Wedding | Bethany & Devin

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Our story has always revolved around two things: music and travel.

We met while I was in college in 2015, the way modern love stories begin: through Instagram DMs. At the time, he was touring with his heavy metal band, Cane Hill, and our first meeting happened on a whim. I convinced my best friend (and future maid of honor) to road trip with me from New Orleans to Austin so I could meet him in person for the first time at his show.

Since he was on tour, our time together in Austin was brief, but it was enough to know there was something special. A month later, I flew to Los Angeles to spend more time with him while he was recording in the studio. After the tour wrapped, he came back home to New Orleans, and from there, everything naturally fell into place.

Eight years, a global pandemic, career changes, countless apartments, and two cats later, we got engaged in the South of France and celebrated our engagement with a dreamy Euro summer between Nice and Rome.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

I had been obsessed with the Madonna Inn for years, and its whimsical, kitschy, pink dream world always felt like something out of another era. As a lover of all things vintage and pink, there was truly no other wedding venue that felt more authentically me. The fact that it was located in California, where we spent some of our earliest days together as a couple, made the choice feel even more full circle.

The Madonna Inn perfectly captured the vision I had for our wedding. I’ve always been drawn to the nostalgia and romance of vintage weddings, and I wanted ours to feel like it could have been pulled straight from a classic Hollywood film - think the wedding scene from Goodfellas.

How many guests did you have?

We had 50 guests, the perfect size for the intimate wedding we envisioned. We wanted to be surrounded by our closest friends and family, and having a smaller guest count allowed us to spend more meaningful time with everyone who was there.

What was your budget?

Our original budget was lower than what we ultimately spent, but we were still able to create our dream wedding without putting ourselves under financial stress. From the beginning, I knew exactly which details were worth investing in and where we could be more intentional with our spending.

I prioritized the elements that mattered most to us while finding creative ways to save on others, whether that meant designing things myself, planning the wedding by ourselves, thrifting, or sourcing vintage pieces. Being intentional with our choices allowed us to create a wedding that felt completely true to us without compromising the overall vision.

Tell us about your outfits.

My wedding dress and veil were sourced through Facebook Marketplace from the sweetest woman who had been storing them away in her storage unit for years. She had both pieces custom made for her own wedding in 1993, and when I met her to see them in person, I immediately knew they were the ones.

As someone who primarily wears vintage clothing, I always knew I wanted to wear a vintage wedding dress and veil. I believe there is something so special about vintage wedding dresses; the history they carry, the stories they hold, and the opportunity to give them a new life with another bride.

The dress only needed a few small alterations to make it fit perfectly. When I first brought it to my seamstress, she assumed I wanted to give it a modern makeover, but that was the last thing I wanted. I fell in love with the dress because of its original details: the dramatic puff sleeves, beaded lace, and bow detail on the back. The beauty was already there, and I wanted to honor the original design exactly as it was created in the 90s.

Devin wore a classic black and white tuxedo, adding a subtle edge with a silver cross chain on his lapel. We wanted both of our looks to feel timeless while still reflecting our personal styles.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The most important aspect of planning our wedding was making sure it felt like us. We didn’t want a wedding that felt like a copy and paste version of something we had seen before; we wanted a celebration that felt personal, intentional, and ours.

If you know us personally and were there that day, you would immediately understand how much the wedding reflected who we are as a couple. Every decision was rooted in our personalities, our interests, and the things we genuinely love, rather than following a certain idea of what a wedding “should” be.

Above all, we wanted to have fun, be fully present, and create a memorable experience for ourselves and our guests. We wanted everyone there to feel the love, personality, and energy that make us who we are.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We wanted our wedding to be filled with meaningful details that came directly from the people we love; little hidden gems that told our story.

One of my bridesmaids is a poet, and she wrote a poem for us that was read during our ceremony. Another bridesmaid is a talented designer who created my getting ready robe, along with the feather veil I wore during our reception. Devin had his musician friends DJ the night.

We also incorporated pieces of our family history, from wearing my mother’s wedding day earrings to displaying framed vintage wedding photos of our grandparents on our welcome table. We added small figurines of our cats to the bottom of our wedding cake as a nod to our little family, and since I’m from New Orleans, I included a traditional Southern cake pull with my bridesmaids.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Stay true to yourselves, have fun, and don’t let the little things steal the moment. It’s so easy to get lost in wedding planning and start obsessing over every tiny detail, but the reality is that there will always be things that are out of your control. The best thing you can do is let go, trust the process, and remember what the day is actually about. The details matter, but they don’t matter more than enjoying your own wedding.

Take care of yourself. Stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. You’re investing so much into your wedding photography, and while makeup can work magic, there’s only so much it can do for exhaustion.

Don’t feel pressured to have a huge guest list just because you feel like you “should.” You do not need to invite every person you’ve ever crossed paths with. That random person you met once 10 years ago? They probably don’t need a seat at your wedding.

Curate the vibe you want. Pick the music you love, build the playlist that feels like you, and don’t underestimate how much it sets the tone for the entire night. No one remembers a reception where the music was boring.

And finally: get the good cake. Everyone loves a good wedding cake.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

I spent hours researching and hand-selecting each vendor because it was important that every person involved understood not just the aesthetic, but the feeling we were trying to create.

Our photographer and Super 8 videographer, To Have Her, were absolutely incredible. Their work immediately resonated with me, and I knew they were the perfect duo to capture the vintage, nostalgic, cinematic wedding we envisioned. Our gallery feels like a dream brought to life; not only capturing how the day looked, but how it felt.

Lucky Lady Floral brought my pink and red Valentine’s Day Barbie-inspired floral vision to life. Together, we created a design inspired by 1980s and 1990s weddings, incorporating roses, carnations, orchids, baby’s breath, ivy, plumosa, vintage ribbons, and pink ostrich feathers. The florals felt playful and romantic, exactly what I wanted.

I was lucky to work with Paper Moon Shoppe for our vintage paper moon photobooth. Their iconic paper moon backdrop brought an Old Hollywood charm to the reception and our guests loved it. It felt like the perfect addition to our wedding inspired by nostalgia.

My glam team, Jillian Wilkey for makeup and Stephenie Barba for hair, completely brought my beauty vision to life. We pulled inspiration from 90s supermodels like Claudia Schiffer and Karen Mulder, combined with a touch of Old Hollywood. Stephenie created the most beautiful vintage pin-up curls, while Jillian perfected a classic makeup look with a subtle smokey eye and deep red lip that complemented the entire aesthetic.

Our DJs, The Brothers Grim (Hunter and Brock Bentley), were truly one of the highlights of the reception. Since they’re good friends of Devin and typically play events like Emo Nite, they brought the perfect mix of energy and fun to the dance floor. They completely understood the vintage vibe we wanted, honored our playlist, and kept the party alive all night. The soundtrack of the evening was such an important part of creating the atmosphere. Cocktail hour began with jazz classics like Tony Bennett before transitioning into upbeat favorites like Prince during the reception. We ended the night with a full-on disco dance party, complete with Donna Summer and everyone on the dance floor.

Our ceremony music was performed by solo harpist Beverly Arnold, who was divine. She had such a beautiful repertoire and made the ceremony feel personal by playing our favorite songs, from The Cranberries and The Cure to Frank Sinatra and Elvis.

Our content creator, For Life With Love (Angie Nguyen Sweeney), was such a special addition to our wedding day. She captured all of the behind-the-scenes moments, tiny details, and candid memories that happen so quickly. Her content gave us even more ways to relive the day.

Lastly, the special events team at the Madonna Inn made the entire experience seamless. Since we were planning from out of state, their communication and support were invaluable. From the ceremony and reception spaces to their bakery creating our iconic pink champagne wedding cake, every detail came together perfectly. Our guests loved staying at the resort, and it truly felt like the only place where our vision could have come to life.

Photographer & Videographer: To Have Her @tohaveher | Planning & Styling: By the bride | Flora: Lucky Lady Floral @luckyladyfloral | Ceremony & Reception Location: Madonna Inn @madonna

inn1958 | Celebrant: Olive Tree Officiating @olivetreeofficiating | Content Creator: For Life With Love @forlifewithlove | MUA: Jillian Wilkey @jillianwilkey | Hair Stylist: Stephenie Barba @beautyand

thebeehive | Catering, Cake & Beverages: Madonna Inn @madonnainn1958 | Stationery: By the bride | Entertainment/DJ: The Brothers Grim @thebrothers.grim | Photobooth: Paper Moon Shoppe @papermoonshoppe | Dress: Vintage, sourced by the bride | Suit: Men’s Wearhouse @MensWearhouse | Ceremony veil: Vintage, sourced by the bride | Custom Matches: The Match Muse @thematchmuse | Custom Keychains: Jenn and Jules Designs @jennandjulesdesigns | Engagement Ring: Ramsey’s Diamond Jewelers @ramseysdiamondjewelers | Wedding Rings: (Bride:) Vintage; (Groom:) Ramsey’s Diamond Jewelers @ramseysdiamondjewelers | Shoes: Badgley Mischka @badgleymischka | Other Jewellery: Vintage, including the bride's mother's wedding day earrings | Wedding Party Attire: (Bridesmaids:) Various brands, individually chosen; (Groomsmen:) Men’s Wearhouse @MensWearhouse | Harpist: Beverly Arnold | Welcome Sign: Alexander & Co @alexander_and_co | Bridal Robe & Reception Veil: Custom Rayanna Sicard @rayannasicard | Table Decor, Cake Topper & Guest Book: Vintage (sourced by Bethany) | Cake Pulls: Valois Designs @valoisdesigns