1. Real Weddings

A Pink and Purple Wedding at Hotel ZaZa in Houston, Texas

Morgan Daniels (31 and a compliance coordinator) and Moses Gordon III (34 and a pastor) met the night President Obama was elected. Morgan was travelin

Morgan Daniels (31 and a compliance coordinator) and Moses Gordon III (34 and a pastor) met the night President Obama was elected. Morgan was traveling for work and stuck in a hotel room, unhappy to be missing the celebration, “so a mutual friend of ours insisted Moses rescue me and take me to New Orleans to have dinner and watch the rest of the election,” she says. “Little did we know that one night would lead to marriage eight years later.” The bride and her mom planned the majority of the wedding—for 1,000 guests—calling in a talented day-of coordinator to help execute their vision of “Texas meets Louisiana” in hues of pink and purple. When the couple exchanged vows at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, Morgan looked stunning in a lace gown and a cathedral-length veil, her hair and makeup exuding a Hollywood glam vibe, while Moses looked classic James Bond in a white jacket and black pants. The altar was decorated in white floral arrangements, and a gazebo was covered in white roses—complete with a stunning chandelier overhead—for a truly ethereal look; a string quartet adding to the romantic ambiance. After the ceremony, a second-line brass band serenaded the newlyweds for a grand exit (while guests waved personalized white handkerchiefs), adding a quintessential New Orleans touch to the celebration. Guests traveled to the nearby grand ballroom at Hotel ZaZa in Houston, Texas, for the reception, transformed with pink and purple lighting, fresh pink and purple flowers, candles, ornate tables, and ghost chairs. Guests sipped signature drinks—the MGM Grand for Moses (cognac and Grand Marnier) and the POTUS (prosecco and Bacardi Dragon Berry rum) for Morgan. Everyone feasted on crab cakes, lamb lollipops, gumbo shooters, braised short ribs, grilled chicken, truffle mashed potatoes, and Broccolini. The elaborate five-tier buttercream cake was beautiful and delicious, decorated in sugar flowers and the couple’s monogram, while the groom’s red velvet cake was overflowing with personality: a replica cigar box with Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints football logos. A live band kept the party hopping during the reception, ending with a DJ taking over for the after-party, when guests were served mini beef Wellington and crispy artichoke bites. So much goes into planning a wedding, Morgan says, that it’s important to take it all in. “Everything moves so fast, definitely take time to capture every moment.” —Chrissy Sorenson

A local jeweler let Morgan to borrow blue sapphire earrings and a matching pendant, a beautiful touch for her “something blue.”
Morgan asked both her dad and her stepdad to walk her down the aisle. “Both have been influential in my life,” Morgan says.
A gazebo was covered in white roses—complete with a stunning chandelier—for a truly glamorous, ethereal look.
Lighting completely transformed the ballroom.
The Phantom Ballroom was spacious, sophisticated and romantic, and Hotel ZaZa was within walking distance of local attractions, making it convenient for out-of-town guests.
“There were beautiful pink and purple flowers everywhere,” Morgan says. “They even painted many of the hydrangeas the colors of the wedding. The flowers were breathtaking.”
The red velvet groom's cake was designed to look like a cigar box and decorated logos for t the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans football teams.
Morgan and Moses added color to the dance floor with jars of glow sticks and a colorful sign announcing “Let love glow.”
The elaborate ivory and gold buttercream cake was decorated in sugar flowers and the couple’s monogram: their combined initials of MGM.
The couple's first dance was to Eric Benet's “The Last Time.” When Morgan and Moses first heard the song early in their relationship, they vowed it would be their first dance as a married couple.