Oak Tree Manor Wedding by Alyse French Photography

Oh, how I love this sweet, sweet Houston soiree.  The lovely orange and blue color palette, the gorgeous tree-filled setting and all of the amazing DIY details had me at hello… and in a big way.  I mean, how could you not love that FABULOUS coffee filter garland hanging from the trees?!? Thankfully Alyse French Photography was on hand to capture every beautiful detail, so I can spend my day drooling over all of the pretty, including the amazing florals by Weddings in Bloom and Arteflora and those swoon-worthy blue heels.  Click here for more.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… After getting engaged, the first task was finding the perfect venue. We got engaged at my grandparents’ farm in Michigan, out under a huge oak tree. I wanted our venue to embody that same outdoorsy feel. I found Oak Tree Manor while looking at featured weddings on TheKnot.com. It’s a small bed and breakfast in Spring, Texas that has a giant oak tree and all of the rustic charm that I was looking for. The first time that I visited, I knew it was perfect! It could accommodate my wish for an outdoor ceremony and reception and also included a beautiful, newly-built reception hall in case of bad weather. Haydee, the event coordinator, was so great to work with! She was extremely flexible and allowed me to create the space for my wedding.

Once the venue was booked and the date was finalized (we changed it a few times), I started in on the details. Saying that I love Anthropologie is an understatement. I wanted to incorporate that same style into the decor. My family and I spent hours on the coffee filter garland that hung from the tree, creating a visual divider between the ceremony and reception areas. I handpicked every vase and votive to ensure a continuous style. Some of my favorite details of our wedding were the screen door/chalkboard that we used as a program, the orange soda for guests to enjoy during the ceremony, and the pie pop favors. Funny story about our door/chalkboard program: I made my husband get out of the car, in the dead of winter, to pull it off the top of someone’s trash pile. I’m sure that you can imagine that he was less than thrilled. He ended up loving the end result though and got to take credit for it!

As a surprise for Garrett, who an avid coffee drinker and former barista, I arranged for a coffee bar at the reception. Somehow I managed to keep it a secret from him for 10 months! After we had cut the cake, I had the DJ announce that I had a surprise for him. The coffee bar was off to the side, on a small patio, and had been kept covered up until that moment. They pulled off the cover, and he was shocked and so excited! The guys at Grizzaffii Coffee did a great job and our guests loved it! Our wedding wouldn’t have happened without our family, friends, and amazing vendors. From hours spent stringing coffee filter garland to driving in the 12 cakes from Oklahoma to an emergency trip to the grocery store for ivory flowers, both of our families were incredible and so willing to help with whatever crazy idea I had. Our wedding celebrated our faith, love, family, & friends. It was a true reflection of Garrett and I as a couple. It was absolutely perfect!

Wedding Photography: Alyse French Photography / Floral Design: Arteflora / Bride’s Bouquet: Weddings in Bloom / Wedding Venue: Oak Tree Manor / Wedding Cake: Kalico Kitchen / Wedding Dress: White by Vera Wang via David’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Hair + Makeup: Lot 8 Salon / Coffee Catering: Grizzaffi Coffee / DJ: Rock N Robin