An al fresco wedding under the stars and twinkling lights is easily one of my favorite types of fêtes. Whenever I see a beyond pretty one like this stunner from Forever Photography Studio I get a little jealous that I wasn’t there to witness this party unfold first hand. From the florals designed by Last Petal to the lovely setting of the Gruene Mansion Inn, peeling back the layers of this pretty party is one fabulous way to spend your day – and you can see just what I mean here.
In early July 2011, Mark posted a profile on the popular dating site, Zoosk, under the name of “Young Professor.” Alicia had tried online dating years before but had given up after several weeks of meeting all the wrong guys. It was destiny, then, that Alicia’s friend and work colleague, Carrie, happened to be on the Zoosk site on the day that Mark posted his profile. “Alicia. I just found this guy online who would be perfect for you!” Carrie pulled up “Young Professor” and showed his profile to Alicia. There he was…. The man of her dreams. Alicia spent the evening creating a profile so she could interact with this “Young Professor” and learn more about him online. Late that evening, Mark went onto to the Zoosk site and discovered a new profile of a beautiful woman. She called herself, “Doglover11.” After all, Alicia did have two dogs and 11 was her lucky number. Mark sent her a virtual “wink.” He got nothing back. So he sent her a short message… Still, nothing in reply. One last try, he sent one more message. Third time was the charm. Alicia replied and engaged in several days of online icebreaking. The sparks began build. So they set a date to meet next to the lake in Old City Park.
Following their first meeting, Alicia thought Mark was too good to be true. Mark thought he had blown the date. They were both wrong. Their second date included dinner and a long, late night walk around old town Fort Collins. That led to an invitation for a home cooked meal at Alicia’s house. Then another date…. And another. In early fall, Alicia traveled to Maryland to visit her grandmother for two weeks. How convenient! Mark had academic meetings in Washington, DC at the same time. Their romance traveled to the east coast where they spent their evenings romping around Mark’s graduate alma mater, Georgetown University. Each evening was spent at one of DC’s finest restaurants…. 1787… Old Ebbitt Grill… etc. Then they would spend the later hours at one of Mark’s old college bars. First it was the Tombs in the old Georgetown District…. Then Murphy’s in Alexandria, Virginia. And once the bars closed, they spent the wee hours walking and admiring the beautiful row houses and gardens around Georgetown University. Early fall in Washington, DC is hot and humid. Their romance was heating up too. By the time they boarded their plane to return to Colorado, Alicia and Mark had fallen in love. Mark would travel to DC for business 5 more times that year. Alicia joined him for every trip. And each evening, following Mark’s day of business, they relived their first trip to DC together. Dinner, bars, and long night time walks.
Mark proposed to Alicia in January 2012. They had driven up to spend a winter weekend outside Rocky Mountain National Park. The snow was falling and the temperatures were in the single digits when Mark parked his jeep next to Bear Lake. The lake was frozen under almost two feet of ice. It was after 10PM and the only light for miles around was a small flashlight that Mark carried. Walking out onto the lake, Mark asked Alicia to hold the light for second. As she took the light, he dropped to one knee and held up a ring.
That spring, Mark took Alicia to visit his home state of Texas. While driving the winding Texas hill country roads lined with bluebonnets, paint brush, and Mexican blankets, Alicia decided that the Texas Hill Country would be the perfect location for their wedding. And so it came to be, on October 3, 2013 that Alicia and Mark, joined by their immediate families were married outside Gruene Hall , one of the oldest dance halls in Texas, on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Mark’s oldest brother had just been appointed by the state governor as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. The swearing-in occurred in Austin on the morning of October 3. And his first order of business as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, was the marriage of Alicia and Mark.
Alicia and Mark are living happily ever after in Fort Collins, Colorado with their three dogs, Norman, Rio, and Kya.
Photography: Forever Photography Studio | Flowers: Last Petal | Cake: Serendipity Cakes | Makeup: maris malone calderón | makeup artist | Venue: Gruene Mansion Inn