Annabelle Doswell & Oliver Newberry
Annabelle and Oliver began their wedding with a ceremony at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, a sentimental choice as both Annabelle’s parents and grandparents were married there. The bride wore a custom long-sleeve, high-neck gown adorned with 3D florals by Mackenzie Brittingham. Following the ceremony, guests were whisked away to the Fort Worth Zoo for a lively celebration kicked off by feeding giraffes over cocktail hour. Created with the help of Melanie Tatum Events, the evening was a vision of classic charm including an elegant tented reception space adorned with lush florals in shades of pink, orange and yellow. Guests raved over a Southern-inspired supper menu prepared by The Zoo’s in-house catering, and the Georgia Bridgwater Orchestra kept the dance floor electric. The evening concluded with a private last dance before the guests bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs.! Join us for an exclusive Q&A with the bride as we dive into the details of their special day.
the couple. Annabelle Doswell & Oliver Newberry
the venue. St. Andrew’s Anglican Church | Fort Worth
the planner/designer. Melanie Tatum Events
the photos. Caroline Jurgensen Photography
The Love Story
Although Oliver and I attended the same school kindergarten through 12th Grade, we really didn’t get to know each other until December of 2019. We were both invited to a mutual friend’s debutante party and instantly hit it off. After that night, we began dating long distance as I was finishing up college in Austin and Oliver was working in Houston. I moved to Houston after graduation, where Oliver and my relationship only grew stronger. We continued to date until Oliver proposed in April of 2023.
The Proposal
Oliver had told me his parents were in Houston for the weekend to visit us, and that we had happy hour and dinner plans. When Oliver and I arrived at happy hour before his parents, he asked if I wanted to take a walk through the park and around a pond. Although I resisted a couple of times, I finally agreed and thank goodness I did. During our walk, Oliver proposed and then surprised me with both of our families and friends.
The Wedding Venue
Our wedding ceremony was at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. Both my grandparents and my parents got married in this very church, so it was an easy and sentimental choice for Oliver and me. Our wedding reception was at the Fort Worth Zoo. There are so many reasons for choosing this as our venue, but one of the main ones is the beautiful entryway that led all guests to the giraffe pit. We knew having the opportunity to feed giraffes would be a memorable experience for us and our guests.
The Vibe
We went with a formal, elegant, and classic ambience. The most important thing to us was for our guests to have fun!
The Photography
We used Caroline Jurgensen Photography as our photographer. Along with her incredible talent, I chose Caroline because of how comfortable she made me feel. She is laid-back, but also very efficient. Caroline couldn’t be any nicer and cares about her clients as friends!
The Dress
I knew exactly what I wanted my wedding dress to look like, but struggled to find it. So, I decided to get my dress custom made by Mackenzie Brittingham. The dress was long sleeve, high neck with 3D florals that slowly faded down the dress.
The Accessories
Because my dress was long sleeve, high neck, I kept the accessories minimal. I wore my mom’s jewelry on the day of my wedding. Her diamond, emerald-cut earrings for my something borrowed and her sapphire and diamond ring for my something blue.
The Bridesmaids
My bridesmaids wore pink, yellow or orange dresses of their choice! I wanted them all to feel their best and comfortable, so I gave them the opportunity to choose any dress in the color palette of my florals.
The Groomsmen
Oliver’s groomsmen all wore a black tux.
The Wedding Rings
My engagement ring is an emerald-cut diamond with two emerald-cut diamonds on each side. My wedding band is emerald-cut eternity diamonds. Oliver’s wedding band is 4 mm, comfort fit and yellow gold.
The Hair and Makeup
My vision for my wedding day hair and makeup was to be elegant, but very classic and simple. I used Maitee Miles for my tight, low bun hair style, and Taylor Walker for my natural makeup look. They are both fabulous artists and brought my vision to life.
The Stationery
I used Carly Creative Co. for my stationery and I could not have been happier with how everything turned out. She is so incredibly talented. My stationery was very classic and simple with the color palette of my florals. To add a little touch, I included a giraffe on certain pieces such as the save the date, welcome note, cups and koozies.
The Florals
All the flowers were shades of pink, orange, and yellow with a touch of greenery. Lots of peonies and roses!
The Morning Of
I spent the morning of my wedding day at my parents’ house surrounded by my bridal party, family and friends. Being in my childhood home made me feel relaxed and comfortable.
The Ceremony
Our ceremony was a very classic Anglican service. It was led by Rev. KC Lopez, who we absolutely loved. It was KC’s first wedding ceremony to conduct, so that made it even more special.
The Reception
We started our reception off with a cocktail hour on the deck that included feeding the giraffes. Everyone was then escorted to the tent where Oliver and I had our first dance to “It Must Be Love” by Alan Jackson, followed by cutting our cake. Shortly after this, the band began. We used Georgia Bridgwater through Jordan Kahn Music Co. and we absolutely loved her. So talented, fun and interactive!
The Planning
Oliver and I were engaged for 12 and a half months, so we had plenty of time to plan the wedding. We used Melanie Tatum Events as our planner and we couldn’t have done it without her.
The Cake
My wedding cake was a “flavor” made by Creme de la Creme Cake Co. The design of my cake resembled my wedding dress with 3D florals that slowly faded down the cake. Oliver’s cake was a flavor replica of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium made by Fancy Cakes by Lauren.
The Food
The Fort Worth Zoo prepared all of the food for the wedding. Both my family and Oliver’s have a love for Southern dishes, so we wanted to incorporate that in what we served. Peach bruschetta with whipped goat cheese and balsamic drizzle, crostini with pimento cheese topped with jalapeño bacon jam, and pepper jack stuffed chicken strip wrapped in bacon were passed around as starters during the cocktail hour. For the main course, we went with tomato and mozzarella salad, roasted asparagus, medley of seasonal vegetables, garlic whipped potatoes, carved tenderloin, fried chicken and a homemade recipe of rice green chile. Towards the end of the night, honey butter chicken biscuits were served.
The Favorite Moment
When our reception ended and before our exit, Oliver and I had a last dance together, which was one of my favorite moments. It was very special to soak it all in and just have a moment to ourselves.
The Unexpected
Even though we were told by many people that the night would fly by, we still can’t believe how quickly it was over.
The Honeymoon
We went to France for our honeymoon! We started in Paris, took the train to Provence and then drove ourselves to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. So, we got to see a little of the city, countryside and coast. It was amazing!!!
The Advice
Soak it all in and enjoy every second because it will fly by! Although it will be stressful at times, try to remain positive and think about what it is all about — marrying your partner! Take time during the ceremony and reception to look around at all the family and friends that are there to support and celebrate you!
The Video
The Vendors
Wedding Vendors
PLANNING + DESIGN Melanie Tatum Events
CEREMONY VENUE St. Andrew’s Anglican Church
RECEPTION VENUE + CATERING Fort Worth Zoo
PHOTOGRAPHY Caroline Jurgensen Photography
VIDEOGRAPHY Turquoise Video Productions
FLORAL Bella Flora of Dallas
RENTALS Bella Acento, Grand Events
COCKTAIL MUSIC Jordan Kahn Music Co.
DANCE BAND Georgia Bridgwater Orchestra
DANCE FLOOR Center Stage Floors
BRIDE’S CAKE Creme de la Creme Cake Co.
GROOM’S CAKE Fancy Cakes by Lauren
BRIDAL GOWN DESIGNER Mackenzie Brittingham
STATIONERY Carley Creative Co.
GETAWAY CAR DFW Vintage Cars