Southern Weddings

I feel a special connection to today’s beautiful couple, Nina and Nick–their story started in Singapore, where I spent part of my childhood too! If there’s one thing I learned growing up abroad, it’s that the world is so small–you never know when you might cross paths with someone again. That was exactly the case for Nina and Nick, who reconnected in college at SMU, and started falling in love before the school year even started. Four years later, they began planning their Texas vineyard wedding with the help of Elixir Events, being careful to only include details that really meant something to them. As a result, the whole day was focused on their love and the joining of their families. What a perfect way to begin married life!

Thanks so much to Tracy Enoch for sharing Nina and Nick’s wedding with us!

The weekend after Nick proposed, my mom was in town, so we decided to take advantage of this trip and go wedding dress shopping. With no intention of finding my perfect dress yet, we set off to just have some fun. Browsing the racks of the Blushing Bride Boutique, we picked up a handful of dresses for me to try. After many vetoes, my eyes turned to what the boutique called the “vine dress.” Although it was beautiful, it was not the silhouette I had imagined myself in. I slipped into the dress, not overly enthused, and turned to stare at myself in the mirror…and this was the one, I knew it! Instead of breaking down and bawling, I was surprisingly calm, thoughtful, and logical. My mom couldn’t believe it! I knew it was the right dress because I made my decision in the calm, logical way that Nick would have. That is when the tears started rolling, because it wasn’t until then that I realized how much this man had impacted me for the better.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We decided not to do a first look. It was very important to both of us that we saw each other for the first time when I was walking down the aisle. We wanted to feel that magic!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We think that having our wedding outdoors added a Southern element. We also had both a bride’s and groom’s cake. All of the bridesmaids wore a simple gold necklace with a pearl that I gave each of them, and Nick’s aunt hosted a bridal luncheon for me and the ladies closest to me.

Everyone says it’s good luck if it rains on your wedding day–well, we got extra lucky! The morning of our wedding day, the rain came down hard and we ended up having to move our ceremony to a different area of the vineyard. At the time, it was hard for me to gain perspective after we had been planning for so long, but in the end, it could not have worked out more perfectly. It ended up being more than we could have hoped for–we say it was meant to be!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Mitas Hill made such a good first impression on us that we both immediately felt it was meant to be. It is such a rarity to find a vineyard in North Texas, and it was perfect for our outdoor wedding.

What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We saved money by keeping things simple. We thought about what was really important to us, and then let everything else fall away. We wanted our wedding to be all about the joining of our two families and celebrating our love, and that is exactly what it was!

We really struggled to find a song that would be appropriate for our first dance. Finally, a week before the wedding, my angel of a sister shared the song “Forever Like That” by Ben Rector. It couldn’t have been more perfect–the words spoke to us, and it has become so special to us.

We went with a simple and elegant design for the bride’s cake, and incorporated beautiful vines to accent the vineyard around us. The groom’s cake, on the other hand, was inspired by one of our favorite TV shows, Game of Thrones. It was amazing!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. From Nick: Our paths first crossed in Singapore. We had been living internationally for most of our lives due to our parents’ careers, and it just so happened that we both ended up at the Singapore American School at the same time. Most people would assume our relationship started there, but we were both too afraid to make a move. Circumstances brought us together again, however, with each of us deciding to attend Southern Methodist University one year apart. We officially met at SMU, and I, in an act of uncharacteristic social prowess, managed to score a date with Nina before the school year had even begun. This headstart proved unnecessary, as our relationship quickly blossomed into a whirlwind romance. From Greek formals and SMU Boulevards, to music festivals and road trips, we quickly grew to be more than just great friends, and realized we shared a lot more than a common history of growing up overseas. Four years later would be the real test of our relationship upon my moving after graduation. However, distance, as they say, makes the heart grow fonder, and in this case, showed us what was truly important: each other.
Tell us all about the proposal! For almost a year after his graduation, Nick and I maintained a long distance relationship, with him living in Houston for his job while I finished my degree at SMU. Nick was visiting for one of his long weekend trips, and that Saturday morning, while I thought he was hanging out with his best friend and nursing a hangover, he was actually putting in motion the plan to ask me to spend the rest of our lives together. Towards the end of the day, he told me to make my way back to the Tri Delta sorority house for a belated surprise, as my birthday had been earlier that week. Waiting for me was one of my dear friends, who helped me get ready before I was whisked away to the first of many destinations. I first stopped in front of the Sig Ep house (Nick’s fraternity), where we had first made eyes at each other four years before. There, I was handed a letter written by Nick, which, among the heartfelt and romantic thoughts, gave me my first clue as to where to start the scavenger hunt down memory lane. After following the clues to places that hold special memories for us, I finally found Nick waiting for me at White Rock Lake, where he had planned a sunset picnic for Valentine’s Day just months before. I couldn’t breathe as I drove up in my little red Jeep. There he was, the man of my dreams, standing in the middle of the small bridge overlooking the lake. I finally caught my breath and made my way to his side. Taking my hands, Nick reminded me of memories from our four years together. After a deep breath, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of our lives together! It was the best day of my life!
When did y’all get married? June 13, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 220
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We chose 1 Corinthians 13:4 because both of our parents had used this reading at their weddings.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There were so many amazing moments from our wedding. For us, the most memorable were the quiet moments we were able to share together amongst the craziness. When we were able to take even just a few seconds to look into each other’s eyes and acknowledge exactly what was happening around us and how much we loved each other, that was the best!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? We didn’t have the luxury of being together during our engagement–we were over 3,000 miles apart. Don’t take one second together for granted. Enjoy every little detail and moment you have, because you only get to do this once. Don’t let the little things stress you out. Remember what the day is really about and the person you will get to spend the rest of your life with!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Next for us is saying goodbye to the USA and hello to St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Nick has already been living there for about a year, and now, it’s my turn to pick up and move to be with my guy. Having both lived overseas, we know our adventures are just beginning, and we can’t wait!

Photographer: Tracy Enoch Photography / Videographer: Landon Whinery / Planner, Florist, Rentals, Lighting, and Special Details: Elixir Events / Venue and Caterer: Mitas Hill Vineyard / Cake Baker: Flour Child Cakery / Music: Peter Nicholas / Paper Products: The Magic Pen and Party / Bride’s Gown: Lillian West / Bridal Salon and Accessories: The Blushing Bride Boutique / Hair Stylist: Reah Meier of Be Youtiful Hair Designs / Makeup Artist: Hannah Baylong / Bride’s Shoes: Michael Kors / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Andrew Adela / Menswear: Vera Wang

Written with love by Lisa