IT HAD TO BE YOU

IT HAD TO BE YOU

by | Jan 3, 2021 | Feature Four, 2021 January February, Weddings 2021

Mary Alex Knight and Carter Mizell Marry In Houston

By Leanne Raesener

Photography by Marco Wang

Native Houstonians, Mary Alex Knight, the daughter of Risse and Kevin Knight, and Carter Mizell, the son of Chris and Mike Mizell, are not only alumni of The University of Texas at Austin and Episcopal High School, but are also pre-school alums as well. It was in their kindergarten class, where Carter first developed deep feelings for Mary Alex. He decided the best way to deliver his sweet thoughts would be to impress her with his literary talents through the gift of a note. To not leave anyone in suspense, the said note, of course, was saved over the years, and printed on the cocktail napkins for the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception for guests to enjoy the origins of the couple’s relationship.

 

As they both needed time to mature a bit, they did not rekindle their romance until much later. At which point, the couple then dated for seven years and enjoyed a ten-month-long engagement before family and friends cheerfully gathered to share in their loving, joyous union and celebrate the couple’s life-long adventure together.

The bride was genuinely surprised when Carter proposed. Mary Alex shared that she jogs the Houston Country Club golf course when it’s closed. “Carter asked me if I wanted to run the course with him…on a July day…in blistering Houston heat,” she mused. “I thought it was a terrible idea, yet agreed to go. When we went around one of the tee boxes, there was a bench with flowers and champagne, and that’s where he proposed. It was completely unexpected. Carter had arranged for our families and friends to be waiting back at the clubhouse to celebrate. The next day, both of our families, longtime mutual friends, went to my grandparent’s home in Hunt, Texas, where we continued to celebrate over the weekend.”

 

The wedding, held pre-COVID-19, was a grand celebration that began with an elegant rehearsal dinner at the River Oaks Country Club. The final line of the groom’s toast at the rehearsal dinner was: If you haven’t locked it down in Pre-K, best of luck to you

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The next day’s wedding ceremony was held at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham, with a reception following at the Houston Country Club. Our Lady of Walsingham’s choir also performed during the ceremony.

 

Mary Alex’s bridal gown was selected by Joan at Joan Pillow Bridal Salon. The designer, Italian based Le Spose Di Giò, whose dresses are still constructed in authentic creative workshops, designed the exquisitely customized gown. The intricate lace bodice, with off the shoulder sleeves, draped into a flowing floor-length silk organza skirt, secured at the back with an elegant bow and a lovely flower. The French cathedral length veil in a delicate Chantilly lace was by Romona Keveza. The bride’s crystal and mother-of-pearl headpiece was designed by Maria Elena. Like her mother, Mary Alex wore her veil during the reception for her first dance with Carter, the cake cuttings, and the toast. The mother of the bride wore a Monique Lhuiller botanical skirt with a custom organza blouse, and the groom’s mother wore a Catherine Regehr evening gown.

For the ceremony, the stunning bride was accompanied by Meredith Knight and Melanie Knight, her maids of honor, and her bridesmaids were: Lauren Bailey, Neely Brunette, Meg Carrigan, Grace Catherine Cary, Abby Cavender, C.C. Cavender, Reagan Corbett, Mary Curry, Clair Hodges, Julie King, Meagan Meeks, Caroline Mizell, Kendall Oelfke, Paige Rahe, and Allie Walls. Mitchell Austin, his best man, accompanied the groom. The groomsmen attending Carter were: Scott Adair, B-John Ballis, Stewart Cartwright, Luke Cone, Cliff Davis, Drew Galtney, Hunter Halpin, Stephen Herzer, David Hughes, Whit Maddox, Adam McCauley, Cole Miller, Logan Mizell, Jake Molak, Stephen Pitt, and Will Temple. The groom’s three ushers for this special day were Bobby Magness, Keller Towns, and Luke Utley.

 

The couple chose a traditional southern style wedding menu consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean bundles, and seafood gumbo, amongst other delectable choices. The scrumptious buffet was adorned with oversized floral arrangements, tapered candles, and crystal candelabras. The bride and groom toasted with the bride’s paternal grandmother’s sterling silver goblets after cutting their five-tier cake adorned with fresh flowers by Marlene Romero. At the end of the evening, the new couple added to the festivities by celebrating Cinco de Mayo a day early. Mini margaritas, chips and queso, and mini tacos were passed, rounding out a true Texas culinary extravaganza.

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Kelly Doonan Events meticulously executed the wedding, and the beautiful floral décor was designed by Susie Miller. The Georgia Bridgewater Orchestra had revelers up and on the dance floor, with photographer Marco Wang not missing a beat capturing and preserving all the magical moments. There was a unique, entertaining photo wall at the reception with rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, and reception photos projected for guests to view in real-time. Also, guests were welcomed to take boxed slices home of the bride and groom’s cakes, upon their departure from the reception, to eat with their coffee the following morning.

 

The Mizell’s left the reception, driving a vintage Packard bursting with flowers. They honeymooned for a glorious two weeks in Switzerland and the South of France before returning to Houston, where they will reside. The bride is a teacher at River Oaks Baptist School, and the groom works at Newmark Knight Frank in commercial real estate. The couple resides in Houston.

A STORYBOOK ROMANCE

A STORYBOOK ROMANCE

by | Jun 27, 2019 | 2019 July Aug, Feature Four

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.

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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. 

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