How did you meet your Fiance?

We grew up together. We went to the same high school and bonded in art class! We were great friends, but we didn’t go on our first date until my junior year at TCU and his senior year at SMU… 5 years later he FINALLY popped the question!!!

Tell us about the proposal!

He TOTALLY surprised me! Of course, every time that I thought it was going to happen, it never did, but the one time I had semi wet hair and not an ounce of makeup on he proposed! We were at my family’s house on the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. The two of us were having a cocktail on the dock when he got down on one knee…I was beyond surprised!

How did you choose the location for your wedding? What type of venue were you looking for?

Grant is a big golfer and I have grown up taking trips to Carmel, California with my family, so Carmel-by-the-Sea has become a very special place to the two of us. So, when the time came for us to choose a place to get married, it was a no brainer!

We chose to get married at The Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel-by-the-Sea and our reception was at The Beach Club at The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Before deciding on a venue we had long conversations about having a destination wedding, but we decided that getting married in the most magical place on earth, (no not Disney Land, but close!) was the best way to begin our life together! Grant and I both wanted a venue that truly represented us, we wanted our guests to experience Carmel and Pebble Beach and love it as much as we do. We wanted to get married in a place that meant something special to us and Carmel does.

One time when we were visiting before we got engaged, we were walking along the beach one morning talking about the majesty of Carmel and how it was a place that allowed us both to relax and reflect on what was really important in life and then and there I think we both knew we wanted to get married in Carmel!! As they say, “If heaven isn’t as beautiful as Carmel, I don’t want to go!”

How did you decide on your bridesmaids dresses? Tell us about your experience at Bella!

I had been looking for the perfect bridesmaids dresses! I wanted a dress that was different, something classic, fun, comfortable, flattering, but with a flair! I worked with Lauren at Bella Bridesmaid in San Antonio and she couldn’t have been more wonderful to work with! She was so helpful, she totally got what I was looking for and introduced me to the Lula Kate line of dresses. It was a little nerve wrecking because we picked a dress style that wasn’t in the store, but Lauren assured me that it would be the perfect style… and it SO was!!! The dresses were long, silk dupinoi, in the most perfect color blue with the most awesome stand up collar ever!

During the course of my 6 and a half month engagement we had a few wonderful surprises, we found out that, my sister, the matron of honor, was pregnant and one of my best friends, a bridesmaid, was also expecting. I called Lauren in a panic about the bridesmaids dresses fitting them, but she was so wonderful, again! She told me not to worry about a thing, she called the company and had extra fabric shipped in and all was perfect!!! We have sweet friends and wedding guests who are still talking about the fabulous bridesmaids dresses!

Who designed your bridal gown? Where did you get it?

My gown was a Carolina Herrera gown that I found at the Carolina Herrera boutique in Highland Park Village in Dallas, Texas.

What was your favorite part of the day?

It’s so hard to just choose one! One favorite part of the day was getting to spend time prepping for the evening with my mom, sister and all of my best friends, and as much as I love all of my girlfriends, I think walking down the aisle and seeing Grant’s face was my absolute favorite memory of the day!

What inspired you when you were planning your big day?

We were inspired by the gorgeous scenery around us, so we decided to center our décor and theme on what we thought would look classic and elegant in the space. Of course we had to have unexpected pops too! So, we used blue and white as our main colors. We threw in pops of bright pink and yellow with the blue and white, we also had lemon trees and put lemons in the table arrangements too. Symbolically lemons are a sign of adoration, commitment, fidelity and romance, plus they are a great color yellow, so what better unexpected pop to put in the arrangements is there?!!

What advise do you have for other brides?

HAVE FUN!!!! It is so easy to get caught up in all of the details of wedding planning. Grant and I were at each other’s throats and so stressed with little details right before the wedding, it is so important to remember why you are planning a wedding. It’s not to have the party of your life, although a good party never hurt anyone, but most importantly it is to pledge your love and commitment to one another! March 8, 2014 was truly the most perfect and rewarding day of my life! Take it all in, it flies by!