
Madison Walker and Nate Johnson
After meeting at Texas A&M School of Law, Madison and Nate’s shared love of Fort Worth and fond memories of Joe T’s and the Stockyards with friends made Hotel Drover a special place for them to say “I do.” Madison dazzled in a floral-applique gown by Mira Zwillinger, complemented by a cherished diamond necklace worn by generations before her. From the heartfelt ceremony officiated by Nate’s mother, a federal judge, to the lively reception featuring the Manhattan band from Jordan Kahn Music Co. and signature cocktails honoring their beloved dog, Oliver, it was truly an evening to remember! Join us for an exclusive Q&A with the bride as we dive into the details of their special day.
the couple. Madison Walker and Nate Johnson
the venue. Hotel Drover
the planner/designer. Maxwell + Gray
the photos. John Cain Photography
The Love Story
Our story together began thanks to Texas A&M School of Law. We met through mutual friends at a margarita night in Montgomery Plaza during the second semester of law school. Nate actually asked his friend to swap seats with him so that he could talk to me, and the rest is history. We clicked instantly.

The Proposal
Nate and I took a celebratory trip to Italy and Switzerland after we took the bar exam. Little did I know, we would have even more to celebrate after that trip! On our second night in Italy, Nate surprised me with the most unforgettable proposal on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. With the iconic St. Mark’s Square in the background, Nate got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. It was a moment filled with so much happiness, and it was the easiest yes of my life!
Nate had hired a local Italian photographer disguised as a tourist to capture everything. After he proposed, we had engagement portraits taken around Venice to commemorate the happiest day. To cap off the most perfect proposal, Nate and I enjoyed a romantic dinner on the rooftop of Hotel Danieli, overlooking the bay of Venice. That evening will always hold a special place in my heart.
The Wedding Venue
Fort Worth was the first place we called home together. When we lived here, our Saturdays were often happily spent on the patio at Joe T. Garcia’s, and we loved to go to the Stockyards for cocktails with friends. Because the city means so much to us, getting married here was the natural decision. We picked the La Puertita space at Joe T. Garcia’s for our rehearsal dinner and The Barn at Hotel Drover for our wedding day.
Given the number of out-of-town guests joining us for the weekend, we wanted to celebrate with everyone as much as possible. Following the rehearsal dinner, we hosted a welcome party in the Hotel Drover Backyard. The Pour Horse trailer bar was set up by Hotel Drover for our party, so our guests could easily order cocktails under the stars and string lights.
Because we knew we wouldn’t be ready for the night to end after our reception, we chose the Sidesaddle Saloon for our after-party. It was the perfect venue for us to keep celebrating!

The Vibe
I grew up on a farm in a town of about 3,000 people, and Nate grew up in the heart of Dallas. We wanted our wedding to reflect our personal backgrounds as well as our relationship together, so we opted for a black tie optional, garden wedding with a touch of Fort Worth charm.

The Photography
John Cain Photography was our DREAM photographer and working with them was everything we hoped it would be. We wanted photos that had a classic feel to them, and we wanted a photographer that made us feel comfortable and excited. From the moment I spoke with the John Cain team, I knew we had to ask them to photograph our wedding. They are kind, organized and oh so talented. Matt captured our day beautifully, and we will cherish our photos forever.
The Dress
Because our ceremony was in an outdoor garden, I wanted my dress to match the backdrop. When I tried on the Beatrice by Mira Zwillinger, I immediately knew it was the one. The floral applique reflected my hopes for an ethereal, romantic feel, and the light blush lining was the perfect look for our autumn wedding day. I also loved wearing the matching Mira Zwillinger veil — the more floral applique, the better! Shortly before we left for the after-party, I changed to the Coquette sequin dress by Markarian. It was the perfect dress to dance the night away in!



The Accessories
The most special accessory I wore on my wedding day was a diamond necklace set in the shape of a flower. It was my great-grandmother’s necklace, given to her by my great-grandfather. My mom wore it on her wedding day, and it was so meaningful for me to wear it on my wedding day too.


The Bridesmaids
In line with our vision for a garden wedding, I wanted the bridesmaid dresses to have a romantic, organic feel. I love cowl neck dresses because they look fantastic on everyone, and you can never go wrong with a black dress.

The Groomsmen
We selected black tuxedos for the groomsmen to wear. Rather than cummerbunds, Nate chose for them to wear suspenders. We felt like this was the perfect option for the tuxedos to feel slightly more casual for the outdoor ceremony.

The Wedding Rings
I absolutely love the ring that Nate proposed to me with. It is a three stone ring, with oval- cut diamonds. To complement it, we selected a wedding band with round-cut diamonds for me and a matching simple, platinum band for Nate.
One of my closest friends (and bridesmaid!) parents’ company, DeMesy, helped us custom-design our rings, which made them that much more special.

The Hair and Makeup
I chose to wear my hair in a loose, half-up style with light curls throughout. This style felt the most like me because I almost always have my hair down. For my makeup, I asked for a look that was more natural, with a touch of glam. My hair and makeup team, Sara and Megan made me feel so beautiful!

The Stationery
Our stationary began with our save the dates. We were so excited to be getting married at Hotel Drover, so we wanted to announce it in a fun way. Our stationer painted a beautiful watercolor of the hotel to include on the save the dates, and we now have this print framed on a bookshelf in our home.
For our formal invitation, we wanted a classic feel, so we chose a creamy white, engraved invitation from Arzberger Stationers. We incorporated our garden aesthetic with a floral-patterned envelope liner, which was the perfect touch of color.

The Florals
I knew that I wanted our flowers to feel romantic and organic, and I was inspired by the floral applique on my dress. I asked for flowers in blush and creamy white tones with baby’s breath incorporated throughout. From there, Blushington Blooms captured exactly what I envisioned!



The Morning Of
The week of our wedding, it was predicted to be cold and rainy on our wedding day, but it ended up being sunny and 65 degrees! It felt like a little wink from God that morning when I woke up and the sun was shining.
My mom, Nate’s mom, my grandmother, my aunt and all of my bridesmaids got ready alongside me, and the morning was filled with love, laughter and Chick-fil-A. My maid of honor gifted me a heartfelt scrapbook that captured all of my bridal events, and she included letters from each of my bridesmaids filled with words of love and encouragement for me and Nate.
Starting the day with all of these women was so special. Each of them has played such a significant role in shaping who I am, and their unwavering support throughout my life has meant the world to me.


The Ceremony
Nate’s mom is a federal judge in Dallas, so she officiated the ceremony. Weeks before our wedding, she had us secretly answer meaningful questions about our love for one another and what made our relationship so special. She then incorporated our answers into the ceremony, which made our more traditional vows feel personal to us. During the ceremony, my brother also led a prayer over our marriage. We loved that both of our families were represented during those moments before we said, ‘I do.’

The Reception
Nate’s favorite party song for the past 10 years has been “Levels” by Avicii, so of course that was our walk-in song. The crowd — especially Nate’s college friends — loved it. Then we danced to “”The Bones”” by Maren Morris. Nate and I now love singing and jamming together in the car, but I was pretty shy back when we began dating. “The Bones” was the first song we ever sang together in the car, so I think it will always be our song.
Growing up on a farm, I spent many days driving a tractor or my dad’s truck, so my dad and I danced to “Drive” by Alan Jackson. My dad and I both love country dancing, and it was so fun to two-step along to one of my favorite songs with my dad. Nate and his mom danced to “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts, which had me tearing up!
I will never forget how I felt when Nate and I jumped onto the dance floor with our family and friends. I couldn’t stop smiling, and I just felt so grateful.




The Planning
Wedding planning is no small task! Stacy and Chabeli with Maxwell + Gray understood our vision perfectly, and they executed it so well on our wedding day.
The Cake
One of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning was selecting our cakes. Hello, cake tasting! For the bride’s cake we picked a strawberry cake with cream cheese filling and vanilla buttercream icing. I especially loved that this cake was pink! For the groom’s cake, we picked the amaretto cake layered with toffee crunch filling. In honor of our sweet dog, Oliver, Lauren added a custom figurine on top of the groom’s cake that looked exactly like Oliver! We loved it.

The Food
I’m not kidding when I say that Nate and I love to eat, so it was important to us that the food at our wedding was good. The food at Hotel Drover is truly incredible! Our guests had the option of either the coffee-rubbed filet mignon or the brick-roasted chicken, along with a starter and sides. Hotel Drover also prepared mini honey butter chicken biscuits and mini chicken and waffles for a late-night snack. It was the best fuel to keep dancing all night long!
We had signature cocktails for our guests to enjoy. Because Nate and I met at a margarita night with our mutual friends, my cocktail was a pineapple lime margarita. Nate loves an old-fashioned, so it made sense for that to be his cocktail. And our dog, Oliver, had to have a signature cocktail as well, so we served espresso martinis in honor of his crazy little zoomies.

The Entertainment
For the ceremony music, Nate arranged for Joplin Lu Asian Strings to honor his family’s Asian-American heritage, and they were absolutely wonderful.
During cocktail hour, Joplin Lu Asian Strings continued to play. Nate went to film school before law school, so he really enjoyed selecting the songs to be played throughout the evening. He picked many popular songs and movie soundtracks, and Joplin Lu played them beautifully! Our guests thought it was so fun.
Then, for the reception, Jordan Khan Music Co.’s Manhattan band kept the party going all evening. The horn section made their way onto the dance floor dancing and playing among our guests, and they even created a limbo line with their instruments which was a hit! After the reception, Manhattan led a musical march through the Stockyards to our after-party at Sidesaddle Saloon. It was such a fun and unique way to move the party.

The Favorite Moment
Madison: My favorite moment of the day was when our officiant, Nate’s mom, introduced us as Mr. and Mrs. Nate and Madison Johnson. I was overwhelmed with joy, and I burst into such happy tears as we walked back down the aisle together as husband and wife.
Nate: My favorite moment of the day was the first look. I was so excited to see Madison in her wedding dress. It felt like our entire relationship had led to that moment. When I turned around, I was overwhelmed with emotion when I saw my perfectly stunning soon-to-be wife in front of me. It was an amazing moment.

The Unexpected
Though I planned to walk down the aisle to “Bridal Chorus,” there was a bit of a mix-up and I ended up walking down the aisle to “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. Though that was not quite what I expected, now every time I hear “Here Comes the Sun” in restaurants or on the radio, I’m reminded of walking toward Nate on our wedding day and I always smile.
The Honeymoon
The first international vacation that Nate and I took together was to Greece, and it was absolutely magical. We fell in love with the Greek Islands the moment we arrived. Santorini, in particular, stole our hearts. We promised each other that one day, we would be back to spend more time there. Three years later, Greece was an easy choice for our honeymoon. We spent two weeks there, enjoying time in Mykonos, Paros and of course, Santorini.
The Advice
This may be a bit cliché, but it really is true — cherish every moment of the weekend! Some of the happiest moments of your life will happen on your wedding day, and these memories will be something that you and your loved ones will treasure for a lifetime. Embrace the weekend without stressing too much about the details, and most importantly, remember that it really is all about the two of you joining together in marriage.
The Vendors
Featured Vendors
VENUE HOTEL DROVER
Other Vendors
PLANNING + DESIGN Maxwell + Gray
PHOTOGRAPHY John Cain Photography
FLORAL Blushington Blooms
RENTALS Grand Events, Big D Party Rentals
BRIDAL GOWN DESIGNER Mira Zwillinger
BRIDAL SALON Warren Barron Bridal
BRIDESMAID DRESSES Birdy Grey
GROOM FORMALWEAR J. Hilburn
HAIR Sara Bolton-Wilson
MAKEUP beauti marked by Megan
ENTERTAINMENT Joplin Lu of Dallas Asian Strings, Manhattan (Jordan Kahn Music Co.)
STATIONERY Paper Affair Dallas
CAKE Fancy Cakes by Lauren
AFTER PARTY Sidesaddle Saloon