Mary and Alexander were married on the Drummond Family ranch on a beautiful Saturday in May. The weather was just right, despite being a little windy, and the sun was just bright enough to add a little bit of color to bare shoulders and a glisten to the brow.

This wedding was a photographers dream. We had acre upon acre of picturesque landscape as a backdrop and beautiful people to shoot. There were horses in every color and cattle large and small, barns here and houses there. The rolling hills dotted with trees provided the perfect place for the bride and groom to reveal themselves to one another. It felt like something out of a movie, as the bride strode up the gently sloping hill lifting up her dress in order to wade through the tall grass, the groom waited at the top of the hill holding the reigns of the horses they would ride to the ceremony, looking on in awe at his bride coming up the hill. You could see by the shy smile on his face that he knew at that moment he was the luckiest man in the world to be able, in a few short minutes, call this stunning woman his wife.

 The ceremony was an event in itself. There was so much thought and meaning to every word that was said and every detail included. Mary’s father flew in from the west coast early in the week and while staying at the ranch in preparation, he cut down the wood and built with his bare hands, the “hitch”ing post where they tied the horses after they rode to the ceremony as well as the arch the couple was married under. The ceremony took place at a high point on the land that overlooked a pond and the gorgeous green rolling landscape. Alexander and Mary rode to the ceremony together on their horses and took their respective spots for the ceremony as their 2 attendants each made their way down the isle. Both of Alexander’s sisters did readings to celebrate their brothers marriage and a family member of Mary’s conducted a binding ceremony that was family tradition as Mary’s best friend, who flew in from China for the occasion sang. As the couple kissed and were announced as husband and wife you could see their excitement… Mary even threw her hands in the air in celebration as they walked back down the isle.

The reception left nothing to be desired, as the bride thought of everything. Under the giant white tent, provided by Post Oaks Lodge, there was a plethora of little details that made the whole affair perfect. Their were hand painted signs, real painted and aged wood doors for the valet and seating, bouquets hand assemble by the bride and her sister and even a hand dyed guest book. The handwritten menus were placed in bandanas adorned with the Drummond logo as favors, individual cobblers were created with the couple’s sisters using Mary’s mother’s favorite recipe, while the specialty drink of the night, Mojitos, were hand squeezed with love by Alex’s parents. They had many more little details, too many to recount, but this reception was nothing short of exceptional.

After toasts and cobbler Mary and Alexander danced a tango. Pulled off beautifully, the couple couldn’t help but smile and giggle through the whole thing although it is supposed to be somewhat of a serious style! After their dance there was no stopping guests; they all crowded the dance floor and boogied all night. 

Finally when the couple had had all they could handle of dancing after such a long day, everyone headed out of the tent for a sparkling exit. Through the sparklers the newlyweds made their way to a family owed vintage car and drove off into the night! ~Lauren

As all of their family and friends will tell you, Haley and Paul are a perfect match. The story goes that Haley was always finicky about guys and Paul was quiet about any girl that he dated…until they met each other. But when Haley kept Paul around longer than a month or two and Paul actually spoke of her by name instead of “that girl” both families knew that they had found the one, maybe even before Haley and Paul knew themselves. On this magical day, Haley and Paul not only got to be best friends, but husband and wife.

Haley was looking for something special in a wedding dress as well as for the rest of the wedding. She wanted to avoid the cliche wedding look and truly make it her style which is all about Shabby Chic with a hint of vintage. She found the perfect match to her style in a stunning Vera Wang gown, which had unfinished edges, a high empire waist and a huge bow. Wearing a uniquely shaped chunky champagne and gold necklace and earrings from J. Crew, her accessories completed her look. While peach was the dominate color in the attire and decorations there were subtle hints of light blue here and there. Little blue flowers nestled right in with the soft, creamy peaches of the bouquets and floral arrangements, by Toni’s Flowers and Gifts, complemented the gorgeous deep peach of the bridesmaids one shouldered dresses. Everything came together beautifully.

The ceremony took place at St. John’s Episcopal Church and it was nothing short of divine. The stained glass behind the altar created a stunning backdrop for the sacred vows that Haley and Paul shared. Aside from the beauty of the ceremony venue, it also held a special place in the groom’s heart, as that was the very place that his parents wed some 28 years ago and the church he frequented growing up.

Through a cloud of bubbles the couple headed out of the church to join their wedding party and closest friends on a trolley that would take them to the Mayo Hotel to get the party started. It was supposed to be a hugely stormy day, but the rain held off however, the wind did not. The couple really wanted to do some creative shots of them together in front of the Mayo but the wind proved to be too much. So after cocktails and the grand introductions downstairs while guests headed up to the grand ballroom we snuck into the ladies lounge to take advantage of it’s gorgeous setup. It was really fun trying to get creative in the tight little room as women came in and out wondering if they were in the right place because a guy was in the room. I think that Haley and Paul liked it because they were finally able to sit down and just relax for a few moments.

In the ballroom guests enjoyed a delicious dinner, lots of drinks and even more dancing. There were fraternity serenades and sorority songs (that I was excited to be a part of as Haley and I were in the same house,) a bouquet toss that had so many ladies lined up for they could barely fit into the space designated for them, and even a garter toss that had enthusiast guys that didn’t run away from the garter! It ended up being an absolutely lovely evening. I left the wedding thinking about a sentiment Paul’s cousin shared a that spoke deeply to all, saying that marriage is a choice and love is a choice and that it was important to work on both every because they were choices. Haley and Paul TOLD everyone that they had chosen to marry one another, which was why they had come together, but they SHOWED it throughout this special day with every sideways glance, every touch of the hand and every embrace that they shared that they had CHOSEN to LOVE each other now and forever. They are is nothing more breathtaking than the look of love in two peoples eyes! Congratulations and happy forever!  – Lauren