Text by Melanie Saxton Engagement photos by Lauren Dunca Wedding photos by Alexander Cross

Sweethearts since the ninth grade, Taylor Beach and Will Hughes are an inseparable couple who attended the The Woodlands High School and Texas A&M University together. They celebrated their winter wedding and reception at Olde Dobbin Station on December 29, 2016.

Taylor earned a B.S. degree in graphic design and is employed at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center. Will earned a B.S. degree in geology and an M.S. degree in energy; he is employed at FBD Partnership.

First Date and Courtship

Taylor invited Will’s best friend to a ninth-grade New Year’s Eve party, and he asked to bring Will along. That whole evening Taylor barely spoke to Will, thinking he was a hotshot football player who was out of her league. To her surprise, he texted her the next day claiming someone had used his phone the night before and was curious about the unknown number.

Taylor saw through the high school freshman move, but it led to lots of texting and hanging out at the duck pond in between their houses after school. Their parents drove them to see the movie Push for their first date. With a cliché “yawn and stretch,” Will put his arm around Taylor… and it worked! Soon they became an official couple and have been together ever since.

The young couple navigated high school together and focused on their college applications. Their love story continued at Texas A&M. They knew they would eventually wed.

Proposal

Will was in grad school and Taylor was working full time when he decided to propose while camping at Enchanted Rock. The plan was to wake up early, watch the sunrise, pop the question at the perfect time and then later meet Taylor’s parents in Fredericksburg for the weekend. When the trip was cancelled due to storms, the couple decided to drive to Fredericksburg from College Station.

Will and Taylor stopped in Austin for a hike at Mount Bonnell. At an opening off the beaten path that overlooked the water, Will got on one knee, pulled a beautiful diamond engagement ring out of his pocket and proposed. Once the ring was on Taylor’s finger, they hopped in the truck and Will surprised her again, this time with four cherry ring pops for each finger. For years he had teased Taylor whenever she asked about a ring, saying “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you a real nice cherry ring pop!”

Engagement

During their nine-month engagement, the couple attended marriage classes at church and sought advice from as many people as they could. After dating for more than seven years, their desire to be married was strong.

After rehearsal dinner at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center, bridesmaids stayed at the Hyatt Centric hotel and enjoyed hot yoga, manicures and pedicures. They received red and black monogrammed flannel shirts to wear for hair and makeup preparation the morning of the wedding before being transported to the wedding venue.

The Wedding

The couple envisioned a relaxed, bohemian, nature-themed wedding with lots of greenery. Olde Dobbin Station, a railroad station that had been converted into a venue, was the perfect ceremony space. The bride loved the concrete building and stringed lights, and felt it had an urban vibe that complemented her theme.

Floral and Décor: The bride painted the backdrop to incorporate a wood element and tie in the wedding hues of deep blue, slate, rose and tan. Bouquets of seeded eucalyptus, Italian ruscus, bouvardia, agapanthus, salal lemon leaf greenery, Eskimo roses and paperwhites were tied with satin ribbon. The bride’s mother doubled as wedding planner and made sure guests kept the winter chill away with a DIY coffee and hot chocolate bar, as well as quilts made by the bride’s family.

Bridal Party: The couple’s former youth pastor, Tom Gwaltney, officiated as parents of the bride, Philip and Dana Beach, and parents of the groom, Bill and Kim Hughes, looked on. The bride’s sister and matron of honor Devin Tillman stood with maid of honor Holland Smith, who has been the bride’s best friend since childhood. Bridesmaids were Kristin Beach, Krysta Admire, Stephanie Richter and Nicole Plata. Gentry Washburn served as the flower girl. The groom’s younger brother and best man Trent Hughes stood with groomsmen Bryan Byrd, Brett Washburn, Jonathan Casto and Nathan Hinds.

Attire: The bride wore a full-length intricately beaded tulle Aurora gown by Etoile with a front V-neck and back V-drop and sheer beaded cap sleeves. Her delicate wreath headband was adorned with freshwater pearls, Czech stones and small ceramic blooms. Bridesmaids wore long, deep-blue dresses, each styled differently with their choice of nude shoes, gold jewelry and braided hairstyles.

The groom wore a dark gray suit, white shirt, blue patterned tie, brown shoes, a natural greenery boutonniere and llama wool socks. Groomsmen wore light gray suits and deep-blue ties to coordinate with the bridesmaid dresses.

Top Wedding Moments: As the bride and her father walked to the ceremony space, they paused as the song Maestro by Hans Zimmer began. She felt like skipping with joy, and her father reminded her to slow down so that she could take in the moment and see all her family and friends in the crowd. At the altar, her father, who stands 6’2”, initially blocked her view of the groom, but soon Taylor and Will were smiling and feeling completely at peace as they made a commitment to God first and to each other second.

Reception

The newly married couple prayed together for the first time as husband and wife and enjoyed dinner in the bridal suite before joining their family and guests. The casual reception featured fun lighting, a photo booth, a DIY dessert bar and a DJ.

Floral and Décor: Greenery, an assortment of fresh white flowers, and an eclectic cluster of jars, vases and scattered paper flowers set the ambiance. Table décor included white tablecloths, white chairs, gold chargers, transparent plates and folded white napkins tied with greenery. Mix-and-match clear stemmed glasses each had homemade beaded wine charms so guests could remember which was theirs. Large “T & W” metal letters and marquee lights set off buffet tables draped in navy blue. For a guest book, the photo booth printed an extra photo to be signed by each guest, taped into an album, and shared instantly on social media.

The Cakes: A two-tiered chocolate cake with braided fondant, flowers and a metallic gold bottom layer was displayed at the dessert bar with an assortment of mini bourbon pecan pies, sugar butter cookies, and cake balls of chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, as well as other treats.

Top Reception Moments: The couple’s first dance was to Steve Moakler’s Lifetime. Father and daughter danced to Florida Georgia Line’s This is How We Roll, and halfway through the song all fathers and daughters were invited to join in. Mother and son danced to Brad Paisley’s Two People Fell in Love.

A trumpet performance by the bride’s cousin, Dickie Muehr, kicked off a conga line to The Saints Go Marching, followed by the Aggie War Hymn and lots of singing. The Cotton-Eyed Joe and other line dances kept the energy high. The coupled finished off the night by two-stepping to Zane Williams’ Ride With Me.

The Exit: Streamers flew, bells rang and colorful pom pom balls were thrown by guests at the happy newlyweds.

Honeymoon

The couple enjoyed a stress-free trip to Nashville where they listened to great music and dined at amazing restaurants. They visited the Gaylord Grand Opryland Resort that had spectacular Christmas lights in all the lobbies and a Rudolph-themed ice show. They later stayed downtown and attended a Nashville Predators hockey game.