Mary Beth and Drew’s wedding was our first wedding to shoot in the quaint little town of Livingston, and we absolutely loved every second of it! It was the perfect autumn weekend, full of beautiful decor, unbeatable sunlight, and a whole lot of love. Drew truly is smitten by Mary Beth. We are so grateful to be a part of such a memorable day. We wish Drew and Mary Beth all of the happiness in the world!

“Drew and I actually met on a dating app but officially met at a restaurant in Fondren called Babalu’s. The second I saw him, I knew this man was trouble because he was the most handsome man I had ever seen, and I knew I had to take a chance and be completely vulnerable. Drew states that he fell in love the second he saw me, and he can describe to a T my outfit and the way I did my hair. He still reminds me of our first date and how his knees were shaking uncontrollably. We were both so nervous that it lead to a bit of an awkward greeting. After our first introductions, we hit it off immediately with compatible personalities and our love for the guacamole. During our first date, Drew texted his best friend stating, ‘I’m going to marry this woman.’” – Mary Beth

“Drew asked me to be his girlfriend within a week of meeting him. On our 3rd date, he asked me to drop him off at the airport for his trip to Nevada, but before I could drop him off, he wanted me to stop by his apartment. He gave me the ‘royal tour’ of his place, and that’s where I found the Bible verse Isiah 40:31 written on his blackboard in the kitchen. He didn’t know this at the time, but my mom and I were reading a devotional the night before, and the verse we were reading was Isiah 40:31. I proceeded to tell him about the coincidence, and he looked at me with his beautiful hazel eyes and asked me to be exclusive.” – Mary Beth

“Drew proposed to me on top of a mountain in Sedona, Arizona (only three months into dating). Drew and I love to workout and hike, so he planned the most breathtaking proposal at Cathedral Rock in Sedona. The Hike was over a mile long and is a straight incline. The temperature dropped 25 degrees from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the hike. At the top of the mountain, Drew took me by the hand to the edge of the cliff for a spectacular view overlooking the Sedona valley. He slipped to one knee and poured out his heart, asking me to be his forever. With tears of joy, I embraced him, saying yes. It was the most beautiful and memorable moment of our lives.” – Mary Beth

“As a little girl, I never dreamed of a lavish wedding like the ones shown on T.V. with the extravagant florals and fancy cakes. I always dreamed more about the type of person I was going to marry. I fantasized about a man who would look at me the way that my husband, Drew, looks at me. A man who is strong in faith, kind, loving, and is completely smitten for me. It may be cliche, but you can say I found the man of my dreams.” – Mary Beth

“I know I wanted my wedding to be different. We wanted to get married in a church, but I did not want a ‘traditional Southern wedding.’ I did not hire a wedding planner because I knew that she wouldn’t understand my vision or design. Every detail in my wedding had my hand on it. Drew and I found a wooden door from India that I knew I had to have as the backdrop for our wedding. The door weighs over a thousand pounds, and I hope to repurpose the door as a centerpiece in our home. The wedding favors were homemade jams, salsa, and pickles, and were made by my family and the groom. Yes, we grew an enormous garden in the summer, and we were way over our heads from the planting, upkeep, and harvest, but I would do it all again.” – Mary Beth

“There were many special things that I wanted to include in my wedding. My earrings were my great grandmothers that my mother gave to me to wear on my wedding day (my mother wore the same earrings on her wedding day 27 years prior). I designed my wedding ring, which is custom made. My mother handmade my garter from her old wedding dress. We couldn’t bring ourselves to let Drew throw that garter, so we gave him a ‘fake’ garter to throw to his boys. We named our Australian Shepherd Liv, from the Town of Livingston, where we were married. My Uncle, Terry Busby wrote a one of a kind song ‘Two to One’ for Drew and I, which is the song I walked down the aisle to. In correlation, #TwotoOne was our wedding hashtag. My father hung curtain lights outside the ceremony venue. My Mom and I supplied all of the pots and set up for the ceremony that we plan to re-use as decor in our homes. Our door is from India, and the door was so heavy that my father had to take the door to one of his friends to dismantle it for easy transport as well as put on wheels. We had blessing beads incorporated in the wedding that Drew, and I prayed over before the wedding.” – Mary Beth

“My wedding style would be classified as Southern Ethereal with a boho, and organic flare. I would describe my wedding design as delicate, whimsical, and romantic with accents of subtle lighting and soft hues and texture. To intertwine the southern theme, I incorporated hanging lights, chandeliers, wooden doors, chairs, and tables with loose eucalyptus garland. To create a boho feel, textured greenery, seeded eucalyptus, and olive branches were incorporated throughout the wedding. I created my wedding theme/design when I was a junior in college. I have a degree in interior design, and one of my favorite projects was to create a wedding style.” – Mary Beth

“Shelby Wren, my florist, did a fantastic job. She was wonderful to work with and exceeded my expectations for the florals. We connected immediately, and she understood my wedding style in an instant. Her creativity of my bridal bouquet, the greenery on the door, and the asymmetrical floral pieces created depth and texture and allowed my vision to come to life. I can not say enough great things about Wren and Rose florals.

Also, Tarah Butler, my wedding director, was wonderful. I met with her two weeks before the wedding and gave her the details of what needs to go where, and she took the initiative and made sure everyone was where they needed to be.

I was impressed with Taylor Square photography. Ann-Marie and her team were very organized with each shot captured. She was a woman with a plan which relieved so much stress on an already stressful day. Ann-Marie was very effective and efficient with directing our entire wedding party as to where they needed to be in ordered to keep to our timeline. She was stern when she needed to be, especially with the unruly groomsmen. It’s hard to keep a large group of people focused, but Ann-Marie and her team took the initiative and kept everyone inline to keep to our goal. Ann-Marie and her team allowed us to be creative when capturing moments which allowed for raw and emotional shots.” – Mary Beth

“The best advice I received as a bride was not to stress over the little things, at the end of the day, you will be married to the love of your life. Also, to have a first look.” – Mary Beth

“The night before the wedding, Drew was scheduled to stay at the best man (Dylan’s) hotel room. Our best man then proceeded to argue with me about who was going to be the big spoon in the bed. The morning of our wedding, our best man woke up after a heavy night of drinking and proceeded to vomit on the side of our house. Our best man also proposed to the maid of honor (who already has a fiancé) and swore that she is the love of his life. Let’s not forget that our best man hit on our photographers and any woman with legs. By the end of the night, Dylan sat Drew’s Nana in a chair in the middle of the dance floor and proceeded to give her a lap dance, Vegas-style.” – Mary Beth

“In the south, it’s a tradition to bury the bourbon. My mother surprised me with a bottle of Woodford Reserve that was engraved ‘Mary Beth & Drew, November 9, 2019.’ Burying the bourbon is a southern tradition that wards off bad weather where the groom is supposed to bury the bourbon on sight exactly one month before. If rain does happen to fall on your wedding day, no worries, just open the bottle of bourbon and share it with your wedding party!” – Mary Beth

“The best advice I can give to other brides is not to be afraid to be different. Focus on what you and your future husband want from a wedding. It’s not about the guest; it’s your wedding. And to take time to breathe and focus on the man you love, nobody knows your details, so don’t stress.

Also, have a first look. By having a first look, it allowed for a more private and intimate moment just for us to share. Agreeing to do a first look also makes things so much easier for a photographer. We had so much time after the ceremony to capture moments in the golden hour just the two of us instead of worrying about group wedding shots.

If you want to plan and design your wedding yourself, get a wedding director. The wedding director was so helpful on the day of the wedding. Meet with her two weeks before, and let her know the details and plans and allow her to take over the day of the wedding.” – Mary Beth

“I was surprised about how smoothly the wedding went and how fast the day went by. From early morning prep to the release of the Japanese lanterns, everything was perfect. I was also surprised by how much help and support I had from family and friends to help make our wedding day perfect.” – Mary Beth

Lead Shooter: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Second Shooter: Mackenzie Rue | Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your MuMu | Tux: Tuxes Too | Cakes: That Special Touch | Venue: The Chapel at Livingston | Director: Tarah Butler | Flowers: Wren & Rose | Invitations: Etsy | Rentals: Mississippi Party Tent Rentals | Ceremony Musician: Terry Busby | Music: DJ Cuzy Cuzy | Rehearsal Venue: The Farmers Table | Videographer: Heritage Photography | Caterer: The Farmers Table | Hair & Makeup: Molly Gee Salon