Photos by Studio Westway WeddingIt will be four years on August 8th. It's hard to believe that my husband and I were not only starting our lives together, but also beginning this incredible journey at what is now the Pearl District Building. When I met the Pearl District Building, at the time named Basement Booze, there were no whiskey barrels lining the walls or strung lights. It was a little scary to be honest. We were wanting to get married in August before Michael's final year of nursing school commenced. That left only eight months to be Wedding Day ready. Talk about nerve-wracking!

When Michael and I started thinking about wedding venues, we wanted something unique like an old factory, with an elegant feel. It had to be big enough to accommodate both our ceremony and our reception of 150 guests without a full room flip. I also wanted something relatively close to downtown, so we could go out with our friends after the reception.

We toured several places and almost booked one, but I couldn't shake the feeling of "I'm just another bride." Every place we went in I felt like I was given a rule book of everything I could not do, and I started to wonder what would become of my vision for our special day. Which brings me to Tip #1(From my own wedding experience.)Don't settle on your venue!If you're not happy with your venue when you book, I can almost guarantee it's not a good fit for you and your special day.

I remember being incredibly nervous to order invitations out of fear that the venue wouldn't be ready on time. And yet we said yes! It had incredible potential, it was industrial with the original red brick, elegant chandeliers were being installed, the flow from the ceremony to dining & dancing was perfect for our timeline, and the location was perfect for us and our out of town guests. Only a block away from Hodges Bend, a great place for post-wedding drinks (if you have the energy), and shuttles from downtown hotels were close enough to drop off and pick up our guests.

As I walked through and heard the owner's plans for the building, I saw the vision and knew it was the perfect place for me and Michael; a true hidden gem. Hands down, the best decision we could have made. Fast forward eight months and we were relatively wedding day ready!

August 8, 2015

The First Look

We met in Woodward Park that afternoon. It was hot, I was late, and it was perfect. We chose to do a first look because I wanted to get as many pictures taken at the park before the ceremony as possible. That way our guests wouldn't have to wait as long for us to enter the reception. I'm so glad we did it this way; I didn't feel as rushed to get through the photos, and it gave me and Michael a moment to experience the excitement of the day in private before everyone joined in. This brings me to Tip #2: Have a designated transportation person who is in charge of getting you where you need to be on time. Not a bridesmaid, they are wanting to relax and enjoy the day with you. I arrived late to our first look, and everyone was waiting around in the heat for me. I felt so bad for Michael and the guys, who were in full suits. Whoops!

The Bouquet and Boutonniere

I must talk about my bouquet! I am a lover of all things cacti. We had just started growing them when we were planning the wedding. I couldn’t get over the varying colors and textures. When I met with Tasha of T.K. Weddings and Events, all I knew I wanted was a bouquet with a big succulent. When I saw my bouquet, I was speechless. It was simple, elegant and show stopping all at the same time. My vision was piecing together.

For Michael's boutonniere, I wanted to keep it light with the calla lily and give it the pop of color with the succulent, it was the perfect contrast against his black tux. Tip #3 When working with a florist on your arrangements and pieces, give them a couple of preferences and then let them run wild. If you love their style, give them room to create something completely unique to you and your vision. A great florist will be excited to work alongside you!

Todd the Dog

If you have fur babies then you will relate... Todd has been my life mate since I was 18, so it was very important to me and Michael that he was part of our special day. Instead of trying to incorporate him into the ceremony (he doesn’t love crowds, and that’s stressful on an old dog) we decided our pictures would be the perfect place to include him. While fur babies never promise to cooperate, we did get a consolation prize which was worth all the effort! Tip #4: If you decide to include your fur babies in your pictures, make sure you pre-arrange transportation for them to get back home afterward.

All the Little Details

The Altar

As the renovations progressed in the Chandelier Room, I realized it was perfect for our ceremony. All I wanted for our ceremony were candles down the aisle and a stunning altar piece. I started by creating a Pinterest board (that’s the best place to figure out what style you are drawn to), from there I went to my florist, Tasha Bartholic. Together we went through my board and pulled all the different elements I loved from each photo. Tasha took these elements and created something truly unique to me and Michael.

The Gift Table Nook

We chose to place our gift table in the wooden nook located in the Chandelier Room. This piece dates back to when our Pearl was an upholstery factory. Our Pearl has a lot of repurposed features from its earlier days, and we loved incorporating them into the decor for a more purposeful look. Tip #5 If you'll notice the roses in the vase, these were for our mothers and grandmothers to carry down the aisle. They were forgotten. It doesn't matter how planned out the details are, if you don't have a day-of coordinator overseeing your plans, things tend to slip through the cracks with all of the hustle and bustle of the day.

Our Memory Table

Upon entering the building our guests were greeted by our memory table. My grandmother had died two weeks prior to our wedding, and it was incredibly important to me and Michael that we honor those whose presence were missed. We wouldn’t be who we are, or where we are, without all those who came before us and poured into our lives.

The Rings

We used an old family jewelry box with a glass lid and planted a succulent inside to hold our rings for the ring presentation. Our sweet nephew was our ring bearer, and he was old enough to carry the box down the aisle like a champ! Our photographer, Jamie, was great about getting creative with the rings shots. I love looking back at these!

The Chandelier Room

At that time, the Pearl wasn't operating as a venue, so we rented chairs from Party Pro Rents for our ceremony. Tip#6 try to find a venue with tables and chairs included, this will leave more room in your budget for things you want to splurge on.

Reception Details

My vision for our reception was to transport our guests into a speakeasy upon entering the room. Our colors were gold, black and white with different pops of color from the succulents. Studio Westway Weddings captured every detail incredibly.

The Cake

Our cake was created by All Things Cake. I wanted the cake to reflect our speakeasy theme in an elegant yet simplistic way. I found a picture of a similar cake and brought it to All Things Cake, we went over all the details together and enjoyed a yummy tasting. I couldn't have been happier with the end result!

The Food

Simply Amazing Service catered our reception. They were incredible! They fit into our budget perfectly; they were flexible; and they loved the opportunity of working in a new space. At the time, I just thought Karen and Jerry were the sweetest couple. I had no idea that we would go on to have a long working friendship with them in the wedding industry.

The Loft

At this time, we had no bridal suite, our loft was simply a single open room. We tried our best to hide out up here while our guests filled the Chandelier Room.

The Ceremony

Our ceremony was short and sweet. My high school youth pastor led the ceremony. We chose to write our own vows, light a unity candle and take communion together for the first time as husband and wife. Simple was important to me! Tip #7 We had a beautiful set up for communion, however no one was put in charge of pouring the wine or placing the bread, and as a result there was an empty cup and dish. Reason one-million and one why you should have a day-of coordinator!

After the recessional, we exited through the back of the building and walked around the to the front door to meet our photographer. This gave our guests time to enter the Reception Room and it gave Michael and I a moment to bask is the excitement of the moment. Tip #8 Make time for these little moments. Wedding day flies by, its easy to get swept up by everything going on. Take time to breathe it all in together even if it's only for a few minutes. I treasure these sweet photos from this moment oh so much. After this we took several altar photos before our grand entrance.