Leah Friddle and Jake Murphy
the venue. Artspace111
the photos. Kylie Delane
Leah and Jake’s love story began with an undeniable spark, a connection that felt fated from their first meeting. “From the moment we met, there was an unspoken knowing that we were meant to be!” said Leah.
Their lives intertwined seamlessly, moving through Texas and Tennessee, side by side. “[It was] as if we’d always been part of the same story,” she said.
The proposal in San Antonio, marked by a flurry of mishaps, wove laughter and certainty into their shared belief they were truly meant to be. A flash flood soaked their plans, essential items were forgotten, and even the booking dates at the hotel got mixed up.
Yet, amid the chaos, they were still laughing through it all. “Jake looked at me and said it didn’t matter what went wrong, because if we could still have fun through the mess, it meant we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together,” she said. “And that’s exactly what we chose to do.”
Bespoke Bridal
A bespoke two-piece gown, designed by Aubrey and brought to life by a coworker who is a seamstress, became a short skort post-ceremony. “I opted for a linen material for the dramatic skirt for the ceremony to bring in the summery aspects of our day,” said Leah. “The embroidery encapsulated the Texas landscape with cactus and bluebonnets.”
Touch of Tennessee
Large hydrangea arrangements lined the aisle, paired with minimalist anthurium bud vases on tables, blending elegance with a wild, summery vibe. “I wanted large hydrangea arrangements as they are my favorite flower and were everywhere growing up in Tennessee,” she said.
The Love Story
From the moment we met, there was an unspoken knowing that we were meant to be! Everything fell into place effortlessly, and there was never a question, never a hesitation. It has always been clear: we had found something rare! We moved through life (and across Texas and Tennessee) side by side, growing into each other with ease, as if we’d always been part of the same story.
The Proposal
Our proposal story was anything but perfect; it was a trip to San Antonio turned chaotic with a flash flood, forgotten essentials, and even the wrong booking dates at the hotel. Everything seemed to go wrong, but somehow, we were still laughing through it all. Jake looked at me and said it didn’t matter what went wrong, because if we could still have fun through the mess, it meant we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together. And that’s exactly what we chose to do.
The Wedding Venue
We wanted a space that had both functionality and vibe! It was important for us to have an outdoor space to celebrate under the lights and stars and an indoor space that reflected who we are. Artspace 111 was the absolute perfect venue!
The Vibe
We went for a laid-back affair with an elegant twist. We opted out of most of the traditional aspects for our day and kept it simple so we could spend time with our loved ones and celebrate our love!
The Photography
It was important to us to be captured candidly as we both do not like posing for the camera. Kylie clicked with us and completely understood and adapted to our personalities while also ensuring we did not miss out on any shots we would want.
The Dress
I was working in luxury bridal throughout my planning process and tried on countless dresses and watched so many brides have beautiful moments with their dresses. Seeing that side of it made me very picky about my own gown, and I was lucky to have a coworker who is a talented seamstress. Deidre suggested I draw up my dream gown, and she would create it! I wanted a two-piece set that I could change into a short skort after the ceremony to party in. I opted for a linen material for the dramatic skirt for the ceremony to bring in the summery aspects of our day. The dress was topped off by handmade embroidery by Guajardo Studio. The embroidery encapsulated the Texas landscape with cactus and bluebonnets.
The Accessories
I wore a pair of earrings that Jake bought me specifically for the wedding before we were engaged because he knew how much I loved them. My veil was custom by Sara Gabriel. She is a wonderful person, and her creations are stunning. It was long and dramatic and caught the evening sun perfectly. I topped off my look with a pair of CITY Boots and custom straps that say L<3 J, of course.
The Bridesmaids
I opted out of having traditional bridesmaids and instead had my sisters wear pink, and we were able to hang out and relax before the ceremony without obligations! My best friends were my something blue and wore blue for the occasion!
The Groomsmen
We also opted out of groomsmen to spend more time with family and friends. However, the guys wore “Fort Worth Formal” attire to cut it up during the reception featuring Straight Tequila Night.
The Wedding Rings
Jake’s gold wedding band is his grandfather’s and is sentimental to us all! I also wear a family ring—a vintage silver circular cluster ring that we paired with a gold band to reflect my love of mixing metals!
The Hair and Makeup
I wanted me, but enhanced. Jaycie Wiles—one of my best friends—is a very talented makeup artist and did my makeup absolutely perfectly for the day! Sharayah Lee did my hair and is so incredibly talented. I felt so beautiful thanks to these ladies.
The Stationery
All of our stationery was a simple black and off-white design that was elegant but looked hand-drawn. Like fresh out of a Parisian café!
The Florals
Jesse created the most beautiful pieces for us! I wanted it to feel elegant yet natural and on the wild side. For our aisle pieces, I wanted large hydrangea arrangements as they are my favorite flower and were everywhere growing up in Tennessee. I opted for small bud vases on the tables and throughout of anthuriums for minimalism and another touch of summer.
The Morning Of
The morning of, my oldest sister and I went to Summer Moon for coffee before heading to get ready. We listened to our favorite tunes from when I was a kid and just had as much fun as possible!
The Ceremony
One of our friends, Tyler Perring, officiated our wedding and captured our love perfectly through the short and sweet ceremony! My mom and dad walked me down the aisle, which was a super sweet and meaningful moment.
The Reception
We wanted the reception to be all about music! We had the All Tones perform during the cocktail hour some of our favorite hits from the 60s and 70s. Following, Straight Tequila Night played, and Jake got up there and sang Blue Clear Sky and played the bass for the remainder of the set! Everyone danced and sang along. After their set, when the sun went down, our friend, Cale Tyson, performed a DJ set that everyone loved with some of our favorite songs. It was hot, but it was so worth it to dance with everyone under the stars all night!
The Planning
I planned off and on over the course of 2 years and finally decided to commit and full send and ended up planning the majority of everything in the last 6 months. We are very grateful to all of our supportive friends and family who helped pull everything off so smoothly!
The Cake
I am obsessed and have been since a baby with a bakery back home in Jackson, Tennessee, and have never had anything like it until one day I had Bluebonnet Bakery. It is now a staple in our house and was a non-negotiable for our day. We had a big cake for us to cut and petite fours for guests to easily grab. And now, we can have our wedding cake whenever we like!
The Food
We did not want a sit-down dinner and wanted people to come and go as they pleased, so a food truck was our desired option! Salsa Limón was absolutely perfect and delicious and definitely a big hit with our out-of-town guests!
The Favorite Moment
Our first look was pretty special. We don’t go long without seeing or talking to each other, so it was weird for us, and we had to definitely force ourselves apart. So taking a moment and seeing each other alone before the ceremony was very special and surreal. It all clicked like, wow, we are finally doing this!
The Unexpected
It was HOT! Which is to be expected in June in Texas, but I don’t think we have ever sweated that much. We are so grateful for the indoor space at Artspace 111, the coverage of trees, and the cute little heart fans I bought on Amazon.
The Honeymoon
We booked a trip to Disney World the day after the wedding because we were in for a major dopamine crash. We had so much fun with each other and felt like big kids and took it easy while there, enjoying the moments together and how excited we were for the next chapter!
The Advice
I hear it a lot, but it is our number one piece of advice—never go to bed angry! Not just with your partner, but in life. Hashing things out and communicating with each other will cut out so much wasted time, and then you can work through how to prevent or solve the problem next time. Clear and honest communication is hard and uncomfortable at first, but then you get through it, and it is no big deal to communicate your feelings (good or bad) with your partner.
The Vendors
VENUE Artspace111
FLORAL Flo.Real
PHOTOGRAPHY Kylie Delane
RENTALS May I Serve U
CAKE Blue Bonnet Bakery
HAIR Golden Hour Artistry
MAKEUP Jaycie Wiles
ENTERTAINMENT Cale Tyson, All Tones, Straight Tequila Night Bridal Salon Deidre Reyes, Guajardo Studio
CATERING Salsa Limón