Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!!  You’re all in for a treat today!!!  Man, our submissions just keep getting better and better!!!  Today’s fabulous featured wedding comes from Amber Strickler of Zasey Photography, a Houston, Texas based wedding photographer.  Amber has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with her on this feature.

Talina and Keith were married on March 12, 2011 at Agave Road in Katy, TX.  What an amazing venue!  Talina was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and Keith meet? Keith and I met on Match.com! We exchanged emails and chatted on the phone for about 2 weeks until I asked him to meet up in person…I was pretty gutsy!!

How long have you been together? We’ve been together 3 years & 2 months.

How did Keith propose? Oh wow it was amazing and I was totally surprised. It’s a long story, but let me try to give you a short version: We had been planning a trip to Boston to visit some of his friends–and stay with them. Also in the meantime we had picked out a ring, but I wasn’t aware Keith had it. Keith basically schemed with his friends in Boston and set up this whole elaborate plan for one of the nights we were there. Us and his friends had dinner plans one evening, but Keith’s friends all a sudden had an “unexpected friend” come in town and they had to go pick him up from the Boston Harbor Hotel & take him out to dinner. They asked that Keith and I meet up with them after dinner, for drinks. In my mind, I was so confused as to why Keith and I were not included for the dinner part, but went with it anyways because Keith and I were going to eat at this cute Italian restaurant that Keith’s friends had highly recommended. After dinner, we headed over to the Boston Harbor Hotel to meet up with his friends and the “unexpected friend”, for drinks in the “unexpected friend’s” hotel room. When we arrived, Keith and I walked directly up to the hotel room where Keith pulled out a hotel key! I was so confused how he had a key and right then Keith explained to me that he was surprising me with a room for the evening and that his friends brought all of our belongings to the hotel while we were at dinner. All a sudden I realized, there was no “unexpected friend” that came into town. Keith’s friends made that up so they could get out of the dinner plans with us and take care of everything for the evening…..and wow did they!!! I walked into the hotel room to find rose petals all over the floor & bed, champagne, strawberries and a view of the Boston Harbor from our window! It was gorgeous!! As Keith and I were checking out the view, I looked to my right and he was down on one knee asking me to marry him!   I was a ball of tears and smiles! Keith really did an awesome job and completely fooled me, which is very hard to do! It was an over the top evening!

What sold you on your wedding venue? The venue itself sold me! The moment my mom and I walked into the place, I said “where do I sign?” It’s gorgeous and nothing I had ever seen before! I had several other venue appointments and never went to the rest of them. Agave Road was the first place I went to and booked it that day! You totally feel like you are some place else there and that’s what I liked the most…..it wasn’t a “typical” wedding venue to me.

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”? I got it at David’s Bridal, which was the last place I went to (out of 3 dress stores) and it was also the last dress I tried on. I knew it was the one because of the way it fit on me. I loved the style of the dress and the intricate beading on certain parts of it. When I put it on and saw how it really fit me like a glove, I knew it was the one!

How did you choose your wedding color palette? Well I knew I wanted deep purple (like an eggplant color) for sure….it’s my favorite color! Then I went to the bridal extravaganza in Houston and saw a place setting that was deep purple with accents of a bright green, almost a lime color. I thought it rocked!!! I loved it and that’s how I incorporated the green.

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”? Something Old: it was actually my grandmother’s silver cake cutter from her wedding. I was planning to use it at my wedding, but completely forgot to bring it to the venue!   Something new: my dress & jewelry. Something borrowed: my best friend/matron of honor’s veil from her wedding. Something blue: it was going to be a blue garter, but I ended up finding a super cute purple one last minute and couldn’t pass up using it!

What song did you dance to for your first dance? Faithfully by Journey

Do you have any advice for brides that are in the planning process? It’s NEVER too early to start planning!!! Getting the venue (and date) booked first, is a must, and then figuring our your guest list is also one of the first things to do, because everything you plan for, & order, is based off that headcount!!  Stay organized and ahead of the game and you won’t be as stressed towards the end. Also, soak up the wedding planning process….it happens once and it also flies by!

What was your favorite part of your big day? I have two! One was being walked down the aisle by my Dad and Step-Dad and seeing Keith for the first time at the end of the aisle. Life was so perfect in that moment.   The other is getting ready in the bridal suite with all my girls before the wedding…..it was so much fun and we had a blast!

Vendors:

Venue: Agave Road, Katy TX

Dress: David’s Bridal

Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie

Floral: Flora Bella Designs

Linens: Agave Road provided

Catering: 3Olives Restaurant(provided thru Agave Road)

DJ/Band: ProSound Co.(provided thru Agave Road)

Videographer: n/a

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: getmarried.com & vistaprint.com

Event Planner: Myself!

Thank you so much, Amber, for sharing this amazing wedding with us!  Please stop by her website and her blogand show her some love!  And thank you, Talina, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We wish you and Keith a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!