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Courtship: In June of 2012, before Taylor Howard and Jeffrey Ernst’s senior year of high school, the two hit it off while swing dancing in a park—an activity that members of their youth group did often. “Before the park, we’d all gathered at a mutual friend’s house to make dinner and lemonade for our picnic," Taylor says. "I saw Jeff in the kitchen then and just made up my mind: I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to dance with this boy.’”
Jeffrey got Taylor’s number from a friend after that night and texted her a few days later, but she’d already gone off to cheer camp by then. That didn’t stop them from texting every day until Taylor returned in mid-July. Jeffrey asked her to go on a walk in the same park where they’d spent the night swing dancing, and within a few weeks of starting their senior year of high school, they made things official.
Proposal: In April of 2016, when Taylor was a junior at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, she left town on a Friday night to go to a church retreat. Unbeknownst to her, Jeffrey had flown in to Texas from Missouri that same night—but only after setting up an alibi beforehand with Taylor so she wouldn’t try to text or call him while he was in the air. Jeffrey slept in Taylor’s apartment while she was at the retreat, and the next day, sorted out his plan for the proposal while she was at a sorority function. When she returned, Taylor’s roommates told her that they were all going out to take roommate photos—something they did every year—so she got dressed in a cute outfit before heading with them to Lake Waco.
The lake backs up to a field of wildflowers accessible by a path lined with trees, where Jeffrey was hiding. “My roommates had to suggest going back to the car to change into a different outfit,” Taylor explains, “so that I’d walk back on the path where the trees were.” But before she got to the car, one of her roommates pulled her aside to take a few solo shots—which is when Jeffrey stepped out from behind a tree and asked her to turn around. By the time she did, he was down on one knee. Taylor was entirely shocked: She hadn’t even known Jeffrey was in Texas, much less anticipated a proposal that day. “He took me out to dinner afterward,” she says, “but I was having an out-of-body experience. I remember he chowed down on steak and potatoes, but I was so excited, I could barely eat anything.” The couple ended their night with an engagement party that Taylor's roommates had organized.
Ceremony & Reception: Taylor and Jeffrey got married on June 4, 2017 with a ceremony and reception at Silver Oaks Chateau. Taylor, who’d been planning her wedding for a while, had known about Silver Oaks even before it opened in 2015, when the website only featured artistic renderings. It was first on their list of potential venues to visit, and they were sold by the time they finished the tour. Taylor describes the vibe of her wedding décor as “rustic elegance.” She says, “I wanted everything to feel and look natural, so there was a lot of exposed wood and greenery. Even the bridesmaid dresses were inspired by the greenery, but with a hint of blue.” The floral arrangements served as bright pops of color in peachy pinks and corals.
The Details:
Venue: Silver Oaks Chateau
Photography: Elizabeth Lloyd Photography
Catering: Sugarfire Smoke House
Cake: Sarah's Cake Shop
Flowers: Les Bouquets
DJ: Daniel Moore (DJ Shark Attack)
Hair & makeup: Bride
Dress: Romona Keveza from Town and Country Bridal Boutique
Shoes: Nina
Jewelry: Town and Country Bridal Boutique
Tux: The Black Tux
Bridesmaid dresses: JJ's House
Stationery: Hadley Designs
Calligraphy: Bride
