They first had a Hindu ceremony then had their guests turn their chairs around for a traditional Christian ceremony. It was beautiful from start to finish and her laugh was infectious!
Planner: Rachel Leo, Dallas Arboretum






































































































They first had a Hindu ceremony then had their guests turn their chairs around for a traditional Christian ceremony. It was beautiful from start to finish and her laugh was infectious!
From the bride:
Drake and I knew each other in high school and ran in similar circles for a little while, but never dated. As college wore on, we both dated different people, but that didn’t work out for either of us.
The summer leading into our junior year of college, I was spending time with my friend Victoria (she spoke at the wedding), who happened to be good friends with Drake at the time.
Anyways, Drake hadn’t seen her for a while and knew she was about to leave for school, so he invited both of us to hang out with him and a group of friends. As soon as we showed up, Drake will tell you “that was that.” We hung out all summer and even a couple months into the school year before he asked me to be his girlfriend (he had just gotten out of a serious relationship and didn’t want to risk moving too quickly).
Our engagement story isn’t the most traditional, but basically we both decided we were ready and went to pick out a ring together. We drove home unengaged, walked in the door to Drake’s apartment, where he proposed to me. It was very intimate, one of my fondest memories.
After 15 months of planning, the wedding day came together perfectly. I can’t imagine it having gone better, and I have several friends, family members, and people like yourself to thank for it — would not have been possible without y’all.
Vendors:
venue – The Springs Event Venue (The Lodge) Aubrey
hair – Chris Annarella and Marina Ristevski from Rogers Premier Salon Suites; Chris did my hair, and then the two split doing my mom’s and all my bridesmaids’ hair.
dress – purchased from Bridal Boutique in Lewisville, designed by Watters.
girls dresses – David’s Bridal, designer(s) unknown.
tux or suit – purchased from Men’s Wearhouse, designed by Joseph Abboud.
guys’ suits – purchased from Men’s Wearhouse, designer(s) unknown.
shoes – Bride’s shoes purchased from Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, designed by Michael Kors; Groom’s shoes purchased from Men’s Wearhouse, designed by Florsheim.
flowers – Mindy Holcomb; family friend of the Groom.
decor – Linens rented from United Rental; gold table overlays purchased from eFavormart.com; all centerpieces and additional decor (including candy bar) purchased from TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby; flatware purchased from Smarty Had A Party.
rings – Bride’s e-ring and wedding band purchased from Diamonds Direct in Dallas, e-ring designed by C. Gonshor; Groom’s band purchased from Zales, designed by Edward Mirell.
cakes – Linda Volder; family friend of Bride (although she doesn’t normally bake for others).
DJ or band – DJ Connection; our DJ’s name was Jordan.
video – Hello Beautiful Videography; our videographer’s name was Christian.
Officiant – Josh Wintermute from Valley Creek Church
photography – Brandi McComb Photography
Another gorgeous wedding at the Dallas Arboretum! Reception was at Meso Maya in Dallas. Everything was simply breathtaking, the weather could not have been more perfect.
Here are some of my favorites from the day!
A breathtaking wedding that took place at the Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House. Designated a City of Fort Worth Landmark in 1980, McFarland House was Fort Worth’s second property to achieve local landmark status. Known as the region’s most intact Queen Anne residence, the elegant Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House was built high on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River. This sophisticated Victorian beauty of a little over 5,000 square feet was designed in 1899 by English architect Howard Messer for Galveston widow Mrs. George Ball (Sarah) and her son Frank. The house cost $38,000 to build at a time when the average cost of a home was $2,000 to $4,000. The second owners, William and Sarah Conger Eddleman, were from Weatherford. They bought the house in 1904, and moved in with their daughter and her husband, Caroline (Carrie) Aurelia and Frank Hays McFarland. Carrie McFarland lived there until her death 1978 at the age of 100.
A note from the bride ~
– Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House – Venue
– TLC Event Staffing – Day-of-coordinator (really month-of-coordination), event staff/assistant to coordinator, bartending
– Brandi McComb Photography – Photography
– Gordon Boswell Flowers – florist
– Mike Mahnich – DJ and MC
– Taylor’s Rentals – rental company supplied tent, lighting, tables, chairs, table linens
– Rudy’s BBQ – catered dinner
– Central Market – Cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres, cakes and pies
– Tiff’s Treats – cookie delivery
– Shelton’s Salon and Spa – hair and makeup for bride
Color palette: shades of blues and turquoise
Brides dress: From Terry Costa – Rebecca Ingram – Adrian (Ivory)
The girls dresses: David’s Bridal – Short Dress with Sweetheart Illusion Neckline (Pacific)
Guys suits: Al’s Formal Wear – Jean Yves – Allure Notch Tuxedo (Blue Slate)
Guys shoes: Al’s Formal Wear – Fabian Couture – Cognac
Guys bowties: Groom made them!
Jenn’s Rings: Engagement Ring – Family heirloom from the Webb side, Wedding Band – Jenn’s mother’s wedding band
Andy’s Ring: Men’s Rings for Less – Titanium Ring with Wood Inlay
Shaconie & Karen tied the knot and made it official after 8 long years together. They were surrounded by supportive family and friends in a breathtaking venue with gorgeous decor.
Here I have put together only some of my favorites from the day.
Venue: Stone Crest
Planner: Each and every detail
Photographer: Brandi McComb Photography
Video: Scott Jax Entertainment
DJ: Tre Dunlap
Hair: Jasmine Griffin and Heather Farmer
Makeup: JayFace Makeup and Desiree McCall
Decor: Renee’s Royal Events
Glassware: M&M Special Events
Cake: Meringue Bakery
Italian Ice cream: Paciugo Gelato & Caffè
Catering: Hard Eight BBQ
Bartender: Special Moments
Venue: Aristide Mansfield
Makeup & Hair: Flawless
Dress: Ava’s Bridal Couture
Cake: Slice of Life Cakes
Photography: Brandi McComb Photography
Flowers/Decor: Angelina’s Wedding Center and Events
From the bride ~
Emmanuel and I met through a mutual friend, I lived in Oklahoma and Emmanuel here in Texas. Many hours of text, phone calls and Skype, we finally decided to meet up. Emmanuel drove up to Tulsa, OK and our first date was actually on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013. It was at that time we knew we’d be together for the rest of our lives, so I made the decision to move to Texas.
Emmanuel participated in bodybuilding competitions and had a competition in Pittsburgh, PA. He had decided to compete in a competition in Pittsburgh so we traveled to Pittsburgh in September 2015. After his competition the weekend of September 5th Emmanuel set up a secret rendezvous for me. We had gotten all dressed up, a car service came for us and was driving us to a non-disclosed location, unbeknownst to me, Emmanuel had set up a helicopter ride to see the sights Pittsburgh (they have a beautiful skyline). Unfortunately, a storm had rolled in and we were unable to make the trip because of a thunderstorm. So it was off to our next stop – dinner. Emmanuel had set up reservations at the Monterey Bay Fish Grotto. It was a beautiful restaurant that overlook the Pittsburgh skyline. After dinner and enjoying our dessert Emmanuel popped the question.
The wedding day in my words was magical. I had always dreamt of a romantic wedding day and that’s what I got. Having my father walk me down the aisle and officiating the ceremony was especially special. Seeing our two families come together and support myself and Emmanuel is what I have always dreamt. We loved being able to combine the two cultures in our wedding and showing the world that “love wins”. Our wedding day is something that we will never forget.
From the couple:
John and I met 5 years ago, November 2012. At the time I was going to college in Richmond, VA but my parents were living in Texas. I was home on thanksgiving break for a total of 3 days and John and I met during that visit home. We actually met while temporarily working at Victoria’s Secret, were folding yoga pants in the stock room, ha!! I Facebook creeped John the night we met, exchanged phone numbers via Facebook and the rest is history….
John proposed 4 years later on Christmas Eve surrounded by our parents, his grandmother, sister and nephew. He was home on a 2 week leave from the Marine Corps training pipeline which lasted a total of 8 months.
Our wedding was on August 26, 2017 at the Piazza in the Village in Colleyville, TX. This was the first venue we ever visited and immediately fell in love with the it upon entering the Chapel. At Last by Etta James was playing and I got tears in my eyes. After our tour at the Piazza they rang the wedding bells from the venue’s tower and knew in that moment that we had to get married there! Our wedding incorporated a few Romanian traditions, as my side of the family including myself is from Romania!
We loved our #bigfatromericanwedding !!
Venue: Piazza in the Village
Hair and make up: Daniela Oancea (my cousin/bridesmaid)
Dress: Maggie Soterro from Lasting Bridal Couture
Suits: Jos A Banks
Flowers: Cornelia Datcu (family friend)
Decor: Cornelia Datcu
Catering: Piazza in the Village
Photography: Brandi McComb Photography
Video: Wonderlight Films
DJ: Razvan Datcu (family friend)
Band: Universo band
Transportation: Uber Black
From the couple:
Valentines Day 2015, we met at Whiskey Cake and that’s where Olive it began. He ended up buying me lunch and marveled at how I finished my salmon but also talked the entire time. It didn’t feel like a first date, it was completely effortless and I walked away that day knowing in my gut that I had just met my husband.
Thankfully the feeling was mutual and we’ve been together ever since. We bonded with our mutual love of paranormal television shows, good food, corny humor and our undying devotion to our children. We may be blended but the love in our little family is as pure as it gets. We are the luckiest.
In the photos you will notice a precious little baby, the dress she is wearing was Lori’s. How sweet is that??
Venue: Orion Ballroom
DJ: Dan Reynolds (Le Force)
Coordinator + Florist: Betsy Baldwin with Events & Experiences
Caterer: Beyond the Box
Make-up: Josh Torres (Mac)
Hair: Breann Garcia
Donuts: Donut Palace
Cake: Melody Shaw with CSM Bakery Solutions
Photographer: Brandi McComb Photography
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