* Lauren, High School English Teacher & Jared, Ph. D. Candidate in Cognitive Psychology * Photographer: Elissa R. Photography * Soundtrack for reading: “Love Should” by Moby *
The Info—Photography: Elissa R. Photography / Venue: Southwest School of Art / Catering: True Flavors / Ceremony Coordinator: Krystle McCollough / Rentals: San Antonio Rentals and Party Planning / Invitations: Samantha Fisk (Lauren’s twin sister!) / Floral Design: Uptown Flowers / Wedding Cake: Cathy Young / DJ: Music Connection / Hair: Erin Jackson of Emali Lane Salon / Make-up: Yvette Rosenstein / Ceremony Dress: Allure via Mayfair Bridal / Reception Dress: Nordstrom / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Tuxedo: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Ring: Brent & Jess / Groom’s Shoes: Kenneth Cole / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie
Other cool stuff we should know about: Our secular wedding was officiated by a good friend from college; he did such an amazing job that my uncle, who is currently becoming a Catholic deacon, asked him where his congregation was. As a nod to marriage equality, we included a quote from Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall’s opinion in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health: “Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family.”
Our wedding was very much DIT. Jared crafted our ceremony and vows, and we chose all of the music for the ceremony and reception together. A family friend and I did the calligraphy for the invitations. My creative twin sister designed our invitations from an inspiration board that I made for her. She also painted our table numbers—which were actually various Texas wildflowers—and we built our seating chart together with fabric and corkboard. While these decisions did save us money, the real benefit was that they helped us create a wedding that felt special and unique.
One sentence sum up of the wedding vibe: San Antonio-inspired elegance with a laid-back atmosphere.
Favorite thing about the wedding: The epic dance party at the end. Mere seconds after a very traditional father-daughter dance to Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable,” Madonna’s “Into the Groove” began blaring out of our DJ’s speakers. I lured our guests onto the dance floor with an imaginary lasso and Madge’s opening lines: “Come on…I’m waiting.” From there, the dance floor was packed with friends and family, many of whom I’ve never seen dance before, for the next three hours. We loaded our playlist with 80s classics, Motown, the standards, and a few modern songs, with help from Meg’s “How to DJ Your Wedding with an Ipod” post. The best part about creating your own playlist is that you love every song; the worst part is that, because you love every song, you don’t want to take a break (even when you’re dripping with sweat).
