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A Captain for a Husband
By Jean Hailey
Photography By D&B Visual Events
Melissa and Brennan met just before they began their freshman year at Texas A&M University at Fish Camp in 2000. They were friends throughout college and reconnected via e-mail after college in 2006 while Brennan was on his first deployment in Iraq. When Brennan was injured, he was sent home for surgery and recovery.
“I went to visit him and that is when everything seemed to fall into place,” said Melissa. “Brennan likes to joke that he had to break his back in order to get me to go out with him.”
They began their dating relationship split between two cities, Washington, DC, and New York City.
“As the nation’s capitol holds a special place in both our hearts, Brennan proposed by the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, on a beautiful May evening in 2008,” said Melissa. “Complete with pink roses, which are my absolute favorite flowers!”
The bride and mother of the bride Brenda Rivers planned and coordinated every aspect of the wedding. Their first priority was to find a venue and a date. After finding the venue, Vintage Villas in Austin, there were only three months left to plan the wedding. Melissa and her mother went to bridal salons all over Texas, but when they stepped into Signature Bridal Salon, they knew that they were in the perfect place. Melissa ordered bridesmaids’ dresses, a mother-of-the-bride dress and all her accessories from Signature Bridal Salon as well.
Melissa and Brennan’s theme for the wedding was pink. Pink roses hung over shepherd’s hooks at the ceremony, and pink and ivory rose petals covered the aisle. The bridesmaids were dressed in black and the groomsmen wore army dress blues. The ceremony was held outside overlooking Lake Travis at sunset with a trio of strings playing the ceremony music.
“We had perfect weather that day and a fabulous sunset that evening too,” said Melissa. The bride’s father, Tim Rivers, escorted her down the aisle. Reverend Brady Johnston, a friend of the bride, conducted the ceremony.
Heavy hors d’oeuvres and a full, open bar were offered to the wedding guests during the reception. The dining room was festooned with white orchids, and cherry blossoms, hydrangeas and black sashes decorated every other chair. The ballroom was decked out with white feathers and pink lighting, and pink rose balls sat on the cocktail tables. A DJ played a variety of music, predominantly hip-hop. Melissa and Brennan’s first song was “Everything” by Michael Buble.
“My father, Brennan and I all took dance lessons six weeks prior to the wedding so that we would impress our guests,” said Melissa.
Melissa and Brennan had to postpone their honeymoon, as Brennan left for his second deployment to Iraq on January 9, 2009, only days after the wedding. They were finally able to take their honeymoon when Brennan came home from Iraq for two weeks in June, and the couple went on a seven-day cruise to Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
“We plan on taking many more vacations in the future, and each one will be our ‘honeymoon,’” laughed Melissa. “After all, I do have a captain for a husband now!”
Austin Resources
Venue:
Vintage Villas
Reception:
Vintage Villas
Caterer:
Vintage Villas
Wedding dress:
Signature Bridal Salon
Groom’s tux:
The groom was in army dress mess and all groomsmen were in army dress blues.
Wedding cake:
Simon Lee Bakery
Photographer:
D&B Visual Events
Videographer:
D&B Visual Events
Transportation:
Star Shuttle
Hair salon:
Saks 5th Avenue (hair) and Leslie Ross (makeup artist)
Florists:
Creative Innovations
Music:
Divisi Strings
Officiant:
Reverend Brady Johnston
Rehearsal dinner:
Truluck’s
Rentals:
Vintage Villas
Lighting:
Ilios Lighting
Ice sculptures:
Amazing Ice Designs
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