Wynne Trippett, of Waco, and Stephen Elder, of San Angelo, were college sweethearts, despite the fact that Wynne attended Baylor University in Waco and Stephen was a diehard Aggie. The couple was introduced on a blind date by their mutual best friends on November 20, 2004, and knew after an 11-month-long courtship that they were destined for marriage.

Both serious collegiate sports fans, Wynne explained that Stephen swallowed his pride and made the Baylor Ballpark the scene for his marriage proposal on November 5, 2005. He concocted a story that he had scheduled a job interview, while Wynne&rsquos sister and her boyfriend insisted the same weekend that they desperately need a grand tour of the Baylor campus. Wynne&rsquos sibling asked Wynne to show them the baseball field. The dutiful tour guide agreed and when they entered the facility, Wynne spotted Stephen standing on home plate.

&ldquoI was so surprised,” said Wynne. &ldquoStephen asked me to marry him and I said yes.” Once the proposal occurred, the couple was whisked away in a limo to meet their families for a proper engagement celebration.

The school spirit-filled couple planned their wedding date around their colleges’ football season, and finally agreed on November 4, 2006. &ldquoEverything happened for us in during the month of November,” said Wynne. &ldquoWe stayed with it, and planned a fall wedding.”

Since Wynne&rsquos childhood, she had spent summers in Horseshoe Bay. &ldquoIt is my favorite place in the world,” she said. &ldquoGrowing up in Waco, everyone always had the big hometown wedding. I wanted a wedding where people could spend a weekend away, enjoying the Hill Country, in a place that holds special memories for me.”

The wedding weekend began on Thursday, November 2, with dinner at the Tall Texas and pie samplings from the Bluebonnet Café in Marble Falls. The rehearsal dinner was hosted at the Horseshoe Bay Marriot ballroom, with a brunch on Saturday morning at the Horseshoe Bay Yacht Club. Wynne and her 10 bridesmaids prepared for the wedding in the Marriot&rsquos presidential suite. They fashioned light green dresses, while Wynne received her beauty treatments.

The ceremony started at 5:30 pm at the Church at Horseshoe Bay. The church&rsquos bay windows showcased Lake LBJ and the majestic beauty of the Hill Country. In addition to the 10 bridesmaids, Wynne and Stephen included nine house party attendants and nine groomsmen. Wynne&rsquos two sisters served as maids-of-honor alongside Stephen&rsquos best man. &ldquoThe ceremony was traditional, and included communion for Stephen and I,” said Wynne. &ldquoTwo friends played guitar and sang during the ceremony, which added a personal touch.”

The various bouquets included white peonies, stargazers, hydrangeas, white-tipped roses, and pink tulips. The color scheme was dark chocolate brown, pink, green, and gold.

At the ceremony&rsquos end, the couple invited their guests to attend a cocktail hour, for hors d&rsquoOeuvres champagne, and entertainment from a jazz ensemble. Finally, the Elders were formally introduced and the reception began.

The tables were a mix of squares and circles Wynne gave each table its own name and significance. &ldquoEach table held its own meaning, and we tried to seat people to tables that were attached to that particular memory,” said Wynne. &ldquoFor example, one table was named after a summer camp that I attended, where Stephen&rsquos sister was my camp counselor. We made sure that she was seated at that table. There were other tables named after the place where we experienced our first kiss and the name of our honeymoon location.”

Wynne credited Coby Neal of The Flower Studio for coordinating the unique aspects of the wedding. &ldquoCoby handled so much more than the flowers,” said Wynne. &ldquoHe organized the tent and the lighting, and pulled all of the elements together in ways I had never imagined.”

Once seated, the couple&rsquos guests enjoyed a meal of surf and turf, a mashed potato bar, and many other delectable choices. The bridal cake was a four-tiered vanilla confection, designed with hydrangeas atop the cake. Wynne and Stephen&rsquos monogram appeared in gold, and the cake was filled with a Mexican vanilla and strawberry filling. The groom&rsquos cake was chocolate on chocolate, with strawberries and a Texas A&ampM logo. The couple cut their cake with the same saber used to cut their grandparent&rsquos wedding cake.

Once guests had enjoyed the meal portion of the reception, the dancing began and didn&rsquot stop until the end of the evening. &ldquoOnce we finished all of the &lsquospecial’ dances, everyone flocked to the dance floor,” said Wynne. &ldquoThe Project was incredible and put on a great show.”

A vintage Rolls Royce arrived to take the Elders to the Driscoll Hotel for their wedding night. Guests tossed flutter fetti® which floats in the air longer than traditional confetti, creating the desired celebratory farewell. Wynne and Stephen waved goodnight, anticipating a weeklong honeymoon dream in Jumby Bay – a luxury resort in Antigua, West Indies.

&ldquoEveryone involved with our wedding went above and beyond to make it special, and it was truly a fabulous, unbelievable weekend. It is something we both will cherish forever.”

Austin Resources

Bridal Gown:
Monique Lhuillier&nbspfor Neiman Marcus

Bride&rsquos Hair:
Dianne Stokes, Salon Belezza (Waco)

Bride&rsquos Makeup:
Kim Rozell (Dallas)

Bridesmaids’ Attire:
Vera Wang

Cake:
Scott Calvert, The Cake Plate

Caterer:
Horseshoe Bay Marriott Resort

Ceremony & Reception Venue:
The Church at Horseshoe Bay, Horseshoe Bay Resort
White Water Pavilion, and Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott Hotel

Ceremony Music:
Nathaniel Mayfield (trumpet), Vincent DeVries (pianist-Waco)

Coordinator:
Kay Watson

Entertainment:
The Project Band (Dallas)

Florist:
Coby Neal, The Flower Studio

Groomsmens’ Attire:
Calvin Klein

Invitations:
Kathy Schmidt, Schmidts Engraving (Waco)

Lighting:
Brian Azar, Ilios Lighting

Officiant:
Dr. John Petty

Photographer:
Huy Nguwen with f8studio (Dallas)

Reception Linens:
Tailored Tables

Reception Music:
Greg Bashara Ensemble (cocktail party-Waco), The Project (Dallas)

Specialty Printing & Save-the-Dates:
Leeann Sutton (Dallas)

Tent & rentals:
Sally Harrell, Star of Texas Events

Tent Draping:
Strong Productions

Transportation:
Tom Daniels (San Antonio)

Videographer:
Chris Jones, Mason Jar Production – (Waco)