One Year Anniversary | Rachel + Jude | February 20, 2022

Feb 20

Join us in celebrating the one year anniversary of Rachel and Jude! In February 2022, they tied the knot at our picturesque Dallas venue, where they were surrounded by the warmth and affection of their loved ones. Their impeccable eye for detail detail and creative flair made for a magical ceremony and reception that will forever be etched in our memories. Let's raise a toast to the happy couple and wish them many more years of blissful togetherness!

Rachel on Meeting Jude:

Jude and I met when we were both interning at Disneyland in California. It is a bit cliché but we both knew right away that we had just met our best friend in each other! Jude is originally from New Jersey, and me being a Texan, meant that after our internship we would be separated by 1,500 miles. Through it all, we remained each other’s priority, and I eventually got him to move to Dallas, TX!

“We wanted our wedding to be authentic to us – fun, colorful, full of love!”

Jude and I toured two venues before we literally stumbled across The Cliff House. We were in the Bishops Arts area looking to move to Oak Cliff and we drove by The Cliff House – just from the outside, I knew it was special. We booked a tour and as soon as we walked in, I saw my vision. It’s a timeless venue that is just the right size to feel intimate while also being able invite everybody you love.

The TYPO area has so many cute photo opportunities, but one of my favorite locations is inside the venue next to the windows. The sun shines in through them and casts gorgeous golden light into the space.

Rachel on Getting Ready:

“Jude had a blast with his groomsmen playing Mario Kart and Mario Party up until 15 minutes before they had to arrive at the venue. My day started at 7 a.m. and I couldn’t eat a single thing! I think I was so full of restless energy, I just wanted to get to the fun stuff!”

Looking back, what words would you use to describe the day?

Perfect. Amazing. Flawless. Irreplicable.

I could not have asked for a more perfect day. Our florist, Haute Floral, were the most generous people. I had a smaller scale budget for florals and they completely surpassed all my expectations and included surprises for me all over the place. More than that, our guests were on the dance floor ALL NIGHT. Jude put together all the music for our DJ Adam Morgan, and absolutely killed it. It was amazing to see all our loved ones let loose like that and just be thrilled to be there with us.

We kept our DIY projects small but personable. I came from a Graphic Design background before I was an Event Manager and created all my own signage and guestbook. For both Jude and I, coffee dates are huge for us, so it was important to incorporate that into our wedding. We hired Nightowl Coffee Cart before we even picked our venue! Jude was big on music so every song had a reason for being included. He also did The Salty Donuts instead of a grooms cake because that’s a personality trait of his. I think we got so so lucky with all our vendors. Every single one of them took care of us so well and I could not be more thankful.

Every time I see my best friend’s dad, he talks about the brisket from our wedding. Jude’s parents still comment on how simply happy everyone looked to be there celebrating us. Jude just had an amazing time at the reception. He felt pretty overwhelmed up until then with everything happening so fast, so he was ready to let it all go! A lot of our friends said we could have kept going for another hour at least.

We knew as soon as we met Chef Justo, we could trust that guy with the food for our wedding. I may have been pretty passionate about my love for mac n cheese during that meeting. Our coordinator, Abby, took note of that and on our wedding day, delivered me a family size bowl of mac n cheese with a serving spoon. I will never forget that, and Chef Justo does not let me forget it now either!

When my older sister got married back in 2016 she made me maid of honor, which meant I had to give a speech. She had one single request of me, and it was not to sing. It was really a mistake on her part because I decided to rap instead. Jump forward to 2022 as my matron of honor and she got her revenge. The absolutely joy I felt as my 100% introverted and shy sister rapped in vengeance will never be forgotten. People were laughing, our dad was crying, and I have never loved her more.

Do you have any advice for future couples?

Take a minute to be in your reception space alone with your partner. So many painstaking details are made about that space, and you deserve to see it before getting swept up by your loved ones! I also could not recommend a private last dance more. And lastly, enjoy the day!

Rachel on going from a Boxwood Hospitality bride to a Boxwood Hospitality employee:

During planning my own wedding with Abby, I really fell in love with the process. I think I even fell in love with Abby a little bit! The way she directed the event was mind blowing. I wanted to give that feeling to other people. When I decided to join Boxwood Hospitality, lots of people joked that the magic would be ruined by pulling back that curtain and ‘seeing what really happens behind the scenes at a wedding’. The magic is still there and it’s in knowing that I am part of something bigger than myself. Being a Wedding Coordinator is a selfish endeavor for me. It fills my cup to be able to give that magic to our couples. And when you work with a team like ours at Boxwood Hospitality, it’s really easy to love what you do.