Our next blog post brings us to the end of January 2016, when we joined Alexandra and John for their classic plum & orange wedding. While most elements of the wedding were traditional, they added lots of personalized details based on their love for the football team, the Texas Longhorns – the groom’s cake featured a football, the guestbook was a jersey for guests to sign, and the groom wore logo-branded socks. The ceremony was held at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, and the reception was held at The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne. We had a wonderful time bringing this fun and classic wedding to life, and are happy to share the photos of their day with you thanks to Kathy Thomas Photography.
Alexandra got ready with her bridesmaids and mother at The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne. Her hair and make-up was done beautifully by Allie Workman and Jess Hasara, and her beautiful bouquet of purple, red, white, and orange was arranged by Flowers by Lesley. The bouquet featured a rosary, a personal touch for the bride.
Meanwhile, John got ready with his groomsmen, pinning on their orange boutonnieres, also done by Flowers by Lesley. The gentlemen’s preparations were all about football: Besides their matching argyle socks featuring the logos of their favorite football teams, they also had a correlating logo-branded flasks. We thought it was such a fun idea to reflect the groom and groomsmen’s love of their teams.
After getting ready, Alexandra and John decided to do a first look photo shoot before the ceremony. They met in the courtyard, and you could see the joy and love in both of their eyes when they first saw each other. It was then time to make their way to the ceremony venue at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, and so the two took a ride in a classic Mercedes from Classic Cars Dave.
The ceremony venue, St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, was gorgeous, and required no additional decorations. We merely added a few floral “Reserved” signs, and our hair & make-up team gave Alexandra a few last minute touches before she made her grand entrance.
Alexandra was walked down the aisle by her father to her loving groom. The high ceilings of the expansive church provided for an incredible background as Alexandra and John were pronounced man and wife, and kissed in front of their guests. The wedding party then met for a quick photo shoot outside the church, and in no time it was time to return to The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne for the cocktail hour and reception!
The guests went straight from the ceremony to The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne, where an outdoor cocktail hour was awaiting them. While waiting for the wedding party to arrive, they were able to sign the guestbook. This was one of our favorite touches: rather than a book, the bride and groom made a Longhorns jersey that featured their now-shared last name “Clarke”, and had their guests sign that instead. What a fun idea! At last the bride and groom arrived, and had their first dance in the courtyard. Then it was time to enter the beautiful dining room!
The reception dining room was gorgeously set – one window was filled with glass sculptures which caught the light, the tables were set with white linens and purple napkins, and the centerpieces were beautiful floral arrangements by Flowers by Lesley surrounded by candles. The table numbers were a fun touch – the bride and groom included a detail or memory from their relationship that correlated with each number (for example, for Table 7, the card said that there would be 7 weeks between their wedding and their honeymoon). Another personal touch was their favors – each place setting was given a drink koozie in memory of the wedding. Finally, the card box was made to look like a mailbox for their “Wedding Post”, to be opened after the reception. The mantle that held the card box and the piano that was used as a gift table also held photos for their “In Loving Memory” display.
The guests made their way inside and helped themselves to a delicious buffet created by John Michaels Catering. The food was a mix of classy and classic Southern food, from panko-crusted chicken garlic mashed potatoes. After eating their fill, the party returned outside to the courtyard.
The bride and groom had their mother-son and father-daughter dances, and then open dancing began. The party was led by the live band, The Bay Kings Band, featuring a number of talented musicians. In no time the night was drawing to a close, and it was time to cut the cakes!
Alexandra and John chose to have a bride’s cake and a groom’s cake. The bride’s cake was gorgeous and white, with textured frosting and floral decorations. Meanwhile, the groom’s cake reflected their love for the Longhorns one last time, with a football in the center with the Longhorns logo, and the phrase of their wedding: “Hooked for life”. Both cakes were masterfully made by Publix Bakery. After enjoying the delicious cakes, the guests returned to dancing, and the night all too quickly came to a close.
We had a wonderful time making this night possible with Alexandra, John, and the venues and vendors that brought their vision to life. Much thanks to all involved:
Ceremony Venue: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church • Reception Venue: The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne • Hair & Makeup: Allie Workman & Jess Hasara • Florist: Flowers by Lesley • Photographer: Kathy Thomas Photography • Videographer: Paul Literal Videography • Transportation: Apollo’s Chariots & Classic Cars Dave • Planner: Anna Christine Events • Caterer: John Michaels Catering • Cake: Publix Bakery • Band: The Bay Kings Band