One of my favorite things about my job is getting to learn about my client's personalities and their relationship. It's always such a pleasure to be able to make their wedding dreams come true.
Tell us a little about your love story! How did you meet? How did you get engaged?
We met on Tinder shortly after Brian moved to Houston. We met for a couple of drinks to swap travel stories and the rest was history.
Brian kept pushing for us to take a trip to New Orleans because “we hadn’t been in months” and we were “almost out of Yeungling.” Since you can’t buy Yeungling in Texas, we’d always load up the car while in Louisiana and plan a trip when our stash was low. I finally gave in and we made plans to go in August, a few weeks ahead of another vacation we had planned (which was when I thought he was going to pop the question).
On a beautiful and HOT day in August, he suggested we talk a walk around Jackson Square. I didn’t think twice when he asked someone to take our picture because Brian loves New Orleans. Of course, he’d want a picture of us in his favorite city. We started to pose for the picture when he suddenly stepped back, knelt in front of me, and asked me to marry him. I’ve never been so surprised in my life.
2. How did you choose Herbivore for your wedding? Did you know a lot about flowers when you started your plans? What was the vibe you were going for?
I knew nothing about flowers. That said, my husband and I didn’t want a traditional design for our wedding so I knew when browsing florists that we needed someone who was creative. The Herbivore portfolio was full of so many different styles, florals, arrangements, so I knew Herb would be perfect for us. We wanted a romantic and elegant vibe that still felt true to us, and Herb nailed it. I asked for a cloud of babies breath above our alter and he delivered. He added feathers to the boutonnieres to compliment our underlying pigeon theme, and my bouquet had the perfect amount of cascade that didn’t feel too structured nor did it feel droopy. I get compliments on our florals ALL the time.
3. How did working with Herbivore fit into your schedule? Did you enjoy working with the Herbivore team?
It was so fun working with Herb! One of my favorite wedding planning memories was visiting the Herbivore headquarters with my mother-in-law to discuss our flowers. Herb is so fun and friendly and SO easy to work with. Once we had business squared away, we spent the remainder of our time talking about our favorite trash TV shows.
Anyone who follows Herbivore on Instagram knows that bouquet drop-offs are a big deal. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to mine - and he exceeded my expectations by showing up in a dinosaur costume (Halloween bride here) and brought me candy! If that doesn’t perfectly sum up what it’s like to work with Herb, I’m not sure what does.
4. Why did you choose New Orleans as the site for your big day? Did you incorporate any New Orleans traditions into your celebration?
Brian and I love New Orleans and we drive over for a weekend getaway at least once a year. Most of our guests had to travel to our wedding and if we were going to ask them to do so, we wanted to pick a place worth the trip. NOLA is full of good food, good music, beautiful architecture, and it has a rich history. It checked all the boxes for a perfect destination.
One of the biggest perks about having our wedding at Broussard’s was it allowed us to serve some amazing creole cuisine. Our guests still rave about the turtle soup, barbecue shrimp and grits, and beignets. We ended the night with a round of hurricanes, a modified second line (following COVID-19 safety protocols) within our venue, and rode off in a pedicab.
5. Do you remember what you were thinking when you saw (your bouquet, the ceremony, the completed reception space) for the first time?
It was surreal to see everything we discussed in real life. It all looked incredible! The flowers in our bouquets and centerpieces were so gorgeous, and the shapes were exactly what we wanted. Seeing how hard everyone worked to make our day beautiful made us feel so special. Broussard’s is a really cool venue, to begin with, but our wedding design took it to the next level.
Our planner, Becky Lampp, had suggested we add flowers above our neon sign. I was on the fence about it because I didn’t know if we really *needed* them. I remember looking at it and thinking “I am so glad we added the flowers.”
I asked Herb for a recommendation to preserve my bouquet because I wanted to keep a couple of pieces. Post-wedding, I’m so attached to these flowers I keep adding more pieces to my order. Shout out to Lush Magnolia for being so accommodating and shout out to Herb for making the most gorgeous bouquet.
6. What is your favorite memory from your wedding day?
Aside from dancing the night away, the first look was probably my favorite part. I’ve never been so excited to show Brian an outfit and I’m really glad I didn’t have to wait until 6 pm to show it to him. Our photographers encouraged doing a first look and I’m so glad we did it because it was really nice to have that quiet moment and spend more time together on our wedding day.
7. What advice would you give to other couples trying to plan their big day?
Trust the professionals! They know what they’re doing and will not give you bad advice or lead you astray. I think people sometimes forget that their vendors want them to be happy and can be really nasty. Be nice to your team and it will pay dividends!
Everyone says this but I can’t emphasize enough how quickly the day will go by. Try to pause throughout the day and soak it in.
Lastly, remember what’s important. It’s not how many guests or flowers you have at your wedding, it’s that you’re marrying the love of your life.
Photography: The Rylands Photo Co | Event Planner: Spanish Oak Events | Floral Designer: Herbivore Floral Designs | Ceremony Venue: Hermann Grima House | Reception Venue/Caterer: Broussard's | Cinema and Video: Montoto | Beauty: Glam On Location | Lighting: Firefly Ambiance | Cake Designer: Bittersweet Confections | Bands: GOT Groove & Kinfolk Brass Band | Linens and Coverings: BBJ Linen | Dress Designer: Zavana Bridal; Dress Store: Vivienne Atelier Bridal Shop Houston | Featured: Destination I Do