Clay and Maddie Huffman
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LOVE STORY!
How did you meet?
Clay, a junior at Tarleton State University, and I met during my first semester of college in the fall of 2018. I was very involved in my sorority, Phi Mu, and Clay in his Delta Chi fraternity. Both organizations shared a mutual group of friends, and that is how Clay and I were brought together. As we move into Spring 2020, Covid split the friend group apart, but Clay made a point to keep in touch with me during that time. I began my last year of Tarleton in Fall 2020 in-person in Stephenville. This is what brought Clay to Stephenville to take me out on our first official date.
How did you know he was “The One”?
I tell everyone about the invisible string theory which states, “Invisible string theory suggests that everyone has someone in their lives who is attached to them by an unbreakable string that transcends time, distance, and geography. The key to this theory is the belief that this relationship is not purely determined by choice, but fate.” We both truly believe that our paths crossed at the right moment in time when we first met in college. Even though we didn’t start dating until the end of my college career, we both got the chance to watch each other grow and was there for each other even if it was just in a big friend group. Past health breaks, growth, or timing didn’t make sense at that time. I guess it was that invisible string nudging us closer to finding each other.
How did he propose?
Clay planned a photoshoot for my Valentine’s gift for us in Waco. Emily, a friend from college, was our photographer. He was secretly planning the proposal the whole time! He proposed right in downtown Waco at Brazos Park East. The special moment was captured with beautiful photos I’ll always cherish.
Describe your wedding planning process
What planning tools did you use?
Both my mom and I kept a wedding planning binder we got off of Amazon. I am more of a digital/electronic person, so I just made sure to keep all my correspondence with vendors stored on my email and kept everything in a file on my computer.
Who helped with the planning?
Tory, from Events to a T and my mom helped with the planning. From the very beginning, Bev and Jody from Willow Ridge were always on hand to answer questions! They were such a huge blessing!
Did you hire a planner or day-of coordinator?
Yes, Tori Flinn from Events to a T was also our day-of coordinator. I am so thankful she was there to guide us through our day and make everything run smoothly!
Did you DIY any aspect of your wedding?
We did very little DIY. Really our seating chart was the only thing. We found out just recently that it ended up falling over and shattering during the reception!
Did you have a specific theme?
Our theme was spring elegance. My favorite time of the year is when the flowers start to bloom, and the weather gets a little warmer. We were so blessed that it rained the week before our wedding, because everything was so green and wildflowers started popping up.
Where did you save the most?
We saved the most with invitations! My wonderful and talented bridesmaid, Brynn Stadtmueller, designed our save the dates and invitations on Canva. This helped us save a lot on cost. We printed the addresses on the envelopes ourselves which gave them the sense of elegance I really wanted but at a low cost.
Where did you splurge?
I would say our splurge was getting cabins for our bridal party, groomsmen, and close family to stay in all weekend! Our venue has cabins on site for guests to stay in and both our families really wanted to make our wedding a full weekend celebration. What better way to accomplish that then to have our closest friends and family close by! Getting to see our family and friends from Friday to Sunday was so worth it. We really enjoyed making this extra time special and memorable.
Why did you choose your venue?
There are many wonderful reasons we chose our venue, Willow Ridge. Some advice I would give to a couple who is in the search of venues is first to take your time. You want to make sure you pick the venue that best fits you, your vision, and your guests! I also suggest making a pros and cons list. I toured many venues and having this was helpful.
Willow Ridge was the first venue we toured, and I truly did have that little tickle in my tummy that told me it was the place. We lived around the Waco area which also has a Cmap Fimfo so we knew about the wonderful amenities it had to offer!
Bev and Jody were also huge parts of our love for Willow Ridge. We felt so comfortable talking to them and sharing our thoughts and concerns. They were right there with answers and solutions for everything!
Did you incorporate any special traditions or sentimental details in your ceremony or reception?
I had two very special men in my life officiate the ceremony. Dr. Ward Conover and Judge Bill Old. Both men have been Christian role models in my life. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to give me away alongside my father.
What was your most stressful decision?
I would say the most stressful decision was just making decisions… “decision overload.” There are so many decisions you must make as a bride, both big and small. Some decisions as big as the guest list or what you are going to serve, to as little as what cake places you want. The wedding industry gives you so many options as to color schemes, wedding dresses, desserts, timelines, and just so much more. What really helped me was making a slideshow for myself that I found on Pinterest, which some people would call a “mood board.” I saved everything and pasted it on the slideshow from floral schemes to wedding party picture poses! I enjoyed doing it myself and having that “me time” to sit down and decide what really mattered most. Then I was able to share and show my planner, florist, and photographer what I really liked and pictured for my big day!
What turned out to be your best decision surrounding the big day?
I am very glad I had a wedding coordinator and planner! I highly suggest having a planner with you throughout your wedding planning experience. Their knowledge and expertise is there to help guide you. I had mentioned this before, but we are so glad that we had our friends and family with us all weekend. We knew our wedding day was going to be busy and that we were going to get pulled every which way, so we are glad for the extra time we got to spend with them.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
One thing I wish I had done differently was have a first look with Clay before the ceremony. Being a naturally nervous person, I wish I would have given us that moment alone with each other before the ceremony.
Tell Us About...
Your dress:
I got my dress at Georgios Bridal in Waco, Texas. I really wasn’t sure what I wanted so I went in with an open mind. I tried on just about every dress in the store! My wedding dress was the second dress I tried on. My dress consultant gave me a veil and I instantly teared up. I continued to try on more dresses, but I knew that second one was the one. I had two different veils, one short that I wore for the ceremony, and then I used a long veil for sunset pictures. I am glad I had both to work with and use for different options in my bridal portraits and wedding photos.
Your flowers:
My flowers were all provided by “Florals by Tori”. I wanted all the pastel flowers, and Tori did not let me down! My most wanted florals were the ones at the altar and they were visible in all of my photos. I was ecstatic! They were stunning and really tied in with the theme so well. One month before the wedding my mother and I decided we wanted to have greenery wrapped around all the chandeliers in the reception hall,and I am so glad we did! It really tied the room together with the greenery on the tables!
The Food:
Our food was everything I could ask for and more! We had quesadillas and street tacos with rice, beans, chips and guacamole with all the fixings. I loved having the quesadillas there as my “on the go” food! I had them on my plate the whole night and it was an easy way to grab a fast bite as the night went on.
My husband and I have been to many wonderful weddings, and the one thing that stuck out to us was the wedding that brought out late night snacks. Clay and I wanted to do something for our guests at night since a lot were traveling in and many were staying at the resort. We served breakfast tacos towards the end of the evening and it was a crowd pleaser! A plus was that we got to have some in our cabin for the night and the next morning as well.
For cocktail hour, we had the most stunning and beautiful grazing table provided by “Booker Boxes”. We still get such positive praise about our wonderful cocktail hour! After the ceremony, while my husband and I were taking family photos, wedding party photos, and even our couple portraits, it was such a blessing to have that easy snack food to sneak bites in between photo sessions! Plus water! Always plan that someone in the wedding party or a family member brings the bride and groom water and quick snack bites so the couple doesn’t miss out on the food they chose!
The cake:
My husband and I would have all chocolate desserts if we could! We love everything chocolate and we knew we wanted to have a chocolate cake to bite into during our cake cutting! His Groom’s cake and one tier of our wedding cake was chocolate cake and the other tier was vanilla cake with raspberry filling. Both cakes were from Art House Cakery!
We had gorgeous cupcakes from HEB Bakery at Creekside! Our ring bearer loved cupcakes so we kept telling him he would get a cupcake after he walked down the aisle. So we had to have some for all our favorite little ones at the wedding!
We also had the most stunning and yummy cookies from “Classy Cookie Co.”! When I saw the cookies, my mouth dropped to the floor! She created our vision so well and even recreated our wedding monogram on the cookies!
Recap your big day for us
What made you laugh?
My bridesmaids surprised me and made temporary tattoos to put in the bathrooms for guests to put on during the reception! They were a hit! It was so funny seeing friends and family all tatted up on the dance floor! The dance floor made me laugh the most. Just seeing everyone let loose and have fun! Our friends and family were all out there showing their best moves and just hyping everyone up! I am glad we added many light up accessories and hats for everyone to use and take home. That was the moment when Clay and I could just finally relax, let loose, and be in the moment with our guest.
What made you cry?
Something that made me cry that I wasn’t expecting was my first look with my bridesmaids. I did not show any of my bridesmaids my dress. I kept my dress a secret, and I am very glad I got to see all their expressions during the reveal! A lot of tears were shed from the bridesmaids and even more from myself after finally being able to show them and see all their sweet reactions.
What were the most memorable moments?
We would both say that finally being able to see each other at the altar. We just kissed each other goodnight after rehearsal dinner and didn’t have any communication on our wedding day. Spending all day just knowing I was about to marry my best friend, made me eager to finally be able to see him and start our lives together.
I let all my closest family and friends come through the bridal suite all day! I wanted to have that sweet time to spend with all my friends before the wedding day started! I enjoyed getting to talk and laugh with the most wonderful women in my life!
My husband and I made sure to greet each guest at each table during dinner,and it was so sweet to get that one-on-one time and hugs with each guest. We got to thank them for coming to our day.
What’s the best advice you can give a bride and groom planning their wedding?
The best advice I can give to couples is to make time for the two of you! Your day goes by so fast so even getting the chance to sneak off for sunset pictures with just the two of you and your photographer is so worth it! A good time to sneak away is while people are eating dinner. Clay and I didn’t do a first look or touch so it was nice to just have that one-on-one time to talk and catch up on how our days went with our friends and family.
What did you look forward to most as Mr. and Mrs.?
What we were most excited about was starting our own village. We both grew up very involved in our small towns so we are looking forward to meeting lots of people and making our own stories, memories, and special moments as a couple.
Local Vendors:
Wedding Venue: Willow Ridge
Reception Venue: Willow Ridge
Planner: Events to a T
Photographer: Emily Jolliff
Caterer: Un Poco de Todo
Florist: Florals by Tori (Events to a T)
Cake: Art House Cakery
Cookies: The Classy Cookie Co.
Cupcakes: HEB
Rentals: Stars Over TX Events and Rentals
Bridal Shop: Georgios Bridal
Makeup Artist: Jolie Belle
Hair Stylist: Maggie Talamantes
Bartending/Beverage Service: Willow Ridge
Transportation: Willow Ridge
Videographer: Mark Thomas Films
Music/Entertainment: At Last Entertainment
Wedding Coordinator: Events to a T
Wedding Music:
Processional:
You’re in Love by Taylor Swift Instrumental
Bride’s Entrance:
Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
Recessional:
This will be an Everlasting Love by Natalie Cole
First Dance:
Feels like Home by Matt Johnson
Father/Daughter Dance:
I Loved Her First by Heartland
Mother/Son Dance:
Then They Do by Trace Adkins
Last Dance:
I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You by Kasey Musgraves
