Southern Weddings

Lisa emailed me before this post to tell me that this one was “definitely a Marissa wedding.” She sure knows me well! I’m pretty sure I often dream in pale pink and gold, and Lacy and JD’s sweet day would fit right in. While I was not familiar with Chateau Cocomar, I now think a trip to Houston to admire it in person is in order. I completely agree with Lacy that it’s the perfect fairy tale setting–those archways, those gold accents, that amazing architectural detail in their exit photo from Archetype… need I go on? Of course, while I’m kind of obsessing over their details, I can’t help but stop and think about what a wonderful expression of hospitality and love their wedding was. Lacy brought me right back to my own wedding day with her nostalgic recount of the memories that stuck with her: “I’ll never forget the way the roses smelled, how beautiful my bridesmaids looked, my grandmother kissing me on the cheek, my mom’s face as I was walking down the aisle, or the way it felt to finally say ‘I do.’”

Thanks so much to Archetype for sharing this gorgeous day with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I had always imagined going dress shopping with my mom and sisters and grandma, walking out in the perfect dress, and everyone shrieking and crying tears of joy. But, that’s not my dress story. One of my bridesmaids was in town shortly after I got engaged, and we were wandering around the mall. She was really excited and kept insisting we look at wedding dresses, but since I had no intention of buying anything, I wasn’t interested in looking just yet. I knew exactly what style I wanted though, so I begrudgingly agreed to go look, just to show her what kind of dress I was interested in. I showed her one that was exactly what I had envisioned: ball gown, lace bodice, full tulle skirt, timelessly beautiful. She insisted I try it on and ran to get a stylist. I stepped into it, and it was love at first sight. First and only dress I tried on–I bought it and didn’t regret it for a second!

Even though I wanted everything about our wedding to be very traditional, we decided to do a first look. I knew how crazy and busy the wedding day becomes, and how the bride and groom are pulled in so many different directions. Another bride told me that her biggest regret from her wedding day was that she spent the whole day apart from her husband, so I wanted us to have some time that was just for us, and to be able to share an intimate moment without it being on display for all our guests.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? It all went by so quickly, and so much of it is a blur. But some moments, I remember so clearly. I’ll never forget the way the roses smelled, how beautiful my bridesmaids looked, my grandmother kissing me on the cheek, my mom’s face as I was walking down the aisle, or the way it felt to finally say “I do.”

I was in love with our venue from the moment I stepped through the door. It was the perfect fairy tale setting for our wedding, and everything I had ever dreamed of. The pictures speak for themselves!

Our flowers were unbelievably beautiful! We used roses, garden roses, hydrangeas, and spray roses in ivory, pale pinks, and sand. Our arrangements were so full and lush–it made for the ultimate romantic, fairy tale setting. The whole place smelled like roses!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Hire a wedding coordinator. I cannot imagine planning our wedding without one, especially on the day-of! Our coordinator was amazing. On the wedding day, I really could relax and enjoy spending the day with my girls and my husband. I didn’t have to worry about what was going on with the set up or the vendors, and if there was ever a problem, I never knew it!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our sparkler send off! From beautiful pictures of other couples’ grand exits, I knew that sparkers were the only choice for us. What I hadn’t expected was how magical and romantic it would feel to walk out of our reception surrounded by a sea of glittery lights!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. JD and I met at law school orientation. Since neither of us was into the icebreakers or working a crowd, we gravitated toward each other and became instant friends. I never imagined that five years later, we’d be getting married. It was only later that I learned that after our first day of orientation, his mom asked him if he had met any girls–his response: “Just one.”
Tell us all about the proposal! JD proposed while we were vacationing in Breckenridge, Colorado over the Fourth of July weekend. We were watching the town fireworks show from the balcony of our condo and sipping champagne. He slipped the ring into my champagne glass and then got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.
When did y’all get married? October 18, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 85
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Relinquishing control! I tried to take care of everything myself initially, but ultimately, I couldn’t do it all myself. I am so grateful for all the help from my mother, mother-in-law, bridesmaids, and coordinator. I couldn’t have done it without them!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are most looking forward to sharing new adventures and exploring the world together! We recently moved to Denver and bought our first house.

Photographer: Archetype / Venue and Planner: Chateau Cocomar / Florist: Blooming Gallery / Cake Baker: Who Made the Cake / Caterer: Cordua / Rentals: Swift + Co. / Band: NiteBeat Band / Paper Products: Atelier du Papier / Bride’s Gown: “Mila” by Hayley Paige / Hair and Makeup: Makeup Texas / Bride’s Shoes: “Fayme” by Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “6613” by After Six / Menswear: Vera Wang / Transportation: Rolls Royce

Written with love by Marissa