They didn’t know it at the time, but Madison Newman and Josh Bigott did not meet by accident or coincidence. A mutual friend of theirs brought Josh along to meet Madison and her friend for dinner and drinks – with the express purpose of setting the future couple up. Perhaps their friend should consider becoming a matchmaker, because the duo connected instantly. By the end of the night, Josh was asking Madison out on a proper date. 

When he was ready to propose, Josh took care to coordinate with her parents throughout their road trip from Dallas to Orange Beach, Alabama. Under the guise of going on a run along the shore, he got on bended knee and asked Madison to spend the rest of her life with him. “My head was spinning. I was so excited I didn’t even say yes right away!” the bride reveals. 

As the lovebirds met in New Orleans and Madison’s parents live nearby, “The Big Easy” was a natural choice to host their nuptials. While in college, the bride worked as an assistant to a wedding planner, and her former boss generously came out of retirement in order to help with the event. Finding the venue was the biggest challenge, in order to make sure the ceremony and reception were close enough to walk between without having guests see the room be flipped. “It did come down to availability,” Madison explains. “The date had to have an eight in it, as that is a significant number in our family for many reasons.” Of their top two choices, one was available on October 8th and one wasn’t, simplifying the decision. 

When the day arrived, the bride looked resplendent in her dramatic mermaid gown. She was preceded down the aisle by eight bridesmaids donning dresses in steel blue, grey, and silver. Though the groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos, Josh looked sharp in a navy style. “We both love the color blue, so I knew we would incorporate it in many ways,” Madison notes. The invitation suite, as well as many products featuring the wedding logo designed by Nico and Lala, helped to include varying hues of the preferred color.

The bride advises couples preparing for their own nuptials to make sure to have time for each other on the big day. During cocktail hour, she and her groom enjoyed a private dinner for two, allowing them to reflect on their vows. “Just try to remember that both of you are there for that reason,” Madison muses.