It is absolutely INSANE that it has been a year since Cole and I got married! I guess the saying is true...time really does fly by when you're having fun! The other day I looked back at our wedding photos and took a second to relive that special day. Oh how much planning and prepping goes into this day for you to blink and BAM it's over. Well...I should technically say 'bam it's the beginning' because it is truly the beginning of navigating through life together. I could sit here and say "wow this has been the best year of my life marriage is so easy!" But I would be lying...marriage is hard. It takes work. It takes determination. And it takes LOTS of patience (lol). But if there is one thing I am most certain is that I am truly so blessed to do this life with Cole. You see, our story isn't the "typical" one you hear. You know...date for a year or two, get engaged, married, then kids--nope. We dated for 5 months, got pregnant, got married, then had Ry. All within less than a year. You could say we are crazy. But I would like to say we are just crazy in love (lol)!
Lately I have been on Tik Tok and seeing the trend "Things I Regret From My Wedding" so I took a second and thought to myself "what did I regret?" And to be completely honest.... absolutely nothing. Ok wait...maybe not having an AC guy be an attendee to our wedding cause one of the AC units BROKE! But you know what? Yes, it was a little hot in the house but did anyone care? NO! Are you kidding? Everyone was having so much fun drinking and celebrating--we all just went outside and hung out. It was perfect. Now you're probably thinking "ok sav no there is NO WAY you don't regret anything! How is that possible!?". I will tell you how that is...I had zero expectations. You're probably like "huh? Come again???" Well first off I had an event planner (JoAnne with Oh Goodie Designs + Events) who I already knew whatever she touched it was gonna be beautiful, so honestly I didn't have to stress about it (lol). Not to mention my mom has this special eye that is pure magic. So I knew with them two together it was going to be unreal. BUT I also believe as a bride you become worked up on trying to achieve that "perfect Pinterest wedding day". Well news flash...there is NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT! Like ever. The more you stress about everything being "perfect" the more you make yourself crazy! This is suppose to be a fun day. A day where all of your loved ones come together as a whole to watch you and your soulmate start this beautiful crazy journey together. It is magical.
Throughout this post I will be going into detail of my special day and what I choose to do to be "stress" free. I honestly think just these simple tips will help not only calm your nerves but have you become more excited rather than 'ok lets get this over with' mindset. So grab that glass of wine, sit back, relax and lets get started....
Now before we get into it I would like to make it known (like stated above) this process was verrrry easy because we hired a wedding planner. JoAnne with Oh Goodie Designs + Events is truly one of a kind. I mean, take a look at her instagram and see for yourself! (@ohgoodiedesigns). I got a chance to sit down and tell her my vision, which was a backyard-country-modern-chic wedding. JoAnne is someone who will get it DONE. She doesn't play around! When it comes to wedding planners a lot of people think "oh well I would rather save that money and use it for something else" but what you don't know is that wedding planners can actually help you use your money more wisely. For example, you may get a venue and think "oh we have to do A LOT of decorations in here" then you end up spending thousands and thousands on these decorations that maybe your guest didn't even really see. Whereas a wedding planner may come in and go "you know what... we will only need to spend x amount on decorations and lets spend this x amount on food, liquor, flowers, etc" you get what I mean. Not to mention, a lot of these wedding planners have their own vendors they like to use because they know how they conduct business. Last thing you want is to hire a vendor that is unprofessional, late, or not what you expected. It is a very hectic day so that is definitely something you do not want to worry about. If a wedding planner is not something you would like to go through then I highly suggest a day of coordinator. Usually a lot of these venues will make you have one but if not I highly suggest having one.
Lets Talk Guest List.
This is the first of wedding planning. Who gets to come? I find a lot of brides get stressed during this part. Not only do you feel bad if you don't invite certain people but a lot of times family will come in and say who needs to be invited. See this is where the wedding planning gets tricky. This is the start of seeing people's true colors. All of a sudden a wedding that is about you and your lover is now getting pushed aside by other people's opinions. I will say this now because this goes for ALL of the wedding planning. If someone is giving you a hard time, making your life difficult, being ugly or nasty, saying/doing horrible things to you or your fiancé--STOP THERE. THAT IS A RED FLAG. IF ANYONE IS ACTING THIS WAY THAT IS A CLEAR SIGN THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE WITH YOU IN THIS NEXT CHAPTER OF LIFE. I promise you, if they are not supporting you now...they never will. For us that was the big thing. We wanted to invite people who are truly there for us. Yes, invite those family members/friends who you may have not seen recently but you know as soon as you are in a room with them its like time never passed. But don't invite the ones who have never been supportive, who talk shit behind your back--you get the point. All I am saying is invite people who you want to really be on this new life journey with you. When it comes to kids, that is completely up to you. We had a backyard wedding at my parents house so some kids were there for a bit, but then they went home. Personally, I get if you want kids there cause it is what makes weddings so fun to see them on the dance floor. But I also TOTALLY get having a wedding with no kids cause let me tell ya... this momma would be THRILLED to have a night out with the hubby getting drunk, dancing, and not worrying about a child at the moment. (lol) Either way, respect whatever the wedding wishes are if attending a wedding and if you are someone having the wedding...do whatever you wanna do. And if someone wants to complain then tell them not to come. Simple as that.
Once the invites get out and people start talking about it you will be surprised but there really are people out there that will tell you "where is my invite". First off, if you are someone who does this...please stop lol. People start to think weddings mean a free open bar party to all. Weddings are expensive! The more people you have the more expensive it gets. Needing more chairs, food, alcohol, etc. it all adds up. So when it comes to plus one's that is where it gets tricky. Some people care and others don't. Personally, I really wanted a small intimate wedding that felt like I just invited some friends and family over to party for love. Most of our friends are in relationships, married, engaged, etc. So we didn't have to run into that issue to much. However the few guest we knew coming from out of town were of course encouraged to bring a plus one. Cause who likes to travel alone?! Personally I feel like that is okay. I will be honest...I did have some friends wanting to bring their "thing of the week" but I had to tell them no. I felt bad but I knew if is said yes to one person then before you know it 10 more people will be asking. And again, we wanted OUR wedding to be small and personal. I didn't want to spend the whole night introducing myself or my husband. And I will say, we had the best most chill time EVER! It was so amazing! So again, do what you want. This is your day, you don't have to please everyone.
Below are our wedding invites. Since we got married at my parents house we had the house watercolored on the envelopes. I was IN LOVE with them! Since we didn't have that much time from being engaged to getting married we did not send out Save The Dates. But if we would have I am sure they would have been just as beautiful!
Lets talk getting ready.
When it came to bridesmaids I decided to just have both my sisters standing up there with me. I truly believe doing this really helped me be stress free! By having my sisters up there I personally wanted them to wear white with me, and white looks good on everyone. Not to mention I knew it would be easy to find something for them because one of them was going to wear a suit and the other is basically a model so everything looks good on her. Damn you Kenny, lol. Even though I did not have a lot of bridesmaids I still had the "bride tribe experience". What I mean is, the day I got ready I had the girls who would have been my bridesmaids (If it was doing a bigger bridal party) get ready with me. I felt like the energy was so amazing while getting ready! No one was stressing about their dress, heels, if they were going to fall, make a weird face up there--you get the point. We simply just had fun getting all dressed up together! These girls were also the ones who were included in my bachelorette. Unfortunately though, due to COVID my bachelorette party had to be cancelled. But if you are someone who has a big friend group and maybe you are stressing about trying to find a dress that fits everyone's price range or even a style that compliments everyones body type then do this! Have one or two girls up there (personally I would say someone who is family that you are close with--so there isn't any drama lol), then for the other group of girls have them come celebrate you on your bachelorette weekend and be with you to get ready on your special day. THERE ARE NO RULES! Do whatever you want! My girls and I still did the matching robes, pictures, cups-- the whole bride tribe thing! And again, everyone had so much fun doing it! If anyone makes you feel stressed out about these decisions then tell them to simply leave!
I have been to TONS of getting ready parties because that is part of my job--applying makeup to these beautiful people! Some are crazy and others are more peaceful. For me, you knowwwww we got crazy! Hey, even though I was pregnant I was still down for a fun time! Not only did we have alcohol for everyone but we had FOOD. Don't forget about this! You will be hungry. We got an amazing charcuterie from Eleanor's Coffee Bar + Market (Instagram @eleanorscctx) that was filled with meats, cheese, fruits, and sandwiches.
When it came to the makeup/hair artist make sure you have a "station" for them. A place where they can put their supplies, the best lighting for them, a place where they can plug in their tools, and of course a chair for you to sit in! A little pro tip: for makeup artist the best chairs are bar stools since they are high and we won't be breaking our back bending down applying makeup. However for hair stylist, you want a smaller chair/stool so the stylist is above you able to create that beautiful updo or curls. For my wedding we transformed my room into the 'Glam Room'. I had 3 makeup artist and the Riptide Salon team doing the hair. For myself I had my own makeup artist, Frankie (instagram @frankieproartist) and I looked STUNNING!!! We didn't have time to do a trial run weeks before so instead my "trial run" was actually on my rehearsal dinner day which was perfect! I also knew whatever he did it was going to be beautiful. His artistry is truly iconic. If you are a bride and stressing about makeup I suggest looking at their instagram pages, maybe go in for a trial run, check out all different artists and see what best works for you. For my girls I knew immediately who I wanted. I've worked with these girls before at weddings and I absolutely LOVE their work! They are professional, fun (that's another thing I wanted to make sure the team I had would also bring the fun energy), and not to mention very talented as well! The two other makeup artists I had were Julie Norton (instagram @makeupbyjulienorton) and Malorie Jones (instagram @hairandmakeupbymalorie). Then of course everyone's hair looked amazing cause the stylist at Riptide Salon (instagram @riptidesalon) did it! However, THEY DO NOT DO WEDDINGS. I know a bummer :( but the owner (Evana) has been not only my hairstylist for a few years but a friend. And having her and her brother (Frankie) be a part of my glam squad to get me ready for my big day meant so much to me. Also a little fun fact, the day before my wedding (rehearsal day) I got my hair done and told Evana "chop it. Chop it all off" and so we did. I HIGHLY suggest doing this! It felt SO GOOD! It felt like I took off the weight of any negative energy, the past of all my relationships--I know it sounds stupid but it truly felt like a fresh start to this new life. I loved it.
Below are pictures of us getting ready for this special day! We had problems with our original robes getting here so we went on Amazon and bam--found some that would come in in time! Again, something went wrong but we just brushed it off and kept on going! No such thing as perfect.
Let's Talk Wedding Dress
Now the only thing I will say about this is wear what makes you feel like the most beautiful women on Earth. Don't listen to other peoples opinions. Do what makes you feel confident.
However, what I will talk about is the CRAZY of a day we had. First off, our plan was to drive to Houston for the day to find a wedding dress. We had ONE appointment at ONE place. I was determined to find a dress here. That place is called BHLDN (pronounced "beholden") it is a wedding line from Anthropologie. So my mom, my two sisters (Kenedy & Allie), and myself got up early in the morning, grabbed breakfast, and hopped in the car. Wellllll about 45 minutes to an hour into our trip our car breaks down. Ok no worries we prepared for anything that came our way so let's call my dad and see what he can do. My parents own a car dealership so having a car come to us wasn't an issue. What was an issue was MY DAD NOT ANSWERING HIS PHONE!!!!! I can't remember exactly where he was (I think either working out or at an auction) but we couldn't get a hold of him! Ok no worries let's call AAA and get our car fixed. Well they told us it would be about an hour and a half before someone comes out. WHAT!!!! We didn't have that time!?? We had to make my bridal appointment by 1pm and they told us that was the only time they had for the day! Ok so at this point I was freaking out. But I remember my mom telling me "if this doesn't work out then it wasn't meant to be. We can figure something else out and go another day." Which she wasn't wrong. The only reason we picked that day was because it was a day that ALL of us could be together and pick out my dress. But then we got a miracle (or at least it felt like one lol) my dad answered his phone and came straight to our rescue! He brought my moms GIANT Wildflowers van and we hopped in and hauled ass to Houston. All is going well. We start to laugh about the situation. We are doing good on time now. Everything seems to be right on track. Then we stopped for gas/bathroom/snack break. Once we headed back to the car we can't find our keys. My mom swore she had them laying right there. We started freaking out, digging in all of the bags, retracing our steps. What felt like eternity for us trying to find these keys, worrying if someone picked them up, we eventually find them in the bathroom. All we could do was laugh at that point! This day that is suppose to be "perfect" is just getting crazier and crazier! It is truly funny how God has it for ya to humble you (lol). But it doesn't stop there...As soon as soon as we get into Houston Allie looks and goes "OMG MY PANTS! I FORGOT MY PANTS!" you see, Allie had her pajama sweatpants on in the car then brought her nice dress pants to change into. We did leave early so she wanted to be comfy on the car ride there. When we switched cars she forgot to grab her pants that were in the trunk. So here we are walking into this nice wedding dress shop disheveled from having the most hectic morning to now walking in with pajama sweatpants LOL! You are probably thinking "well why didn't y'all just stop so she can get some pants before the appointment?" Oh no, there was no time. We were already running late to the appointment and at this point instead of having the full hour we only had 45 to find a dress. So we get there, I try on one dress...two dresses...three dresses...four dresses...then we find a dress that could possibly be 'the one' buttttt it had just that tiny thing about it that didn't feel like 'it'. So I try on a few more. Time is going by. At this point I am freaking out. Not only is our appointment time running up but I can't seems to find anything I like. And remember, this was the only place I made an appointment at. Probably wasn't the smartest move to only go up there with one appointment but again, I was determined to find a dress here. Then all of a sudden my mom grabs the last dress and as soon as I saw it on the hanger I KNEW it was going to be 'the one'. And sure enough it was. It's true what they say--you get this feeling when you have 'the one' on. You start to cry, your family starts to cry. It's this feeling of "I am ready".
When it came to styling the dress lucky for me my best friend, Alexa, is an award winning stylist here in town. Not to mention she is the store director of Julian Gold. With the short amount of time we had to get everything together she had JG not only alter my wedding dress but ordered earrings and a headpiece to be delivered to help jazz up my dress. I wore Oscar De La Renta Earrings and I honestly had no idea where the headpiece was from but Alexa picked out the most perfect one for me! Along with my shiny jewelry you know I had to have some awesome shoes. I hate heels. I hate being uncomfortable and I knew having a backyard wedding I wanted something flat. So I went with white cowboy boots that were bedazzled by the one and only talented Leslie from The Ruby Sparkles (instagram @therubysparkles). She bedazzled these perfectly! To this day I wear my boots all of the time!
Below are pictures of me feeling like the most beautiful bride ever.
Lets Talk First Look
I ALWAYS thought I wanted my hubby to see me for the first time walking down the aisle. First looks are definitely more of a modern thing to do. When my photographer Lillian (Instagram @lillianjeanphotography) suggested that we do a first look I wasn't to thrilled to be honest. I didn't want Cole to see me before the ceremony. But after talking to Lillian she said
since our wedding didn't START until 8pm she made a point how the pictures will be very dark verses having them done during golden hour. Another reason she suggested a first look was because she said this to me and I quote "this is going to be the only time during the day where it is just going to be you two. A really special moment that is shared between y'all and no one else." After she said that to me I immediately was like "ok you are right lets do it" and let me tell you...she was absolutely right! It was the most special part of the whole day. A second where it can just be us two really looking at each other knowing that we are about to start the most amazing journey together. Another reason I LOVED doing the first look was because we could take all of our family pictures before the ceremony. So once the ceremony ended instead of taking that time to take pictures we got to go inside and celebrate with everyone!
Lets Talk Reception
When it came to the reception we wanted a very laid back party vibe. We opted from a sit down dinner because it felt too formal for us. Instead we had a few sit down tables, cocktail tables, tons of couches and chairs. This gave it more of a comfortable relaxed celebration that we wanted. When it came to the food we OF COURSE had to have the one and only Natalie Trevino from The Roughian (instagram @theroughiancc). We have known Natalie for some time now and her creation of different types of food is truly amazing, not to mention delicious! What they did was the first hour or so we had big apps passed around. Then for the remainding of the wedding we had out THE BIGGEST charcuterie board I have ever seen in my whole entire life (lol). It was absolutely AMAZING! It accomended for everyone who attended. You like meat? Awesome dig into some of that salami. You are vegan? No worries we got 80 million veggies and dips you can eat. It was truly so huge everyone got full from it!
The reception part was exactly what we wanted! We had a cigar station--no idea who he was, JoAnne booked that plus I was pregnant so I wasn't paying too much attention (lol). We had the light 360 (Instagram @L360_photobooth) which was SO MUCH FUN! Highly recommend having them for any occasion you have. For the first few hours we had a guy singing playing guitar then at around 10:30-11:00 we had a DJ Johnny Hotcakes (instagram @johnnyhotcakes) which was the perfect way to get the party really started! We had him set up by the pool so all of the lights, smoke machine, and bubbles were right there as we jumped in the pool in our wedding attire! There was absolutely no care in the world at this point! No one cared about messing up their hair or makeup or dresses. This was a moment where everyone can be free and LIVE LIFE! And that's what I loved about our wedding. It made everyone feel like you can truly stop and enjoy this beautiful moment in time.
Before I wrap this up there is just one more vendor I would like to talk about. That is of course, Julia with Wild Veggie Bouquet (instagram @wildveggiebouquet). I truly believe she brought to life the dream wedding I wanted. The florals at my wedding were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. From my bouquet, to the flowers on my wedding cake, to the flowers on the staircase. It was truly magical.
Let's talk marriage.
Now you can have the biggest or the smallest, or the most extravagant, or the most simplest wedding but what it boils down to is the marriage. Marriage is hard. You really have to understand how each other does life. One may be a neat freak while the other is a bit messy. One may be an introvert while the other is an extrovert. It's balance. You have to know that one day your spouse may give you 30% while you're giving them 80%. Then there will be times where you're spouse is giving you 85% and you're giving 20%. Some days are good and some days are bad. We are human, it's normal. What makes a good spouse is knowing that no matter what they are there for you as much as you are there for them. There are times where I am completely exhausted and didn't get a chance to clean the house. Whenever that happens I always tell Cole "I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to clean" and instead of him getting angry or even saying anything sassy all he goes is "don't be sorry it's not that bad no worries" when the whole kitchen sink is full to the top (lol). But see him saying this (even if he is lying who knows haha) makes me feel like he understands that there are just some days where I can't get the house together cause I'm either running a million miles per hour or I'm exhausted from all of the hats I wear. Then of course when the roles are reversed and there is something he couldn't get done I try to be understanding as well. You learn this as you get deeper and deeper into your marriage.
One thing I know is there is truly no one else I would want to spend this life with. Cole makes me a better person, a better wife, a better mom, a better friend, and better business owner. He pushes me. He challenges me. And he most importantly is my rock. I love him more than anything in this world and I don't know what I would do without him or his crazy loud laugh (lol).
As we close up this blog there is just one more thing I would like to mention...my parents. Of course none of this would be possible without them. From my mom helping creating this beautiful wedding day, to my dad opening his arms to his new son & law and letting go a piece of his babygirl. Nothing would be possible without them. They have given us tons of marriage advice (they have been married for about 38 years) and one thing I have come to conclusions with is that men will forever forget to take the trash cans out (lol). Without them I wouldn't be the women I am today. So thank you, thanks you for always supporting me and my crazy decisions of following what my heart is telling me.
And finally, we have come to an end. Well, more like the beginning. The beginning of another year of marriage. I loved you then, I love you now, and I will love you forever. I can't wait to grow old with you, Cole. Watch our family grow. Watch our businesses thrive. And take on life with my partner. You have my heart now and forever.
Love always,
Mrs. Savannah Hallick
Beautiful photos and great advice <3