Bridal Buzz

What better place to meet the love of your life than at a good friend’s wedding? This is exactly how Carly Patterson and Mark Caldwell first crossed paths. They hit it off right away, and following the wonderful evening, they talked every single day until they were inseparable.

Almost three years later, on January 21, 2012, Mark tricked Carly into thinking they were going to check out a house that his parents were interested in buying. When they pulled up to a quaint little creek-side park by a waterfall, Carly was blown away to turn the corner and find rose petals and candles all over the ground with a “will you marry me” sign. Nearby was a bottle of champagne accompanied by a scrapbook that she had made him during their first year together. Mark took the time to complete the last page of the book in honor of this new chapter in their lives. After saying yes at least five times in a row, Carly was even more shocked to see that their entire family came to surprise her, cheering and waving with excitement from their hiding spot across the creek.

Carly, who is a 2004 Olympic Gymnastic Gold Medalist, is completing her degree in communications at the University of North Texas. She is currently the National Director of the gymnastics line G Wear Clothing, and works for USA Gymnastics. She is also involved with Taylor’s Gift Foundation, which supports organ donation. Mark graduated from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University and is now a management consultant for Accenture. The couple will wed on November 3, 2012 at the Garden on Main followed by a reception at the Room on Main.

When Anita Haar first met Michael Brown (who moved from California to Texas for work), she mistakenly took on the “wing woman” role and tried to set him up with her best friend. In the beginning, Anita only saw Mike as a friend, but as time went on, she realized how lucky she was that her attempted blind-date setup fell through, because she would have been handing off the love of her life.

After dating for two years, the couple had a trip planned to visit Mike’s family for a few weeks over the holidays. Mike knew that Anita was suspicious about him popping the question, so he did his best to throw her off. He arranged for them to visit a beautiful winery close to his family’s home during lunch one day, and within twenty minutes of being there, he lead Anita outside and got down on one knee. Completely shocked, and thrilled, she happily accepted his proposal.

Anita graduated from the University of North Texas where she studied business communications. She now works as a professional makeup artist and is the owner of Elan Makeup Studio. Michael attended CalPoly State University where he earned a degree in finance, and is currently the Regional Vice President of Berkley Advisors, LLC, in Dallas. The couple will tie the knot on Friday, September 28, 2012 in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

In 2008, Jackie Gattenby was enjoying lunch at a local Subway with one of her sorority sisters when she first noticed Ben Luckett, who was also dining there at the time. His cuteness factor was off the charts and it was definitely a crush at first sight. For the next few weeks Jackie would joke with her friends about the adorable “Subway guy,” but she never expected him to show up at her doorstep with some fraternity friends to help her move. Turns out, Ben was Jackie’s Little Kappa Alpha brother’s roommate. She knew in her heart that fate had made their paths cross again, but she took matters into her own hands to guarantee a third run-in by making the boys brownies as a thank you for their help. Soon enough, the two were hanging out, then dating, and before long, they were completely in love.

Two years later, after receiving Jackie’s father’s blessing, Ben hatched a plan to propose. He teamed up with Jackie’s mom to arrange a gathering at her grandparent’s house on Christmas Eve of 2010. With her entire family there to witness the momentous event, Ben got down on one knee and asked Jackie to be his wife.

Ben and Jackie both attended Texas A&M University – Commerce. Jackie earned her degree in English and secondary education and is currently employed at a Dallas real estate investment firm. Ben studied business management and now works as a technician at Teller Machine Services. Their wedding ceremony and reception will be held on June 23, 2012 at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel in Dallas.

Kendria Taylor was busy in the kitchen cooking a Fourth of July feast at her cousin’s house in Texas the first time she met Charles White. Mistaking him for one of her cousin’s younger friends, she immediately spoke up and said, “When you see a woman in the kitchen cooking, you should assume that she is the woman of the house and you acknowledge her!” A startled and slightly embarrassed Charles quickly apologized and explained that he was a co-worker of her other cousin and that he had just moved here from Kansas City and had no family in the area. Kendria quickly sympathized and related to his situation, as it wasn’t that long ago that she had transferred her life to Texas as well. That night, they hit it off, and soon were inseparable.

Five years later, after wrapping up a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with his parents, Charles began expressing his appreciation to Kendria for the way she took care of his family during their visit. Without any real plan (or ring at the time), Charles knew he couldn’t wait any longer to propose, so in the middle of their heart-to-heart conversation, he asked if she would spend the rest of her life with him. After accepting his sweet proposal, the couple sent out this link to announce their engagement to their friends and family.

Kendria earned undergraduate degrees in ethnic studies and sociology from The University of North Texas, and received a master’s in family studies at Amberton University. Charles attended ITT Technical Institute and received an associate degree in computer aided drafting. He currently works for Toll Brothers as a drafter, while Kendria is the Director of Career Services at Corinthian College.  The couple will be married in Kansas City on June 23rd, 2012 in Kendria’s parents’ backyard.

Graham Grace and Bekah Nicks became friends during their sophomore year of high school in their small hometown of Cisco, Texas. They were practically inseparable from the start as they participated in many of the same extracurricular activities and spent almost all of their time together. One night at a high school basketball game, Graham decided to spill his heart to Bekah and ask her to officially be his girlfriend. Lucky for him, she said yes, and they have been together ever since.

Six years later, Graham decided he was ready to hear a different kind of yes. His plan was to get Bekah and about fifteen of their closest friends to head back home from college to attend their high school homecoming football game. After the game, they all gathered on the field to mingle with old friends and family when someone told Bekah that she should probably turn around. Curious to find out why, she looked back and saw Graham down on one knee holding a diamond ring. He asked her to be his wife and after replying, “are you serious?” tears flooded her eyes and she threw her arms around him, accepting his proposal.

Bekah works for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth as a buyer and will graduate from the University of North Texas this coming May with a degree in Finance and a minor in Spanish. Graham is also currently studying at the University of North Texas, and will earn his degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering. He is employed at the university and will graduate in May of 2014. The high school sweethearts will marry in Cisco, Texas on June 16, 2012 at First Baptist Church with a reception to follow at the Myrtle Wilks Community Center.

Although they grew up in the same city, Amanda Malzer and Charles Hansen didn’t officially meet until the summer of 2003, when they both accepted positions as camp counselors at the YMCA in Irving. After becoming friends and spending time together outside of work, Amanda started to feel the butterflies. She loved how wonderful Charles was with children and that he always made her laugh. As for Charles, he realized how truly in love he was with Amanda when his father was diagnosed with cancer. She never left his side and was there for him every step of the way. He knew he never would have made it through that dark time without her and that he had found his soul mate.

Knowing in advance that it had been a life-long dream of Amanda’s to ride an elephant, Charles set up a trip to California where the couple would visit the Santa Ana Zoo to finally cross it off her bucket list. They had a blast riding the elephant and just when she thought it couldn’t get better, Charles got down on one knee and asked Amanda to spend the rest of her life with him.

Charles studied Sociology and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas. He is now pursuing his MBA and Ph.D. in Education from TCU while working for Education First Step in Dallas. Amanda, who also attended UNT, earned her degree in Kinesiology and currently works for the Irving Independent School District. They will be married on June 21, 2012 at Piazza in the Village in Colleyville, Texas.

Photograph courtesy of Laurie Ruth Photography.

The chances of meeting your soulmate at a bar are pretty slim, but as this couple proves, not impossible. When Stephanie Lewis and Jordan Bass first crossed paths at a local watering hole, both of them definitely felt a spark. Intrigued, they decided to meet up the next day at Oktoberfest. After that, another date followed, then another. Soon, they were officially an item.

Three years later, Jordan felt the time had come to ask Stephanie for her hand in marriage. After getting her parent’s blessing, he decided to take his girlfriend to Abacus to (hopefully) hear the “yes” that mattered most. Upon being seated, the waiter told Stephanie that there would be a special guest arriving in about thirty minutes. Although she was secretly hoping it would be her celebrity crush Troy Aikman, she would soon find out that what was coming would be even better. After about forty-five minutes, the waiter brought her two-dozen pink roses accompanied by a romantic card. Before she could finish wiping the tears from her face she turned and found Jordan down on one knee asking her to be his wife. She was so shocked and excited that all she could think to say was “thank you” over and over rather than giving him an actual answer. A man at a nearby table finally pointed out that she hadn’t actually said yes, and with that, Jordan finally heard the word he had been waiting for.

Jordan graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s degree in business, and earned his Masters at SMU. He is currently employed at Frost Bank. Stephanie received a degree in business from Stephan F. Austin State University and now works at Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The wedding will take place on April 28, 2012 at Hackberry Creek Country Club.

It’s not everyday that a dad plays a key role in setting his daughter up with her future husband, but this love story proves that you should never underestimate the ability of a parent to find your perfect mate. Jessica Longino’s father had been friends with Craig Johnson’s dad for years as they were both pilots for the same company. Despite briefly crossing paths when Craig was ten and Jessica was six, the two weren’t formally introduced for another fifteen years. When Craig was hired by the airline company where Jessica’s father was employed, her dad insisted they meet. He arranged for Craig to take Jessica flying one day, and she agreed. The pair hit it off right away and began dating soon after.

Three years later, Craig knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Jessica. After receiving her father’s blessing, he began planning the proposal. Knowing it had always been a dream of Jessica’s to visit Hawaii, he booked a spontaneous trip to Kauai. As soon as they arrived at the hotel, Craig walked up to his girlfriend and got down on one knee.

Jessica is employed as a dental hygienist in McKinney and Craig is a pilot for Southwest Airlines. The pair will wed on June 9, 2012 in McKinney, TX.

Typically, nineteen-year-old first-year university students only fall in love with their new found freedom and partying. Amy Noesser thought she would fall into that category but fate had other plans. She first met Austin Lee through mutual friends at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house in the fall of 2006, but as most love stories go, neither was looking for a relationship despite their immediate attraction to each other. Austin and Amy kept it light and casual and just enjoyed having a great time together. It wasn’t long before friends started buzzing about what a great couple they would make, and frankly, it was hard for them to disagree. They officially began dating in March of 2007.

Still going strong four years later, Austin decided to take Amy, his brother Adam, and Adam’s girlfriend to Barton Creek Resort for a relaxing getaway. The four of them had an amazing time soaking up the sun and taking advantage of the fabulous spa amenities. Later that evening Austin took Amy to a gorgeous secluded spot at the resort to watch the sunset. Upon their arrival, Austin began spilling his heart to his girlfriend, telling her how much she meant to him and how important it was that she always be in his life. Before she could even process his sweet words, he slipped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She couldn’t say yes fast enough before Adam and his girlfriend (who were hiding nearby the whole time) came out to snap pictures and document the momentous occasion.

Amy graduated from Texas A&M University in College station and is currently employed at Edelman, a global PR firm, as an Account Executive. Austin, who also attended A&M, earned his degree in Business and Finance. He is now working in the gas-trading department at Occidental Petroleum. The couple will wed on June 9, 2012 at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano with a reception at The Room on Main to follow.

For Ryan Clemmensen, work-life as a financial analyst was fairly routine. He had no idea that when the company hired Lindsey Latimer to work at the front office, both of their lives would change forever. As Lindsey settled into her new position, she got to know Ryan and admired his friendly and caring personality. Although she felt the butterflies early on, she held her feelings back to maintain a professional work relationship. One day, Ryan invited Lindsey and a few of her friends to his father’s beach house in Galveston for the weekend. This trip was all it took for them to finally admit how in love they were with each other.

Two years later on July 2, 2011, Lindsey and Ryan were up bright and early to leave for a romantic getaway to Turks and Caicos. The process of getting there was anything but smooth as a speeding ticket, delayed flight, and missing bags almost jeopardized the entire trip. Eventually the couple arrived with nothing but each other and the things they had on them at the time (including the engagement ring of which Lindsey knew nothing about). Ryan’s original proposal plan consisted of a private dinner on the beach cooked by the best chef on the island, but because they had nothing but the clothes they had flown in, he had to improvise and execute plan B. Upon entering their beachfront suite, Lindsey was shocked to see that the bed was covered in rose petals and hearts accompanied by a bottle of champagne. Despite all of the chaos that day, they decided to pop open the bubbly and enjoy a glass on the balcony. Ryan knew that this was the perfect moment to get down on one knee so he asked her marry him, twice. The first time she began sobbing tears of joy and couldn’t respond, but with the second try she managed to shake her head “yes.”

Ryan attended Southern Methodist University where he earned a BA in Finance, and is now working for a private equity firm in Plano. Lindsey graduated from Texas Tech with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science. She is currently employed at LSG Sky Chefs. The pair will wed on June 9th, 2012 at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church.