Sara and Sean {A Country Club Affair}

Love love love this bride! Now, I am biased because Sara is one of my sorority sisters. But, even if she weren't, I would have fallen in love with her! She is not only intelligent (a doctor) and beautiful, but she is the sweetest person with such a big heart. And, I love her knack for organization (it certainly makes my job easy)!

Sara and Sean are a long-time couple who met in college at the University of Houston, and are truly a perfect match. I had a great time working with Sara on putting all of her wedding elements together, and I had the chance to work with some amazing new vendors as well.

 

The Details

Reception Venue - Pine Forest Country Club

Photo - Katie Lamb Photography

Floral Design - Petals by Design

Cakes - Edible Designs by Jessie

Makeup - Do or Dye Texas {Ginny}

DJ - JPL Entertainment {Ben Petry} 

Linens - Over the Top

Transportation - Elite Limousines of Houston
Cocktail Hour Pianist - Chamber Music Unlimited
 



Sara and Sean were married at St. John Vianney in west Houston (a gorgeous church, if you've never seen it), and their reception was held at Pine Forest Country Club, which is a hidden gem in the city (and note that this summer their ballroom is being completely renovated and remodeled). Pine Forest Country club sits on a perfectly manicured golf course, and has such an amazing staff - so accommodating and professional. I cannot wait to see what renovations they have in store.

Sara's day began with her bridesmaids having their makeup done by Ginny with Do or Dye Texas at Pine Forest Country Club. Sara was so relaxed, and enjoyed the time with her girls! Photos began at Pine Forest, until the limo came to take the lovely ladies to the church for the afternoon "I Dos!"

 

The bride carried a beautiful bouquet of roses and spray roses, and the bridesmaids held a combination of purple, green and white flowers. The mixture of colors complimented the bridesmaid dresses, and the bouquets were a vibrant pop of color! The aisles were decorated with bouquets of variations of purple and green wildflowers, which were able to be used to brighten up cocktail hour as well. I also love the groomsmen's boutonnieres.... since the groom loves golf and works for the PGA, it was only fitting to have their boutonnieres made of golf tees! Sara and Sean had a traditional wedding ceremony that was both heartfelt and touching, and afterwards guests headed to Pine Forest Country Club where they enjoyed a cocktail hour with the piano styling of  Rob Erikson.

 

When guests arrived at Pine Forest Country Club, they entered to the grand staircase, which was lined with greenery and Toole. At the top of the staircase was a spectacular floral arrangement of. Sara and Sean's guestbook was a great compilation of photos that showcased the couple's relationship. Also topping the table, were photos from both the bride and groom's families, which included wedding photos of both sets of parents as well as their grandparents' wedding photos. The bride's cake was a  three tiered white cake with green ribbon, and delicious - thanks to Edible Designs by Jessie!

The ballroom was set up with linens from Over the Top, and incorporated pops of yellows and grays on each table. The centerpieces were an outstanding mixture of purples and greens that stole the eye's attention (until the bride arrived, of course). Petals by Design's arrangements adorned the ballroom perfectly. Engagement photos taken by Katie Lamb were looped for guests to enjoy. This was a great way to showcase their engagement session, taken at the historic University of Houston's Robertson Stadium.

Sara and Sean entered the ballroom in a fun "run out" fashion (a last minute idea made by the bridesmaids), and danced their first dance to Kip Moore's, "Hey Pretty Girl," which is one of my new personal favorites! The bride shared a memorable dance with her father, Sal, to The Temptation's, "My Girl," and the groom led his mom around the dance floor to "The Best Was Yet To Come," by Brian Adams. Just before guests were served, a traditional Irish blessing was offered by the groom's grandfather (a touching moment).

Toasts were made by the best man and maid of honor... guests were laughing, crying, and everything in between! (I love the look on Sara and Sean's faces during the maid of honor's toast)! Once the cake was cut, everyone hit the dance floor (and I mean everyone)! The entertainment for the evening was Ben Petry, from JPL Entertainment, and he was awesome! (He is a college student at Texas A&M who is a DJ with JPL Entertainment on the weekends). He got guests moving by kicking off the dancing with the "Married Couples Dance." Both Sara and Sean's grandparents were the last couples standing, and they were in definite competition! I overheard some fun banter about which couple would take the win! So cute to see both couples, married over 40 years, celebrating their grandchildren and still enjoying each other after so many years.

Friends and family lit up the dance floor for the rest of the reception, and were clearly having so much fun. At any point, you could look around the ballroom and see old friends reconnecting, and old and new friends having a great time together! Being a part of Sara and Sean's wedding, we were all truly in the presence of love and happiness. The last song of the evening was Tim McGraw's, "One of Those Nights," and as Sara and Sean danced, their friends gathered around them, linking arms, and singing along. It brought tears to the bride's eyes, and was a great impromptu moment.

As a wedding favor, guest were delighted with personalized bags of popcorn given by the groom's parents. They own Doc Popcorn, and it was the perfect addition for guests to enjoy!

As the night came to a close, guest lined the grand staircase and blew bubbles to wish the bride and groom well as they left for their honeymoon. It was really a wonderful evening, and one that Sara and Sean will remember for a lifetime.

Thank you SO much to the wonderful and talented Katie, of Katie Lamb Photography, for her great photos!

Erika and Patrick {A Perfect Match}

The Details

Venue - Bell Tower on 34th

Photography - Evoke Photography

DJ - DJ U Productions (Darryl)

Flowers - Floral Events

Linens / Rentals - Darryl & Co.

Hair / Makeup - Adome Artistry
Ceremony and Cocktail Music - Divisi Strings
Cakes - Sweet Cheeks

Erika and Patrick are a perfect match, and all-around great couple! She is a teacher, and he is a firefighter, and they each have a passion for not only their professions, but also their life together. I had a great time working with Erika on her wedding at the incredible Bell Tower on 34th, and even with a complete Houston monsoon outside, she stayed calm, cool, and collected... literally not letting it rain on her parade. Erika is a close friend of my husband's family. She contacted me about 2 months before her wedding in a panic. Her planner was a no-show, and needed a "day of" coordinator. Luckily, I left 2 weekends available in April for my son's birthday, so I was able to step in!

If you have never had the pleasure of attending or hosting an event at the Bell Tower on 34th, you are missing out! From the ambience, to the staff, I love it! I had the pleasure of working with the awesome Donna at the venue, and she is always detail oriented and great to coordinate with.

Erika and Patrick had their ceremony in the traditional chapel at The Bell Tower. I love that she brought her minister from her college, Texas Lutheran University, to preform the ceremony. It added such a personal element to their vows. Her walk down the aisle was adorned with a sting quartet, provided by the talented musicians at Divisi Strings.

The wedding ceremony was intimate and detailed, but when it was over, it was time to party! Erika's original plan was to have her cocktail hour on the Bell Tower on 34th's water wall. The unpredictable Houston weather had a different idea. We just moved to plan B (there is always a plan B when having anything outdoors in Houston). We flipped part of the reception ballroom into her cocktail hour. Divisi Strings delighted guests with their performance, while everyone enjoyed cocktails and appetizers. The wedding party, along with the bride and groom, sat at a "head table," and Erika and Patrick had such cute "Mrs. and Mr." signs to accessorize their seats.

Once the bride and groom made their grand entrance, and after they danced their first dance, Erika's parents welcomed their guests. Her father moved the crowd with a touching welcome and toast, and I'm sure it was a moment Erika will always remember.

After enjoying a buffet dinner (delicious), the dance floor was open, and, WOW, did the guests have a blast dancing! Thanks to Darryl at DJ U, guests hit the dance floor, and the night flowed. Even the photographer joined in for a few songs. The reception was underway, and everyone was able to take notice of many of Erika's details and personal touches. She brought in lounge furniture to give a laid back feel in one area of the Chandelier Room. They also had a photo booth with TONS of great props... guests had a blast getting wild with their pictures! Placed around the ballroom were photos of the couple as well as Erika's bridal portraits (beautiful). There were also flip-flops offered to anyone who wanted to kick off their shoes and dance the night away as well as Koozies for guests to take as favors.

 

 

Erika's cake was designed by a teacher that she works with, and was delicious! It stood 4 tiers high, and sat on a gorgeous silver cake stand. Patrick's groom's cake was, of course, the fire fighter's logo, and was spectacular (and yummy)!

My favorite part of the night was the couple's unique getaway.... that's right... a classic fire truck! (We did have to check ahead of time to make sure it could make it through the driveway area). I loved this personal element, and the couple looked great as they  were showered with rose petals, and drove away to their honeymoon.

All images by Evoke Photography