M + I
Meet Madeline + Ismael! Their love story is a special one. It was such a sweet honor getting to walk alongside them through all the preparation for their wedding day! M had such a beautiful vision of an intimate dinner reception on the back patio under the string lights. We couldn’t be more obsessed with how everything came together - thanks to an incredible group of vendors!
Here’s their love story - Ohhhh it's a good one. Ismael is from Dallas and I am from Houston. We both got accepted into the Acting BFA program at UT in Austin. The week before classes started freshmen year we had a mixer to meet the rest of our class. I remember hugging Ismael when introducing myself, with his eyebrow piercing and strong sense of gravity. I thought we probably wouldn't particularly be close friends. And it freaked me out that I couldn't exactly "read" him. In that moment I'm sure Ismael probably thought I wasn't exactly his vibe. He tended to be friends with misfits, and I took pride in having my crap together and was/am very "type A". I was overly excited that day, and he wasn't particularly wanting any new friends. We had over 24 classes together over the next four years in a class of 5 girls, and 8 boys. We basically grew up together over those long four years, and became better friends than we both had originally probably thought. We had a common interest in acting and the arts and we found ourselves meshing really well creatively. I realized after we got together that we were both never single at the same time. But honestly, I don't think something more than a friendship every crossed either of our minds to potentially happen. I think we were both a bit friend zoned. Flash forward to the very last semester and Ismael began showing interest after I went through a break-up, which completely shocked me. After Ismael basically begging me ;) I said ok let's give it a go. All while thinking it wouldn't end up turning serious. I'm so glad that he continued to pursue me, as I wasn't in the best mental place to originally pursue him back. But he just stuck around, and I grew fonder of him. It's weird to think that we almost missed each other completely. We were so close to finishing school and never exploring that option. I'm so thankful that I went for it when I did. We've had a rough past year, as I was diagnosed with cancer September of 2022. We actually ended up eloping for insurance purposes after I was diagnosed. So this is our wedding celebration on our one year anniversary. We didn't want cancer to take this wedding away from us. And this wedding is so much more than a wedding now. It's a party to celebrate family and friends getting to be together (which we will now never take for granted), the blessing that I am cancer free, and a much deserved party for the heck of the year we've had. Through this past year, Ismael stepped up for me in ways that makes me constantly teary. He's truly the best. He's already completely won the whole "in sickness and in health thing."
What drew M + I to choosing The Emerson for their best day - “If the Emerson was a girl then she would be the ultimate "clean girl" vibes. It's simple, classic and clean. We always wanted something intimate and didn't want our wedding to feel like a "show". It still feels elevated and upscale, while still feeling intimate. Plus, the entire staff is lovely.”
Congratulations again, M + I! We are so, so grateful that we got to play a part in celebrating you + your marriage! We pray that every single year continues to get sweeter + sweeter! Another big thank you goes to the whole vendor team - this magical day couldn’t have happened without each + every one of you. Be sure to check everyone out below along with all the rentals M + I chose from CL x EMERSON!
