Elle Moody And Jimmy Gray Wed

By Rob Giardinelli Photography by Matt Lankes

Life’s various paths to love are fascinating. During the holiday season of 2017, Elle Moody was making a familiar holiday trek back from New York City to her hometown of Austin to spend the holidays with her family. On this particular year, she arrived just in time for her mother’s annual Christmas party. Elle was thrilled to be home catching up with friends at the party when her mother, Shannon, approached her. She whispered in Elle’s ear, “There is a cute boy in the kitchen. Go introduce yourself.”

That cute boy turned out to be Jimmy Gray. Also, a native Austinite, Jimmy had every intention of staying home the night of the party, yet his friends convinced him to join them in various holiday festivities that included what turned out to be one life-changing party stop. Elle introduced herself to Jimmy, and they immediately hit it off, initially bonding over their tales of growing up in Austin, as well as their mutual love of family. Elle enjoyed Jimmy’s compassion and sense of humor, while Jimmy appreciated Elle’s laid-back nature and loyalty to her friends.

The new romance continued for the rest of the holiday season until Elle had to return to New York. Jimmy promised to stay in touch, which resulted in a long-distance relationship where the two frequently made treks between Austin and New York. After a few years of dating long-distance, Jimmy moved to New York City for Elle, where the romance grew, and Jimmy knew the time was right to pop the question.

Elle thought they were en route to an intimate dinner for two when Jimmy invited his unsuspecting bride-to-be to join him in the backyard. Then, as singer Bonnie Raitt’s Thank You played in the background, Jimmy got down on one knee and asked Elle to marry him. After enthusiastically saying yes, they were joined by a group of friends for a surprise party. After the party ended, they continued the fun dancing the night away in New York City into the wee hours of the following morning.

The bride and groom-to-be selected the ranch of a close family friend as their wedding venue surrounded by those who meant most to the couple. The couple created a day filled with special touches that reflected the simple, beautiful nature of their love. The ceremony was held outdoors under an oak tree, which the bride had played under as a child. The tree featured sunflowers hanging from branches for additional ambiance. The bride, stunning in a classic, long-sleeved dress with a pearl-encrusted veil designed by Suzanne Neville, walked down the aisle as On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter was played on a violin. The couple was married by their best friend and officiant, Jay Krishnan, whose moving speech about their love brought tears to the 175 friends and family members in attendance.

The reception was held under a tent with beautiful floral decor hanging from the ceiling that continued the relaxed wedding theme. The couple created a fun experience for their guests, who found their seats via various photos of the couple’s beloved Labradoodle, Eddie. The crowd was served dinner that featured handmade interior Mexican cuisine perfectly paired with the mezcal and specialty margaritas created especially for the occasion.

After dinner and initial dances, the rest of their loved ones joined the newly married couple on the dance floor to the tunes of DJ Mel. C-Boys in Austin was the destination for the after-party where the bride changed into a pink sequin dress designed by Jonathan Simkhai, and the fun continued well into the night, capping off a fun road to romance.

Elle, daughter of Ross Moody and Shannon Moody of Austin, is a graduate of Rice University and earned her master’s degree from New York University. She spent 10 years working in New York at a global cultural communications agency and is now the Senior Vice President of The Moody Foundation. Jimmy, son of Jim and Patty Gray, also of Austin, is a graduate of Auburn University and a Corporate Account Executive at Hubspot. The couple and their dog, Eddie, recently returned to Austin from New York for the bride’s new professional role.