Annie Philpott and Max Bradley
the venue. Private Residence
the photos. Franny Pullin Photography
Annie and Max’s love story began in Newport, Rhode Island, where Max, fresh from earning his yachting license, joined Taza Mas, a 93-foot sailboat owned by Annie’s grandfather. He heard there was a granddaughter living in Australia but never crossed paths with her.
Years later, he returned to Newport, visited Taza Mas, and, to his surprise, met the mysterious “Australian” granddaughter aboard. After a weekend falling in love and making it work long-distance for a time, the couple reunited in San Francisco, diving into tech-startup jobs. Eventually, their adventurous spirits led them to buy Bambi the Bus, a converted school bus, and travel the U.S., creating memories from coast to coast.
A few years later, after a month traveling around Southeast Asia in December 2023, and during a layover in Paris, Max asked Annie to be his wife as they strolled around the Eiffel Tower. “She said yes!” Max said. “Exactly one month before our wedding day, we closed on our first house in Fort Worth (where Annie grew up). Everything feels so right.”
Going to the Chapel
The couple exchanged vows in a cherished white chapel on the bride’s aunt and uncle’s property, a family tradition for many relatives. “It was so incredibly special to us to be married in this chapel alongside our closest friends and family,” she said.
Come Sail Away
The couple sailed into their rehearsal dinner at Fort Worth Boat Club, a nod to Annie’s grandfather and their meeting on his sailboat. “Sailing was a big part of my life growing up and continues to be a big part of Max’s life,” Annie said.
Sentimental Surprise
Annie’s mother needlepointed a bouquet wrap, featuring a crest hand-painted by Annie, revealed to her as a surprise on the wedding day. “She had asked me to hand-paint our crest onto the needlepoint canvas, and I didn’t know what that canvas would turn into until she surprised me with the beautiful bouquet wrap on our wedding day,” she said.
The Love Story
Max: After graduating from Michigan State and doing a season in Colorado as a ski bum, I still didn’t feel like I was quite ready for the real world. I decided to fly to Fort Lauderdale and obtain my yachting license. After completion, I flew up to Newport, Rhode Island, and began walking docks. This is when I stumbled upon a boat called Taza Mas, which was Annie’s grandfather’s boat. I joined the 93-foot sailboat as the full-time first mate, spending summers in New England and winters in the Caribbean. Throughout my 2.5-year tenure on the boat, I met what seemed like hundreds of family and friends. I heard there was a granddaughter living in Australia, and I might have noticed a few pictures of her on the running TV slideshow from time to time. After several incredible years, my time on the boat had come to an end, but my time yachting had not. I spent the next three years working on different boats, sailing the seven seas and chasing the sun around the world. Eventually, I ended up back in Newport, Rhode Island, and was docked nearby the Taza Mas. I went over to the boat to check in and say hello, and to my surprise, the mysterious “Australian” granddaughter was aboard with her girlfriends. We spent the weekend falling in love and getting to know each other. Annie went back to LA, where she was living at the time, and I finished up the fall on S/Y Hanuman. We kept in touch, called and texted daily, and we were convinced it was time for us to get together and join forces out in California. We moved to San Francisco and spent three years working tech startup jobs. Right before COVID hit, we bought a converted school bus named Bambi the Bus and circumnavigated the country a couple of times. A few years on the school bus was enough for us to realize we missed living in a house. We moved to Austin, Texas, where we lived for three years. We spent a month traveling around Asia/India in December 2023, and during a 24-hour layover in Paris as we strolled around the Eiffel Tower, I asked Annie to be my wife. She said yes!! Exactly one month before our wedding day, we closed on our first house in Fort Worth, Texas (where Annie grew up). Everything feels so right, and we are the happiest we have ever been!
One addition from Annie: Max’s first words to me on Facebook Messenger were: “What’s poppin’ princess” … followed by “The only grandchild I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting!” And the rest is history.
The Proposal
Max: In December of 2023, Annie and I traveled to Thailand for my sister’s wedding. What an amazing experience having the family abroad and exploring new territory with the people we love. The thought of getting engaged on this trip made perfect sense, and the timing had never felt more right.
After roaming around Southeast Asia for a few weeks, we stopped over in Sri Lanka to score some waves and relax beachside. I’m talking about the cleanest, most crystal-clear blue waters that generated perfect waves, and serene beaches paired with some tasty local cuisine. Week well spent, if you ask me. We packed our bags, left Sri Lanka, and headed over to Paris for a 24-hour layover. This magical, bustling city of love is where I formulated the plan to ask Annie for her hand in marriage. I had chartered a boat on the Seine River, and the day prior, I was notified that the river levels were too high to operate watercraft and that the charter had been cancelled. This left me scrambling at the last minute to find an alternative option. The Eiffel Tower obviously made for an easy transition. We spent the morning touring the Louvre, followed by a pitstop at a vintage shop where literally every single item of clothing we are wearing in our engagement photos came from. This was not planned, nor was Annie informed that there would be a photoshoot along with a champagne and cheese board engagement picnic in the park shortly to follow. Glad we stumbled upon that shop—some things really just work out the way that they’re supposed to in life. We neared the picnic bench where I had planned to propose, and the photographer almost gave it away when he yelled: “Max?! Are you ready?!” Annie thought we were making a quick little pitstop at this “tourist trap” to snap a photo with the Eiffel Tower behind us, indulging in our photo props (aka the beautiful bottle of champagne and picnic basket that lay before us). She was so relieved to sit down for a minute after a full day of walking that she missed the photographer’s spoiler! And then that “tourist trap” shortly turned into a proposal… Surprisingly, I was not as nervous as one would think on this day. Everything felt natural, right, and perfect. What I will say is that I was a bit lost for words when I popped the actual question, so what came out of my mouth after I dropped onto one knee was: “I guess this is where I ask you to be my wife.” What I meant to say was: “Annie, you mean the world to me. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone besides you. I love you dearly; please be mine.” Basically the same thing… right? Anyway, she said yes(!), and now we’re here. A happily married couple excited to spend the rest of our lives together.
The Wedding Venue
Annie: We chose the Fort Worth Boat Club as our rehearsal dinner venue for several sentimental reasons. My grandfather, Dandy, was a big sailor and had a deep love for FWBC. Max and I met on Dandy’s sailboat (Taza Mas). Sailing was a big part of my life growing up and continues to be a big part of Max’s life.
My aunt and uncle have a beautiful white chapel on their property where many of our family members have been married before us. It was so incredibly special to us to be married in this chapel alongside our closest friends and family.
The Vibe
Max: Fun and funky. Fancy and thoughtful. Vintage chic attire with a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We wanted everything to feel well put together with personal touches all around, and we utilized Annie’s creativity along with the expertise of our amazing wedding planners’ eyes for design. We wanted the energy to be happy, warm, and welcoming but with a sentimental and personal touch felt throughout. Live painter, interactive musicians, sailing in on a sailboat for the rehearsal dinner, departing on a helicopter from the reception. Fun specialty cocktail bars, excellent appetizers, worldly cuisine, lots of flowers and plants. Plenty of sweet moments together as a married couple along with everyone else in the crowd smiling and enjoying the experience.
The Photography
We were looking for a photographer who captured fun, casual, candid moments and had a keen eye for the details. We wanted a friendly, loose feel to our photos while also capturing all of the important moments (e.g., people laughing, kids spinning on the dance floor, candid looks between the two of us, musicians in motion, etc.). We also wanted someone who uses and incorporates film throughout the day, and we found our perfect person!
To Franny [our photographer]—Woah, life has been on full blast over the past few months, and only recently have we really been able to soak it all in. Writing these notes and opening the photography album really brought a new sense of joy and happiness into the very beginning of our long life together. The moments you captured display everything we were looking for in the visionary art of photography. You nailed it, you’re appreciated, and you’ve found your niche. We’re grateful and thankful to be a part of your portfolio.
The Dress
Annie: Max and I kind of fell into this love of vintage together years ago… and initially, when it came to picking a wedding dress, I found myself falling back on the idea of wearing my mom’s wedding dress from the 80s… aka true vintage.
My mom found her dream wedding dress at Neiman Marcus in Dallas in 1984, and we took her dress back to that same Neiman’s in 2024 (40 years later to the month, it turned out…) to see if they’d be willing to alter it. As we were waiting for the alterations person to arrive, I saw this unique and sort of artistic patterned dress out of the corner of my eye. Picked it up, tried it on, fell in love. All before the tailor even came on scene 😅, so that was that. That was my dress. First one and done. The designer is Naeem Khan.
The Accessories
Annie: I really wanted to incorporate one of my mom’s bridal pieces into my wedding day, and that’s where her veil stepped in. I wore my mom’s beautifully long, flowy veil, which added the perfect touch to my overall bridal look.
My aunt generously lent me a pair of gorgeous emerald earrings, and I loved adding that subtle hint of color to my look.
Unseen to everyone else, but known by me, I wore a locket that my Australian grandparents gifted me on my 18th birthday that belonged to my late aunt. The anniversary of her passing was the day before our wedding, so I wanted to hold her close on our wedding day. The locket has a photo of each of my late grandparents inside.
The purse I carried was a vintage purse that I found at an estate sale, and tbh, I just thought it was fun!
Max surprised me a few days before our wedding day (after our final dance lesson) with a trip to Neiman Marcus, where he bought me a perfect pair of Gucci sandals. They were the right height for my dress and the perfect fit—a true Cinderella moment.
The Bridesmaids
Annie: We wanted to take away the “guidelines” and let our friends dress in whatever they felt most comfortable in. I was going for a garden vibe for my girlfriends, leaning toward shades of green to complement the nature of our surroundings. Floral, patterns, light green, dark green, and anything in between… any and all dress photos that came my way were a yes. As long as my friends were happy and comfortable in their dresses, I was happy!
The boys took “free will” to a whole different level, though… man, was that a toss-up. One of our friends sent a photo to me with a bedazzled sequined sports coat asking if that was ok, and fine, I’ll admit that’s where I drew the line. They all ended up looking super handsome in the end!! Did everyone match? No. Did the colors blend well together? Probably not. Did the photos look absolutely fire? Yes.
My matrons of honor (my sister, Margaret, and my best friend, Callie) were dressed in a pale pink dress of their choosing.
I had four friends from Australia as my bridesmaids, and two of their dads were in my parents’ wedding 40 years prior. Life really does come full circle!
I gifted each of my bridesmaids a necklace with tiny green beads and a small butterfly pendant, made with love by a designer I met in Round Top, Texas. My matrons of honor each got a unique necklace featuring rose quartz stones, handmade by my talented friend (and one of my bridesmaids) of Archer + Maiden Stones.
The Groomsmen
Max: All my best buddies were told no formal ties allowed and to leave your boring suits at home. Think vintage western chic. Most of them understood the assignment (10/12 showed up with bolo ties/scarves). Not calling the other two out, but you know who you are. Cowboy hats suggested but not required. We had a lot of fun with the outfits. We took a few of the guys vintage shopping in Fort Worth the week of the wedding. Overall, our friends nailed it, and our amazing photographer, Franny, caught some special moments on film!
The Wedding Rings
Max: This is a whole story on its own but begins with our Thailand travels. I didn’t want to travel a month throughout Asia with a forever ring in my luggage, so I decided to risk it and find a local makeshift option. When we were in Bangkok, we hit the markets, and I saw Annie trying on some casual rings from afar. The ring she kept looking at made for the perfect “placeholder.” Little did she know… I bought it while she distracted herself with the next market shop. So I completed the first step of the process by securing the proposal ring. We continued venturing around Bangkok, checking things off our bucket list. While in a tuk-tuk headed to the temples, our driver told us about a gem sale happening “this weekend only” and promised to bring us there after our tour. Annie had been in Thailand years prior with her family and recalled going to a specific area that showcased Thai gems, so this all checked out at first.
A reeaallllyy long story short: we fell victim to the Bangkok Gem Scam, which is linked to the Thai Mafia (lol, what). Annie had her perfect sapphire gold-banded ring picked out. After an hour of ring resizing and waiting around, things began to feel fishy, and the realization set in. We were being scammed. The gem wasn’t real, and the ring wasn’t gold. The situation grew intense, but we managed to get out of it as fast as we could.
With no ring at the end of the transaction and Annie not knowing about the secret placeholder proposal ring, it’s safe to say she did not think an engagement was happening on this trip. We flew to Sri Lanka, surfed, and explored the desolate island off of India and were then onto our final pitstop in Paris. The city of love, where neither of us had been and a location that couldn’t have made for a better fit. We maneuvered our way through the city for a couple of days, and the moment presented itself with an Eiffel Tower picnic proposal, photographer included. Surprise!!
Fast forward past the fake engagement ring proposal and into the depths of Dallas, Texas, where I presented Annie the opportunity to design her personalized custom diamond-filled flower-shaped wedding ring with a beautiful band to match. Lots of lessons learned there; glad it all worked out. I love you, sweetheart!
Annie: I loved the placeholder, truly! But it actually broke into four pieces. We plan to superglue them together one day for the memories. We worked with a designer in Dallas to design my perfect wedding ring. I honestly didn’t know what I wanted (even walking into the first appointment), and then it sort of came to me: something flower-shaped. After just one iteration, my perfect ring was designed. What I love most about it is that it resembles both a flower and a sun. I just love it so much!
The Hair and Makeup
Annie: I wanted a natural look for both hair and makeup. My makeup artist actually did my makeup for my sister’s wedding six months prior, and I fell so in love with the look that I knew I had to have her do my bridal makeup.
I wanted to incorporate an old-timey hairstyle (big waves) into my wedding day. I was talked into wearing my hair up during our ceremony, which I think turned out lovely, but I did have a switcheroo pre-reception. My hairstylist knows me so well that I don’t say much to him other than: Do what you think will look good! Loose, natural… and then big waves. That’s about all I give him, and then he works his magic. I got to catch up on some snacks and feast on our wedding food with Max while my old-timey look was loading… highly recommend taking a beat to eat!
The Stationery
Annie: I took a photo of the scene where we were getting married and painted that scene using oil paints. I wanted to paint the central tree on the property and lots of greenery surrounding it. I brought my completed painting over to my parents’ house, and while the paint was still drying, my dad picked up the canvas out of excitement to take a closer look at it. His thumb left a print on the wet paint, and so I decided to turn that spot into a heart-shaped cloud at the last minute—some things really just work out the way that they’re supposed to in life 😉 The envelope liner featured this heart-shaped cloud. If you look close enough at the original painting, you can still see part of my dad’s fingerprint inside of it <3
I designed our crest to be super personal to us and hand-painted it with watercolors. This was a labor of love, but well worth it in the end. Our crest was featured as one of the inserts on our main bar.
I knew I wanted to have a hand in designing/painting our wedding invitations, but at the time, I really didn’t know I would design all of it! I had so much fun throughout the process. I became one with Canva, learned how to watercolor, and became great friends with our printing person who made my vision come to life!
The Florals
Annie: I wanted lots of flowers but mostly lots of greenery and plants! I wanted to have a live tree in the middle of our main bar. We incorporated several of our own plants into the scene, e.g., a couple of palm trees that we brought back from California seven years prior. We had a thriving aloe plant that was used at our specialty bar for the Spicy Max-arita’s.
The most special flowers to me were the ones I painted that were featured on our main bar: Peony (for Nanna), Poppy (for Bambi), Lily of the Valley (for Pop), and Snowdrop (for Dandy). These were the birth flowers of each of our late grandparents and brought their beloved presence into our special day.
The Morning Of
Annie: With our wedding beginning at noon, we had to start photos quite early. I wanted the morning to be easy and relaxed for everyone, given the long day ahead, so my girlfriends arrived just before first photos were about to begin. My sister had everyone write letters to me, which was incredibly special. I will hold onto those forever <3
My mom, sister, and best friend helped me put on my dress, shoes, and jewelry. And then we were off to the races! I started to peek through the window to get a sneak peek of Max but was pulled away to wait outside. Cue the happy tears 🙂
The Ceremony
Small chapel, family property with all our loved ones near and dear. Our officiant is a long-time family friend who kept things honest, casual, and real. He touched on all the important parts and brought everyone together in a way that reminded everyone in the room what true love looks and feels like. He shared words that both of us had written about each of our parents and what they taught us growing up, and those moments brought lots of happy tears into the chapel. Thank you, Matthew McDonald, for joining our two worlds into one and pronouncing us Mr. and Mrs. Bradley.
The Reception
The moment the crowd has been waiting for. The countless hours of effort that the wedding planners, staff, musicians, and family members put into making this vision come to fruition was finally upon us. A garden party atmosphere, worldwide cuisine-fueled menu, western flair, nautical influence, groovy interactive instrumental musicians working their magic and keeping the vibes high with all of our beloved guests involved. This was a special moment, between the two of us along with our most important people. Just the way we drew the party up!
The Planning
Max: Annie’s artistic mind, forward-thinking, and can-do attitude fueled this entire wedding. Victoria and Hannah at Amuse Events were rockstars. Talk about keeping the bride and groom on track! Thankful is an understatement; being in the business of making people’s dreams come true must be very rewarding… especially after everything is said and done. Thank you to my beautiful wife and everyone involved. This meant the world to us.
The Cake
Annie: My mom was our cake specialist! She influenced the flavors we chose, and she nailed it. I wanted flowers incorporated into it, and flowers were delivered 🙂
The groom’s cake was the Taza Mas sailboat, where we met!
The Food
Cuisine from around the world, tapas style. I doubt anyone left hungry. If so, you must not have left with a walking taco (Michigan favorite). With our wedding being hosted during the day, our reception was filled with a wide range of small bites. We featured coastal sushi from Tokyo Cafe, rolled to order, and Italian-style pizza from Michael’s Cuisine, made directly in front of our guests. Gyoza, tacos, Australian meat pies… all of the cuisines we’ve loved and explored, brought together in one place. We hope [our guests] enjoyed the spread as much as we did.
The Entertainment
Max: Annie’s brother, Wynne Philpott, blessed us with his musical talents in the chapel during the ceremony, playing ‘Oceans’ on acoustic guitar. A grand piano sat on the lawn of the garden party, greeting guests with a tranquil, classic, traditional style from some of the most well-known artists throughout history.
Dart Collective—Big props on this one. We interviewed multiple options on the music forefront and landed on an interactive DJ, spinning vinyls with a saxophone player and bongo drummer alongside. Dart had the dance floor packed until the sunset departure. Super groovy people. Absolutely loved them.
The Favorite Moment
Max: Flying away in the helicopter was easily our favorite moment! That feeling of wow, we did it. Spraying a bottle of champagne before hopping on the helicopter. Looking at all of our family and friends waving us off as Mr. and Mrs. Bradley. Forever memories locked in.
And kissing my bride for the first time as a married couple.
The Unexpected
Annie: Max’s dream was to have a bongo drummer at our wedding, and I surprised him with just that!!
I chose the song “Waltzing Matilda” for the tune that my dad and I walked down the aisle to, and it nearly brought him to tears. This song is special to him, and it was least expected. He walked me down the aisle to this song 14 years prior as a deb. That one’s for you, Dad! I love you!
The Honeymoon
17 days in Peru exploring and adventuring around the Incan empire. Starting in Lima, riding on planes, trains, and automobiles, covering thousands of miles across different landscapes and terrains. The most genuine humans, gorgeous landscapes, and farm-to-table cuisine. It’s no wonder this place is visited frequently by the rest of the world. So much to see and do. We covered a lot of ground but still feel like we barely scratched the surface.
From the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, to watching condors fly overhead in the Sacred Valley, to riding horses to the foot of an active volcano, to train rides across the most unreal landscapes, to Machu Picchu… our honeymoon was truly unforgettable. Easily our best trip yet. We stayed in the most incredible accommodations with the most picturesque scenery. Everywhere we looked was a photograph. This truly felt like the start of our never-ending list of ‘grown-up vacations’ we want to experience as a family. We will cherish this trip for the rest of our lives. Viva Peru!
The Advice
Marriage is a commitment, a choice, and the decision to love, cherish, and be there for another individual for as long as you both shall live. The process should be filled with joy, curiosity, and enlightenment. There’s no way to be a master at doing something you’ve never done. Learn and listen to each other. Support and acknowledge your partner’s perspective and think outside of the box. Take it easy, don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy the ride. You have your whole life to figure out the details and intricacies. Details will fall through the cracks, but that’s okay. It’s just another day, and you will take away the happiest moments anyway. Be gentle on yourselves.
Commit, stay faithful, and love while you live. Never stop having fun, don’t grow up too fast, and stop to smell the roses. Don’t forget to use your manners—they cost nothing but go a long way. Make the world a better place alongside the love of your life. Never stop dating each other. Take that vacation. Be spontaneous and keep your lover on your mind, forever and always.
The Vendors
GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS The Crescent Hotel
PLANNING AND DESIGN Amusé Event Co.
PHOTOGRAPHY Franny Pullin Photography
FLORAL Flowers on the Square
VIDEOGRAPHY Turquoise Video Productions
RENTALS Loot Rentals, Perch Decor, Grand Events, Big D Party Rentals, Shag Carpet Prop Rentals, Dallas Piano Rentals Catering Michaels Cuisine, Tokyo Cafe, Feastivities
CAKES Bronwen Cakes, Berry Good Bakery
HAIR Christopher Edward Ortiz
MAKEUP Adina Wright
ENTERTAINMENT Dart Collective
BRIDAL SALON Bridal Salon at Neiman Marcus
MUSICIAN Wynne Philpott
TRANSPORTATION Longhorn Helicopters, Rent A Frog Valet, Craig Vogel
JEWELRY Bella Diamanti
DRINK SERVICE Teresa’s Event Staffing & Bartending