“Ryan and Emily’s wedding day was full of JOY! They got married at The Houston Club which is on the 49th floor of One Shell Plaza. We had the most AMAZING view of the city! When Emily and Ryan were venue shopping, they were a little skeptical during the elevator ride, but as soon as the doors opened, they knew it was the PERFECT place to get married. All those second thoughts had vanished away. Everyone who walked into their ceremony was in awe of the view. Their guests had such a treat with a gorgeous sunset right at dinner time. They were getting out of their chairs to take photos through the windows and watch the sunset with their dates. It was such a romantic evening!

The entire day was full of gorgeous details and decor all designed and put together by Emily’s new sister-in-law, Ashley! I was constantly blown away by all the beautiful touches around their wedding day. Everything was so carefully and creatively thought out. Ashley {the sister-in-law} designed the invitations, and she and her mother {the brides new mother-in-law} put together their bouquets and all the flower arrangements! The groom’s brother, Kevin, built the ceremony archway and even soldered the copper pipes himself.” –Joanna Krueger Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

Oh gosh…how do I narrow the entire day down to one favorite memory?! The entire day was amazing and fun and such a blur, but having my first look with my new hubby was unforgettable. His reaction when he turned around to see me was priceless and it was so great to have a (semi-private) moment together to just slow down and soak in the fact that it was all really happening!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

So many things! Which really made it all the more fun and meaningful. My new sister-in-law, Ashley, was also my wedding planner. She runs her own PR business so she is amazing at planning events and designing just about anything. We were able to design my invitations together, which was so fun and special. It was so exciting to have invitations that were absolutely unique to us! We also used the invitation design to create our table number cards, drink and food menu cards, social media cards, and song request cards that were placed on the tables at the ceremony. The “arches” that we used for our ceremony and seating chart were made of copper piping that her husband, my hubby’s brother, soldered together himself! Ashley and her mom, who have their own floral business, then attached the flowers and greenery to them. I think it was my favorite detail! Speaking of flowers, my bridesmaids and I got to arrange our bouquets ourselves! After the rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding, we all went back to the hotel and joined Ashley and her mom in their room where they were working on all the flowers. It was such a fun time and everyone’s bouquet was unique to them! Ashley even hand sewed the wraps for the bouquets. For our alternative guestbook, Ashley painted the state of Texas herself using watercolor! I had the idea and she brought it to life! One thing I did on my own that was really fun was the picture frames for each table. I asked our parents to collect pictures of us from ages 1-12 and I framed them together to match the table number at the reception. It was a fun little project and we all had a great time looking through the pictures!

Did you have something old, new borrowed and blue?

Yes! This was fun to put together and I’m so glad I decided to do it because I almost didn’t! My something old was a beautiful antique Victorian brooch that belonged to my grandmother on my mother’s side, who passed when I was younger. I attached it to my bouquet wrap and it was the perfect detail. My something new was my jewelry (necklace, earrings and bracelet), which I loved. My something borrowed was a gorgeous gold ring from my grandmother on my father’s side. She wears it every day and I just loved getting to wear it on my wedding day. My something blue were my amazing, sparkly shoes from Betsey Johnson. The bottoms were Tiffany blue and so fun!

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

I know everyone says this… but don’t sweat the small stuff! The reality is something WILL go wrong during your wedding weekend or even the day of. For me, those things included guests bailing at the last minute, bridesmaid drama, our private room for the rehearsal dinner not being ready on time, forgetting my veil at home and sending my hubby back to get it, and I’m sure several other things that honestly just don’t matter anymore! At the end of the day, you are getting to marry the love of your life and your favorite people are there to celebrate with you…THAT is what it important! -Emily, the Bride

Event Credits

Photography: Joanna Krueger Photgraphy // Venue: The Houston Club // Wedding Planner + Invitations: Live Out Loud // Florist: Poppy & Rose Flower Farm // Cake: Who Made the Cake // DJ: DJU Entertainment // Rentals: House of Hough // Engagement Ring: Jared the Galleria of Jewelry // Bride's Attire: Impression Bridal // Bride's Jewelry: Macy's // Bridesmaid's Attire: David's Bridal // Bridesmaid's Jewelry: Francesca's // Hair + Make-up: Lash + Mane Beauty // Groom + Groomsmen's Attire: Men's Warehouse // Socks: Sock It To Me // Calligrapher: Blank Pages Calligraphy // Wedding Signs + Decor: HomeGoods // Getting Ready Tanks: Everly Grayce // Mother of the Bride + Groom Shirts: Designs by Christine E // Garter: Just Fun Garters // Cake Topper + Bride Hanger: Fox Blossom Co.