Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
Picking out a Christmas tree can be a fun, joyful activity with your significant other. You’re on the hunt to find the one that’s just right to usher in the holiday spirit. So why not add a bit more jolliness with the help of a surprise proposal?
That’s how Lucy and Brock’s engagement began in late 2020. For an extra dose of festiveness, her family was present. After the special day, the couple enjoyed their newly betrothed status for a bit before they started planning their celebration. With the pandemic in full effect, they hoped that waiting a few months would bring clarity. Though one thing was always clear from the start: who would plan and design the wedding.
At the start of the planning process, Lucy and Brock picked out things that were most important to each of them (other than getting married!) so they could focus on those priorities. One at the top of Lucy’s list was to hire a wedding planner—specifically, A Charming Féte Event Planning & Design (ACF).
“I knew that I would need help planning our big day and I’m so thankful we worked with A Charming Féte. Nikki [Fee] and Lauren [Hibbard] understood exactly what we wanted and helped us bring on the very best vendors to ensure our wedding day was perfect. We truly could not have asked for a better wedding planning team and I’m so grateful for them!” —Lucy, bride
During their first meeting with A Charming Féte, Lucy and Brock mentioned that they were interested in having their wedding at Kingwood Center Gardens. The couple wanted to get hitched close to where they live and where they grew up, plus stay in close proximity to their families. They were also thrilled to tie the knot in a setting that would allow their celebration to feel very natural, thanks to the venue’s beautiful grounds.
“Our wedding was on July 30, 2022. We originally thought we wanted a fall wedding, but when that date was open, we decided to go with it and, looking back, I’m so glad we did! The gardens were in full bloom in July and the weather was perfect.” —Lucy, bride
While the venue was a sure bet in aesthetics, one risky move was made: opting to hold the reception in the bricked courtyard with no protection from potential inclement weather. A rain plan was of course discussed, but thankfully not necessary. Big risk led to an even bigger reward with perfect weather and sunshine that faded into a beautiful golden-hour dream. But before that beautiful sunset began, the couple’s ceremony was held in the allée in front of the mansion’s stairs, followed by a cocktail hour on the terrace, which felt like a secret garden complete with a gorgeous fountain centerpiece. Throughout the celebration, guests not only enjoyed the sprawling grounds, but also the company of some of its residents: wild peacocks.
After securing the wedding venue and date, ACF guided the couple in securing some of their other key vendors. Since florals were another top priority for the bride, the next move was booking the bride’s desired florist, Molly Taylor & Co. Since the celebration took place in a garden setting, Lucy wanted to enhance the venue’s natural beauty, with organic-feeling florals throughout the space.
“We relied heavily on locally sourced blooms to bring the English-garden vibe to life and pulled inspiration from the beautiful gardens at Kingwood. Our favorite floral element of the day was creating beautiful lush gardens to line the aisle way, which gave the effect of her walking through an English garden. We were happy to repurpose them at the base of the bar and other areas of the reception to pull the look throughout.” —Molly Taylor, florist
One non-negotiable was that the pair’s golden retriever, Archie, needed to be on site. Participating in the ceremony (in a made-for-him floral collar) and joining them for portraits were two of the couple’s absolute-musts. So before they planned anything else, they reached out to Doggy I Do to ensure they had someone to look after Archie in the best way possible.
With Archie taken care of, Lucy and Brock shifted their focus to their wedding photographer and videographer. After learning about Lucy and Brock’s style, the ACF team knew exactly which photographer the couple needed: Jenny Haas of Jenny Haas Photography. Her work was the perfect combination of colorful, light, and joyful—an especially ideal style for Lucy and Brock’s big day
“Kingwood is a beautiful venue, with a lot of little nooks for portraits. It definitely has a secret garden feel! I was thankful Lucy and Brock did a first look, which gave us more time to walk around the area and allowed time to do some portraits inside the mansion, which feels so regal.” —Jenny Haas, photographer
And Ashley McComb was the ultimate other half of the duo who would document it all. She too is regarded for the way she vibrantly captures her couples, and her warm, inviting nature made the couple feel calm and special throughout the day.
“She sent her proposal with a custom-filmed welcome video just for Lucy and Brock and spent a lot of time during the planning process getting to know them so she could showcase their personalities properly!” —Nikki Fee, planner/designer
At this point, ACF went to their right-hand stationer, Jodi Kennedy from Plume & Paper, who creates stationery that is truly unique to each couple and their wedding days. It was all about the setting for Lucy and Brock’s invitations, so illustrations of the mansion and a botanical design were incorporated. Come wedding day, oval shapes were used instead of rectangles to add some romantic flair and softness to many of the paper elements, like the menus, table numbers, signage, and most significantly, the escort cards. To take home a small piece of the natural surroundings, wildflower seed packets were integrated into the seating display (or rather, “seeding” display). As a finishing touch (and because he’s family, of course), Archie’s likeness graced foil-stamped cocktail napkins and acrylic stir sticks.
Brock had two major requests: good food and good music. Driftwood Catering delivered on the first one. Not only was the food amazing, but the caterers also went above and beyond to make sure that guests were happy and taken care of throughout the festivities. Their customized menu included varied yet filling passed appetizers like potstickers and chicken bacon bites, but also traditional favorites like shrimp cocktail and bruschetta. Driftwood also went out of their way to serve the couple’s beloved Baker’s Pizza as a late-night snack, keeping it nice and toasty until the right moment during the reception.
Simultaneously, Buehler’s Catering was brought on to handle the alcohol and bartending. They helped craft and serve Lucy’s must-have signature cocktail: a guava margarita.
Then it was on to Brock’s second request: the music. Because the wedding was in July (a famously busy season for weddings), a lot of local bands were already booked, and others weren’t the right fit for the couple. Nikki and Lauren shared some of the talent at Jordan Kahn Music Company based out of Dallas, and they were a hit. Come wedding day, they played a mix of instrumental music during dinner, followed by a mix of classic and recent hits when it was time for everyone to dance.
“When Nikki told us the Manhattan band from the Jordan Kahn Music Company was available for our date and we watched their videos, we knew they were exactly what we had been trying to find and I’m so glad we had them for our wedding day! They were absolutely amazing and they kept the dance floor packed all night long! So many of our guests told us they were the best wedding band ever and we definitely agree!” —Lucy, bride
“Around the 8-month mark is when we really start to take a deep dive into design! Our designers put together a comprehensive design guide for us to present to our couples in person! We spend a couple hours looking at every single detail. What do we like? What do we not like? And everything in between! It is at this portion of the planning process that we start to book our rental companies.” —Nikki Fee, planner/designer
Linens, tabletop, and furniture were rented from five different companies—Aiden & Grace, Borrow Curated, Event Source, PR Rentals, and BBJ La Tavola Specialty Linen—to create the perfect setting. Rentals weren’t limited to tabletop, linens, and furniture though: fringed umbrellas added a fun touch and much-appreciated shade during the summer soirée.
The perfect musical accompaniment for the outdoor ceremony was the next decision. StringSource totally nailed the garden feel and provided a Bridgerton-style soundtrack. The entertainment continued to take form thanks to DJ Sobe with S&S Production & Entertainment. He not only crafted the sound for cocktail hour, but also helped with ceremony A/V needs.
From the start, Lucy knew her wedding cake would be from Nothing Bundt Cakes. To take it to the next level, an additional six bundts were ordered and a major dessert moment was born. The design evolved, and ACF shared Hearth Patisserie with the couple, as they create beautiful floral-inspired, delicious sweets with dried flowers. The display continued to expand with donuts from the local orchard, Apple Hill Orchard, at the request of the groom. One more treat rounded it out and brought a special touch: cookies made in Archie’s likeness by Confection Perfection for guests to bring home as a sweet reminder of the wedding.
“We knew from the start we didn’t want a traditional wedding cake. We wanted something a little more simple that was delicious and felt more like us. Brock and I both love bundt cakes so we decided on a white chocolate raspberry bundt cake for the wedding cake since it is our favorite flavor. And multiple, smaller bundt cakes in different flavors meant everyone could find something they enjoyed. We wanted to have a variety of other sweet treats as well, so we also had macarons, mini pop-tarts, mini tea cakes, and apple donuts to give our guests options.” —Lucy, bride
Another very important decision for the bride was her beauty team. Lucy really wanted to find a hair and makeup team who made her feel beautiful, natural, and confident throughout the day. The search began, and when Lucy shared that her absolute dream hair and makeup team was Etoilly Artistry (whom she had followed on Instagram for quite some time), the inquiry was made. Like the wedding band, they came in from Dallas and were the perfect fit.
“Their team traveled in for a trial run, rehearsal dinner, and the big day! We kept them around for touch ups throughout the day (especially for before and after special moments like the first look, father-daughter moments, the ceremony, and right before their big reception entrance).” —Nikki Fee, planner/designer
