Glamorous Summer Wedding at The Four Seasons

February 10, 2017

Bride and groom hug as they have a first look at each other in the aisle of the church. A side by side photo of the details of the wedding which includes the wedding invitations and the jewelry of the bride. A photo of the wedding dress hung beautifully with the backlight of a window. A close up of a blue bow and initial sewn in the bottom of the bride's Carolina Herrera wedding dress. A side by side portrait of the bride getting her make up done and opening wedding day gifts. The mother of the bride smiles at the bride as she has her makeup done for the wedding. A detail photo of the groom's accessories including his shoes, bowtie, cumber bun, and cuff links. A black and white photo of the groom sitting as he puts his shoes on. A groomsman helps the groom with his bowtie. The groom receives a watch as a gift before the wedding. A black and white solo-shot of the groom. The groomsmen spend time together and eat with the groom before the wedding. A detail photo of the florals on the outside of the church and the elaborate doors. The bride reaches up for her dress. A bridesmaid laughed while helping the bride put her dress on. The mother of the bride and a bridesmaid gather to look at the bride in her dress. The bride looks at herself in the mirror in her dress with her mother and bridesmaid. A side by side picture of the back of the brides dress detailed with buttons and a bustle. The second photo is of her father having his first look at the bride in her wedding dress. The groom turns his back as the bride enters the church for their first look before the wedding. The groom has his first look at the bride and opens his mouth in awe of her in her wedding dress. A landscape, detail photo of Central Christian Church with ornate stain glass windows and the couple holding hands as they share a moment before the ceremony. A black and white portrait of the bride and groom looking into each other's eyes. Two portraits of the bride and groom in the church side by side holding hands and hugging before the ceremony. The bride sits as her bridesmaids assist her will placing her veil in her hair. The groom spends time and shares conversation with his groomsmen before the ceremony. A beautiful picture of the details of the alter of Central Christian Church including a wooden Cross, candles, and white flowers. There are also three violinists playing at the front of the church. A black and white birds eye view of the church as the guests stand as the bride walked down the aisle with her father. The groom and minister smile together at the alter with all the groomsmen at their side. A look of happiness and joy is on the bride's face as the walks down the aisle with her father and she meets eyes with her to-be husband. The father of the bride kisses his daughter on the cheek as they reach the front of the church. The bridesmaids and groomsmen smile at the couple as the minister begins the ceremony and the groom gives a thumbs up. A black and white picture of the groom smiling as he takes the hands of his wife to say a prayer. The rest of the guests bow their heads in prayer. The bride and groom kiss to end the ceremony. The newlyweds smile at each other at the front of the church before walking down the aisle to exit the church. A birds eye view of the guests clapping and smiling up at the couple as they begin their exit down the aisle of Central Christian Church. The bride and groom hold hands as they walk outside and the groom glances at his wedding band. The bride shows an expression of joy and shock with her friends after the wedding now that she is officially married. A picture of the whole ballroom at the Four Seasons hotel which is detailed with vibrant red roses and warm colors along the walls and tables. The golden dance floor shimmers and reflects the details of the room. A picture of the head table overflowing with red, pink, and orange roses and candles with a shimmery champagne tablecloth and gold chairs. Two pictures side by side showing the details of the table's centerpieces. Each table has a beautiful red and pink rose centerpiece with candles surrounding. A picture of the stage lined with red roses and rose petals awaiting the band for the reception. A rose gold and champagne side seating area decorated with candles and flowers awaiting the guests prior to the reception. Two photos side by side of the details of the beer and pretzel room. One picture shows a flight of beer and the other shows an up close shot of the pretzels. The pretzel wall and room awaiting the guests before the reception. The bride and groom share their first dance as newlyweds on the gold dance floor while the band plays behind them. The bride and groom share their first dance as guests watch and smile. The bride and groom having their first dance after entering the reception to meet all their guests. The father of the bride meets his daughter for the father daughter dance. The father of the bride smiles as he dances with his daughter. The father of the bride hugs and shares a moment with his daughter after their father daughter dance. The groom and his mother share their dance as the band performs in the background. The groom twirls his mother as they dance and she smiles at him. Family and friends gather to watch the groom and his mother dancing alone on the dance floor. The groom dances with the mother of the bride and the bride watches and smiles with her friends and bridesmaids. The groom smiles as he dances with the mother of the bride. The bride and groom link arms and laugh as they share a drink and watch their guests dance. The band performs on stage in sparkly gold dresses and sings to the guests. A guest kicking up his foot as he dances with friends and family. The bride and groom cut the wedding cake together which is details with pink and orange roses to match the other details of the ballroom. The groom picks up a large piece of wedding cake to feed to his bride. The bride and groom cross arms and share champagne. Two guests hold up their drinks and smile to take a selfie in front of the vibrant, red rose wall. The bride and groom join their guests on the dance floor and sing along with the band. The lead singer from the band joins the bride and dances with her as they both sing into the microphone. The groom gets on stage and sings along with the lead singer of the band while holding up his drink. The bride and groom dance and sing as their friends and family dance and watch around them. A guest dances and shows off a dance move to his friends as they watch and laugh. A bridesmaid dances and sings with other guests. The brides maids all sing and dance together on the dance floor. The bridesmaids dance around the bride and watch the other guests dancing around. The brides friends and family gather to watch and take pictures of the bride dancing with her husband. A guest throws her arms up while she dances with her friends. The bride and groom joke around and dance with their guests. A black and white photo of the bride and groom kissing as their friends and family gather to cheer and clap. The bride and groom make their exit from the reception while their guests watch and hold sparklers to congratulate them. As the bride and groom exit the reception, they are surprised with fireworks and take a moment to enjoy them together.

What are your day jobs?

Max is Vice President of the Multi-Family Division (that’s fancy speak for apartments) at Stream Realty. I started a new job in October at AMS Commercial Real Estate to manage the company’s investment portfolio. We’re both in the same-ish business, so it’s nice to be able to talk about our jobs with each other and have a better understanding of what the other does all day!How did you meet?

We both went to the University of Texas, but because Max was a senior when I was a freshman, there wasn’t any overlap in friend groups or circles, so we never knew each other. There was an attempt to set us up in December of 2013 by a mutual friend, but luckily God postponed that life event until Max mustered up the courage to ask me out October 2014. He reached out on my birthday of that year (knowing full well that it was my birthday!) and we had our first date on Oct. 16 – drinks at Whisler’s, which turned into dinner at Licha’s Cantina, and we’ve been together ever since!

Tell me about the proposal?

We made plans to fly to Chicago for the University of Texas vs. Notre Dame football game over Labor Day weekend. Once at the stadium for the game, we met up with my parents and their friends who are big time Notre Dame alumni, and we joined their tour of the Notre Dame locker room as something fun to do and see before the game. We were on the tour and I was just snapping pics and taking it all in, not even thinking twice about the fact that a photographer was with our “tour group” snapping away. We were led through the tunnel where the players enter the field, and Max asked the photographer if we could run onto the field to get a quick photo, and the photographer pretended to think hard for a minute but then said “sure sure, but we have to hurry. Only 5 minutes.” So Max and the photographer took off, I was lagging behind, taking selfies and again, being oblivious almost to the point of un-cooperative. Once we got to the 50 yard line, we stood in front of the photog and posed and smiled like normal while he took our picture, then all of a sudden Max started to turn toward me and I was laughing, crying, walking backwards, crouching down next to him, standing up, all over the place! I was a mess, but so excited and surprised! After Max said a ton of sweet things that I can hardly remember (whoops!) I said YES! And my parents and our family friends came running toward us (the photog captured it all — so sweet!) and then we celebrated back at a tailgate where a ton of my friends surprised me. We spent the rest of the weekend in Chicago – eating delicious food at fun dinners, taking in a cubs game, and basking in the happiness of the engagement!

How did you choose your venues: Central Christain Church and the Four Seasons

Central Christian is a gorgeous church. We loved the stained glass, plus the downtown location can’t be beaten. The big ballrooms of the Four Seasons were a perfect match for our needs and how we envisioned the reception to look and feel. I’ve said it many times and I truly believe that no one does it like the Four Seasons! Their level of service and the experience that you get upon setting foot inside the gorgeous hotel is unmatched. Plus, we were one of the first weddings in the newly-renovated Four Seasons ballroom and that was pretty neat and exciting!

Describe your decor and how you chose it?

We wanted to transform the Four Seasons ballroom into a colorful, high-energy environment. Design elements included a bronze mirrored dance floor framed by a custom-built stage facade + backdrop for our fabulous band, gold lounge furniture surrounding the dancing area, floral-topped banquettes and lots of bars. Tables were dressed with textured metallic linens, sleek gold Chameleon chairs, and bold florals. The head table featured a 24’ garland of cascading lush florals. It was truly stunning!

Tell me about the “Pretzel/Beer Room”

We wanted to do a fun surprise for Max but I ended up getting too excited about it to keep it a secret and explained the idea to him a couple months out and of course, he loved the idea! Since Max’s German roots are deep on both his mother’s and father’s sides, we thought it would be fun to have a “Beer Garden” in the San Jacinto Ballroom – a room decorated like an upscale German biergarten. We had a “chef action station” with smoke roasted german sausages: Elgin sausage and Bratwurst, as well as large ballpark, salted soft pretzels with mustard and hot cheeses, and a hanging candied bacon station, which was a huge hit of the night. The candied bacon was such a crowd pleaser that my dad got numerous texts the morning after that said, “your daughter was a gorgeous bride and all, but that bacon, WOW!” That really made me laugh.

Tell me about your attire – who designed your dress and where did you buy it?

Carolina Herrera designed it and I purchased it directly from her Highland Park boutique in Dallas. I did all of my fittings there and they were wonderful to work with. The fitted bodice of the dress was embellished with a Chantilly lace over an ivory silk corset and the fitted mikado silk mermaid skirt was accentuated by a dramatic train of origami folds. I wore a cathedral length veil that was trimmed in matching Chantilly lace. I loved my dress and veil so much!

What shoes did you choose and what jewelry did you wear?

My “something borrowed” was a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings from my Godmother. Aside from the dress, my “something new” was a diamond tennis bracelet, a gift from my mother. Her “something old” was a lace handkerchief that she carried down the aisle wrapped around her bouquet, which belonged to her maternal grandmother who could not be at the ceremony in person. Her “something blue” was a beautifully scripted “L” embroidered inside the dress, a special touch Carolina Herrera does for her brides. I also wore a Swarovski crystal and rhinestone hair comb to add some pop to my dark updo. It was a fun accessory!
(I added more info about other details in lieu of my shoes 🙂 )

Who designed the bridesmaids dresses and how did you choose them?

My bridesmaids wore silk crinkle chiffon Amsale dresses in Fawn, purchased from Bella Bridesmaid in Austin. I knew I wanted long dresses because our wedding was on the dressier side. Since our color palette was so colorful, I wanted the bridesmaid dresses to be a simple, neutral hue that would really let the shades of their bouquets pop!

And your groom – tell me about his look – who was his suit designer? Any other significant accessories?

Max wore a midnight blue custom tux – he wanted to do something different than a basic black tux and I’m so glad he did. His favorite detail in the tux was “Hook ’em Horns – 8.6.16” which was embroidered under the flap of his collar. His black dress shoes were gorgeous, made of alligator. He looked so handsome and felt like a million bucks in his new threads!

Why did you choose me, Jenny, to be your wedding photographer?

First of all, you came highly recommended by our wedding planner, Becky Brock! But after our initial consultation, my mom and I felt like we totally hit it off with you and connected. You made me feel so comfortable and excited — choosing you was one of the easiest decisions I made. You made every step so enjoyable and stress-free. I wish we could do it all again, starting with the bridal portraits!! It was all just so much fun.

What was one of your favorite moments from your wedding day?

The moment with my dad right before the doors opened, and then the feeling I had walking down the aisle looking at Max is one I’ll never forget. All of the anticipation, planning, and excitement leads up to that specific moment in time – it’s so surreal, emotional and absolutely amazing. Many other moments are a blur, but I’ll always remember those specific minutes of our wedding day. Tied for “favorite moment” is most definitely the surprise fireworks show devised behind the scenes by my sweet mama and Becky Brock for our exit. We were just at the end of the sparkler line about to hug my parents goodbye when BOOM – the biggest fireworks show that we’d ever seen started lighting up the sky! We were absolutely floored, I was so overwhelmed that I was brought to tears, and couldn’t believe it was all for us. (Major props to @bigdogpyro too!). To this day I still cannot believe that my mom and Becky were able to keep such a big secret from me – what a duo. Our send-off was truly the icing on the cake! And not to mention the fabulous snapshots that you captured…it was absolutely magical!

What was your favorite image from your wedding day?

How can I choose!? I love the black and white aerial shots from the church as my dad was walking me down the aisle. I also love the photo of him kissing my cheek before he sat down and Max’s sweet expression in the background. And I love every single image in the sparkler exit and of course, the firework photos!

Did any of your other vendors go above and beyond for you?

Aside from you going way above and beyond beyond….Becky Brock and her girls were incredible to work with. They completely took the wheel and Olivia Pope’d the heck out of it all. I felt so “handled” and as a bride to be, it’s the best feeling to have! Keith from Westbank totally hit it out of the park. Daniel Estrada from When It Clicks is an absolute magician behind the camera – his footage, your photos, and our dog are the three things we’d grab if our house was burning down! All of our vendors were a dream to work with and there isn’t one thing I’d change.

Do you have any tips to share with other couples?

If you’re a control-freak like me, relinquish that control to your vendors! This is a wonderfully special time in your life where you can sit back and put your heels up, because hey, you’re the bride! I trusted mine so much and as a result, not only did I made some special new friendships (which made the 11-month planning process even more fun), but my new friends orchestrated the best day of our lives to date. And that’s pretty special.
Another tip: choose to do a bridal portrait session! It’s the best trial run for the big day. You want to love your hair and makeup on your wedding day, so be sure to get a couple test runs in. Plus, you’ll be able to get more comfortable being “bridal” in front of a camera + most importantly, you’ll develop an even better relationship with your photographer.

Wedding Planner and Event Designer: Becky Brock – Brock and Co.

Ceremony Venue: Central Christian Church

Reception Venue: The Four Seasons Hotel

Florist: Westbank Flower Market

Cake: Simon Lee

Band/DJ: Big Blast & The Party Masters

Catering: Four Seasons, Meredith Hill

Hair Stylist: Corrine Kimbro

Makeup Artist: Donna Bruns

Videographer: When It Clicks