Taylor and Paul, we were honored to be a part of your special day! The love that these two share is so evident and natural. They are both so kind and easy-going that the whole day was fun despite the rain! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a fun and memorable day. We wish you all of the happiness in the world! – Mackenzie

“Although I was born in San Diego, California, I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, since I was four years old. Memphis is home to us; my parents and I wanted to showcase our city to our friends and family. The downtown vibe is so exciting, and we thought it would be best to host all of our events within its core. Paul and I were one of the first of our friendship group to get married from Southern Methodist University. We were fortunate enough to have 17 states represented as guests for our event.” – Taylor

“I look back, and there are so many funny things that happened on the day of our wedding. When Paul and I were doing our first look outside of the hotel, I realized a HUGE bug flew into my veil. It took several people’s help to try to get it out. It turns out, it was caught in the veil, so I had to ditch the veil in the moment altogether. Also, Our friends LOVED Paula and Raiford’s Disco (after party location). For all of the Memphis locals, you know Raiford’s is the ideal late night / post-wedding hot spot. It’s tough to describe this place to out-of-towners, and it was a blast to have all of our friends experience it.” – Taylor

“Paul and I met our sophomore year at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. My mom likes to take the credit here – she was with me when I met Paul outside of the Panhellenic house (where I lived) in November. At the time, I did not hang out with guys in Paul’s fraternity (Phi Delta Theta), but my mom “insisted” I should start going to some of their parties. Fast forward to January 24, 2013, I went to our Chi Omega / Phi Delta Theta mixer (hoping I’d see Paul). We hit it off and talked all night! We started hanging out every day following the mixer. We went on our first date to the Aquarium and made an effort to see each other in-between classes. I knew he was the one when I wanted to introduce him to my parents a few days later.” – Taylor

“Paul knew how important it was for me to be surprised when it came time for the proposal. We had looked at rings a few months earlier, but he kept brushing it off and saying how we ‘needed more time.’ I figured we would get through the holiday months and then he would propose on a trip. I had NO idea it was happening when it did. The week of the proposal, I was sick and in charge of co-leading our summer intern welcome weekend at work. Honestly, the proposal was THE LAST thing on my mind. My maid-of-honor tried to reach out that week to get our nails done, yet I blew it off because I was busy with work and trying to get over a cold. On Saturday, December 1st, Paul wanted to take me to lunch and watch basketball with some friends. I was very distracted because, in the midst of this, I was missing my work event / concerned something would go wrong (yet he worked with my team to make sure I had the day-off). We went to lunch and decided to walk to Nodding Donkey to watch basketball. Paul mentioned he wanted to walk through Griggs Park on the way to the bar. We began walking through the park (meanwhile he began saying all of these nice things along the way). Before I knew it, he got down on one knee and proposed! I was in complete shock. His sister and brother-in-law popped out of the bushes and surprised us, too! It was extremely special to have all of our family fly into Dallas for the proposal. My parents flew from Memphis, his parents from Louisville, and his sister and brother-in-law from New Jersey. Paul even planned an engagement party at Del Frisco’s Grille with all of our family and friends on the Sunday after the proposal. Looking back, this was such a highlight to kick-off the wedding season!” – Taylor

“Your wedding weekend is probably one of the only times you will be surrounded by so many family and friends who love you. Make sure to thank everyone who traveled from afar (or even in your hometown) for attending. I have never been so happy to walk down the aisle and look at all of the guests in attendance. Even at the reception, it was wonderful to think we knew everyone in the room. Paul and I felt so loved by our family and friends, and we are so gracious to our parents for throwing us an amazing weekend we’ll always remember.” – Taylor

“One of my dear family friends told us to take 2-3 minutes to go upstairs by yourselves and view everything from afar. Luckily, we did not use the upper section at our venue, so this was one of the first things Paul and I did before our first dance. It was a really great way to see everything come together and watch our friends having a great time.” – Taylor

“Gosh, there are SO many vendors that contributed to the weekend to make it so special. The wedding guild representatives at Calvary Episcopal Church, Doug and Gigi, were incredible! They helped us navigate so many issues as they had just planned their own daughter’s wedding in May. Kevin Griffin knocked it out of the park! The flowers were stunning, and people are still commenting (a month later). Our planner, Mona Dunlap, was such a delight! I formed a great relationship with her over the months leading up to the wedding. Each time I came to Memphis, she made an effort to meet with my Mom and me for countless venue visits, breakfast planning dates at Panera, and so much more. She recommended most of our vendors and helped guide us in the months leading to August. Her presence is so calming; it is a breath of fresh air for any stressed bride/mother of the bride. Honestly, my mom, dad, and I could not have done it without her!“ – Taylor

“24 is our lucky number! Here are a few fun facts about why it is important to us: Paul and I met on January 24th, and Paul’s birthday is May 24th. My grandmother and grandfather’s birthday is September 24th (and they got married on September 24th). On the night of the rehearsal dinner, Paul’s Mom mentioned that Paul and I had met 2400 days ago! Paul and I studied abroad together in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the first semester of our junior year! After this experience, we realized we have a passion for traveling the world. We’ve been to 13 states and 9 countries together. Next on the map is Asia!” – Taylor

“Planning is key! I only had nine months to plan and realized from day one how important it was to book your main vendors ASAP (photographer, planner, videographer, venue, and band). At the end of the day, it is YOUR wedding. People will always have an opinion, but it is crucial to think about what is special to you and your significant other. I heard from so many people that something will always go wrong on your big day. While I knew this was the case, I was in such a “wedding bliss” that I didn’t think this would actually happen. But warning – it did! It’s important to step back and let your planner/family/friends help solve any unexpected dilemmas. I relied on my bridesmaids and planner, Mona Dunlap, so much that weekend. Thank you for keeping me sane!” – Taylor

Second Shooter: Mackenzie Rue | Dress: The Bustle | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Tux: Jos. A. Bank | Cakes: Cakes by Mom and Me | Venue: The Cadre | Ceremony: Calvary Episcopal Church | Coordinator: Mona Dunlap | Flowers: Kevin Griffin Designs | Invitations: RSVP Stationers | Rentals: White Door Events | Band: Memphis Soul Revue | Rehearsal Venue: Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar | Videographer: Message in a Bottle Productions | Caterer: CFY Catering | Hair: Annie Shackelford | Makeup: Caitlin McGill | Wedding Bands: Bachendorf’s Jewelers in Dallas, TX | Preparation Accommodations: Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downtown | Wedding Monogram: Shuler Studio | Photo Booth: Phancy Photo Booth | Bridal Luncheon Venue: Hedge Farm