Composed by Jessica Posey from Heaven Sent Events
Derek and Madison Smith
Tell us about your love story!
How did you meet?
We met on Tinder! I was going to Texas State at the time and he was going to UT. We actually “swiped right” one year before we actually met but never met up. Then we both saw a familiar face and swiped right again, and the rest is history!
How did you know he was the one?
He checked all of the boxes! We both studied in the architecture/design field in college, so we already had so much in common. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else!
How did he propose?
My two best friends since middle school, who live out-of-state, were coming into town! We spent the day getting our nails done, lunch, and then met up with Derek at the mall to walk around. My friend, Heidi, “casually” (but not really) said something along the lines of “We should go watch the sunset at Mount Bonnell.” This is where we had one of our first dates watching the sunset. It is at least 100 steps to an overlook area that is the highest point in Austin, so there are some amazing views. We headed over there in separate cars from Derek because he told us he had to go home and work on something for his boss. When my friends and I arrived at Mount Bonnell, we began searching for the best spot for cute friend photos. Once we find the perfect area and start taking pictures, Derek comes out of nowhere and walks toward us, gets on one knee, and pulls out a ring to propose! I said YES!
Describe your wedding planning process.
Who helped with the planning?
My coordinator helped me with several vendors by giving recommendations. A lot of the wedding was DIY since I did most of it myself. I had about a year and a half to plan which was nice to be able to spread everything out especially with buying decor and focusing on little details for the day. The biggest help was being able to buy a little along the way instead of having to purchase everything at once.
Did you DIY any aspect of your wedding?
We did lots of DIY items including decor, signage, candles and candle holders, cornhole boards, the seating assignment sign, framed pictures, and flower girl baskets. My sister made handwritten place cards for the head table with her calligraphy pens and they turned out so beautifully!
Did you have a specific theme?
Our wedding theme was classy, timeless, and vintage. We accomplished this by using blush, dusty rose, whites, and rose gold colors, greenery, creams, lace, and different textures with the candle holders.
Where did you save the most?
We saved a lot of money with the centerpieces because we only did greenery and glass candle holders at guest tables and reused the altarpiece and the bridesmaid bouquets for the head table. I also did all paper and plastic goods for the place settings. Since it was not a priority for us, we also decided not to include party favors .
Where did you splurge?
We splurged on photography, videography, my wedding dress, and the cakes. These were all really important to us and were well worth it!
Why did you choose your venue?
I wanted an old “mansion” style with lots of trees and a beautiful sunroom balcony to get ready in. Winfield Inn provided a lovely outdoor pavilion/gazebo for us to get married under. They had beautiful chandeliers and an old-timey ambience throughout the entire venue!
Did you incorporate any special traditions or sentimental details in your ceremony or reception?
We had wedding pictures from both our parents and grandparents on display as well as a picture of me as a little girl in a dress-up wedding dress. We included the anniversary dance at our reception and afterwards asked my grandpa what advice he had for newlyweds which was very special. We played the UT school song and got a picture with everyone who was a UT grad. We also got a picture with everyone who graduated from Texas State – it was a big picture because A LOT of my family were alumni!
What was your most stressful decision?
Our most stressful decision was choosing the venue and our photographer. The photographer was a very important role to fill because I have a great love for pictures, so my wedding pictures HAD to be great. I was so happy with the photographer we chose because the photos turned out amazing! There were lots of stressful decisions since you want the day to be absolutely perfect, but it all turned out just how I wanted it to be!
What turned out to be your best decision surrounding the big day?
Marrying Derek first and foremost! Having family and friends with you on your best day at an amazing venue with the perfect vendors made for a special wedding day memory. We also had a polaroid guestbook. It was so fun being able to look through pictures of everyone who attended and read their sweet messages they wrote wishing us nothing but the best in life. If you do a polaroid photobook, make sure to have someone help run the station for a smoother process. The photobooth was also so worth it because it was fun getting to see copies of everyone’s photos that were taken throughout the night! Lastly, I got my bouquet preserved and pressed into a frame. I am so happy to be able to keep that memory forever!
Is there anything you would have done differently?
I loved every second of my wedding day, but if I went back, I would remind myself to go out and dance a little more, have a few more drinks, and eat more cake! I would also tell myself not to stress out so much about all the planning and all the DIY crafts. If the budget allowed for it, I might have also hired a wedding planner just to have taken some stress away.
Tell Us About
Your dress:
I wore a sparkly A-line dress with flowery lace, a long train, and long sleeves! It didn’t originally come with sleeves, but I had them added and it turned out amazing!
Your flowers:
We had light pink, bright pink, and white peonies (my favorite), pink and white roses, pink and white ranunculus, eucalyptus, and small dainty white and pink flowers. I wanted a more organic airy look, and it turned out amazing! Now I have them forever in a frame since I got them pressed – which I highly recommend!
The food:
We served chicken and beef fajitas, beans, rice, and chips with queso, guacamole, and a salsa bar. We also had the following hors d’oeuvres passed around: cheese and poblano quesadilla and a mini gordita! Unfortunately, I never got to try these at the wedding.
The cake:
The bride’s cake was a 4-tier white cake with lemon filling and vanilla buttercream. It had a classy style with white, pear-like dot border detail, and a flowery lace-like detail with real flowers beautifully arranged. The groom’s cake was architecture themed with famous buildings around the world! It was a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache/buttercream frosting and an oreo cream cheese filling.
Recap your big day for us
What made you laugh?
I’ll always have wonderful memories of dancing and getting ready with my best friends!
What made you cry?
The vows made me tear up, but I held back! The speeches also made me cry especially when my dad gave his. I have never seen him tear up until that night which made me cry.
Did anything unexpected happen?
My grandparents got a little carried away during the anniversary dance and took a little tumble as they were doing some fancy spins. They popped right back up good as new! Thank goodness they were okay because it scared us all! But now we look back and laugh about it (including them). And yes… the videographer got it on film! So we have it forever to laugh about for many years to come.
Advice and Looking Ahead
What’s the best advice you can give a bride and groom planning their wedding?
Don’t stress about the small things as most people won’t even notice! Enjoy everything in the moment as the day will fly by! Don’t try to DIY your entire wedding as it can be very stressful. Make sure to ask for help or hire a planner.
What did you look forward to most as Mr. and Mrs.?
Calling each other husband and wife! The honeymoon in Maine was amazing and beautiful! We ate so much lobster and had the best time sightseeing and looking at lighthouses. The coolest part was the whale watching! We highly recommend going to the Maine/New England area in the fall!
Local Vendors:
Wedding Venue: The Winfield Inn
Reception Venue: The Winfield Inn
Officiate: Chad Chaddick (FBC San Marcos)
Photographer: Chanze Ashorn Photography
Florist: Wow Factor Florals
Rentals: The Winfield Inn
Makeup Artist: Vixen Onsite Hair & Makeup
Hair Stylist: Vixen Onsite Hair & Makeup
Videographer: Toast Entertainment
Wedding Coordinator: Marigold Events and Design
Photobooth: Toast Entertainment
Wedding Music:
Processional: Say You Won’t Let Go (Instrumental) – Ariella Zeitlin
Shallow Piano and Cello: Benny Martin, The Wong Janice
Bride’s Entrance: Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
Recessional: Kiss Me – Sixpense None the Richer
First Dance: Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts
Father/Daughter Dance: Vienna – Billy Joel
Mother/Son Dance: My Wish – Rascal Flatts
Anniversary Dance: You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
Private Last Dance: Perfect – Ed Sheeran
