Sara Kathryn and Jackson
Tell us about your love story!
How did you meet?
My dad met Jackson at Union Station Diner, and they immediately hit it off. He later introduced him to me!
How did you know he was “The One”?
When I had Covid, we couldn’t touch, but he would come over and sit on my back porch, twenty feet away from me of course, and visit. We did Bible studies and had long meaningful discussions. How he cared for me during that time was so special. He even drove to San Antonio to get a book I had been wanting. I saw his character and fell in love!
How did he propose?
Jackson and I received a text canceling our “reservations” at Myron’s one evening, so he ended up taking me by my dad’s restaurant. He had our two families hiding outside the restaurant taking pictures through the windows as we entered. The room was full of lit candles. I knew something was up! He proposed where it all began for us!
Describe your wedding planning process.
Who helped with the planning?
My mom and Jackson were a big help.
Did you hire a planner or day-of coordinator?
Gruene Estate provided a day of coordinator. Marie was wonderful. Because of her, everything ran smoothly.
Did you DIY any aspect of your wedding?
Yes, invitations. I designed them myself minus the envelopes. We also made the photo wall.
Did you have a specific theme?
As our theme, I wanted a spring floral, Easter, fairy garden vibe!
Where did you save the most?
Because I was able to find my wedding dress off rack, I saved significantly on my wedding gown.
Where did you splurge?
I wanted just the right table settings and center pieces. We used white swiss dot linens on alternating tables. Each table had gold rimmed chargers and china, vintage goblets, with gold silverware.
Why did you choose your venue?
I chose Gruene Estates for many reasons. I am a fan of stained glass windows and chapels and had dreamed of marrying at Gruene Estates since my early teens!
Did you incorporate any special traditions or sentimental details in your ceremony or reception?
- Yes! We used two pastors, my childhood/family pastor who baptized and married all of my sisters and me, and my current pastor who did our pre-marital counseling.
- Before my bridesmaids walked in, my pastor explained the Biblical elements and symbolism of the wedding ceremony (i. e. why the bride wears a veil, why there is an aisle, why the bride wears white, and how all of this relates back to the Gospel) We got a lot of encouraging feedback on this from our guests. Not only had they learned a lot but how it set the tone for the holy moment they were about to witness.
- After we did our vows, we had everyone stand up and sing How Great Thou Art. It was magical hearing all our friends and family singing to the Lord. It echoed throughout the chapel.
- We loved ringing the wedding chapel bell.
- I wore light-up shoes.
- We sang the Aggie War Hymn.
What was your most stressful decision?
My most stressful decision was narrowing down our guest list to 385 guests. My family has been in New Braunfels for many years and have deep roots in the community. Making sure we didn’t leave anyone off our guest list while trying to keep our numbers reasonable was a stressful task. Also, since we only had four months to plan the wedding, and most designer companies require much more time than this for orders, I knew I needed to find an off the rack wedding gown. It took shopping around a bit, but I said yes to a dress I found at a friend’s boutique.
What turned out to be your best decision surrounding the big day?
Paciugo Gelato Cafe in San Antonio, Texas, served Gelato! It was a huge hit!!
Is there anything you would have done differently?
I wish we had kept my cake in a cooler location longer! I also wish we had used a different serving company. Only two of the six servers who were supposed to work showed up!
Tell Us About
Your dress:
I found my gown at a friend’s boutique called Lucky Buck’s Formal Wear. The minute I put it on, it felt right!
Your flowers:
I gave my florist inspiration photos of the flowers and colors I wanted, and she ran with it!
The food:
Chicken parmesan, chicken alfredo, salad, and bread sticks with raspberry lemonade was served from Olive Garden. It was perfect.
The cake:
Delish by Jada created the brides cake, a four tier Italian cream cake and Jackson’s unique groom cake, a red velvet done orthodontist style.
Recap your big day for us:
What made you laugh?
One of the officiates almost forgot to have everyone sing one of our songs before announcing us man and wife! It was a lighthearted moment. We choreorgraphed a dance for our first dance and surprised everyone. We also loved seeing Jackson’s dad hit the dance floor.
What made you cry?
Hearing all our favorite people in life singing How Great Thou Art together during the service was so moving.
What were the most memorable moments?
We had too many memorable moments to count! We both made a conscious decision to stay in the moment so we didn’t miss the smallest to the greatest memory!
Did anything unexpected happen?
Right before our exit for our honeymoon, Jackson’s little sister pulled us over and told us they are pregnant. Such a beautiful way to end our wedding celebration.
What’s the best advice you can give a bride and groom planning their wedding?
Keep your eyes on Christ daily. Remember in the end you will be married! Be diligent to delegate your task. Focus on being thankful instead of everything you need to do. Take each moment as the gift it is.
What did you look forward to most as Mr. & Mrs.?
We looked forward to being together all the time and all the other little things that come with being married. We were also excited and looking forward to our Jamaica honeymoon!
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