Victoria Davis and Mitchell Dan Marry In Dallas
By Claire-Lise Greve
Photography by Claire Casner Photography
Before bending on one knee and popping the question, Mitchell Dan created the perfect proposal. He wrote a heartwarming book about his storybook romance with Victoria Davis and, with the help of her closest high school girlfriends, rigged a white elephant gift exchange to hide the surprise. Her friends made her read the book aloud and when “real life had caught up to the story,” Mitchell walked out of the closet and proposed to Victoria.
At the beginning of their story, Victoria was a young lady from Dallas, and Mitchell was a young man from San Antonio who had both chosen to further their education at the University of Texas at Austin. As luck would have it, the two love birds would meet and end up falling in love. Victoria, the daughter of Kathy and Doug Williams, and Charles Davis, and Mitchell, the son of Nicole and Charles Dan, dated for four exciting years filled with traveling, cooking, and quality time with family and friends. “We really tried to soak up the fun times in life,” doted the couple, “we both appreciate the spontaneity of each other.” And that spontaneity that Victoria fell in love with was exemplified perfectly in the story of how Mitchell proposed.
After a fifteen month engagement, the couple tied the knot at the Perkins Chapel at Southern Methodist University in the bride’s hometown of Dallas. The picturesque church with a magnificent steeple and grand columns made a spectacular backdrop for the couple’s memorable event for the black tie occasion.
The evening before the nuptials, the couple’s rehearsal dinner reflected elements of Michell’s hometown with a seated Mexican dinner adorned with festive decor that added some San Antonio flavor that included Otomi tablecloths, terra cotta mission churches, personalized papel picado, and bright floral arrangements with ribbons.
Both the bride and groom had 10 bridesmaids and groomsmen attendants. Attending Victoria were Marylyn Toledo as her maid of honor with Sarah Dan, Catherine Davis, Morgan Doyle, Alexis Euart, Christina Florey, Camryn Pennington, Mary Clare Pugh, Taylor Williams, and Kelly Winkle. Attending Mitchell was Tyler Dan as his best man, Brady Blonkvist, Chad Davis, Graham Davis, Evan Golden, Clark Hudnall, Trevor Lovelady, Luke Maloy, Bryson Marshall, and Philip Massari.
The bride walked down the aisle in a stunning princess style gown with a sweetheart neckline by Rita Vinieris from Ivory Bridal Atelier. For her “something blue,” Mitchell surprised Victoria with a dazzling pair of custom earrings from Lindsey Leigh Jewelry. Victoria’s mother also had a custom “something blue” ring designed for her. The blue and white floral decor, which were featured at both the ceremony and reception, were fashioned by The Garden Gate Dallas and contributed exceptionally well to the blue, white and blush coloration of the wedding.
While the 250 guests made their way to the reception at the Royal Oaks Country Club, the bride and groom were able to sneak in a secluded moment together where they enjoyed a glass of champagne and hors d’ oeuvres. At the reception, the guests enjoyed an exceptional and sentimental wine since the bride’s parents are investors in the Sonoma Valley Wine Cast, where they grow their own grapes and create delectable wines on their land near Healdsburg, California.
For dinner, the guests were treated to a culinary selection featuring a magnificent filet, crab cakes, garlic mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Afterward, the couple cut into their six-tier cake designed by Dallas Affaires Cakes, which featured their custom logo in the center adorned with blue flowers around it. Since Mitchell works in the oil industry, it was only fitting to incorporate elements of his career in the groom’s cake. Based on the design that Mitchell created, it was a 3D look into the earth’s subsurface in a typical gulf coast oil trap that featured an oil derrick and work crew on top of the cake.
The wedding planner, Kay Watson, flawlessly executed the dazzling reception for the happy couple. The musical stylings of the Empire 6 Band entertained the guests as they danced under the glamour of the grand chandelier. One of the couple’s favorite moments of the night was when Mitchell’s grandmother, Meme, raised her cane and, in his words, “lit up the dance floor with some incredible moves at the age of 86.” At the end of the reception, Mitchell and Victoria did a private dance before the guests lined up for the couple’s grand exit into a 1959 Rolls Royce.
The newlyweds traveled to Greece for their honeymoon where they explored the picturesque countryside and villages. The couple resides in Houston, Texas where Victoria is a pediatric intensive care nurse and Mitchell is a petroleum geologist at Dunn Exploration.