LAURA + PETE

Real Wedding

LAURA & PETE

photography by Kate Panza Photography

SEPT 2020 | Pete and I met our freshman year of high school in Geography class. We dated throughout high school and embraced all the awkward stages! By the time it was senior year, we knew we wanted to stay together, but it had been Pete’s dream to go to the University of Arkansas and my dream to go to Baylor University. It was tough to decide to put our relationship through long-distance, hearing all the horror stories and whatnot. Still, we owed it to ourselves to be happy together and happy at our universities! The best part was that we were growing and learning so much on our own and still got to share it all with each other! We surprised each other with visits, we drove back and forth to each other, we took road trips, and spent time texting, calling, and face timing; and we fell even more in love. Pete planned every detail of our beautiful engagement right after we graduated! Our engagement season was five months longer than we originally planned, but we tried to stay positive. I wanted our guests to feel like they were in a beautiful fairy garden in the middle of the Mediterranean. I wanted our love to be reflected in happy, bright colors and twinkle lights and beautiful blue tiles and designs! I wanted low hanging lights, soft candlelight, and flowers dripping everywhere! I searched and searched Pinterest, and with the help of my incredible mom and our vendor team- we were able to create the most magical evening!

THE SOUTHERN SOCIAL

FEATURED PRO

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FLORAL VELLA NEST FLORAL DESIGN @vellanestfloral

ESTIMATED COST | $45,000 GUEST COUNT | 145

THE VENDORS // BONOBOS - BROADWAY BAPTIST CHURCH - ERIN BLAIR HAIR AND MAKEUP - J. MICHELLE EVENTS - KATE PANZA PHOTOGRAPHY - LEFORCE ENTERTAINMENT – LULUS BRIDAL BOUTIQUE - MAGGIE SOTTERO - POSH COUTURE RENTALS - PROFESSIONAL BAR TENDERS OF DFW – REATA CATERING - REVELRY - ROLLS ROYCE CONCIERGE - TEXAS STAR BAKERY - THE 4ELEVEN

WE ARE SO HAPPY we are so happy that we pushed our wedding back! We did not want to compromise our wedding dreams for a stage in time. Had we gotten married in June, it would have still been beautiful and special, but some of the most influential friends and family in our journey would not have been able to come. Yes, in September, we still had masks and other Covid guidelines, but our people were there- and that was what was most important to us! We are so happy our family and friends could come and have a good time and still stay healthy and safe!

MY ADVICE for other couples that are engaged and getting married would always be to remember that your partner’s heart is the most special thing you could ever carry, and it is a true gift from God to carry that heart! It takes patience and compromise to get married and be married but getting to love and be loved by your soulmate is by far worth it! I would also remind them to be patient and to take it all in! You have your whole life to bicker and be anxious, try to have fun with wedding planning, after all, you are preparing for your life together! And now, a little bit of different advice: yes, your wedding day is so important and a monumental day in your life: but take some pressure off of it- there will be other huge days in your lives together- there will be more significant celebrations that mean so much to the two of you together! You are preparing for a life full of adventure; there will be so many beautiful days!

STANDOUT VENDOR | Kate and Alex became like family to us! We originally wanted to be married in June, and when we decided to switch to September, both Kate and Alex were so encouraging and supportive.

Alex’s ability to create with florals is unmatched. She understood what I wanted even when I was unable to explain it to her. She puts all her efforts into her work, and you can tell that she loves what she does! I wanted all the colors and textures and designs to create a romantic, “Mediterranean fairy garden” vibe. She is a special soul to my family and me! She works so hard to create such beautiful pieces. She made every dream of mine come to life! I know finding colorful flowers in the hottest months is not easy, but she made it happen. Her work is flawless. I know that if she is a part of your vendor team, your wedding will be perfect.

Kate was also such a Godsend! She created an environment that encouraged relaxation and deep emotions. She is a true artist through and through. Kate has a unique talent of encouraging emotion; she prepares the shot with prompts like, “now, close your eyes and just think about what it feels like to be so deeply loved.” Those emotions cannot be staged nor faked; they can only be brought out and captured- and that is what Kate does best! She captured every emotion, every laugh, every happy tear so beautifully!