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 Emotion.  Emotion is the defining element that is hard to ignore when viewing Courtney Carameros & Mitchell Frank’s Pecan Springs Texas wedding.  From the very start, whether it is full face smiles or Courtney & Mitchell doing their best not to break down completely in utter tears of joy to moments of full belly laughs, you are hard pressed not to feel each special moment right along with them.  The sweet couple strived to make sure their day not just about their love but the love they have for their families & God. Candles were walked down the aisle for those that had passed, Courtney’s mother’s original wedding shoes & dress were repurposed, and moments of devote pray & joy were essential.  Keeping to tradition, Courtney & Mitchell did not see one another until the very moment she began to walk down the aisle and the emotions show it all, including a bit of cloak & dagger in the form of a lace umbrella & sheer curtains to keep the suspense going as long as possible!  Their wedding is a celebration of love & faith, joy & family wrapped in a gorgeous traditional Texas package!

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Novella of the Bride…

Wedding Buzzwords ~ Elegant & Timeless, Emotional & Spirit-filled, Joyful & Romantic

Mitchell and I  both grew up in Houston, TX with phenomenal parents who sent us off to Baylor University.  We had an unusual amount of mutual friends, but did not meet until a New Year’s Eve party at Mitchell’s house. My first words to Mitchell were, “Mitchell, you don’t know me, but we’re going to be best friends by the end of the night!”  Little did I know, I was looking my future husband in th eyes. We had never dated anyone before, so when we began our relationship second semester of freshman year, we often would look at each other and say, “I feel like we’re in a third grade relationship because we have no idea what we’re doing.” And we loved it. Mitchell and I dated all throughout college and got engaged in front of 2,500 people on Baylor’s Homecoming weekend where I was crowned Homecoming Princess and we shared our very first kiss!  Mitchell is extremely intelligent (it scares me sometimes), always wanting to learn new things, a wise teacher, a humble leader, a brilliant piano player, and a golf expert.  I thrive on creativity, love giving gifts to people, enjoy anything active, and laugh at everything.  We joke that Mitchell is a “shy extrovert,” meaning he would rather have a small group get together or one-on-one deep conversation (hence why he is an engineer), but gets his energy from those relationships.  On the other hand, I am an “outgoing introvert” because I LOVE big groups and parties (hence why I am in sales), but I have to refuel by myself. The phrase “opposite personalities attract” rings very true in our home!

I began wedding planning with 3 phrases in mind: honor other people, focus on the marriage before the wedding, and have a blast! I wanted to honor other people on our wedding day because I knew that, without them, I would not be standing on the altar that day.  For my mother and mother-in-law, I ordered handkerchiefs (from Etsy) for their happy tears on our wedding day with a poem of how much they meant to me.  Mitchell’s gift from me on the wedding day included silk tuxedo boxers with “Property of Courtney Frank” embroidered on the front, a gun holster, and a Bible. My theme was “Mitchell, this is all you need to Love me…Protect me…and Lead me.”  Next, our ring bearer carried the Bible that my grandmother walked down the aisle with on her wedding day.  The flower girls wore the same dresses that my sister and I wore in their aunt’s wedding (my cousin) when we were little.  In the ceremony, our house party walked down the aisle with a candle representing our three grandfathers who could not be with us on our wedding day.  To focus on the marriage before the wedding, Mitchell gave me a stack of Bible verses that were torn out of his Bible where he had highlighted all the qualities of an excellent wife and woman.  We prayed together before the ceremony (without seeing each other) to set our hearts right.  I had my bridesmaids cover me with a lace umbrella (from Etsy) as I walked down the aisle to build the anticipation of the groom to see his bride. Mitchell’s grandfather and role model, Neil Frank, gave us communion as our first act of marriage. Lastly, we  put worship as a center focus for our ceremony.  Having a blast was the least difficult of course! My dad and I have always been very close and joke with each other all the time. I knew that he hated dancing in a crowd of people and I also knew that he “would do anything for his baby girl” on her wedding day.  So, instead of the traditional “My Girl” father-daughter dance, we did a choreographed dance to a remix of “My Girl” with “It’s Tricky,” “Jump on it” and “What is Love.” After only practicing 2 times in our living room, it was flawless! Also, the football that Mitchell put my garter on before he threw it to the men was signed by President Ken Starr (president of Baylor) saying, “You’re next!”

Mitchell and I would joke and say “We want an intimate and huge wedding.” Pecan Springs gave us both of those options to execute the day perfectly because of it’s big reception hall for our 350 guests and its remote location in Brookshire, TX.  I always dreamed of having an outdoor winter wedding with a long-sleeve dress and winters in Texas are the best time for an outdoor wedding because it’s only about 70 degrees! The only two Saturday dates that were open in 2014 for Pecan Springs were September 14 and November 30.  When we saw that, Mitchell and I immediately knew. Mitchell’s grandfather was born on November 30th and passed away around that same time during Thanksgiving a few years ago. I had never met GrandPop and wanted to cherish his life on that day as well as change the emotions of that day to a joyful celebration of his life and our marriage. In the program, we wrote, “Happy Birthday GranPop!” next to his name.  It was so special for us and GranNan.

A Little Help From Their Friends ~ On our honeymoon, Mitchell and I reflected on this very question and were brought to our knees in tears when we truly grasped how much people honored, cared for, and helped us through the wedding process. Our college pastor who married us, Carl Gulley, mentored us through engagment and has remained a pivitol figure in our growth as individuals. Our wedding party is/was the most genuine and servant-hearted friends we could’ve asked for.  My dad owns two restaurants in Houston- Tejas Sports Bar & Grill and Don Patron Mexican Restaraunt- and he catered the entire meal with his own staff.  My sweet Mommy even gave me her wedding dress! We had it altered into a cocktail dress for me to wear as an exit dress before we left. I will truly treasure that opportunity for the rest of my life.

Bride’s Favorite Moment: “Without hesitation, it was the moment that I chose to “lay down my own life for another.” The moment that I made the most serious and exciting commitment of my life. The moment when I looked into my groom’s eyes and knew that I could choose to love and submit to him the rest of my life. Our VOWS…”

Vendor Love

Venue: Pecan Springs  | Wedding Dress: Houston Bridal Gallery- “Essence of Australia”  | Seamstress: Kristin Johnston  | Bridesmaid Dresses: Urban Outfitters  | Shoes: Callie Oliver {friend} reconstructed my mother’s wedding shoes  | Hair: Sheryl Kendrick  | Makeup: Transform Cosmetics  | Groom’s | Attire: Men’s Wearhouse  | Invitations: Gretchen McCormack  | Transportation: Extreme Elegance Limousine Services  | Music + Lighting: Astounding Sounds  | Rentals: De’Vine Events  | Florist: Debra’s Floral Designs  | Caterer: George Carameros  | Baker: Ooh La La Bakery  | Event Planner: De’Vine Events | Photographer: Rachel Whyte Photography