1. Real Weddings

A Dreamy Farm Wedding at Chandelier Grove in Tomball, Texas

Katherine Crum (25 and a third-grade teacher) and Cory Fox (28 and an insurance broker) said “I do” among the pecan trees at Chandelier Grove in Tomba

Katherine Crum (25 and a third-grade teacher) and Cory Fox (28 and an insurance broker) said “I do” among the pecan trees at Chandelier Grove in Tomball, Texas. On the orchard’s property, a 100-year-old farmhouse, reclaimed-wood barn and rows of pecan trees were the backdrop for Katherine and Cory’s dreamy Texas farm wedding. “The second I stepped on the property of Chandelier Grove, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and joy,” Katherine says. “It was similar to the peace I felt and found in Cory, and I soon had chills all over my body. There was just something different about the venue, and as I walked around to all the different areas on the property, I knew it was where I was supposed to get married.” The feeling of serenity that Katherine felt while visiting the farm was her launching point for the wedding. “Finding a peace in Cory and feeling that same peace when I stepped onto Chandelier Grove was something I wanted to make as a theme of our wedding,” she says. “My desire was for guests to walk into the venue and feel that same peace and joy I had felt throughout my relationship with Cory.” The couple infused their rustic-chic venue with lush, white floral arrangements and sculptural greenery, along with gold and blush accents. For the ceremony, a large 12-foot cross was decked out in beautiful blooms, and two large urns were filled with overflowing flowers. A dinner reception followed in the orchard’s beautiful rustic whitewashed barn. “By bringing in chandeliers and all gold accents, I felt that the atmosphere perfectly represented the idea of Southern, organic glamour,” Katherine says. Whiskey barrels were topped with elaborate floral arrangements, and lanterns added an ambient glow. In lieu of a traditional photo booth, the couple had artist Cindi Rose create silhouettes of guests as party favors and keepsakes. Other highlights included a late-night Steel City Pops ice-pop stand and a fantastic band that kept the party going all night. “Cory and I ended up getting onstage with the band and not getting off for the rest of the night,” Katherine says. “We had an absolute blast, and there wasn’t a person in the room who wasn’t dancing with us.” —Marissa Hermanson

“Cory and I both wanted rings that were timeless and classy,” Katherine says. Cory popped the question with a diamond solitaire set in a gold band with a six-prong Tiffany setting. “For my wedding bands, Cory gave me two gold with diamond bands—one for the top of the engagement ring and one for the bottom.” For Cory’s wedding band, Katherine gave him a classic gold band.
“Designing our stationery was one of my absolute favorite aspects of the wedding planning,” says Katherine, who hired Alabama-based paper designer Kara Anne to create gold-foil letterpress invites embellished with the couple’s monogram and tied with silk pink ribbon. “Together we worked on designs for our invitations, programs and menus that I absolutely loved."
“Although our dog wasn’t exactly our ring bearer, he definitely made an appearance and a statement in our wedding,” Katherine says of their little pooch, Tucker. After the couple were announced as husband and wife, Tucker ran out in a tuxedo. “It was such a sweet moment for us to walk down the aisle as husband and wife holding our precious pup,” Katherine says.
On her wedding day, Katherine donned a Watters fit-and-flare lace gown with a sweetheart neckline. She accessorized her dress with a cathedral-length veil, crystal jewelry and Jimmy Choo heels. For the reception at Chandelier Grove in Tomball, Texas, she added a crystal-embellished belt to her gown and beautified her loose locks with a glitzy boho-chic headpiece.
Cory accessorized his tan Jos. A. Bank suit with a light pink tie and dog-covered socks (a gift from their dog, Tucker, in case he got cold feet), along with a Breitling watch that Katherine gave him on their wedding day.
Katherine and Cory said “I do” outside among the pecan trees. The ceremony site was decorated with a 12-foot wooden cross covered in flowers and large urns flanking the aisle, which held arrangements of garden roses, peonies, hydrangeas, spray roses and greenery.
“Building our marriage with Christ as the foundation was our strongest desire and paralleled so well with finding out that the venue owner had buried a Bible in the cement foundation of the barn,” Katherine says. The couple exchanged vows in front of an altar that consisted of a 12-foot wooden cross covered in flowers.
“The walls of the barn were originally old pieces of dirty reclaimed wood but had been whitewashed and made new,” Katherine says. “These walls represented us being washed clean through our salvation in Christ and stood as an example of a white, blank canvas in which we would soon write our story together as one. I felt the Lord’s hand guiding every step of my wedding-planning process, and I could not have dreamed of a more beautiful, meaningful place to begin our lives together.”
Dining tables were cloaked in gold shimmery linens and topped with glass vases filled with arrangements of hydrangeas, garden roses and greenery. “The flowers were one of the most important and fun things about the design process,” Katherine says. “Although I wanted the wedding to have an organic, peaceful feel, I also wanted it to represent the classy, glamorous South.”
“Cory and I have both been blessed with a great group of friends, which was the reason for our very large 30-person wedding party,” Katherine says. “We wanted each groomsman and bridesmaid to feel as important as the next, which is why we had one long head table that sat in the middle of the venue.” The couple’s long reclaimed-wood king’s table was topped with hydrangea garlands and romantic candles and surrounded by mismatched chairs.
“The menus were my favorite paper item,” Katherine says of the gold paper menu embellished with fancy calligraphy. Place settings included glass chargers lined with gold beading, natural linens and gold calligraphy escort cards.
Katherine and Cory’s four-tier wedding cake was iced in white and gold frosting and embellished with blooms and their monogram, while Cory’s groom’s cake honored his alma mater, the University of Alabama.
After a grand sparkler exit, the newlyweds hopped into a old white Rolls-Royce called the Duchess.