weeks of emailing and texting, we met for our first date. We sat in the restaurant for about three hours before we realized how late it had gotten, and I remember thinking that I didn’t want to leave! When we hugged goodbye, he laughed and said, “Oh, I am definitely going to call you!” Well, he did, and now here we are!
Tell us all about the proposal! I had a wedding in Colorado over the 4th of July and flew back super early on Sunday morning. As I walked out of baggage claim, Nick was standing there holding my dog, Barkley, who wearing a plaid shirt, vest, and bow tie! I didn’t think anything of it, but about halfway to the car, I realized, THIS IS IT! He got down on one knee and popped the question with the ring around Barkley’s neck. It was truly the best surprise ever!
When did y’all get married? May 17, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 135
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge to overcome was the opinions. A lot of people have strong opinions about weddings, but it was important to us that we stayed true to ourselves. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted and we were glad we didn’t listen to anyone but each other.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Hire a wedding coordinator! They are the key to making wedding planning as stress-free as possible. Also, plan your wedding the way you want it. The day is about you and your spouse becoming one, not about anyone else.

Photographer: Mustard Seed Photography / Planner: Two Be Wed / Venue and Catering: Northwest Forest / Florist: F. Dellit Designs / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Gina / Rentals: Recollection Vintage Rentals and Rent Some Vintage / DJ: Jose of LG Entertainment / Bride’s Gown: Watters / Paper Products: Nib & Pixel / Hair and Makeup: Kara and Nastasia of Adorne Artistry / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Groom’s Attire: Versione Houston / Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear / Macarons: Macaron by Patisse

Written with love by Marissa