The Omni Hotel Wedding Houston Wedding Photographer
Stephanie & Tim met through mutual friends who were engaged to be married in 2011. Tim was the Best Man for the groom and she was a bridesmaid for the bride! Once they were introduced, they immediately hit it off! Tim and Stephanie kept in touch the months leading up to their friends’ wedding. After spending quite a bit of time together during their friends’ wedding weekend, they definitely “clicked” and began a long distance relationship between North Carolina and Texas for the next 18 months.
They traveled to Houston to spend the Christmas holidays with Stephanie’s family in 2012. Little did she know, but Tim found an opportunity to speak to her dad and ask for his blessing to marry her! At the time, Tim had not purchased the ring, though he was planning to do so in 2013. While Stephanie was away on a business trip in January, Tim had his cousin from New Jersey fly down to go ring shopping. The two of them headed to Charlotte, NC to buy her ring from Tiffany’s – the only city in the state that has this store. (It’s about a 2.5-3 hour drive from where they live.) When Stephanie returned from her trip that Friday, the weather was extremely cold with icy conditions. Tim picked her up from the airport so that she didn’t have to drive in the treacherous conditions. Upon arriving home, Tim took her bag upstairs and hid the box with the ring in her suitcase. When they were finished with dinner, he encouraged Stephanie to unpack right away, even though she didn’t want to.
“He sat on the floor by my bag, which I thought was odd, and watched as I unpacked…one or two items at a time. (It was a slow process and probably seemed like an eternity to him.) I finally got down towards the bottom of my bag and saw the little blue box peeking out. Tim asked me to hand him the box, and then he proposed. I was so surprised!”
They chose St. Cecilia Catholic Church for the location of their wedding ceremony. They thought it was a pretty sanctuary with pretty grounds. A couple of their friends were married there and had positive things to say about their experience.”For the reception venue, I had been to a couple of events at the Omni Houston Westside before and knew it was nice. My parents visited the property for a consultation before I did – they loved the grounds and were very impressed with the service and our catering manager. They thought the venue was a good value for the smaller-sized wedding reception we would have and that our catering manager and hotel staff would take great care of us.”
The beautiful details:
Gown: Ivory, strapless gown with modified sweetheart neckline, A-line skirt and lace detail overlay with cathedral length train from Impression Bridal
Cake: Who Made the Cake; Bride’s cake – 3-tiered Italian Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting; Groom’s cake – 2-tiered Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and fondant decoration, Villanova “V” (where Tim earned his undergraduate degree)
Flowers: Nora Anne’s Flower Shoppe (Sugar Land); bride carried bouquet of ivory roses with pale blue hydrangeas wrapped in ivory satin ribbon and rhinestone beading
Bridesmaids bouquets were white and green mini hydrangeas wrapped in navy satin ribbon
Reception centerpieces – bubble bowls with white and green hydrangeas; tall 20×4 cylinders with single, submerged Cala lily and floating candle
How did you feel when you first saw each other on your wedding day?
Sometimes it is difficult to describe how a bride and groom feel when they first see each other on their wedding day, but Tim and Stephanie described their feelings so well! Tim ~ “I was taken aback by how beautiful Stephanie looked. When she met me at the altar and took my arm, I made a point to lean over and tell her so. Seeing Stephanie for the first time was definitely the most emotional moment during the ceremony.”
Stephanie ~ “All I could do was look down the aisle and focus on Tim. I was very emotional at the grand entrance with my dad. Looking and focusing completely on Tim put me at ease and allowed me to smile for the pictures. I got emotional just before lining up with my bridesmaids and Dad. I think I was in disbelief that the wedding was finally happening, and I was marrying the man of my dreams. But the pinnacle of the emotion came when I walked out and saw Tim for the first time. I was overwhelmed with emotion and my eyes welled up with happy tears. I smiled as big as I could to fight back the tears – even though they were tears of joy!
When we asked them what they enjoyed most at their wedding reception, they both agreed that their first dance was the best!!! “Even though we were in a room full of family and friends, it seemed like it was just the two of us, enjoying our first moments as husband and wife.”
What was your honeymoon destination?
After their beautiful, memorable wedding day, Tim & Stephanie traveled to Sea Island, Georgia in early December for a “mini-moon,” just a quick weekend getaway. “It’s really beautiful there, and we had some time to unwind at the resort and spa. We highly recommend this place for honeymooners or anniversary trips. We plan on going back for a special occasion!” Their real honeymoon is set for 2014 with the location yet to be determined!
If you are looking for some practical advice, take some from these wise, experience newlyweds!
Tim’s Advice: Get some cake at the reception! We only had one bite of each for our photos. And, don’t go back to work the Monday following your wedding!”
Stephanie’s Advice: 1) Don’t obsess so much over every little detail of the day. The whole day goes so quickly that you realize worrying about the right flowers and all the other little things don’t matter in the end. It’s all about enjoying the experience and trying to take in every moment with your husband, family, and friends. 2) If your budget allows, hire a wedding coordinator for day-of the wedding. I wish I had!
3) Wait a few weeks before taking your honeymoon. It was nice to return home after the wedding and begin to decompress. There’s such a whirlwind of activity leading up to the wedding – especially the last month – that I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed a honeymoon immediately following the wedding. Plus, we have a trip to look forward to now!
