Real Weddings – Alexa Ruiz and Mark Lowrey

At Dubsdread Catering we love being dedicated members of the team that makes your big day your best day. While we are masters at the planning and executing the behind-the-scenes work, we know our clients have a different perspective. We thank recent client Alexa Ruiz graciously shares her experience throughout the entire process to benefit others.

BRIDE AND GROOM: Alexa Ruiz and Mark Lowrey
WEDDING DATE: July 4th, 2020
VENUE: Historic Dubsdread Ballroom
EVENT COORDINATOR: David Osmola, Senior Wedding & Event Coordinator 

VENDORS
Photographer: Kartsie Photography http://www.kartsie.com/
Florist: Friend of the bride and groom
DJ: Junction 88 https://www.junction88.com/
Dessert: Donut King http://www.thedonutking.com/ 

1. How/where did you meet?
   We both Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama and were in some of the same classes. Five years later, I was visiting Orlando to run a half-marathon and posted that I was going to the Braves pre-season game while in town. Mark reached out to me to tag along to the game to catch up and watch baseball.
   
   After I left that weekend and returned to Texas, Mark continued texting and keeping in touch, and even took up running. After a few weeks of texting and talking on the phone, I worked up the courage to ask him to come to my sister's wedding in Vail, CO. So, for our first date, Mark flew across the country and met my entire family. For our second date we met up in Boise, Idaho and Mark officially asked me to be his girlfriend, starting a 900-mile long-distance relationship.
   
   
2. How/where did you get engaged?
   I had a very long day having had to go up and back to Chicago for a class, and Mark picked me up at the Orlando airport. Since it involved an airport, and the majority of our relationship had been spent traveling and airports, Mark thought it was the perfect opening to proposing. After we got home, and I unpacked, Mark came into the room with a letter in hand, acting slightly suspicious. I sat and read this thoughtful letter Mark had written as he wanted to make sure he captured everything he wanted to say in that moment. After reading the letter, Mark shared more sweet memories of our courtship and times and ultimately popped the question. It was perfect!
   
   
3. What idea(s) did you have going into your first planning meeting that you thought would be the most important and what aspect were you excited to plan the most?
   We both are detail-oriented people, so we were most excited to plan out our aesthetics and create a space that feels like us. From the flowers to all the small little things, like the colors, that pull it all together and make the end product exactly what we want.
   
   
4. 90 days out from your event, how did you feel the planning was going?
   Things were going really well! We had a little longer engagement that we wanted, ten months versus five to six, so it was easy for us to stay ahead of schedule. We are both planners and have been to a plethora of weddings over the years, so making decisions and booking vendors was honestly a breeze. We also made the conscious effort to make sure we enjoyed this part and refused to let the planning process be stressful or unpleasant. It’s such a fun season of life to prepare for, and we are soaked in every aspect of it!
   
   
5. What have you found to be more difficult than you expected?
   There hasn’t been any single thing that has been out of the ordinary difficult. Choosing our DJ was more challenging than we expected, not because it was hard, but because we love getting people on the dance floor and want that experience to be the best. We know that the DJ can really make or break the day and needs to match our style and flow. We definitely found the right person for us, but it was one of the more challenging research and hiring gigs for us.
   
   
6. What has been more fun about the process than you expected?
   Planning the details has been a lot of fun! I thought it might be overwhelming because there are so many options and styles and vibes to choose from but creating the aesthetic and vibe that feels the most authentically ’us’ has been a blast.
   
   
7. What was the best, most memorable part of your big day?
   Honestly, everything. It was perfect even despite the rain. I think the most memorable part though would be the rain pouring all the way leading up until the ceremony time and a break lasting just long enough for us to have our ceremony on the patio under the tree. It was perfect. Plus, we chose to write letters to each other before the ceremony and not do a first look.
   
   
8. If you could change one or two things about your event, what would they be?
   I mean, we loved everything! I wish we could have changed the fact that we got married in the middle of a global pandemic, meaning many of the people we loved were unable to make the celebration. But we are so glad that we decided to still get married and use Zoom to include our loved ones from afar.
   
   
9. Is there any advice you would give other couples planning their event that you wish someone had told you?
   There is beauty in simplicity. I think the weddings can be very inflated, but because of our venue, Historic Dubsdread Ballroom, everything was just naturally so beautiful that the small touches went a long way and saved the budget! For fun though, make sure to get the late-night snack if you can! Your guests will absolutely LOVE it!

Photos courtesy of Kartsie Photography  http://www.kartsie.com/