Real Couples // Dreamy Pastels at a Classic Wedding in Dallas, TX: Christina + Mark
/I (Christina) grew up in Japan and Taiwan, and moved to the US in elementary school. I love to travel, experience different cultures, and try a lot of different foods. I have family all over the world so it's always a whirlwind when visiting them! Mark was born and raised in Texas and grew up in a pretty traditional Japanese household. He also loves traveling and eating his way through different countries, but the first thing he seeks out when he gets home is Tex-Mex and chicken fried steak.
We met through a mutual friend when we were in college, but were acquaintances for a long time. I was born in Taiwan but grew up in Japan, and Mark is Japanese but was born in America, therefore not as fluent in Japanese. We actually bonded over that fact when we reconnected years later since I speak Japanese better, and that led to where we are today!
We love to karaoke with our friends, and Mark actually surprised me when we got back from State Fair with a karaoke proposal to the tune of "Wonderwall." He wrote his own lyrics and made his own karaoke video using our photos. At the end of the song, our two dogs came out with bowties and one of them had the ring tied around his bowtie. It wasn't a complete surprise since we had been talking about it, but the timing was unexpected.
For my engagement ring, I wanted something simple and classic and knew Mark would have a difficult time picking out a ring without some feedback. I went ring shopping with one of my friends and sent him a link to the exact style, and he had the ring made at a jeweler in Dallas. For our wedding bands, we were considering getting them made at the same jeweler as well but we liked the style of the rings at Tiffany & Co. so we ended up just purchasing them there.
An outdoor ceremony was our priority. We came across photos from the venue and fell in love with the architecture as well as their mission of conservation and education. We loved the fact that the fees were going to a great cause! For other vendors, we used the "maximum of three" rule when meeting with different vendors. We knew that there are endless choices/options out there, and if we were to mull over and nitpick on tiny details and comparisons, we would spend far too much time worrying about things that really wouldn't matter. We ended up going with vendors that were the most responsive and easy to work with because those were the things that mattered the most to us. We got really lucky with the vendors we worked with and had a really enjoyable experience!
I wanted something that was comfortable and classic and ultimately ended up loving the dress I had been eyeing online when I tried it on at BHLDN in Houston. Mark's suit was custom made at a local tailor, and we also got the groomsmen suits from there. We have two dogs at home that are our "kiddos," so Mark wore little dog shaped cuff links and that is still one of my favorite little details from the wedding.
The sun was setting as we started our ceremony, officiated by our close friend. It was short and sweet so we could spend our wedding relaxing and having fun with our guests. We wrote our own vows (and made sure to have a friend read both just in case!) and that made it more special for us.
I love flowers and really loved the organic style our florist specializes in. I wanted pops of color with gold accents and Everly Alaine Florals did an awesome job with everything! We also asked one of our friends to make all of the desserts for the dessert bar and it was a huge hit with the guests, not to mention beautiful.
One of the songs that always gets chosen at karaoke (no matter who we go with!) is "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. It's such a fun song and everyone loves to jam out to it, so we asked the DJ to play that for the last song. We had a giant sing-along on the dance floor with our guests to that song which made for a great memory for all of us!
Words by Christina, the bride, as told by Amber Marlow. Photos by Laura Parker.
VENDORS
Photography | Laura Parker of Fairy Tale Photography
Videography | Green Light Media Weddings
Event Coordinator | Events by Jules
Venue | Trinity River Audubon Center
Florals | Everly Alaine Florals
Catering | Bolsa Mercado Catering
Desserts | Bethany House Baking
Hair and Makeup | Q Makeup and Hair Artistry
DJ | A Very Special Day
Photo Booth | The Traveling Photo Booth
Wedding bands | Tiffany & Co.
Christina's dress | BHLDN
Bridesmaids' dresses | J. Crew
Mark and groomsmen's suits | Vu's Custom Clothier
LAURA PARKER
Laura Parker is the founder and owner of her award-winning photography company, Fairy Tale Photography, where she and her team specialize in capturing the magic of weddings. While her company originated in Dallas, Texas, they have opened a second location in Northern California as well. Laura is passionate about creating stunning imagery for every wedding, and loves spending time learning about each couple before their big day to ensure she understands how to capture the essence of what makes their love story unique and beautiful. She resides in Texas with her husband and five children.
