As fate would have it, Alexa and Matt first met by an elevator in a parking garage after exchanging glances on the street. Matt made the first move, letting it be known to Alexa that the elevator, was, in fact, broken.
With chemistry hanging thick and heavy in the air but no way to contact each other, fate again played a hand in Matt and Alexa’s courtship: a mutual friend of the couple posted a picture of Alexa later that night, allowing Matt to follow and message Alexa right away.
900 days later, Matt got down on one knee out in the gardens of the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma with tulips in full bloom.
When it came to wedding planning, Alexa did not use an official wedding planner–with a short engagement just shy of four months, there wasn’t much time to secure one. However, the bride's mother brought a lot of creative direction and invested in every detail of her daughter's special day.
The venue was an easy decision, when scouting—the bride found it was shut down for the star studded nuptials of Sophia Bush. That and the bride wanting to be close to home, the couple decided to wed at the Philbrook Museum of Art where the groom also proposed. The perfect aesthetic reminiscent of Italy: fine art, beautiful architecture and gorgeous landscaping.
The rest of the details came together quickly as the bride poured over the Pinterest board she’d been curating since 16. There were other inspirations the bride drew from, most notably fashion icons like Sarah Jessica Parker and Grace Kelly.
On the search for her dream wedding gown, the bride said, “I always envisioned my wedding dress being one of a kind. I did not want to select a dress that a million other girls would wear. I wanted it to be special and bespoke. I have always loved taffeta so that was an easy detail to solidify and what kind of fashionista would I be if I didn’t love intricate beading?! I wanted classic but also statement worthy. I of course always dreamed it would have a long royal train. My dress far surpassed my expectations. My mom and I both adored the concept of an empire waist and decided it was absolutely what I would do. The fact that it is hardly seen in bridal gowns was all the more reason. I drew a lot of inspiration for the gown from SJP, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. A combination of fashion and class—I also always have adored Avante-Garde runway wedding gowns. These sources inspired my dress as well as favorite designers of mine— Victor and Rolf and Chanel. After scouring every dress store in my area nothing met my expectations and with an incredibly short window of time there was no other option but a bespoke gown. My mother was 100% in support and my dream dress came to life after a million and one fittings.”
With her original veil destroyed by the family poodle, a last minute Juliet Cap was created by her mom with Grace Kelly as the inspiration. Using the same fabric as the top of her wedding dress, the juliet cap was the perfect addition to a full bespoke elegant look.
On the day of, the bride opted for an early call time of 5:45am for pictures because she wanted to shoot the photos at daybreak and do a first look.
“Val, Zahnib, my momma and I got up about 4:15 am to get me all ready. I rented out a cute little airbnb in the neighborhood of The Philbrook which had the quaintest little room with a giant window where Val set up shop. She brought all the goodies and I sat in my robe while she worked her magic. I loved being awake in the early morning hours while soft love tunes serenaded us—I was truly soaking in all the hours I could on August 22nd. Zahnib, my best friend from Sewanee, was busy taking care of my every need which helped me relax significantly. I was excited but also incredibly nervous. I was elated—anxious and I couldn’t have made it through the day without these precious blessings. While I got ready my mom was teary eyed while we shared these last sacred moments and I had my usual morning caffeine. It felt like all the time before the wedding moved slowly but the day was already moving fast since it had arrived. When I reflect on the day I treasure these little moments and look forward to sharing these same moments with them when it’s their time. I couldn’t have been more blessed than I was. God is faithful. I gave a letter to my mom and read letters from my friends during this time.”
“After my hair was done by my stellar MOH who brought my dreams to life I was practically squealing! Zahnib helped me to the car and drove me to Philbrook. When we arrived she got me in my dress and we did our own little iPhone photoshoot. I will never forget. It was magic and so surreal. Zahnib is the friend who makes me feel like the most beautiful person in the world and she can calm my anxiety better than anyone else I know. I love her and am so thankful.”
The evening unfolded with garden nuptials and a festive feast, with no shortage of laughter, good vibes and pure magic. One of the couples favorite moments was sharing in private communion together before the ceremony with their closest loved ones.
The bride knew who would do her florals before she was even engaged. Ollie Marie’s knocked it out the park with a fantastic array of bright urethral blooms.
The bride wishes to extend a final thank you to all the incredible vendors and friends who created magic. Of course a special thank you is also in order to her lovely parents for blessing her with such a beautiful wedding day which surpassed even her little girl dreams.
Hair: Valerie Barney of @hairenv
Venue: Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Photographer: Diana Vartanova @still_miracle
Florist: Ollie Marie’s @olliemaries
Music: @cellobyaustin
