Most men are nervous when they propose, even if they know what the answer will be. That was not the case for David Wetters, at least, not according to his wife. On the way to dinner and a New Year’s Eve party, David and his beloved, Nicole Rodriguez, stopped to sit in the rose garden outside of her childhood church. “He had the most beautiful, eloquent proposal,” tells Nicole. “He had really thought through it – describing a timeline of our relationship, our strengths as a couple, and our future together.” Perhaps it was such an easy decision for him because he’s known that’s what he wanted since the moment he met Nicole. He still tells her that it was love at first sight when they met, though the bride admits it took her a little longer to fall in love, “but not much longer. From the moment we met, we instantly connected.”

After spending a couple of months enjoying their engagement, the couple began planning their nuptials. The venue where Nicole’s paternal grandparents met happened to be available for Labor Day Weekend, so suddenly they had just over six months to plan the wedding. The bride brought on Hannah Kohler of DFW Events to turn the day she dreamed of into a reality. “Trying to put together a wedding weekend is really like a second job,” Nicole laughs. With her consultant and her mother helping her along the way, the bride knew she was in good hands. 

“Initially, I didn’t have a specific theme; however, I knew I wanted a very elegant, modern yet traditional, ultra-luxe wedding,” explains Nicole. As her favorite color has always been purple, she knew she wanted the hue to form her color palette. The floral arrangements featured different shades of purple, with some magenta and pink added to the mix. The linens and menus were also in the bride’s favorite color, accented with ivory candles and gold detailing. “In short, the Jackson Durham team transformed the grand ballroom into an ethereal, magical, and enchanting event,” asserts the bride. 

Though the ceremony was not held in a Catholic church, Nicole wanted to incorporate the faith in which she was raised into the service. A priest and a judge performed the ceremony together, and Jackson Durham Events created stained glass windows to serve as a backdrop. Nicole gave a nod to her Hispanic heritage by having a mariachi band play immediately following the vow exchange. 

Keeping with Southern tradition, the wedding included two cakes: The bride’s cake had six layers, featuring two tiers decorated with icing rosettes, a layer with the newlyweds’ monogram, and fresh flowers throughout. The groom’s cake was chocolate with a fondant-formed panda on top, as “Panda” is David’s nickname among his close friends. However, the day wasn’t solely based on tradition and customs; the bride and groom were sure to add their own personal touches. At the reception, a troupe of tap dancers performed for delighted friends and family, and a towering Champagne tower made for a stunning focal point. During the grand exit, the brass section of the band followed behind, playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

For couples with demanding careers, Nicole urges the hiring of a consultant. “We really don’t feel we would have gotten the vision of our perfect weekend with all the detail and elements we wanted without the relentless efforts of our fabulous DFW Events wedding planning team,” she says. The newlyweds also learned – after the day was done – that everything will work out the way it was supposed to, much like their relationship.