How did you choose your venue: 800 Congress?
We looked at a few venues that were really great but we really just loved the rawness of 800 Congress. We loved the brick and concrete and overall industrial look. And we liked the idea of turning it into something completely our own. Also, the space was the perfect size, not too big, not too small. Our amazing wedding planner, Gina Whittington also really helped us visualize everything it could be and turned it into the wedding venue of our dreams.
Describe your decor and how you chose it?
From the beginning we knew we didn’t want a traditional white wedding, we were looking for something bold and dramatic. My husband also loves geodes and nature so we wanted to incorporate those ideas into our design. Our colors were moody and our vibe was romantic. We described this to our wedding planner and she brought our vision to life.
Tell me about your attire – who designed your dress and where did you buy it?
My dress was designed by Martina Liana. We bought it from Mia Bridal Couture in Houston.
What shoes did you choose and what jewelry did you wear?
I wore Badgley Mischka wedges that matched my dress perfectly. I wore my mom’s diamond necklace. Pearl and diamond earrings my parents had given me as a gift from their trip to Africa. My grandmother lent me a family heirloom bracelet that other women in my family wore on their wedding days. And I also carried with me a special heirloom handkerchief that belonged to my late grandmother that all the other women in my family also carried on their wedding days.
Who designed the bridesmaids dresses?
I wanted my bridesmaids to feel comfortable in the dress they were wearing so I decided to have them each choose whatever dress they wanted and just stick with the same color. They wore navy blue and looked beautiful.
And your groom – tell me about his look – who was his suit designer? Any other significant accessories?
My husband wore a navy Ted Baker suit with a bow tie and suspenders. He looked like a million bucks. The man of my dreams!
Why did you choose me, Jenny, to be your wedding photographer?
We looked at a lot of great photographers but what stuck out to us was the raw emotion behind your photographs. When we looked at your galleries we could see how you captured so much emotion from so many different weddings and we just didn’t see that with the other photographers we looked at. We knew we wanted to find a photographer that would really give us the gift of recording the feeling behind all the special moments of our special day, and that was you.
What was one of your favorite moments from your wedding day?
One of my absolute favorite moments was our first look. My husband and I spent the night before I wedding and that entire day separated. After a full day of anticipation, getting hair and makeup done, putting on my dress, having a million people coming in and out of my bridal suite I was feeling emotional, stressed and drained. But the moment I saw my husband, I cried with relief. Just seeing him made me feel re-energized and ready for our big night. All my worries were gone and I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. I’ll never forget that moment.
What was your favorite image from your wedding day?
My favorite image from our wedding day is one of the very last moments of the night. My husband and I are walking past all of our family and friends holding sparklers and we are both beaming from ear to ear. We are holding hands and walking into the next chapter of our lives as husband and wife.
Did any of your other vendors go above and beyond for you?
All of our vendors were amazing. Two that stand out were our caterer, Word of Mouth and our florist, Wendee Sawran. Both did an amazing job at listening to what we wanted and giving us more than we dreamed of. The food was amazing and the flowers were beautiful.
Do you have any tips to share with other couples?
Find an amazing wedding planner. My dream wedding was only possible because of our amazing wedding planner, Gina Whittington. She found and arranged all the vendors we used and put all the pieces of a very complex puzzle together to produce a weekend my husband and I will never forget. AND she did all that without stressing me out. She literally, took all the stress out of wedding planning. It just all came together beautifully and it wouldn’t have been the same without her.
Special Thanks To:
Venue: 800 Congress
Event Coordinator and Designer: Gina Whittington, The Whitt Experience
Florist: Botanical No. 9
Catering: Word of Mouth