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Pretty in Pink, Gilded Gold, Lace, Lace & More Lace!  The lake side wedding of Rachel & Phillip Jones was straight out of a romantic vintage dream with so many terrific little touches working in harmony to bring the day to life.  Apothecary bottles, pearls, tea cups, and gold watches are just a few of the elements that helped shape the day.  Tables were set in a 5 layer place setting of gorgeous gilded china complete with tea cups as all proper southern settings should!  What romantic dream world would be complete without pink as the main color in the palette & flowers upon flowers surrounding everything!  Rachel was a vision right out of the art deco era in her gorgeous floor length lace gown, pinned curls & jeweled hair piece, Gatsby Romance!  It may sound like a funny thing, but perhaps my favorite part to it all are the wonderfully curmudgeon flower girls who are simply everything in their not feeling it faces especially in the portraits, adorable!!  For those that love wonderfully girly & filled of romance, your going to swoon all over this one!

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Novella of the Bride…

Wedding Buzzwords– Vintage, Soft, Romantic, Shabby Chic, Personal, Thoughtful, Dreamy

When he finally built up the courage and asked me out, I was a nervous wreck! He liked me? ME?! How’d I pull that off? He was the first boy to ever come pick me up, meet my parents, and take me out on a real date… who knew he’d be the last? Phillip and I met in high school when I was 14 and he was 16. I was a freshman and he was the 11th grade class clown. He was always getting people’s attention–including mine.   Phillip has always had this crazy ability to make anyone laugh. That’s how I fell in love with him. I used to sit in the hallway across from him and just watch him entertain everyone. His personality is electric and it made (and still makes) me feel alive. He had only moved to the little town of Sabine 2 years before from DFW, and had had a hard time adjusting to small town life. He later told me that meeting me made it allll worth it. He says he now knows he moved there to find me. So, we fell in love and began a long, on and off journey that carried on for the next TEN YEARS of our lives. We tried to keep in touch after he graduated high school, but we were young and didn’t understand the importance of what we had. How could we have possibly known that our first love, high school sweetheart could have actually been the one? Years later, I had moved to San Antonio to go to school and Phil returned to the DFW area. We were both in and out of relationships, jobs, cities… we were growing up. One day, I got a phone call from him out of the blue. It never mattered how much time had passed since we had last spoken, it always put a smile on my face to see his number on my phone and we were always able to talk like not a day had gone by. I invited him to come and visit me for Labor Day weekend and he excitedly obliged. That weekend changed the course of our lives. We should have known it wouldn’t be just a friendly visit. How could it be when two people are completely made for one another?! The night before he left to head home, he confessed to me that he was still in love with me and I told him I felt the same way! It was undeniable. It was electric, and it made me feel alive once again. Since then, we have grown together even more. We have conquered obstacles that only the strongest kind of love could handle, and I wholeheartedly thank God for putting a strong man like Phillip by my side. He truly is the half that makes me whole. When Phillip proposed to me in January of 2013, my fairy tale started coming true. It didn’t even feel real. In fact, I didn’t call anyone the night he did it, because I wanted to wait until the morning to make sure it was real! Isn’t that silly?

We always knew we’d get married in the heart of East Texas where we fell in love, and I really wanted a nice outdoor setting. Lake Cherokee was perfect for us! The dock was perfectly shaped for the ceremony. It was large enough to fit the wedding party and tall enough for all of the guests to see the action. Plus, the sunset was in the just the right spot! The reception area was on site and was equipped with restrooms, kitchen, and plenty of table and dancing space. We placed tables outside as well after the ceremony so guests had the choice to hang out outside with the twinkling candles and stars or inside with the party. The building was lined with tall windows, allowing guests to peer out at the lake.

The overall theme was “Romantic Vintage Chic”. The décor included many different touches of vintage linens and lace that accented the vintage tea cups and china that were delicately placed at every point. There were also accents of family heirlooms throughout: quilts that were handmade by the brides grandmother and great-grandmother, vintage jewerly worn by the brides great-grandmothers were delicatley displayed, a beaded purse that belonged to the bride’s great-grandmother. The toast was made with a German toasting cup handed down by the groom’s grandmother. The wedding party were seated to a full place setting of vintage china accented with gold silverware and gold trimmed crystal stemware. The bride also wore a ring that belonged to her grandmother that was also worn by her sister in her wedding. The garter was hand-made and embellished by the mother of the bride. The room also displayed photos of the bride and groom throughout including photos from early dating, engagement and bridals. There was also one of the groom’s childhood toys displayed on the grooms table.

A Little Help From Their Friends– The mother of the bride, planned, organized, designed, created, borrowed, and bartered the entire thing on a very strict budget. The mother of the bride had several special friends who helped decorate, serve, set up, clean up whom without their help, none of this could have happened. The mother “treasure hunted” for months before the wedding for all of the special vintage and antique pieces that were used throughout the reception. The food was done by the mother of the bride’s friend. The bride’s uncle, a published Christian writer, wrote a touching speech for the ceremony. The bride’s parents and the groom’s parents surprised the couple with special wedding night arrangements: Limo ride to Kiepersol Estates Bed and Breakfast in Bullard Texas…it was spectacular!

Rachel’s Favorite Moment– “There were so many moments during the wedding that I caught myself wishing I could just freeze time. Aside from the moment I got to kiss my prince charming as his wife for the first time (which is the obvious pick for favorite moment!), I would have to say that I will always treasure the few quiet moments that I had with my father before he walked me down the aisle. I had so much adrenaline and nerves and, quite frankly, lunacy running through my brain that I felt like I could have fallen over, but after my bridesmaids had started walking down the aisle and it was just my father and I, he put his arm around me and I came back down to planet earth. He told me that even though I was getting married, it could never change the fact that I was his baby girl and that he loved me. He shared with me how proud he was of my husband and I and how happy he was that the day was finally here. The weight of my father’s arm around me was powerful: as a little girl, and even now, as a bride.”

Closing Words– “I chose Photography by Gema because I love her fresh, artistic style. When you look at her photos, you are constantly surprised. I love her use of bright colors and her ability to make an ordinary moment look like a page out of a fairytale. I often find myself describing her photos as “dreamy.” I feel that is important to note that none of this would have come together as it did it if were not for my mother. My mom has a full time job, but she took this wedding on as if she were a professional wedding planner. I did not have to worry about a thing. She planned it, designed it, shopped for the decor, put it together, coordinated it, cleaned it up, and it did it all with style and grace. She went above and beyond what a MOB is expected to do and I will forever be indebted to her. Mom, I love you. You’re the best.”

“The wedding like was like a dream. It came and went in the blink of eye and I will forever cherish the memories. It was the best day of my life.
I am so proud to be Mrs. Rachel Jones.”

 

Vendor Love

Venue: Lake Cherokee Water Company  | Wedding Dress: Allure | Shoes: Antonio Melani  | Hair: 4th St Salon  | Makeup: MAC  | Groom’s Attire: Vera Wang for Men’s Warehouse  | Invitations: Impact Printing  | Transportation: Moonbeams Limousine Service  | Music + Lighting: DJB Entertainment  | Rentals: 5S Rentals  | Florist: Amazing Grace Floral and Design  | Caterer: Chef Clint Ebey (friend of the couple)  | Baker: Jo’s Custom Confections  | Wedding/Event Planner: Adorned  | Photographer: Photography by Gema