Devon Davis and Patrick Winter
the venue. St. Stephen Presbyterian Church + River Ranch Stockyards
the photos. Kassie Moore Photography
Devon and Patrick met their junior year at Sewanee: The University of the South, and have been together ever since. “We knew we were in love after our first big trip together to San Francisco the summer before our senior year,” Devon said. After graduation and four years of long-distance, they moved to Fort Worth (Devon’s hometown) to start their lives together.
Patrick planned a stunning proposal during a New Year’s ski trip in Telluride. After convincing Devon to take a break from studying for the bar exam for a day on the slopes, they were at the top of the Prospect Lift when Devon turned around and found Patrick on one knee. Completely surprised, she said yes and they spent the rest of the day celebrating. “Patrick planned everything perfectly and had both his and my entire family together at the house when we returned to surprise us,” Devon said. “I loved every second of it.”
The Love Story
Patrick and I met at college at Sewanee: The University of the South. We started dating at the end of our junior year and have been together ever since. We knew we were in love after our first big trip together to San Francisco the summer before our senior year. After graduation, we had four years of long distance while we both were working in different cities, and then I went to law school at Washington and Lee. Once I finished school, Patrick and I moved back to my hometown of Fort Worth to start our lives together.
The Proposal
I was completely surprised by the proposal. We were in Telluride with my family over New Year’s. I had been spending most of my time studying to take the bar exam, but Patrick convinced me to go skiing one day. When we got to the top of the Prospect Lift, Patrick asked if we could get a photo with one of the photographers that are always around that area. I agreed, and during the photoshoot, the photographer asked me to take a step forward and do some funny poses. The photographer then asked me to turn around, and there was Patrick down on one knee. Of course, I said yes, and we spent the rest of the day celebrating. Patrick planned everything perfectly and had both his and my entire family together at the house when we returned to surprise us. I loved every second of it.
The Wedding Venue
We had our ceremony at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church and our reception at River Ranch in the Stockyards. The church was gorgeous and gave us an opportunity to have Patrick’s uncle, an Episcopalian minister, officiate the service. The Stockyards was the perfect venue to host our out-of-town guests, since Patrick’s side is mostly from New England. The staff at River Ranch were lovely to work with and helped create an unforgettable experience for our guests.
The Vibe
We had a black-tie wedding and a traditional ceremony, but we wanted to create an environment at the reception where everyone could meet, mingle, have great food and drinks, and dance the night away. Our wedding planner, Jenna Lee, did a fantastic job with not just creating a party but an experience. We had a garden theme with lots of large and colorful spring florals. It was more magical than we could have imagined.
The Photography
We had an amazing photographer, Kassie Moore. We chose to work with her because she does a wonderful job of making sure that you have formal photos without sacrificing those fun/candid photos. We wanted to have lots of laughter and dancing in our photos and will cherish them always. Kassie was wonderful to work with, imaginative, great at corralling large groups of people, and makes the photo sessions fun.
The Dress
I went to Stanley Korshak with my mom, sister, aunt, grandmother, some of my bridesmaids, and Patrick’s mom. We rented a small van to take us all to Dallas and spent the day trying on dresses and drinking champagne. Patrick’s mom actually picked out the dress that I wore on the big day. The dress is a trumpet style with a low back and off-the-shoulder sleeves. I really didn’t have an idea of what I wanted in a dress, but I picked this one because when I put it on, it felt like the dress I was meant to be married in.
The Accessories
I wore my late grandmother’s emerald earrings, and I had my late grandfather’s handkerchief wrapped around my bouquet. I loved having a piece of both of them with me on my wedding day. It made me feel like they were there with me throughout the entire celebration.
The Bridesmaids
Having my bridesmaids feel beautiful was the main goal. I gave them a green color scheme with a couple of examples and let them pick their own dresses. They all did a wonderful job in coordinating, and I loved how it all came together.
My favorite moment with my bridesmaids was all getting ready together the morning of. We spent the morning reliving memories, laughing, and getting excited for the day to come.
The Groomsmen
We told the groomsmen to wear a black tux with a peak lapel. They all looked so handsome, and we gave them all white matching boutonnieres.
The Wedding Rings
We got both of our wedding rings at Collections. My engagement ring is an Asscher-cut diamond, and my band has smaller Asschers around it. Patrick’s is a traditional gold band.
The Hair and Makeup
I wanted to look elevated but natural for my makeup, and my hair was influenced by one of my bridesmaids that had recently married. She had a beautiful half-up, half-down style on her wedding day, so I decided to copy her! 🙂 We used Pearls of Beauty by Melissa Walker Diaz as our makeup artists. They did a wonderful job of making sure everyone looked beautiful while staying on schedule.
The Stationery
We used Lola Lorena Design Co. for our stationery. They are amazing creatives and designed our logo for the wedding, which was flower branches shaped into a “W.” We wanted the garden theme to extend to all of our details, and they helped us do that beautifully.
The Florals
We used a broad range of florals within the spring color palette, greenery, and moss. We wanted everywhere you looked to be covered in color. Gro Designs did an amazing job bringing the vision to life. The floral tunnel leading into the venue was more incredible than I could have imagined, transporting the guests from the patio into a surreal garden scene inside.
The Morning Of
We had a very early morning on the day of the wedding. The girls were up around 7 a.m. to get ready since we had such a large wedding party. We had breakfast and mimosas while chatting about the night before. I was so nervous that morning because I couldn’t believe that everything was finally happening. What really made me realize that the moment had come was when Patrick and I exchanged our letters. Reading his letter before meeting at the church was such a comforting moment in all the chaos of getting ready.
I loved having a first look with all of my bridesmaids. They are such a fun and supportive group of girls. I was so lucky to have them by my side that morning, and I will never forget their hilarious reactions to seeing me in my wedding dress.
The Ceremony
We had our ceremony at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, and had Patrick’s uncle officiate the service. Patrick’s uncle is an Episcopalian minister and created a beautiful and personal service. His homily encouraged us to grow and support each other in our marriage and to appreciate the lovely community we had around us. Patrick and I served communion at our wedding as well, which was a wonderful way to connect with all of our friends and family that attended the ceremony.
The Reception
At the beginning of the reception, we had a cocktail hour on the lawn of the venue at River Ranch. During the cocktail hour, Patrick and I had a moment alone to catch our breath and a quick dinner before meeting our guests. A tunnel with oversized florals, greenery, and mirrored floors led the guests into the main indoor space. We had a dark green checkered dance floor with flowers hanging overhead. Florals covered the venue. We used Jordan Kahn Music Company for our band and other entertainment at the wedding. The band was the highlight of the night, and they encouraged everyone to get out onto the dance floor!
The Planning
Jenna Lee was our wedding planner, and she was incredible. She helped us all stay on schedule and was such a joy to work with. She is incredibly creative and was always willing to think outside of the box. I cannot even express how integral she was in creating the most magical night. It took us about a year to plan the wedding, but if we didn’t have the most amazing wedding planner, Patrick and I would probably still be planning to this day!
The Cake
The cake was from Creme de la Creme. They make the most delicious cakes, and Patrick and I tried almost every flavor before choosing their lemon cake with white buttercream. For the look of the cake, we wanted it to fit in with the floral theme but still stand out in the room. Since we already had so much color in the venue, a white floral cake seemed like the perfect way to make it pop.
The Food
We had Magdalena’s, Waloon’s, Oishii Sushi, and River Ranch catering. Patrick and I are big foodies and wanted to have all our favorite places around the DFW area showcased for our guests.
The Favorite Moment
My favorite moment was definitely Patrick and I’s first dance. Even though I forgot half of the choreography that we practiced, I loved having that moment together.
The Unexpected
How smoothly everything went. I was so nervous to host a large group of people for Patrick and I’s wedding, and I figured not everything would go to plan. But we had a wonderful team of people that made it all come together so beautifully.
The Honeymoon
A huge factor in deciding our honeymoon was agreeing that it’s potentially our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel on the other side of the world. My aunt is actually from Bali, Indonesia, and Patrick had never been. We both are very busy with work, so we weren’t sure when we would have another chance to see that part of the world. We had an incredible time learning the culture, trying all the food, sightseeing, and being beach bums.
The Advice
The day will go by in a flash! Try to pause and take in the little moments as much as you can!
The Vendors
PLANNING AND DESIGN Jenna LeBlanc of Winton and Waits
VENUE St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, River Ranch Stockyards
PHOTOGRAPHY Kassie Moore Photography
VIDEOGRAPHY Candlelight Films
FLORAL/PRODUCTION GRŌ Designs
CATERER Walloon’s Restaurant, Magdalena’s, Bodega South Main, Oishii
CAKE Creme De La Creme Cake Company
INVITATIONS Lola Lorena
ENTERTAINMENT Jordan Khan Music Company, Taylor Pace Orchestra, DJ KB Events
RENTALS AND STYLING Haven House
HAIR Karina Cardenas
MAKEUP Pearls of Beauty
HAT BAR The Chatterbox Boutique
WARDROBE STYLING William Peck, Jan Strimple Productions, Robyn Chauvin Productions