
Sarah Killman and Lonnie Crow
Join us for an exclusive Q&A with Sarah Crow as we dive into the details of their special day.
the couple. Sarah Killman & Lonnie Crow
the venue. Bowie House
the planner/designer. Tami Winn Events
the photos. Tracy Autem Photography
The Love Story
We met on December 23rd, 2018. We had both gone home to Odessa, Texas to visit our families for Christmas. I went to dinner with my parents at a local spot, Zucchi’s Ristorante, and Lonnie happened to be sitting at the bar visiting a family friend. Lonnie took an immediate interest and kept casually turning around to take a peek.
While my parents and I were eating, we ran into some friends (Lanelle and Mike) that sat down for a few drinks before heading to a Holiday party. Lanelle quickly noticed Lonnie’s interest in me and started asking me all the important questions – Are you single? How old are you? Where do you live? After a short quiz, Lanelle told me that she was going to go talk to that “cute slice of pie” at the bar and invite him to our table. So Lanelle introduced herself to Lonnie and told him that I’m also looking and that Lonnie should come join our table. Lonnie comes over to the table, introduces himself, and we’ve been together ever since!

The Proposal
I had been bugging Lonnie to go to Oak Meadow Ranch forever! It’s a really up close and personal experience with exotic animals – they have lemurs, fox, sloths, serval cats, kangaroos, a giraffe and so many more animals!
The evening started with an amazing dinner at the Whitehorse Steakhouse and then we began the animal experiences after dinner. We started off holding baby lemurs – they were so cute! Lonnie and I were then taken into a private room for the “baby fox experience.” I sat down while the handlers brought me a baby Fennec Fox. I was so overwhelmed with the cuteness that I didn’t even notice an orange ribbon tied around his neck. Lonnie kept asking me to look at the ribbon but I kept telling him to leave it alone because I didn’t want to scare the baby fox. After a few seconds of back and forth about the ribbon, I noticed Lonnie was on one knee and that’s when he twisted the ribbon around and pulled up a ring and asked me to marry him. I of course said yes! We had some champagne and then went on to feed a giraffe, hold a sloth, feed kangaroos, and pet lemurs. It was truly a night I won’t forget and my favorite animal is now a fennec fox!
The Wedding Venue
We were both born and raised in Texas and we wanted a space that was beautiful, filled with character and had a Texas feel that was welcoming and elegant. We got to tour Bowie House while it was still being built and we immediately fell in love with the property. Even though it was still very much a construction zone, we could tell that so much thought was put behind every detail in the hotel and that it would be the perfect space for our special day.

The Vibe
I wanted our wedding to be timeless, classic and FUN! We are typically a very casual couple, so we wanted to make sure that everything was elegant but still very welcoming and a fun atmosphere.

The Photography
I do not love being in front of the camera so finding a photographer that made us feel comfortable was the biggest priority. I wanted them to mesh well with Lonnie and I but also fit in with our wedding party since they would be with us pretty much all day. My wedding planner, Tami Winn (Tami Winn Events), knew exactly who to recommend – Tracy Autem Photography. The second I spoke to Tracy, I knew she was the photographer for us. Tracy and her team are wonderful. They made us feel so comfortable and relaxed and we laughed and had so much fun during our engagement session and the wedding. Their style is timeless and classic and it fit our personalities perfectly. Their photos are gorgeous!
The Dress
I honestly had no idea what kind of dress I wanted until I went to try them on. My 3 best friends and I went to Wed Bridal and had the best experience. I started by trying on a lot of different styles and colors and then was able to quickly narrow down the style. I wanted a strapless with a tulle skirt and either lace or beading. I didn’t actually pick out my dress to try on originally, but as I was trying on another gown, the beading caught my eye and I knew I had to try it on. The second I turned around to show my friends, we all knew that this was THE dress for me. I love the beading and the deep v cut out. It truly is a feeling that can’t be described when you find THE dress.


The Accessories
I wore my Mom’s pearl and diamond stud earrings that my Dad had made for her. The top of my dress is all beads so I wanted stud earrings to compliment the dress and not be a statement. I changed dresses at our reception and changed into baby blue Tecovas that had my new initials branded on the side. Lonnie wore a gold and diamond ring that he inherited from his Dad. His Dad passed away in 2018 so it was a way for his Dad to be by his side on our wedding day.


The Bridesmaids
To start the day, I gave all of my Bridesmaids matching Katie Kime Fort Worth Toile pajamas. These were a perfect compliment to Bowie House and created such fun getting ready photos. For the wedding, our theme was black & white with gold accents and flowers that are a mixture of white, pinks, corals, and oranges. I wanted the Bridesmaids to be in a classic long black dress so that our flowers would be the statement piece. I picked the fabric from Birdy Grey and then let each Bridesmaid pick their style.
The Groomsmen
Lonnie loves to golf so they played a round of golf the morning of the wedding. We gave the Groomsmen Peter Millar golf polos with our wedding monogram and date embroidered on the sleeve so they all wore matching shirts. For the wedding, Lonnie wanted to wear a timeless black tuxedo so all of his Groomsmen wore the same. They looked sharp!
The Wedding Rings
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been obsessed with my Grandmother’s engagement ring and wedding bands. When I told my Mom that I couldn’t find a wedding band that I loved, she surprised me with my Grandmother’s diamond and emerald wedding band. It was so special! Lonnie doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry so he wanted a simple gold band. We found the perfect gold band at Bachendorf’s.


The Hair and Makeup
I wanted to look and feel like myself but a total glammed version. I wanted a glowy, bronzed look with a classic smokey eye. I worked with Fallon Farmer from Love+Pout and she absolutely nailed my vision. She has a way of totally understanding your vision from one inspirational photo and a short conversation. I wanted my hair to also be timeless so we decided to do loose curls with the front pieces tucked behind my ears. I felt so gorgeous and confident on my wedding day.

The Stationery
We worked with Paper Planet to design a wedding monogram. We started with a solar white linen invitation with hand gold leaf on the 2 opposite outer corners. We then had a black plike details card with white text and then a white RSVP card. This was all put in an inner envelope that had a black plike liner with our monogram embossed. Our invitations were very simple and traditional but we had fun with the gold leaf and the different paper textures.

The Florals
My color palette was a mixture of white, pinks, oranges, corals, peaches and greenery. I love flowers and wanted them to be a statement. I chose a mixture of Anemone Marianne, Peony Coral Charm, Ranunculus Elegance, White Hydrangea, Peach Juliet Garden Rose, Pink Tulips, and every shade of pink and coral Roses. We used Eucalyptus as the greenery. I wanted our flowers to be a focal point and TWE Florals made that happen. The colors and textures came together perfectly and were an amazing contrast to the black & white theme.





The Morning Of
I was surprisingly calm! I thought I was going to be super nervous, but it was something about being in a room with all of my closest girlfriends and family that helped calm all my nerves. It was such a fun morning filled with memories that I will cherish forever. We laughed, we cried happy tears and my nieces made TikToks. It was the perfect start to our wedding.





The Ceremony
The highlight of the ceremony was Lonnie DANCING down the aisle to “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate. The song was planned but the dancing was not! Everyone was laughing and smiling and this truly set the tone for the rest of the ceremony and reception.









The Reception
We wanted simple and elegant with fun, personal touches throughout the reception. We had custom cocktail stir sticks and bar signs were photos of our 4 pets – Kitty Baby, Joe, Hank, and Finn. The head tables had tall, gold candelabras mixed with flower arrangements that were parallel to each side of the black & white dance floor. Every place setting had a bronzed chocolate cowboy hat, cowboy boot, or horse shoe. We also had Robin Smith from Fowl and Marker doing live chain stitching on bandanas as a keepsake from our wedding. We passed out Espresso Martinis and late night breakfast tacos at the end of the evening. It was the perfect touch to the end of the night.








The Planning
I was so fortunate to work with Tami Winn from Tami Winn Events (TWE). She made the planning process so easy and fun. Tami and her team plan and execute the most gorgeous events. I owe the Tami Winn team all of the credit for bringing my vision to life. It was so much fun seeing our creation come to life at the ceremony and reception. I had full trust and confidence in TWE and they were another reason I felt so calm on the morning of the wedding. I knew everything would be perfect because TWE was there!
The Cake
Creme De La Creme did the Bride and Groom’s cake. For the bride’s cake, we did a 4 tier cake with gold leaf wrapped around the tiers and our wedding monogram. We chose an almond cake with cream cheese and raspberry filling. Lonnie wanted a golf bag for his cake and he chose a chocolate truffle cake with oreo filling. We then decorated his table with custom golf balls and flag.


The Food
Bowie House catered our reception. We started out with the Little Gem Wedge Salad then we had a chicken and filet duet plate. For sides we had mashed potatoes, loaded au gratin potatoes, cauliflower casserole, and blistered green beans. We served all of the sides family style at each table. We also did late night breakfast tacos which were a hit! All of the food was delicious!
The Entertainment
Armond Vance welcomed our guests to the ceremony and cocktail hour. He integrates hip hop, R&B, and today’s hits with classical violin music. He is an amazing performer and was so much fun to kick off our evening. We then had Prophets and Outlaws and DJ Nate Nelson from LeForce entertainment. They alternated playing at the reception and the pairing was so much fun!
The Favorite Moment
It is hard to pick one moment. I think it would be seeing Lonnie’s reaction to seeing me in my wedding gown and also seeing my Dad for the first time in my wedding gown. I will remember both of their big smiles and teary eyes forever.




The Unexpected
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we received from everyone at the wedding. It was a feeling that I wasn’t anticipating. It was by far the best night of our lives!
The Honeymoon
We went to the Sandals Resort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The resort was brand new and beautiful. And the island was stunning. It was the perfect ending to our wedding celebration and start to married life.
The Advice
Enjoy every second of being engaged, planning a wedding, and then remind yourself to soak-in everything during the ceremony and reception. Time really does fly by the day of your wedding so take a second to enjoy the love and happiness that surrounds you!
The Vendors
Featured Vendors
PHOTOGRAPHER TRACY AUTEM PHOTOGRAPHY
Other Wedding Vendors
PLANNING + DESIGN + FLORAL TAMI WINN EVENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA/CONTENT YOUR SHARED EVENT
VENUE BOWIE HOUSE
HAIR + MAKEUP FALLON FARMER
OFFICIANT MATTHEW DEBLANC
RENTALS GRAND EVENTS
DANCE FLOOR CENTER STAGE FLOORS
CAKE CREME DE LA CREME CAKE COMPANY
CHAIN STITCHING FOWL & MAKER
BAND PROPHETS AND OUTLAWS
DJ NATE NELSON
LIGHTING LEFORCE ENTERTAINMENT
STRINGS ARMOND VANCE
TRANSPORTATION IGPORT LIMOS
STATIONARY PAPER PLANET
GOWN & VEIL WED BRIDAL BOUTIQUE
TUXEDOS JOS. A. BANK
CHOCOLATES COCOANDRÉ CHOCOLATIER
STIR STICKS & BAR SIGN OCCASIONAL PAPER CUTS