NIKKI + TED WEDDING | THE MANSION | ST DAVID’S CHURCH | AUSTIN

Aug 10, 2013

How and when did you two meet? What made you fall for each other?

We met in August 2008 through mutual friends. We immediately connected as friends and over the next few months, it grew into more. Shortly thereafter we knew we had found something special.

How did he propose?

I grew up in Katy (west of Houston) and moved to Austin right after college. I would often drive back to Katy to see my family and would always take Highway 71. A little less than half way to Katy, I would pass a grand and beautiful Live Oak tree in Smithville. It was the best and most scenic part of my drive. After dating a few months, Ted joined me on a trip to Katy. As we passed the tree, Ted commented on how beautiful it was and from then on, every time we drove past the tree to and from Katy, we would alert each other as we approached the tree. We never passed it without both admiring it from that day forward.

About the wedding

We knew from day one that the most important wedding detail was the inclusion of our family. From our parents and siblings to our more recently acquired “family” in Austin, we knew we wanted to celebrate our day with all of them. And that quickly became our theme – friends and family. From the ground up, we tried to design and coordinate our wedding in a way that would allow us to celebrate it best with those we most loved. We wanted our friends and family to enjoy a weekend in Austin, where we had already begun to build our life together. We selected music we knew they could dance to, food and drinks we knew they’d enjoy and a venue we knew we could all celebrate the day together in. Our wedding would have never been possible without the support of several friends, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and most important, our parents. My veil was made by hand by my mother and was instantly my most prized possession on my wedding day. The guests’ favors were made by hand by my wonderful aunt. One of my favorite moments was early that morning while getting ready. The girls were buzzing around the house having their hair and make up done. We had all woken up early but everyone seemed relaxed yet excited. While having my hair done, I remember very clearly looking across the kitchen to see my amazing aunts, God mother, and a couple of bridesmaids putting together my last minute details. They were happily willing to work that morning instead of resting and all to ensure MY dream came true. It was one of the warmest feelings I’ve ever had. All of the stress (and believe me, there was STRESS) prior to that day melted away. The ceremony was more than I could ever imagine and walking down the aisle with my father will forever be a favorite memory of mine. When Ted and I arrived at the site of the reception, we stepped upstairs to have a quick moment to ourselves. We looked down at all of the friends and family mixing and mingling, and couldn’t help but smile ear to ear. All of these people had traveled from all over the country and dedicated their weekend to us. We knew this was a once in a lifetime moment – to have all of our loved ones in one place for one night – and we were determined to enjoy it. Something Old (Grandfather’s handkerchief) Something new (Ted bought me a pair of pearl drop earrings and gave them to me that morning), Something borrowed (Charm with the Lord’s Prayer from my parents), something blue (garter given to me by a bridesmaid, Jen Huray). We also still talk about how amazing our bridal party was. We have always felt very blessed for having such amazing friends and siblings. That day they all came together to make all of our dreams come true. It just wouldn’t have been the same without them. They’re all family and they all mean the world to us.

How did the event unfold?

The day began with the bridesmaids gathering at a beautiful cottage house my parents rented. We met that morning for breakfast and mimosas. Our hair stylists and makeup artists came to the house so we were able to relax and enjoy the morning together. Later that morning, the groomsmen and groom met at the Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel downtown for lunch and to get ready. After lunch, they met us out the house for our First Look. Ted and I saw each other for the first time in a beautiful garden behind the cottage, one of the most special highlights of the day. We then moved to St. David’s Episcopal Church for a beautiful ceremony with all of our friends and family. The celebrations began around 6:30 pm at the TFWC Mansion where we ate dinner and danced the night away. We had an after part at the Stephen F Austin Intercontinental Hotel and the next morning my parents hosted brunch at the house they rented.