A winter Dallas wedding in review

Rather than write out a long, wordy blog, I've created a gallery of photos to scroll through. If you're interested in any of the vendors' contact information (and a super brief synopsis for why we chose to work with them), scroll past the gallery. 

Branding guidelines sheet for the wedding.

Branding guidelines sheet for the wedding.

Branding guidelines sheet for the wedding included recommended typeface combinations.

The invitation was simple, one-sided and didn't require extra shipping fees.

When people walked into the hall for the ceremony, they were greeted by this table with a poster-sized Order of Events, some flowers and a picture from our engagement shoot.

Guests were then greeted by a family and remembrance table, in which we shared pictures of our parents' and grandparents' wedding/courtship days.

Before entering the ceremony hall, there was an open bar for guests.

Despite how the (necessary) camera flash might make this look, this room was aglow with a quiet peacefulness I never could have imagined.

We kept things simple with floating candles flanking both sides the aisle.

Our venue had an altar available to use, so we spruced it up with floating candles and garland. Again, the room was so much more softly lit than this picture can show.

After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour and a poster-sized bar menu.

Our venue was on the 69th floor of a building in downtown Dallas, so we only had five of these high boy tables set up around the windows.

Each table in the cocktail reception had a small floral arrangement.

Before going into the banquet hall for dinner, guests grabbed their name cards.

Family style tables flanked both sides of the dance floor.

The tables were decorated down the center with garland and mercury glass votives.

In addition to the mercury glass votives and garland, I had printed out favorite quotes and song lyrics to be interspersed along the tables.

We opted for a sweetheart table, which is probably why we were able to actually eat at our own wedding. 

Our cakes were simple and delicious -- and gluten free. 

A miracle occurred in December -- there were peonies in bloom and added (as a wonderful surprise) to my bouquet. 

The venue didn't have the best lighting, and I'm so glad I planned "first look" and wedding party photos at a nearby park outside. 

My cousins live in Michigan where vintage furs are easy to come by, and thank goodness for that. The weather dropped 30 degrees in Dallas for our wedding weekend.

Sharing this photo for a side view of my dress.

We were really so happy with how everything turned out. 

Dallas Wedding Vendors

Ceremony & Reception - City Club Dallas

Unlimited menu options, helpful chef (he created everything gluten free for me and my guests!), stunning views of the city, all reasonably priced (for a Dallas wedding). It's a little dark and stuffy, but I wanted those city views to entertain our guests, so I built the branding guidelines sheet to offset the dark wood floors and walls in the space. 

Clothing

Bridal gown and alterations -- Stardust Celebrations 

Stardust had a great selection, though I can't say too much past that because I already knew which dress I wanted to wear (thank you, Pinterest). As a bustier bride, I knew I'd need some custom alterations to the back of my dress and Stardust's seamstress worked her magic and was worth every penny!

Bridesmaid's dresses -- Alibaba

I wasn't interested in spending more than $75 on these dresses, especially since most women never wear theirs again. Alibaba worked for my bridesmaids, though the "largest" size I found in the style I wanted was a US size 10.

Groom's and groomsmen's suits -- Menguin

We ordered the guys' suits through Menguin, which was mostly a hiccup-free process. In the end, a good choice if only because (a) I wasn't super picky about their suits and (b) I didn't have to worry about a rascally group of (lovable) guys buying the right size/color.

Hair & Makeup -- Lashes & Lace

Probably the best money we spent (outside of the two open bars) was making sure all the bridesmaids and our mothers had their hair and makeup professionally taken care of. This team is top notch, they came to my apartment, were wonderfully talented and all around great people to work with. Having them take care of this made the day super relaxing. 

Florals, Decor & Design - M&M The Special Events Company

Heather Daniel and her team did an amazing job. They were responsible for all decor, including bouquets, boutonnieres, table garland, floral centerpieces, ceremony design, tables and specialty linens. I definitely recommend keeping the vendors to a minimum and sourcing as much as possible from one single source.

Special help with designing/planning from Rachel Lewis Gonzalez.

Cake - Hannah's Gluten Free Bakery

Y'all, this cake is better than good. It doesn't matter if you aren't a gluten-free eater, this cake takes wedding cake to a whole new level. Competitively priced and she throws in the cake stands for a $100 refundable deposit.

Master of Ceremonies - Mike Mahnich

Experienced, professional, organized (super organized). Hiring Mike took a huge weight off of me and Lee on our wedding day. Think of Mike as the guy who hosts your guests on your behalf so you don't have to keep the night moving along. Our friends had a great time and have repeatedly said it was the best wedding they've ever attended, and here's proof.

Paper Products & Signs - Kris Scott & Julianne Fowler

Y'all, I had no idea how many things need to be printed in a wedding. Even with my poster-sized Order of Events (in lieu of individual programs), there were still so many things to design, spell-check, coordinate and print. Julianne is a dear friend from childhood and known for her meticulous attention to detail, so I knew I was in good hands when she took over invitation design from my designer Kris (who helped me with the branding guidelines sheet). Julianne designed place cards, posters, family name cards, bar signs and I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. 

When in doubt, look on Etsy

There were a handful of things we found "randomly" through Etsy, including custom easels for our bar and event signs, a previously unplanned hair comb and more.