Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!! Today’s fabulous featured wedding comes from Jimmy of Gideon Photography, a Utah based wedding photographer. Jimmy has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with him on this feature.

Laura and John were married on March 3, 2012 in a black tie wedding on the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. This was a beautiful and classy southern wedding, with all the charm from the decor, to the beautiful lighting, to the stunning couple. Laura was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and John meet?  John and I first met when we were 16 years old at a tiny local rodeo and dance hall called Crider’s, just a few miles away from our wedding site. We danced and stayed up all night by the river talking. The night ended with an innocent kiss and we didn’t see one another again until Easter of 2011. A few weeks before easter, John wrote me a letter saying that he had thought about me over the years and said that if I was ever in Hunt, Texas again that we should meet up. I was living in Washington DC at the time and John was living in Houston. I wrote him back and told him that I was going to Hunt, TX with my family and that he was welcome to stop by during the weekend. John wrote me back and said that he couldn’t make it that weekend, but hoped we could meet up in the future. John owns  a moving company called Point2Point, based in Houston and the very next day he got a call from someone that hired his company to move them from Hunt to Houston on that good Friday. So, of course he wrote me again and said that he would be there. Sure enough, he showed up at my family reunion! He was so handsome when he pulled up at the house that I felt like a 16 year old girl again. Three weeks later we were engaged. 

How long have you been together?  Almost a year and a half. 

How did Scott propose?   John proposed by the side of the bed as I was falling asleep. I had just flown to Houston to visit him and met his parents for dinner earlier that night. I now think back to his poor parents that were probably worried sick at dinner, knowing that their son was about to propose to a girl he barely knew. My in-laws are the absolute best and they could not have been more open and kind to me. 

What sold you on your wedding venue?  We call my grandparents’ house ‘Casita’. It is my favorite place on earth. All of my favorite childhood memories are at Casita where we spent our summers swimming and fishing on the guadalupe river. It is also the place where John and I met and re-met 10 years later, so it is a very special place for both of us. 

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”?  I knew my dress was the one because I felt so beautiful in it. It is timeless, modest, and something that both John and my grandparents would love. 

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”? My something old was this tiny, gold four leaf clover that had my grandparents’ wedding date and initials engraved in it. My grandmother wore it in her wedding shoes for good luck and so did I. 

How did you choose your wedding color palette? I didn’t really have a ‘palette’- I just knew I wanted my bridesmaids to wear something black lace because it was easy to find and something that they might wear again. My vision for the wedding was for it to be a black-tie wedding with a relaxed, hill country feel. The guests sipped cocktails during the ceremony and the whole night was just unstructured and fun. George Brownley, created the incredible table flowers after we went to a flower market and I showed him what I liked. I trusted his taste so much that I just knew whatever he put together would be beautiful. 

Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process?  Don’t sweat the details! I know this is a wedding blog, so your readers might disagree- But the truth is-  Guests do not care about the wedding favors you give them, the signs on the back of your chairs, or the million other things you see on Pintrest or wedding blogs and then feel like you need them. Just focus on the basics and the fact that you are marrying the love of your life. I was so relaxed and happy the day of my wedding that nothing could have brought me down! 

What song did you dance to for your first dance? ‘Stand by Me’ by Ben E. King. 

What was your favorite part of your big day?   My favorite part was the moment we kissed and were declared husband and wife. I accidentally jumped the gun early and kissed him mid-ceremony. The words of my bishop during the ceremony were so personal to John and I that it made the ceremony feel so intimate. John and I walked back down the aisle and held each other. My heart was so filled with love for him and it was without a doubt, the happiest moment of my life.  

Vendors:

Venue: My grandparents’ home in Hunt, Texas

Dress: Monique Lullhier 

Cake:  Finale’ by Glenna

Floral: George Brownley

Linens: Marquee Rental Group

Catering: Johnny Borrayo

DJ/Band: Mike and the Moon Pies

Videographer: Kate Graves

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: Mr. Boddington through Ph Design Shop, Houston

Event Planner: I didn’t have a wedding  planner and did most of it on my own.  I will say that George Brownley, my florist, was so much more than a florist! His table settings, flowers, and vision for the tent made the event. Slick from Marquee Rental Group handled everything else- the parking, the heaters, the tent and other rentals, and lighting around the property. I really don’t know what I would have done without either of them! 

Thank you so much, Jimmy, for sharing this amazing wedding with us! Please stop by his website and show him some love! And thank you, Laura, for taking your time to answer our questions! We wish you and John 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!