An elegant Methodist wedding
Jess & Ryan
Dallas, Texas
Every culture around the world celebrates love in a different way, each with their own unique traditions and values. However, there is one simple ingredient that makes for the best weddings. No matter how much effort or how much of a budget goes into putting together a special day, the best weddings are always the ones that bring together good people.
Jess and Ryan’s Methodist wedding in Dallas, TX, was exactly that.
Getting ready
Jess and Ryan live in Virginia, but decided to get married in Texas to honor the start of their college romance at Texas A&M.
They picked the charming venue Ashton Gardens in the north of Dallas to officialize their union. They both got ready on site, along with their immediate family and friends. They had numerous meaningful details sprinkled throughout the venue, such as a heritage table featuring the wedding day of their parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents! The amount of care for their loved ones was present in every aspect of the day, especially for the four little flower girls.
Bridal portraits
As everyone finished getting ready, we took advantage of some well deserved down time before the ceremony to take bridal portraits. Jess was absolutely stunning in her white wedding gown, and so was everyone else in their neutral soft shades of gray and blue. Jess and Ryan took turns hiding beside the chapel while they each got portraits done, as they wanted to see each other for the first time walking down the aisle.
Ceremony
Jess and Ryan had a sweet and symbolic Methodist ceremony. The chapel was a beautiful space, nestled in nature with bright natural light. The pastor led the sermon, inviting the wedding party down the aisle until the bride’s grand entrance. Jess and Ryan were obviously moved to see each other, as the two constantly fought back smiles and tears. They poured unity sand, a tradition where the couple each pour different colored sand into a single vessel to signify their inseparable life. They joined in prayer, exchanged vows and rings, and were announced Man and Wife!
Family Portraits
Throughout the day the two families co-existed as one, but their love and excitement grew now that they were officially bound. They gathered outside the chapel for family portraits, and allowed enough time to organize everyone together for formals as well as some fun group dynamics.
Newlywed portraits
As family members wrapped up portraits and left to enjoy cocktail hour with the rest of the guests, the newlyweds finally had their first “private” moment of the day.
Jess and Ryan chose Travel Weddings to capture their special day because they understood that a wedding photographer should be someone they enjoy spending time with and makes them feel comfortable. After all, good people are what makes the best weddings!
Reception
As beautiful as the chapel was, the reception hall was next level! Also nestled in nature, beautifully lit by windows and chandeliers, and very well decorated. The consistency in the aesthetics (such as the blue and white color palette) made the entire event extremely elegant.
When the reception started, Jess and Ryan made their grand entrance and started the evening off with their first dance. They were then entertained with speeches from her father and siblings, cut their cake, and danced with their proud parents.
Dance Party
There is actually one more simple ingredient that makes for great weddings: a fun dance floor!
Since this was a relatively small wedding, the dance floor was not packed with people but it was full of energy! The DJ played hit after hit, and all generations present (from the flower girls to the grandparents) happily danced the night away.
The newlyweds had time for one last private dance (another sweet tradition) while everyone gathered outside for their send off into married life (and honeymoon to Mexico).
Congratulations again to Jess and Ryan Reynolds!
Wedding Vendors
Since good people are the most important part of a successful wedding, good vendors are very much part of that rule!
Here are some of the kind and talented souls that came together to make Jess and Ryan’s special day a reality:
Photography: Travel Weddings
Venue: Ashton Gardens
MUA: Blend by Tess
Hair: Amber Laird
Cake: Chaotic Crumb
Coffee Cart: Bloom and Pour
Florals: The Design Haus
If you’re looking for a great team to capture your big day, who will help you feel beautiful and at ease, and who have your best interests in mind, feel free to contact us!
This is what Jess had to say about working with Jasna from Travel Weddings:
“We are ecstatic about how our wedding photos came out! Jasna did a great job capturing our important moments and making us feel comfortable despite the stresses of the day. She went above and beyond what I expected and it shows in our photos!
Jasna not only brought her amazing photography skills but also her incredible artistic ideas that made our photos so unique and special. The whole process was fun and relaxing with Jasna by our side, we definitely recommend her!”