Composed by Jessica Posey from Heaven Sent Events
Taylor and Jordan Luce
Tell us about your love story!
How did you meet?
Taylor and I met on a mission trip in Costa Rica and our first conversation was on surfboards in the ocean. I caught his eye with my shoveling skills, and I noticed his lace up boots and board shorts combo. We shared our testimonies, walked on the beach, and then I left for Asia. We Face timed every Saturday and talked for hours and hours! When I got back to Texas, we continued to see one another, and the rest is history!
How did you know he was “The One”?
I knew he was “the one” after that first week in Costa Rica. I saw his heart for people and his love for the Lord. He would disappear in the ocean and come back with a speargun in one hand and fish in the other, and I thought, “I have to know this man.” The day I got home from the trip, I told my best friends that I had met the person I was going to marry.
How did he propose?
It was the best surprise proposal ever to go down in history (we might be a little biased). I was told that we were doing a family trip to Sacramento for my sister’s graduation. My family and I went on a hike, and Taylor popped out from behind a rock on the trail! He took me to a cliff over Point Lobos beach (a spot that Taylor and his brother, Tyler, hiked four miles to find just twelve hours after Tyler got his appendix taken out). Then he took me down to the beach where his whole family was waiting to celebrate with us! Now onto the next surprise… Taylor booked an engagement shoot in Big Sur! My family surprised me with beautiful dresses that they packed, I got my hair and nails done, then headed off to the Redwoods. Our two families spent the rest of the weekend in an Airbnb on the coast together, picking strawberries and exploring Big Sur. The absolute sweetest and most thoughtful weekend. God is so good!
Describe your wedding planning process.
Did you hire a planner or day-of coordinator?
Gruene Estates provided a day-of-coordinator with their package! It was so nice to have someone overseeing the details so we could enjoy our celebration.
Did you DIY any aspect of your wedding?
Yes! We made all of our own floral arrangements the night before the wedding. It was so much fun. We also made our save the dates, invitations, and signage on our own!
Did you have a specific theme?
We did not have a specific theme, but we wanted to go for a “timeless” feel. I personally think we captured it perfectly.
Where did you save the most?
We saved the most in the floral, videographer, and cake departments. My bridesmaids and I made our own bouquets and arrangements using Sam’s flowers. My sister’s friend made our wedding video for us and my cousin made all of our cupcakes!
Where did you splurge?
We splurged with our entertainment – David Lewis Band. He is a friend of ours and brought so much life to the reception. It was so worth it! We had so much fun dancing on the dance floor, so it was important to us to have great music!
Why did you choose your venue?
I loved that we could get married in a chapel. I was looking for an outdoor venue, and Gruene Estate has an open-air barn and chapel. They have an adorable, vintage house where we were able to stay the night and get ready. They also had a whole barn full of decorations we could use!
Did you incorporate any special traditions or sentimental details in your ceremony or reception?
I had our moms walk down the aisle together and prepare our communion table. This symbolizes the mothers preparing the table during the first communion. We also had our parents come pray over us while we took communion.
What was your most stressful decision?
The venue was the most stressful decision. It felt like a big decision to make in such a short amount of time.
What turned out to be your best decision surrounding the big day?
I loved getting to stay the night at the venue and wake up there the morning of the wedding. It made for the most peaceful morning that I was able to soak up instead of being stressed.
Tell Us About
Your dress:
I first tried on my dress in London at the Grace Loves Lace showroom! I loved every dress in their store, so when I got home, we went on a road trip to Houston to buy one. It was a form-fitting, mermaid type dress with rose lace. It was so comfortable, it felt like I was wearing yoga pants all night!
Your flowers:
I ordered 400 white roses and baby’s breath from Sam’s club. Let’s just say I didn’t think it through very well. We were delivered 400 roses in a box the day before the wedding with no vases or buckets to put them in. Thankfully, my family and bridesmaids were there, and we put 400 roses in bathtubs all over the house! It was such a fun
The food:
We kept it simple with Chuy’s Mexican catering. They brought fajitas with chips and queso. It hit the spot! We made our own margarita mix which required many margarita taste-testing nights.
The cake:
My cousin was the true MVP and made about 200 cupcakes with a variety of flavors and toppings. It looked like full-on cupcake wars!
Recap your big day for us
What made you laugh?
Our groomsmen found a snakeskin and decided it would be fun to pretend it was my garter… They tied it to the leg of the chair, and when Taylor pulled it out, everyone started screaming. Slightly terrifying, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
What made you cry?
Hearing his vows, our parents praying over us during the ceremony, and our closest people giving us toasts were my tearful moments.
What were the most memorable moments?
One of my favorite parts of the day was the morning of the wedding. I woke up before everyone else to sit on the front porch and write out my vows. I was sitting in one of their old rocking chairs listening to the rain. It was a peaceful and joyful time before the day started.
Did anything unexpected happen?
We had a wedding day timeline, but we ended up running late pretty much the whole evening. It didn’t faze Taylor and me, but we didn’t expect the day to go so fast!
What’s the best advice you can give a bride and groom planning their wedding?
Just stick to the basics! There were a few extra things I made and brought that never got set out or weren’t noticed. I would have saved time and money if I had stuck to the basics.
What did you look forward to most as Mr. and Mrs.?
I look forward to getting to see all of the seasons of life with my best friend!
Anything else you’d like to share?
I look forward to getting to see all of the seasons of life with my best friend!
Local Vendors:
| Wedding Venue | Gruene Estate |
| Reception Venue | Gruene Estate |
| Photographer | Whitney Penuelas |
| Caterer | Chuys |
| Makeup Artist | Jolie Belle Beauty Bar |
| Hair Stylist | Jolie Belle Beauty Bar |
| Bartending/Beverage Service | River City Bartending |
| Music/Entertainment | David Lewis Band |
Wedding Music:
| Processional | Beyond | Acoustic |
| I get to love you | Instrumental | |
| Bride’s Entrance | Marry Me | Violin Version |
| Recessional | Signed Sealed Delivered | Stevie Wonder |
| First Dance | Banks | Need to Breathe |
| Father/Daughter Dance | Best Parts of Me | Will Dempsey |
| Mother/Son Dance | Precious Memories | Alan Jackson |
| Last Dance | Living on Love | Alan Jackson |
