Maia + Nick

How did you meet?

Nick and I met through a mutual friend. Nick was from out of town (Connecticut) and was down in Dallas on a business trip. His client/friend was dating one of my friends and they told me to meet them at dinner. “No stress!” they said, “he’s from Connecticut so it’s not like we’re matchmaking!” Of course, we hit it off that first night, but we didn’t actually start dating until nearly 9 months later, although we had seen each other in between when he was in town. We actually dated long distance for 5 years before Nick moved to Dallas after I finished medical school and began my urology residency.

When did you know they were the one?

I knew Nick was something special that first night. I know it sounds corny but we stayed up all night just talking, and I could tell he was as driven and hardworking as I was – but at the same time it was obvious how much his family and friends meant to him and that really stuck with me.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner

I love how loyal he is to his family and close friends – that seems rare these days. I love that he’s always willing to stop and hear about my day (I’m a surgery resident) even though he doesn’t get half of what I’m saying. And I love that he makes me laugh – like deep belly laughs that come from the heart. (I also LOVE his butt – it’s the best butt ever. But he would probably be more proud of the first three!)

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I saw Stevie on instagram and was in love with her and Sasha. When I went to A&Be I told them that I wanted something unique, not pure white, and something that felt effortless – I wanted to be able to dance all night without feeling constricted! They had me try on Harlie with the tulle skirt in bone to get a feel for the tulle – I was considering Stevie with the tulle skirt. But when I tried on Harlie it was like I was made for her. She fit me perfectly, and the color was exactly perfect for my skin tone. I loved how effortless and elegant she was, and the color was to die for. The art deco lace is so unique – I’ve gotten so many compliments! My sister has also lived in Australia (QLD) for the past 15 years, and so it was really special to be able to buy from an Australian company. I love that you guys are family run – that’s the kind of business I love to support!

Who proposed and how?

Nick worked together with my best friend Rachel and planned the whole thing. I had NO idea, which is impressive because he’s ordinarily not a great secret keeper. Rachel reached out to see if Nick and I would do a couples date to the Dallas Arboretum to take some cute fall photos (October 2017). Nick scoped out the perfect spot with Rachel the weekend before (when it was 70 degrees F). On the big day, it was 30F and he was so worried I was gonna wear a big bulky sweatshirt so he took the dog out so I wouldn’t know how cold it was! When we got there, we walked through until we got to this beautiful pond with statues overlooking the lake. It was gorgeous! All of a sudden he started telling me how much I meant to him and I couldn’t believe it was happening! When I said yes, I heard “yay!” from the bushes behind us .. and it was my friend Nina, a freelance photographer, who had hidden in the bushes to capture the whole thing. It was perfect. And the ring? Nick designed it with the help of his sister, and got it from her husband’s family jewelers in Arkansas and had it shipped all the way to Dallas without me knowing. He even hid it in his sock drawer!

What was the best moment for you at the wedding?

I wrote our ceremony script myself (with input from Nick of course!) and every word of it came from the heart. I loved our readings, and being surrounded by our family and friends. I remember just taking a big breath and thinking that I wanted to slow down and soak up every second. That was definitely the most meaningful part. When the ceremony ended we played “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder and when we went back down the aisle everyone through these gorgeous dried flowers from handmade paper cones. It was SO much fun going through the flower confetti with my new husband!

What surprised you most at or about your wedding?

How smoothly (and quickly!) it went. We had an incredible wedding planner & coordinator and she kept everything on schedule all night. You hear so many horror stories of things gone awry .. but if there were any hiccups, I never noticed them.

What advice would you tell other brides?

Enjoy every minute! We did a 2 year engagement so I had a long time to plan and never really stressed out about the planning. Get a wedding coordinator you trust and hand the reins over to her the day (or month!) of – that will free you up to enjoy every second.

What was the one thing you did differently for your wedding?

We had drink donkeys! Our venue has two miniature donkeys (Sassie & Opie, see photos) who wore flower garlands and had little saddle bags full of beer and Topo Chico during happy hour. They were a huge hit – so unique and a great photo op!

We did a last dance just the two of us – we sent everyone else outside to get ready for the send off, and we had the reception hall to ourselves. Our DJ (also a classically trained singer) asked if we were OK with him singing our last song (Can’t help falling in love with you – the version from Crazy Rich Asians), and he was incredible. It was just us, under our giant greenery chandelier, crazy in love. I just got to look into his eyes, and be in his arms, and look around at this incredible party we had put on, adn think about the new life we were starting together .. it was the perfect end to the perfect day.