This wedding was an extra-special honor for SGI Photography to be a part of since we’ve known the bride and her family for many years. We are thrilled that such a wonderful young lady found the love of her life, and that he is just as amazing himself! We believe that the best is yet to come for this phenomenal couple!
Love Story and Proposal
Zach and Ruth met in their church’s young adult ministry. They got to know each other through Bible studies with their friend group and social events at church, and it wasn’t long before they started dating. Zach worked with a jeweler for a couple months to custom design Ruth’s ring. Once he had her Dad’s blessing, Zach proposed to Ruth at Rice University. It was supposed to be a surprise, but Ruth figured it out the day before, and she said yes!
The Venue
“We wanted to get married at a special venue and chose Brookwood because they were a non-profit organization that served adults with special needs. Ruth used to work with autistic children, and Zach had a relative who used to work at Brookwood, so we felt like there was a connection.” The beautiful Brookwood Community Chapel was the perfect setting to say “I do”. The stunning, yet intimate chapel with gorgeous stained glass windows had a timeless, traditional and romantic ambiance.
Unlike most venues, The Brookwood Community Wedding and Event Venue is a non-profit, non-government funded organization. All funds directly contribute to this incredible community! By booking a wedding/event at this unique venue, the funds directly benefit the Citizens of The Brookwood Community. Surrounding the wedding chapel and garden ballroom, the property is a breathtaking background for engagement and wedding photos, featuring enormous oak trees and floral landscaping. The Garden Ballroom can accommodate up to 250 guests, and can be arranged as desired.
The Ceremony and Reception
On a beautiful, mid-December Saturday, Ruth and Zach exchanged wedding vows and celebrated their marriage union with family and friends at The Brookwood Community in Brookshire/Fulshear, Texas. When they first saw one another on their wedding day, they felt “happy that the wedding day had arrived and the wait was finally over”! It was emotional for them “realizing that there were so many people there that loved and supported us throughout all parts of our lives and having to kiss in front of over 100 people!”
Following the meaningful ceremony, the guests enjoyed a festive cocktail hour while the newlyweds, family and wedding party finished up the wedding photos taken.
After the big introduction of the new Mr. and Mrs. in the nearby Garden Ballroom, the first dance kicked off the celebrations. “The first dance went really well after a couple months of practicing and we were pleasantly surprised that all the speeches went well.” Ruth and Zach enjoyed seeing that everyone there absolutely loved the whole event!
Outstanding Brookwood Community staff members served an exceptionally delicious dinner during the reception while guests danced the night away!
The Details
Guests: 125
Gown: David’s Bridal
Flowers: Petals by Design
Cake: Bake My Day
The Honeymoon
Costa Rica was their honeymoon destination. “We went to the rain forest and went zip lining, hiking, and Ruth thought we were going to get injured white water rafting – but we were completely safe!”
Advice for Future Brides and Grooms
Ruth: Marriage is for life and the wedding is only one day. Have fun during the wedding planning process, but prioritize your relationship with each other and with your future in-laws over any wedding planning.
Zach: Don’t bring your partner all the options while wedding planning. You have to make 1,000 decisions and if there is an in-depth discussion for each one it won’t be fun. (We spent over 2 hours discussing what the bridesmaids and groomsmen would wear – that was one of our first wedding discussions and our last major in-depth wedding conversation!)