Ashton Gardens West Houston Wedding photographer.
The story of Matt and Kati.
Have you ever wondered if God was trying to tell you something? There was no doubt that it was God’s plan for Kati & Matt to meet. They kept running into each other while they both were living in Austin, had mutual friends and even ‘met’ on a dating website! They finally got the message and love was in full-bloom!
The Proposal
The story of Matt’s proposal to Kati is sweet, humorous and one of the most sentimental stories we’ve heard in awhile. It’s absolutely best to hear it in Kati’s own words!
“Matt had planned a romantic weekend get-away in Burnet, Texas. Looking back on the beginning of the weekend, there were so many signs that he was about to propose; however, I was completely oblivious to all of them…I actually just thought his odd behavior was because he was coming down with an illness! Some of the signs were: Matt carried the ring through the Longhorn State Park Taverns in his jacket pocket and wore the jacket the entire time despite the warm temperature. I thought, “Does he have a fever? Why would he be cold down here?” At lunch, he continuously made excuses to go out to the car and check on the ring (i.e, he went to the restroom multiple times so again, I’m thinking he is sick). After playing cards, we decided to take some pictures, but we were the only ones around so Matt set up the GoPro and said he’d just take still shots of the videos later so we could capture a few memories on camera. We walked down by the water and that’s when Matt popped the question. I was completely surprised and after lots of happy tears and kisses, I said, “Yes” and he put my beautiful ring on my finger.
(P.S. – the ring is my mom’s first diamond that my dad proposed to her with. My mom offered it to Matt and I after she was first diagnosed with cancer so it means so much to me. Matt took the stone and had it put into the beautiful halo setting). I was so glad Matt captured the whole proposal on the GoPro so we can relive that moment at any time. Matt had also snuck some champagne into the fridge and had champagne flutes engraved so we poured us a glass to celebrate and called our families and close friends to tell them the news!”
The Venue
Just like finding the right wedding photographer for your big day (SGI Photography was honored that Kati & Matt chose us as their wedding photographer) searching for the perfect wedding venue in Houston can seem like looking for a needle in a haystack. There is such a wide-variety of wedding venues, it can be intimidating at first. Take your time and do a little research on the ones that appeal to you, narrow it down to a few, then spend time touring and meeting with their representatives. Kati & Matt looked at many wedding venues in Houston and finally settled on Ashton Gardens and couldn’t have been happier with their decision.
“We originally liked the look of Ashton Gardens North, but did not like the lay out. We wanted a large rectangular room so all the guests could see the dance floor, speeches, introductions, etc. We also wanted a venue that had plenty of room for mingling and more than one bar area.
My favorite aspect of Ashton Gardens was the gorgeous chapel. The wooden beams with windows in the back blew us away when we first walked in. It was so nice to have the chapel right next door from the reception so no one had to drive between the two events. The coordinator, Bethany Stanton, was incredible. She helped pull off every detail of the wedding. Ashton Gardens worked with us to plan the perfect food and drink menu and they were more than accommodating to make any special requests happen. I would recommend this venue to anyone!”
The Details
Gown: Pronovias Barquilla from Brickhouse Bridal in the Woodlands (Kati also took her time choosing her favorite my dress designer, and the results were well worth it! Such a lovely dress for a beautiful bride!)
Cake: Bavarian Cakery’s Bavarian cream cheesecake – marbled vanilla and chocolate cake with a layer of cream (each tier had either a vanilla or chocolate Bavarian cream cheese cake layer)
Flowers: Floral Events (They were amazing!)
Number of guests: 250
The Big Day
Finally, the moment Matt and Kati were waiting for had arrived! “Excited and relieved that after all the planning, the moment we had been waiting for was finally happening! I don’t think we’ve ever smiled so much in one night!” Of course there were all the feels!
“Oh man!” Kati said, “I had lots of emotional moments! So many happy tears!” There was a tie for most emotional moment between the chapel doors opening and Kati seeing Matt for the first time or listening to her father’s speech.
The happy bride & groom took time to share some of the highlights of the their wedding reception with us. You may find some tips included that you may not have considered while planning your own Houston wedding. “Looking around and knowing that all of guests were there for us and that everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. You spend months planning for one night so having all the guests enjoy themselves was really important to us. Matt and I were both so thankful that my parents allowed us to extend the reception an extra hour (5 hour reception instead of 4). That gave us the opportunity to walk around and talk to almost all of the guests and gave us plenty of time to celebrate on the dance floor as well. Also, eating dinner in a private room by ourselves was advice given to us early on and one of the best decisions we made. It gave us a moment alone to relax, talk in private, and really take it all in!”
Soon, the newlyweds were off on their Honeymoon at Sandals Ochi in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was an all-inclusive couples’ resort with a Romeo and Juliet room. “We had our own private pool and hot tub in a courtyard between our room and our private living room. The best part was that we didn’t have to plan anything!”
Additional Advice
Trust us when we tell you that experience gains wisdom! Take into consideration the advice of brides & grooms who have been where you’re headed! Kati & Matt are an exceptionally wise married couple now, so heed what they have to share with you!
“Try not to stress! Be organized so everyone knows what you need them to do on the wedding day. Enjoy the planning process and on the wedding day, don’t get caught up on the little details! When you’re relying on so many vendors to come together on the wedding day and do exactly what you want them to do, someone is bound to misunderstand or forget something…BUT that’s okay. I expected at least one little hiccup so when a few of the mishaps occurred, I wasn’t upset by them. All that matters is that you’re marrying the love of your life! At some point during the night, take a moment to stand back, look around, and realize that all of your loved ones are in one room celebrating you and your new husband/wife. Enjoy every moment of the night because it goes by way too quickly!”
