Cherished Moments

Their wedding party included 13 best friends from their BHS days: (back row, from left) Hallie West, Bijan Dehghani, Morgan Taylor, Suzanna Reed, Trace Knoblauch, Lindsey Schultz, Chris Minifee, Becca Irey, Michael Ratterree, Merrick Stein, Kaitlyn Reynolds, John Satriano, Leslie Hutchins, John Almogabar, (front row, from left) Ben Ribe, Maribeth Pruitt, Katie Naumann, Blake Schafman, Allaire Clark, Shannon McGee, William Hutchins, Sarah Hutchins, Tyler Duffey, Alex Golden, Travis Duffey, Leila Noorbaksh, Anna Meyerson, Andrew Burns, Sallie McAllister, Rachel Hutchins and Lauren Otis. (Photo: Nancy Aidee Photography)

We could hear the hum of our guests outside, just a few feet away. In front of us were plates of hors d’oeuvres, which we had carefully selected months before. We didn’t say much – we were overcome with emotion – but what was there to say, really, besides how happy we were?

Those stolen moments to reflect on our wedding ceremony, just the two of us as a brand-new married couple, before rejoining our family and friends, stand out to me. Nearly a year later, our wedding weekend remains a series of treasured memories. And I feel honored to, again this year, share Buzz newlyweds’ weddings with you.

Sarah Hutchins + Tyler Duffey, Dec. 19, 2015

Both incoming Bellaire High School students at the time, Sarah Hutchins and Tyler Duffey met in July 2005 at one of Tyler’s summer baseball games and started dating. Their wedding party, which was made up of 29 of their friends and family, included 13 best friends from their BHS days. Tyler is now a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, and Sarah is a dental hygiene student at UT School of Dentistry. Sarah shares her wedding memories:

The proposal: Tyler proposed on his 24th birthday, and I didn’t know that the birthday party I had planned for him was really a surprise engagement party for us with our family and friends. It was incredible; I laughed and cried all night long, and was in total shock!

The wedding weekend: We were surrounded with so much love from our best friends and family. We had been dating for more than nine years at that point, and Tyler and I were very excited. The wedding was fairly traditional, as it took place at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, and then the party at The Houstonian, where we danced until 1 in the morning. Everything was indoors and had a warm and elegant vibe. The Houstonian had beautiful Christmas decorations out and the ballroom was adorned with ivory flowers wrapped with pine along with lots of candles.

Any sentimental aspects? Tyler and I missed having Tyler’s mom, Shanna Duffey, there. She passed back in April 2012. Prior to her passing, she had survived breast cancer and enhanced her love for everything pink. To honor her presence, we included a few pink roses in the all-ivory/white flower arrangements. Tyler, his brother and best man, Travis, and their father, Tim, all wore a pink rose on their boutonnieres as well.

An “uh-oh” moment: I attempted to put Tyler’s ring on his right hand instead of the left. It got stuck, and as I proceeded to pull it off, it fell to the floor! I immediately knelt down to retrieve it. It was priceless, so “us” and lightened the emotional mood.

Advice for brides: Don’t sweat the small stuff and never forget that marrying your best friend is what it is all about.

Vendors + Venues: 

Venue: (ceremony): St. Paul's United Methodist Church; (reception): The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa; Rehearsal Dinner: Carrabba’s on Kirby; Wedding Coordinator: Caroline Meinen Arendall, Belle of the Ball; Wedding Gown: Joan Pillow Bridal Saloon; Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids; Groom's Tux: Men's Warehouse; Groomsmen Tuxes: Men's Wearhouse; Jewelry Store: Charde Jewelers; Florist: Blooming Gallery; Band: Empire 6; Cake: Susie's Cakes & Confections; Caterer: The Houstonian; Hotel for Guests: The Houstonian; Photographer: Nancy Aidee Photography; Videographer: Cakewalk Films; Invitations: Invitation Solutions; Lighting: Bright Star Productions; Programs, signage and napkins: Katie & Co.; Hair: Studio 31 Hair Lab; Makeup: Kristin Daniell Makeup Artistry; Bridesmaid Gifts: Custom Goldenstrand Jewelry earrings and white monogrammed waffle robes; Groomsmen Gifts: Personalized golf polos made by K&K Specialties and monogrammed Jon Hart shaving kit bags; Registries: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Bering’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond; Honeymoon: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. 

The wedding party included (standing, from left) Jeremiah Daly, Mark Leiman, Stephanie Scherr, Justin Burns, Andrea Karpen, Tyler Hassen, the bride and groom, Cody Edgeworth, Alexis Caruselle, Jeff Wood, Laura Piatowsky, Dean Burke, Brian Hernandez, (sitting, from left) Jennifer Jones, Todd Hassen, Sabrina Scruta, Jordan Dickie, Amanda Dougherty, Sloan Hopson, Connor Wood and Morgan Peeler. (Photo: Christianne Taylor Photography)

Elizabeth Wood + Jason Edgeworth, Oct. 3, 2015

Elizabeth Wood, a Second Baptist School alum, had graduated from Texas A&M in 2011 and was with her parents, Jeff and Shana, for the summer in Aspen, when a family friend called and asked whether she was looking for a job. Initially, she wanted to stay in Aspen, but now she’s glad she went to Houston. It was during this job at an energy-trading company that she met Jason Edgeworth. Later, he asked her to dinner, and they started dating. Now, Elizabeth works in oil and gas with her dad’s company, Landmark Resources, and Jason is an investment banker with US Capital Advisors. Here are Elizabeth’s wedding memories:

The proposal: I ride hunter/jumper horses at Memorial Park Hunters, which is at the Houston Polo Club. We went one evening to visit my horse to give him carrots and then went walking around the polo fields, when he proposed. The polo club is special to me; my dad has played polo, and I have ridden there for years. It’s my favorite place in Houston; it’s a wonderful escape from the noise of the city. It feels like you are in the country in this beautiful place but it’s only five minutes from my house.

The wedding weekend: It was a traditional wedding outdoors on top of Aspen Mountain. The ceremony was outside, and the cocktail reception was also at the top of the mountain in the Aspen Mountain Club, as well as the dinner in the Sundeck Lodge. Aspen is a special place for my family. My dad used to live there, and my parents were married in Aspen 30 years ago.

Most unique component? Definitely the most unique thing about the wedding was our transportation to the wedding venue. Guests loaded a gondola for a 20-minute ride up to the top of Aspen Mountain. It was a beautiful time of year; the leaves were changing colors, and the top of the mountains were snowcapped. Our guests had a panoramic view of the scenery from 11,211 feet. On the gondola ride down, it started snowing. Guests enjoyed blankets, hot cocoa and a little Texas breakfast food – a taquito.

An “uh-oh” moment? There was another wedding before ours, so our guests were delayed getting up the mountain. Our wedding started later than anticipated, which made taking pictures difficult. However, it worked out because the sun was setting during our ceremony. It was beautiful and such a blessing.

Advice for brides: Enjoy the process. Also, have a wedding planner!

Advice for grooms: Jason: The first dance is important. Practice it because it’s going to be the most photographed dance you will ever have.

Vendors + Venues:

Venue: Ceremony on Aspen Mountain, cocktail reception in the Aspen Mountain Club, dinner and dancing at the Sundeck; Rehearsal Dinner: The Little Nell; Wedding Coordinator: Mountain Events by Windy, Windy Gillespie; Wedding Gown: Joan Pillow Bridal Saloon; Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids; Groom’s Tux: Neiman Marcus; Jewelry Store: Custom-made for Elizabeth’s ring, Jason’s ring is Cartier; Florist: The Aspen Branch; Band: Evolution Party; Cake: All Things Sweet by Lisa Jo; Caterer: The Little Nell; Hotel for Guests: The Little Nell, The St. Regis Aspen, Aspen Square Hotel; Photographer: Christianne Taylor; Videographer: Like a Letter; Bridesmaid Gifts: Robes, a Golden Thread necklace, Aspen bag and a pashmina throw; Groomsmen gifts: Tumi travel bags; Registries: Bering's, Kuhl-Linscomb and Williams-Sonoma; Honeymoon: Four Seasons Hotel, Maui, Hawaii. 

At the reception, Jessica and Colin wave napkins as part of the hora, a Jewish tradition in which guests dance in a circle while the bride, groom and family members are lifted in chairs. Celebrating with the bride and groom were Jessica’s parents, John and Debby Dreyfus, Colin’s parents, Irene Mitchell and Rex Bozarth, and Colin’s stepmother, Aimee Bozarth, and stepfather, Alan Brown. (Photo: Philip Thomas Photography)

Jessica Dreyfus + Colin Bozarth, Oct. 17, 2015

Jessica Dreyfus, a Lamar High School grad, was a senior at The University of Texas at Austin when she went to root for the Longhorns at a basketball game in January 2010. At the game, she met Colin Bozarth, who’s from Dallas. He had graduated from UT and was living in Austin, working in the biomedical engineering field. They started dating soon after. Jessica, now a social worker, and Colin, an engineer, married in Austin, where they currently live. Jessica shares her wedding memories:

The proposal: I arrived home after work. We had plans to travel to Houston the following morning for Thanksgiving. Inside the house were candles and rose petals. The backyard glowed with candlelight. Colin got on one knee and called over our dog, Piper, who had the ring secured onto his collar. Piper ran off with the ring and a game of catch-me-if-you-can ensued. Colin caught up to Piper and popped the question. Many celebrations followed with friends and family in Austin, Houston and Dallas.

The wedding weekend: We had our wedding ceremony and reception at W Austin. We selected this venue because we wanted to get married outdoors in the city in which we fell in love. Since most of our guests were not from Austin, we wanted them to experience a few “Austin-y” restaurants. The rehearsal dinner was held at Terry Black’s Barbecue, and the Sunday brunch was held at Z’ Tejas.

Any sentimental aspects? The ceremony was a traditional Jewish wedding. We used my family’s Kiddush cup that has been used in family weddings for six generations. We signed a laser-cut Ketubah before the ceremony witnessed by our immediate family. Pieces from my grandmother’s gown and my mother’s veil were incorporated in the décor; the veil was used to secure the bridal bouquet, and the gown was used as a band around flowers in the entryway. We were able to honor friends during the ceremony, asking close friends to read seven unique wedding blessings. Piper was the Dog of Honor, which gave the guests a laugh.

Bride’s favorite moment? My favorite moment was singing and dancing on stage with the band. Our band, Password Productions, was interactive with our guests, which made the party a blast. The wedding coordinator had to kick the band off stage so the guests would eat dinner.

Groom’s favorite moment? Colin: My favorite moment was dancing with Jessica during cocktail hour as the band played. It was just the two of us in the ballroom, and it felt very special.

Vendors + Venues

Venue: W Austin; Rehearsal Dinner: Terry Black’s Barbecue; Wedding Coordinator: Johnell Huebner, Clearly Classy Events; Wedding Gown: Nordstrom; Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids; Groom and groomsmen: Wore their own tuxes, bow ties gifted from groom from Men’s Wearhouse; Jewelry Store: Szor Collections; Florist: Stems Floral Design; Band: Password Productions; Cake: W Austin; Caterer: W Austin; Hotel for guests: W Austin, The Omni Austin; Photographer: Philip Thomas Photography; Registries: Crate & Barrel, Kuhl-Linscomb, Restoration Hardware, Williams-Sonoma; Lighting: ILIOS Lighting; Stationer: Shannon Ferguson, The Inviting Pear; Hair and Makeup: Rae Cosmetics; Ceremony Music: Aaron Goldfarb Wedding Guitar; Honeymoon: Kauai and Maui, Hawaii.

Before exiting the reception, Jillian and Brian had a special last dance, just the two of them. (Photo: Cargile Photography)

Jillian Brody + Brian Fredericks, Sept. 26, 2015

Jillian Brody, a graduate of St. Agnes Academy, met Brian Fredericks at a bar in Dallas, where Brian is from, over Labor Day weekend. They started dating and, four months later, Brian got a job in Houston, Jillian’s hometown. For the next two and a half years, they drove back and forth every weekend to see each other. Now Jillian is a commercial real estate broker, and Brian is a petroleum engineer, and they live in Houston. Here are some of Jillian’s wedding memories:

The proposal: Brian proposed in my apartment in Dallas. When I walked in, there were candles and rose petals everywhere, roses in a vase and a bottle of champagne. I walked in, and he went down on one knee and proposed. We celebrated with champagne and dinner at Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton. Then, he convinced me to have another drink at the Adolphus hotel downtown, where I was surprised with our families and friends to celebrate with us, including my parents, Dianne and Mark, and Brian’s parents, Eric and Betsey.

The wedding weekend: The venue was very meaningful to us. When the Hobby Center was being built, my parents helped with fundraising, and my mother volunteered there often. I studied ballet from the age of 5 through my sophomore year of college. My bridal portraits were extra special as they took place in the theater wearing my pointe shoes and sitting in the chairs my mother helped design. Having a large family, family members began arriving mid-week, and we had celebrations Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend was family-oriented and amazing.

Any sentimental aspects? Something that was special to me was the altar cloth at the ceremony, which was held at St. Cecilia Catholic Church. It came from Italy and belonged to my great-grandmother, and my mother had donated it to the church. Brian carried my grandmother Brody’s family Bible. It was meaningful to have Bishop Vincent M. Rizzotto, my childhood pastor, celebrate our vows. It was also sentimental to have both mothers carry bouquets combining flowers from their weddings and mixing them with the flowers in my bouquet. Another special part was streaming the ceremony live to my grandmother in California. Unable to travel, she had a front row seat thanks to FaceTime, all dressed up enjoying wedding cake, champagne and flowers with friends by her side.

An “uh-oh” moment? We had a trolley take our wedding party to and from the ceremony and reception, and our trolley got lost on the way to the reception. No one noticed till we realized he was circling Midtown and we had to get our phones to Google Map how to get there, so we were a little late. This took away some time for photos, which was kind of a bummer. But getting lost on a trolley is something we’ll never forget.

Most unique component? Our first dance was special to us. We danced to Amazing by Lonestar. Before we exited the reception, we also danced to Stolen by Dashboard Confessional, which is our song. It was really neat to end the party with just us before we walked out.

Vendors + Venues

Venue: St. Cecilia Catholic Church (ceremony); The Hobby Center (reception); Rehearsal Dinner: MKT Bar; Wedding Coordinator: Michele Payne, Polished Planning, LLC; Wedding Gown: Brickhouse Bridal; Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN; Groom’s tux: Men’s Wearhouse; Groomsmen tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse; Jewelry Store: Dickinson by Design; Florist: Bergner & Johnson Design; Band: Doppelganger Band; Cake: Cakes by Gina; Caterer: Cordúa Catering; Hotel for Guests: Magnolia Hotel; Photographer: Cargile Photography; Videographer: 4Rivers Videography; Bridesmaid Gifts: Monogrammed Garment Bag from HeyYallandCo on Etsy, floral robes from ComfyClothing on Etsy; Groomsmen Gifts: Black bow ties from Jos. A. Bank and two home-brewed beers from the groom; Registries: Robert’s China, Macy’s, Pottery Barn, Sur La Table; Coffee bar: Java Pura Coffee; Hair and Makeup: Elizabeth Day, Hair by Liz; Wedding Programs and Timelines: Lemon Seed and Co (Etsy store); Honeymoon: Paris, Epernay and Avignon, France. 

Darsey and her father, Brent, have their first dance: a fun rendition of the dance from the movie Pulp Fiction. (Photo: Kelli Durham)

Darsey Swaim + Jonathan Sharp, Nov. 28, 2015

Darsey Swaim, a Bellaire High School grad, and Jonathan Sharp, who grew up in The Woodlands, attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, but they never met during college. Upon graduation (Jon in 2008, Darsey in 2010), they moved back to Houston. But it wasn’t till January 2011 that a mutual college friend introduced them. On their first date, they spent hours talking at a restaurant and were forced to leave because the restaurant was closing. Now, Darsey is an account manager here at The Buzz Magazines, and Jon is an architectural designer at Kirksey Architecture. Darsey shares some wedding memories:

The proposal: On Dec. 27, Jon suggested visiting the Field of Light installation at Discovery Green. As we wandered among 4,500 illuminated glass spheres and stems, Jon seemed distracted. I suggested we go to the middle of the installment. There, Jon took a knee and proposed. As Jon brought me into The Grove afterward, I realized that the big moment had been witnessed not only by cheering Discovery Green visitors but also by my parents, Brent and Laurie, and Jon’s parents, John and Diana, who were inside waiting for us to celebrate.

The wedding weekend: It was a non-traditional wedding, incorporating Jewish and Catholic traditions. My uncle, Jeffrey Coleman (who is Jewish), got ordained in order to officiate our wedding, so the ceremony was meaningful to us all. It was so personal and balanced with humor and love. The ceremony and reception were indoors because it rained. Even though the sun did not shine once, it was perfect.

Bride’s favorite moment? Hearing Jon’s vows and the father-daughter dance (we did the dance from Pulp Fiction).

Groom’s favorite moment? Jon: The fact that everyone we care about was all in one room for a brief time, many not knowing a thing about each other, but they all seemed to come together like they had been friends for years. It shows that we gravitate toward the same type of happy, loving, fun people. It’s ultimately why we ended up meeting each other. The chair thing too…but that was kind of scary. (“He means the hora,” Darsey explained, which is the Jewish tradition where the bride, groom and immediate family members are lifted in a chair and guests dance around them.)

Most unique component: It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving so we got to hang out with friends and family for an extended weekend.

An “uh-oh” moment? Jon: I wouldn’t do a thing differently – except have a videographer.

Advice for brides: Don’t second-guess your decisions. You made them for a reason. Pinterest is a time suck. As far as advice for the day of the wedding, the best advice I received was “Five things can go wrong.” Inevitably, things will go “wrong” or not as planned. You are not allowed to stress until the sixth one.

Advice for grooms: Jon: Help your fiancée through her frustrations, but know when it’s appropriate to let her take the reins.

Anything else to include? Jon: My wife looked like a snow princess. It was perfect.

Vendors + Venues:

Venue: The Four Seasons Hotel Austin; Rehearsal Dinner: Lamberts Downtown Barbecue; Wedding Coordinator: Traci Rushton, Bash! Special Events; Wedding Gown: Casa de Novia Bridal Couture; Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids; Groom’s suit: Jos. A Bank; Groomsmen suit: Jos. A Bank; Jewelry stores: (Engagement): Zadok (Wedding rings) Shaftel Diamond Co.; Florist: Plants n’ Petals; Band: (reception) The Pictures; Barton Strings (ceremony, cocktail hour); Cake: The Four Seasons Hotel Austin; Caterer: The Four Seasons Hotel Austin; Hotel for Guests: The Four Seasons Hotel Austin; Photographer: Kelli Durham; Paper Products: Atelier du Papier, LLC; Bridesmaid Gifts: Bittersweet bracelets with hair ties, robes from Plum Pretty Sugar, hair/makeup for wedding; Hair: Stefano Germinale (Salon Stefano; Makeup: Rae Cosmetics; Groomsmen gifts: Monogrammed YETI Rambler Colsters; Registries: Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Bed Bath and Beyond, Wanderable.com Honeymoon Registry; Honeymoon: Maui and Kauai, Hawaii. 

Editor’s Note: Did you or someone you know recently get married? We’d love to hear about that wedding weekend, too. Send details and photos to [email protected].