Hannah Quaas & Drake Buffington
Hannah Quaas and Drake Buffington’s intimate wedding at La Palmilla was grounded in their faith and love for one another. A first look provided a moment of calm and connection amidst the excitement, with Drake reading Hannah a heartfelt letter he had written for her, followed by a touching ceremony officiated by the pastor who had guided them in premarital counseling. The reception was a blend of personalized touches, featuring a college football playoffs viewing in the Cantina, crowd-pleasing feast of Babe’s chicken and Bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cakes and yard games like cornhole, creating a warm, relaxed and joyful atmosphere that celebrated their love and faith with friends and family. Join us for an exclusive Q&A with the bride as we dive into the details of their special day.
the couple. Hannah Quaas & Drake Buffington
the venue. La Palmilla
the photos. Moch Photography
The Love Story
We met the new-fashioned way: on Hinge! We did have a mutual friend as well that vouched for both of us, so that was great.
Our first date was at Eno’s Pizza in Bishop Arts; it was a sweltering hot July day and we sat outside. Drake arrived early and there was a song playing at the restaurant that a friend had told him a few days prior was the perfect wedding song, so he thought he might be in for something special. We bonded over serving at our churches, our vision for the future and football.
At the end of the night, neither of us were sure the other was into it; thankfully, Drake placed his hand on my back while guiding me to my car at the end of the night, which gave me the courage to send him a thank you text later that night letting him know I was definitely interested in seeing him again. Despite the 25-mile distance, we saw each other three more times that week, and that was the start of a fun and exciting summer of pool time, meeting friends and family and growing our relationship.
The Proposal
We were very intentional from the beginning about voicing that we were dating for the purpose of getting married, so we talked proposal and engagement pretty early on. Drake is a romantic and extremely attentive to all my likes, preferences and opinions, so he knew I wanted something that was more intimate and laid back. He also knew that I have a thing for numbers, especially with dates; our first date had been on July 2 of the prior year, so he really wanted to propose on the second of the month. When Sept. 2 fell over Labor Day weekend, he felt he had his chance.
Drake planned for us to go hiking at Eisenhower State Park with two of our friends that weekend, and I didn’t think anything of it. I happened to be sick with a cold when Saturday rolled around, but Drake encouraged me to power through to get some fresh air and enjoy the day.
We had just started our hike when we reached a beautiful outlook of Lake Texoma, and we stopped to admire the view. Drake grabbed my hand, walked me to the perfect spot and got down on one knee to ask me to marry him! It was such a beautiful setting, and I was so distracted by my left hand for the rest of the hike that I forgot about my cold completely.
The Wedding Venue
Drake and I both wanted to find a venue that fit our personalities — something that was warm and welcoming, very comfortable, without being too glamorous or over-the-top. I happened to be looking through the Instagram of our photographer and saw that she and her family had gone on a staycation at La Palmilla, and I immediately fell in love.
When we toured the property and met with Mitchell and Kimmie Ellis, we were completely sold. The Spanish architecture reminded me of my time in Spain during undergrad. There were immaculate accommodations for our out-of-town guests, the grounds were giving desert chic, and the chapel with its beauty and intentional weaving of Scripture references felt so special and meaningful to us.
Not to mention, the entire team at La Palmilla were above-and-beyond accommodating, kind, humble, and genuinely wanted to serve us during this exciting season. This place was an absolute home run for us and our guests!
The Vibe
Drake and I wanted the day to feel stress-free, laid-back, and joyful, focused on our love for each other and Christ that had brought us together as a couple. La Palmilla shines on its own, so we took a very minimal and understated approach with our decor and aesthetics to eliminate any distraction of fanfare or opulence. We wanted our guests to feel that they were there because of our love for them and Christ’s love for us — not because we felt the need to prove anything or make much of ourselves.
The Photography
I discovered our photographer, Moch Snyder, through a coworker! She had gotten married a few years ago in California, and I had always loved her wedding photos. After I got engaged, she told me that her photographer now lived in Texas and I should try reaching out to her. Moch and I met over coffee in Fort Worth and I knew she needed to be the one to capture our wedding day! I loved how her work was so filled with light, so soft, and just radiated joy and beauty. And she was just about the sweetest person I’d ever met.
She did such an incredible job the day of our wedding. She was so kind to everyone, and yet had complete confidence to command the room and ensure everything was just right for each shot. She captured such beautiful and special moments; six months later, and I still can’t decide which photos to print and frame because there are truly too many amazing shots to choose from! What a dream.
The Dress
My inspiration was 100% Hailey Bieber (iykyk). Her wedding dress had been my all-time favorite ever since their wedding photos were released, as it perfectly encapsulated everything I loved. It was classic and timeless with the long sleeves, lace and dramatic train, with some sweetness and sultriness mixed in thanks to the fitted silhouette and sweetheart neckline.
Due to a 90-day engagement, I knew I’d have to buy a sample right off the rack, so I was keeping an eye out on social media for sample sales. When I saw that Anna Bé Bridal was having a sample sale that included a Hailey Bieber look-alike dress, I immediately made an appointment to try it on. I knew right away it was the one; it had all the things I loved about Hailey’s and was a little more versatile thanks to the long sleeves being removable! Truly it was my dream dress and I absolutely loved wearing it to marry Drake.
The Accessories
I ended up choosing a scalloped cathedral veil with a lace trim — again, inspired by Hailey Bieber. I loved how it added a touch of drama to the dress while still playing well with the classic elements of the dress I loved. When it came to jewelry, I wanted the dress and veil to be the stars of the show, so I opted for earrings only and went for beautiful double-strand pearl drop dangles that added some soft and pretty movement to the look.
The Bridesmaids
We are blessed to have amazingly supportive and loving friends and family. I had six friends and one cousin as bridesmaids, and my younger brother as my man of honor. It’s just the two of us and we’re very close, so it was very special to have him stand next to me at the altar.
Keeping with the classic theme, I had my bridesmaids all wear black dresses of their choosing — flattering for everyone, and a color that doesn’t ever go out of style!
The Groomsmen
Drake’s best friend served as his best man, and he had seven other friends as groomsmen. They all wore black as well; we thought they all looked so sharp and love how the color looks in our photos!
The Wedding Rings
Drake picked out my engagement ring that perfectly fit my style: a simple yellow gold band with a solitaire oval stone and white-gold prongs. I picked a white gold wedding band with princess-cut diamonds and round halos; I liked that it added some more flair but was still a very classic design. Drake wanted his ring to be more simple and classic as well and went with a platinum band.
The Hair and Makeup
I wanted to keep things — you guessed it — simple, so I went with a bridal bun for elegance and practicality. I loved that I didn’t have to touch or tuck my hair the entire evening, and that it allowed the dress and veil to take center stage. For my makeup, I chose a look that accentuated my features but was understated and natural looking, with pops of pink to add a fresh and romantic element.
The Stationery
Stationery was an element that we went very minimal with; our view was that these pieces just get thrown away, so we didn’t want to spend much money or brainpower on them! I actually designed our invitations myself using Canva and printed them at OfficeMax, and did the same for the signs we had at the wedding. We thought the effect was simple, polished, and understated. I’d recommend doing the same for any brides who are looking to keep things more minimalistic and budget-friendly!
The Florals
We actually rented silk flowers from Something Borrowed Blooms for our wedding party florals, and I cannot recommend it enough! I wanted all white flowers and the Jane collection with peonies and roses was the perfect fit. Nobody knew the flowers weren’t real, and they look exquisite in our photos! The day before the wedding, my mom and I went to Trader Joe’s and grabbed some eucalyptus, baby’s breath, to place in small bud vases on the tables for the reception. That added just enough of a wedding feel without detracting from the already stunning cantina space.
The Morning Of
I spent the night before the wedding in the bridal suite at La Palmilla, and Drake and many of our friends and family stayed at the resort as well. We hosted a breakfast in the cantina the morning of the wedding for everyone who had stayed. And while we were chatting, someone came to grab Drake and I; there was a rainbow over the chapel! It was such a special moment we will cherish for the rest of our lives as we felt the Lord smiling down on us that day. The rest of the morning, we spent relaxing and spending special moments in our respective suites with our friends and family. We will never forget that time of nervous excitement, being prayed over, and being encouraged by our people who were so thrilled that we were coming together in marriage.
The Ceremony
We wanted to keep things short, sweet, and centered around our faith. My dad walked me down the aisle to “It Is Well With My Soul,” which I had always imagined, and it felt so surreal and special. The pastor who did our premarital counseling — along with his sweet wife — officiated the wedding, which was also very personal for us. He spoke about the meaning and model for marriage laid out by Paul in the Book of Ephesians, sharing with our guests how we intended to live out our unique roles in marriage and therefore glorify Christ. It felt so purposeful to be able to share the hope we have in the gospel with all of the people who matter most to us.
The Reception
We opted out of a dance and instead, La Palmilla used their projector to broadcast college football playoffs in the cantina. They also set up their music system throughout the property to play fun, wedding-style music so guests could dance if they felt so inclined. It was fun to be able to walk around the property and still feel part of the reception! There were yard games like cornhole set up outside, and we had a coffee cart come and serve handcrafted beverages to everyone. We had a blast!
The Planning
The planning was quite easy; we only had 90 days to pull everything together, and I truly did not want to make many decisions about the wedding, so we kept things as minimal as possible. We decided to bring in Martinez Brown Events to be our day-of coordinators and that was perhaps the best decision we made. America and Lanie were seasoned pros and handled every single detail on our wedding day, making sure the timing was correct down to the minute. They were fabulous!
The Cake
We wanted to serve something truly delicious and easy, so we went with an assortment of different flavored Bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cakes! There was a ripple of excitement amongst the guests when they entered the cantina and saw those waiting on the dessert table. Definitely a hit!
The Food
Babe’s catered dinner, and we still hear from our family that it was the best food they’d ever had at a wedding. You can’t go wrong with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and a good biscuit! It was a fun touch to serve something that had more of a Southern feel to it with friends and family coming from all over to celebrate us in Texas.
The Favorite Moment
The first look was so incredibly special for us. My nerves melted away, and I felt at ease as soon as we were able to have those first moments together. Drake had written me a letter, which was completely unexpected, and he read it to me while I cried. It felt like the culmination of all our moments together over the past year and a half, leading to the day where we would commit to one another for the rest of our lives in front of God, friends and family.
The Unexpected
We had asked my brother, my best friend from college and our best man to give toasts at the reception, and they completely blew us away! It was so meaningful to us to hear how we had touched the lives of those who were closest to us, and they also brought down the house with some true belly laughs. We felt so loved and celebrated hearing what our loved ones chose to say about us on the most important day of our lives.
The Honeymoon
We stayed a couple nights at The Joule in downtown Dallas before heading to Sedona, Arizona, for a week of hiking, spa-ing, and rejuvenating! We had such a great time enjoying the beautiful scenery and some of the most delicious meals of our lives.
The Advice
Leading up to the wedding, we always made it a point to remember that the important thing was our future marriage, not the one-day wedding. It’s not worth getting caught up and stressed-out over the details; what matters is investing in your relationship as a couple. So the day of, tell your loved ones that you don’t want to be consulted at all, you just want to be in the moment and trust them to handle it. Enjoy the beginning of your lifetime with your person!
The Vendors
Wedding Vendors
VENUE La Palmilla
PHOTOGRAPHY Moch Photography
FLORAL Something Borrowed Blooms
DAY-OF-COORDINATOR Martinez Brown Events
CATERING Babe’s Chicken Dinner House
CAKE Nothing Bundt Cakes
BRIDAL SALON Anna Bé Bridal Boutique
HAIR + MAKEUP Pretty on Premises
COFFEE CART Olive Coffee Cart