1. Real Weddings

Sandra & Bill: An Outdoor Wedding in Dallas, TX

Sandra and Bill wanted their wedding to embrace a New Orleans feel -- something passionate, seductive, fashionable, and alluring -- for it was the cap

Sandra and Bill wanted their wedding to embrace a New Orleans feel -- something passionate, seductive, fashionable, and alluring -- for it was the captivating weekend of the 1997 Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans that allowed Sandra and Bill to see themselves as more than just friends. The Bride Sandra Bright, 30 The Groom Bill Carroll, 35 The Date September 29 Nine months after their engagement (in New Orleans, of course) guests filtered onto the lawn at Old City Park in Dallas and took their seats in the white garden chairs surrounding the gazebo. Many chose to stand under the large oak trees closer to the gazebo to create a more intimate vibe, remembers Sandra.

During the evening, guests spilled outside where trios of candles in wrought-iron stakes burned all night long, lighting every pathway. A full moon helped usher in many moments of mingling under the stars. Many of the guests made wishes in the large antique copper fountain, says Sandra. Bill tossed a coin in for our good luck. And when it was time to say goodnight, family and friends lined the street to shower the newlyweds in rose petals as they escaped in a newly restored 1937 Packard.
Sandra walked down the aisle in a two-piece A-line strapless ivory satin gown by Maggie Sottero, featuring a corset bodice embellished in Swarovski crystals and beads and a chapel-length train.
Sandra and her father arrived for the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage, which whisked the newlyweds away after the I dos.
As the bride and her father approached in a white horse-drawn carriage, a soloist began the poetic notes of Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke. Bill's uncle, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, performed the 6 p.m. Christian ceremony written by the bride and groom, except for the vows, which were traditional. A friend of Sandra's read from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran; a friend of Bill's sang Calico Skies by Paul McCartney.
The sour-cream apple cheesecake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and quince jelly glaze was made by a friend of Sandra's mother.
A friend of the groom's lent Sandra and Bill his newly restored 1937 Packard for their getaway. Post-wedding, the couple honeymooned in Santorini, Greece.
Later, guests strolled to the reception held in the Chautauqua Pavilion at Old City Park. The large glass windows of the massive space remained opened throughout the evening, allowing guests to cool off from the hot Texas heat. Here romance reverberated from the rooftops: dim overhead lighting was accented by bright bursts of sparkle from candles in wrought-iron candelabra that decorated the tabletops. To create a New Orleans-style courtyard, palm trees were brought in, decorated with twinkle lights, and placed along the perimeter of the pavilion. A seven-piece band ensured an evening of romance by playing sexy selections starting with Frank Sinatra standards, and guests dined on a menu with southern flare: chicken and sausage jambalaya, oyster and crawfish fondue, and frozen peach bellinis.