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I firmly believe in love at first sight. I knew the very moment I met BDK that he was the one I wanted to marry, so I can completely understand why Ellen jokingly asked Robert to marry her on the night they met! Though he turned down that “proposal” in lieu of his super sweet one just a few years later, I’m sure Ellen was completely fine with that, especially since Robert included their family in such a momentous occasion. For Ellen and Robert, their family and a sense of community also played an important role in their wedding design, from the rows of estate tables to a total of twenty wedding cakes in three different flavors to encourage sampling and mingling. Ellen and Robert celebrated their wedding day in true Southern fashion, surrounded by those they love!

We’re sure glad Matt & Julie were there to photograph such a lovely day!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted: a lace, fit-and-flare gown with delicate sleeves. My mom, sister-in-law, and I went to the original Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas, and my dress happened to be the first I tried on. After trying on a few more, I kept going back to it and knew it was the one. I added a crystal and pearl belt, and had a fingertip-length drop veil made with Alencon lace edging to match my dress. The veil was incredibly important to me, because I have been obsessed with drop veils since Kate Middleton’s wedding. I also had my mother’s wedding dress altered (no more poofy sleeves!) and used it as my getaway dress.

We used garden roses for the bouquets, plus LOTS of greenery. We had three of the prettiest vintage pink and cream ribbons hanging from each bouquet. At the reception, we decided to forgo traditional floral arrangements and put individual garden roses on the 19 cakes that were used as centerpieces. We used garlands made of salal, podocarpus, and eucalyptus greens that extended the lengths of the tables–it looked gorgeous and smelled amazing. Our altar flowers were made up of white hydrangeas and lilies.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Last minute, yes. Robert had originally wanted to wait, but after talking to the photographers, we knew it was the best option and we are so glad we did it. Not only were the photographers able to capture such a sweet moment, it definitely calmed our nerves before and during the ceremony.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we did not. We had a very traditional Episcopalian ceremony.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Given the formality of the church and ceremony, we chose traditional songs played on the church organ. My dad and I walked down the aisle to Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary” and we recessed to “Hornpipe” by Handel.

I had always known I wanted to be married at my family’s church, so that was never a question. The reception venue proved to be a little harder, but as soon as we saw it, that decision became easy, too! Robert and I met, dated, got engaged, and bought our first home together in Dallas, so the Downtown/Uptown area is such a big part of our relationship. After researching and visiting several venues, we came across the 42nd floor at Cityplace Tower, which happened to be across the street from our church. We were blown away by the views of city and I loved its urban, lofty vibe. The giant windows let in so much natural light, but without the 100 degree August heat.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our cakes were amazing. Instead of getting a bride and groom’s cake, we decided to give every table their own. We chose to make our cake cutting participatory, and we all cut the cakes together. There were eighteen one-tier cakes, plus a two-tiered cake for the wedding party. Heidi from Sugar Bee Sweets did a fantastic job designing the cakes, which incorporated all of our wedding colors: blush, gold, emerald, and mint. We offered three flavors, so people walked around sampling the different varieties, which encouraged mingling.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The long rectangular tables with the gold sequin tablecloths, garland, and cakes looked so beautiful in the room as the sun set. I love the look of rectangular tables, so we used three super-long tables that expanded the length of the room. It created such a grand statement when you walked through the door!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We formally met at the beginning of 2012 at a mutual friend’s birthday party. We had seen each other around prior, but had never actually spoken. At the time, I was living in Spain teaching English and was home for the holidays. I was supposed to go back in March, but that was not meant to be! I didn’t even want to leave the house on that particular night, so I know it was fate when we met. Robert came up to me, introduced himself, and immediately started dancing. I knew there was something different about him, and he said the same about me. I thought he was funny, and jokingly, I even asked him to marry me! We stayed up talking and joking about how our “grandchildren” would laugh that I proposed to him the night we met. We went on our first date the next week, and when I got home that night, I cancelled my flight and wrote down that I had finally met the man I was going to marry!
Tell us all about the proposal! For Robert’s 30th birthday, I had planned a big party on a vintage trolley that would take us and our friends around town while we celebrated. Before the party, Robert and I had a “scooter date”–one of our frequent trips together on his scooter–and went to dinner at our favorite local pizza place. Robert was acting a bit strange, and I was slightly upset because I thought he was mad at me. As soon as we got home, I saw both our families standing in the living room. When I turned around, Robert was on one knee. It was all a blur, but I do remember him saying I was the only thing he wanted for his birthday and for the rest of his life. We then joined our friends on the trolley and celebrated his birthday/our engagement for the rest of the night!
When did y’all get married? August 1, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 165
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We had a special monogram created of our initials printed on our save the dates, invitations, cocktail napkins, cups, and cake boxes! Robert gave his groomsmen monogrammed leather flasks, and they all wore paisley print bow ties! We both had very large wedding parties (eight for me, twelve for him), which I think is definitely more popular in the South.
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We went to a couples’ weekend at our church, which was extremely beneficial. If your church offers one, I highly recommend it! Each couple was given a mentor couple and ours was such a blessing. They gave us great marriage advice, as well as helped us work through the challenges we had already faced as a couple.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Making sure everything came together! My sister-in-law and I planned the wedding. We have our own event planning business, E+Mc², and our resources were a huge help. At the same time, as the bride, staying calm and not stressing over every detail (while in charge of it all) had its challenges.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Planning a wedding can put stress on your relationship at times, but don’t lose sight of what the day is about. Remember that it is just the beginning of your life together, and that is the most exciting part. Also, have your budget figured out before you buy/decide on ANYTHING!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are currently living in Louisiana for Robert’s job, so we are concentrating on settling into our new home, making friends, and having fun as a newlyweds! We love to travel and want to take a few extended trips abroad before we start a family.

Photographer: Matt & Julie Weddings / Planner: E+Mc² / Ceremony Venue: Church of the Incarnation / Reception Venue: 42nd Floor Loft at Cityplace Tower / Florist: HEB Blooms / Cake Baker: Sugar Bee Sweets / Caterer: Andrew Ormsby Catering / DJ: Jeff Burris / Special Details: Garland / Paper Products: Studio3eleven / Bride’s Gown: Liancarlo / Veil: Toni Federici / Hair Stylist: Tovah Prue and Savanah King / Makeup Artist: Taylor Frettoloso / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Joanna August, Erin Fetherston, and Jill Stuart / Bow Ties: The Tie Bar / Flower Girl Dress, Shoes, and Flower Crown: Playful & Posh

Sugar Bee Sweets is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Studio 3 Eleven reply

    Yay! This wedding is beautiful! It was so much fun pressing Ellen’s custom Save the Dates and wedding invitations. She was such a great bride to work with!

  2. avatar Sarah Walters reply

    Where is that gorgeous ring from?!

  3. avatar Elegant Dallas Wedding by Matt & Julie Weddings – Southern Weddings | Salam Alikoum reply

    […] Voir le site […]

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With cooler weather and changing leaves knocking at the door, if you weren’t already craving pumpkin everything and snuggling up for movie nights, Katherine and Weston’s Tennessee wedding will push you right over the edge! Their florist, The Enchanted Florist, brought Katherine’s vision of fall colors mixed with pinks, blush, and cream to life with stunning blooms that only made our Blue Ribbon Vendor venue, CJ’s Off the Square, even more lovely. And, those gold pumpkins at each place setting? I think I need a few for my own dining table!

We’re so happy Amy Nicole was on hand to capture this cozy fall celebration!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I imagined dress shopping would be much more difficult than it was. I found my dress during my first appointment, and it was the last dress I tried on. I had tried on about nine dresses and none really felt like “the one,” when y mother and maid of honor pulled out one more. When I tried it on, I felt like a bride, and everyone started crying!

I only had one meeting with my florist, and she brought exactly what I had shown her to life–the fall colors, the greenery, everything was perfect! I still wanted pinks, green, blush, and cream incorporated, even though it was November, and she was able to make it work.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? At first, we did not want to do a first look, but due to the time of the ceremony, we changed our minds and did one so that there would still be light when we took pictures. I am so glad we decided to do a first look! It got out all of the nerves, and I love the pictures! Amy did such a great job capturing the emotions of the day.

I loved getting ready to walk down the aisle. There were about five minutes when it was just my dad and I, and I was able to reflect on the day and on our relationship.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We set up corn hole for the guests and were able to have an outdoor wedding in November!

Describe your wedding cake. I wanted something simple and classic. I found a cake that I loved on Pinterest, and changed a few things to my liking. We didn’t do a grooms cake, so we made the cake four tiers, each tier in a different flavor.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. He worked at a movie theater and I worked at the Starbucks down the way. I was friends with his boss, and they would come over and get free coffee in exchange for free movie tickets :) We started hanging out more and more that summer, usually grabbing dinner or going to parties together. He finally asked me to be his girlfriend on July 1, 2009!
Tell us all about the proposal! He proposed at the same movie theater we met at! After our movie got out, we were sitting in the lobby just chatting, and I was starting to wonder why we hadn’t left yet. He then said he thought he had seen something in the hallway. When I looked down the hall, all of the movie marquees were lit up and said “Katherine, will you marry me?” I turned around and he was on one knee! It was absolutely perfect and so unexpected.
When did y’all get married? November 8, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 120
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I lived in Memphis for about four months of our engagement and then moved to Franklin. Weston didn’t move until three months later. Planning from another city was difficult, and then planning without the groom present was difficult. We had to schedule meetings around his visits, which was tricky, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle! Wedding planning went pretty smoothy overall.
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 memories are you looking forward to making together? We are enjoying being married. We definitely are going to start a family, but also want to take a year or two to spend time together and travel.

Photographer: Amy Nicole Photography / Planner, Venue, and Lighting: CJ’s Off the Square / Florist: The Enchanted Florist / Cake Baker and Caterer: Main Event Productions / Rentals: Southern Events Party Rentals / DJ: Jason Middleton of Premier DJs / Paper Products: Minted / Bride’s Gown: “Paz” by Augusta Jones / Bride’s Jewelry: BHLDN / Veil: Toni Federici / Hair Stylist: Leah Blanco / Makeup Artist: Lisa Johnson / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “165” by Bill Levkoff / Groom’s Attire: Black by Vera Wang

CJ’s Off the Square is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
5 Comments
  1. avatar Amy Nicole Cherry reply

    Today is SUCH a joy! I’m SO thankful for this beautiful couple to be featured!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

  2. avatar Kelsey reply

    That color scheme is to die for! Perfect for fall.

  3. avatar Tricia reply

    What a gorgeous wedding! I love all the colors and florals. Amy Nicole’s images are always so rich and vibrant! Well done!

  4. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Love the colors used for this fall wedding! Beautiful flowers too!

  5. avatar lisa johnson reply

    i just love the vibrant colors and details of this wedding! such a lovely sweet bride and family!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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