KATHARINE AND AZEEZ connected through a dating app and met face-to-face in a coffee shop. A year later, they were in Florence, Italy. Katharine and Azeez had planned to visit a popular lookout point that overlooked the city. Because they knew how crowded the destination could get, they got there at 5:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise. Katharine set up the camera for photos and Azeez was so relaxed, she didn’t see it coming. As they were taking photos he got down on one knee and proposed with a “placeholder” ring and let Katharine pick out her own ruby ring while they were in Florence.

PLANNING DURING A PANDEMIC

If it wasn’t for Covid and the uncertainties that brought, they would have enjoyed the entire planning process. Katharine had a clear vision and knew the right vendors would make the day go smoothly. The pandemic forced them to go from 150 guests to 50 guests and from a big venue in Dallas to Katharine’s parents house in east Texas. “I definitely called my MOH crying a few times but if you didn’t cry, did you even plan a wedding?” Luckily, all the other vendors they had booked were okay with the location and guest count change. Azeez and Katharine didn’t want to postpone their wedding, and the idea of  a micro-wedding had grown on them. They loved how relaxed and comfortable the whole thing was. They got married by the lake and then had a magical dinner under string lights surrounded by trees.

THE INSPIRATION

Before she got engaged, Katharine was convinced she was getting married in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, so that heavily inspired her vision for the day. She was inspired by the relaxed but uber elegant vibes of the weddings there and wanted it to feel like her guests had stumbled upon a super fancy party in the woods. Café lighting and candles everywhere and lots of florals were her main décor musts.

HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED

The lake was the natural focal point of the wedding. Katharine’s brother’s fiancé painted a watercolor of the lake where they got married and it was in each invitation. They decorated the ceremony space with vintage rugs along the aisle. Katharine didn’t want much greenery in her decor, because they were already having it outdoors, but flowers were essential to her vision. She let her florist take the lead with the decor, but specifically asked for an “undone” bouquet for the natural wild look of it. She also wanted a lot of red and muted fall tones. Her favorite florals  were the loose roses her florist placed along the dinner table. Katharine’s favorite decor element was the lighting. The café lighting above the table for dinner was absolutely magical after the sun had set.

For her gown, Katharine chose a fitted, long-sleeved Justin Alexander gown with no beading or lace except for a pearl detail along the neckline and sleeves. She had henna on her hands to honor Azeez’ Indian heritage, along with a beautiful headpiece.