Lauren and Matt’s Wedding Day
This wedding took place at the 4 Eleven in Fort Worth, Texas.
The 4 Eleven
The 4 eleven in Fort Worth, Texas.
featured vendors:
photography: Emily Nicole Photo | videography: Jonathan Mayfield Media | hair: Heather Paige Young | makeup: Krystal Ruiz| venue: the 4 Eleven | catering: Nonna Tata| pies: Sweet Lucy’s Pies | Donuts: Dough Boy Donuts | florist: Camellia Farm Flora| dress: De Ma Fille Bridal| cake: Loft22 Cakes| Band: PDA | bridesmaids dresses: White by Vera Wang | wedding coordinator: Grit & Gold | jewelers: Kubes Jewelers and Manly Bands | Rentals: Marquee Event Rentals and Coral Lane| photo booth: The Photo Bus
The love story told by the Bride: “We met in jail” is Matt’s go-to answer, but the truth is that we met at a gym. A shared passion for kettlebells and barbells brought us together. We started off as training partners which developed into a friendship. A little over a year later, we began to date. Since then, our relationship has been filled with so much excitement.
Christmas 2018 was when we got engaged. Matt planned the most spectacular proposal at our family vacation to Disney World. Following breakfast at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, we decided to get a caricature done. Little did I know – Matt had already commissioned a special drawing. As the artist asked me if I wanted to see the progress, he quickly switched the drawings, and Matt was down on one knee! There was even a photographer on hand to capture the whole proposal as well as give us a mini engagement photoshoot in front of Cinderella’s Castle!
The Dress: My gown happened to be the dress I most wanted after looking at pictures and was the first one I tried on – a unique Hayley Paige ballgown. I tried on about 12 more dresses after the first, but we kept coming back to it as it was “the one”.
Q: What was your color palette and your style vision?
A: Being so close to Valentine’s Day, I want to make sure that our wedding hard a warm, romantic feeling but still represented us as a couple. Our colors were focused on burgundy and navy, with accents of rose gold. We wanted to make sure that the romantic wedding ceremony represented our relationship and our excitement to share our commitment with our friends and family.
Q: What is your favorite photo from the day?
A: This is hands-down both Matt and I’s favorite picture (see above) because it perfectly captures our O’hana. We may be the weird dog parents, but we were so glad to be able to have our two dogs as part of our special day. They are such a huge part of our lives, and this picture will be something that we will cherish forever, marking the day we officially became a family.
The Floral Details: Our flowers focused on the same warm and romantic colors that we chose for the wedding. With splashes of unique flowers, such as King Proteas, our arrangements were unique and bright. We wanted a centerpiece for our wedding, and we were lucky enough to find a stunning arch through our florist that set the tone for the entire ceremony.
Something Special: Our cake topper was one of my favorite aspects of the wedding. It was modeled after us in the form of “Catana Comics“, an online comic that Matt and I discovered while dating (and we secretly think is actually based on us). There isn’t a single comic that we don’t share with one another.
Q: What was your favorite memory from the day?
A: My favorite memory is walking down the aisle. I can still clearly remember standing behind the door with my dad when my song started to play – “There She Is” by Frank Turner – a song that has long since been special to Matt and I. In that moment, it really started to hit what was about to happen. The doors opened at the exact right moment in the song – “There she is… isn’t she everything” – and I was met with the eyes and smiles of so many family and friends. I was overwhelmed in that exact moment – this was the moment I had dreamt about since I was a little girl – walking down the aisle with my dad, and while I hadn’t known who’d I be walking down the aisle to, seeing Matt there was better than anything I ever could have imagined.
The Reception: Our reception was all about us as a couple and the celebration! Our goal was to also represent our love for Fort Worth! Nearly all of our vendors and caterers were local. It’s no secret I love food, and there was no shortage. We had pasta from Nonna Tata, cake form Loft22, pies (in lieu of a groom’s cake per Matt’s request) from Sweet Lucy’s Pies, and Dough Boy Donuts food truck as a late-night snack!
Advice for future brides: Don’t sweat the small stuff – your day will be perfect. At the end of the day, you will marry your partner, and that is all that really matters. You’ll be surrounded by friends and family, and those will be the memories that you carry with you. Yes – we all love to talk about the food and music, but what will remain is the love and support that you felt that day. Everyone always says the day will be a blur – and it was… so take the time here and there to soak it all in, but trust me – you won’t remember if your guest book was set out with 3 or 4 pens or if you centerpieces look slightly different than planned. And no one else will either… they’ll all be too busy looking at you!
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