For Mackenzie and Austin Lewis, September 23, 2017, was a day six years in the making. The bride and groom, a native Dallasite and a Louisianan, respectively, met in 2011 at a Christmas party and immediately hit it off. Following a long-distance courtship, Austin moved to Dallas and ultimately proposed over Labor Day weekend at his uncle’s ranch in Canadian, Texas.
“We had spent that Sunday by the river,” remembers Mackenzie. “As we were heading back to the house, Austin asked if we could drive to this spot to watch the sunset. We were sitting on a blanket, listening to music and watching the sunset when he pulled out the ring.”
In contrast to the quaint and private proposal, the wedding that followed was a glamorous affair filled with more than 650 of the couple’s family and friends.
After saying “I do” at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, the church Mackenzie attended growing up, the bride and groom invited guests to join them at the Dallas Museum of Art for a sparkling reception.
Contemporary art lovers, Mackenzie and Austin wanted guests to feel like they were getting dressed up for a night at the museum and knew the DMA would be the perfect backdrop for the evening they envisioned. From the moment guests entered the museum, welcomed by music courtesy of the Dallas String Quartet, they were wowed by custom decor and impeccable attention to detail.
To create the effect of being outdoors, 8- to 12-foot-tall trees were scattered around the custom dance floor, along with towering floral arrangements. Furniture and light fixtures from Arteriors added to the atmosphere, and a neon sign was custom designed for the backdrop of the photo booth.
As for fare, the couple nodded to their Southern roots with fried oysters, mini grilled-cheese sandwiches, craft margaritas, and Whataburger cheeseburgers for a late-night snack. And, of course, there were more decadent food stations scattered throughout the reception space.
To satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth, Fancy Cakes by Lauren worked with the couple to design custom cakes for him and her — his depicting a golf bag sitting atop a crawfish boil, hers matching the lace on her wedding dress.
“I honestly can’t pinpoint one specific moment that I loved most,” says Mackenzie. “I was on cloud nine the whole weekend!”
Planning: Julian Leaver
Photographer: Stephen Karlisch
Ceremony: Highland Park Presbyterian Church
Reception: Dallas Museum of Art
Entertainment: Dallas String Quartet and East Coast Entertainment
Florals: Jackson Durham Events
Cake: Fancy Cakes by Lauren
Drapes: Quest Events
Tent: Sandone Productions
Rentals: Posh Couture Rentals
Dance floor: DFW Dance Floors
Furniture and lighting: Arteriors
Transportation: Premier Transportation
Bridal gown: Romona Keveza
Stephen Karlisch photographed the event.
Natalie Boerder, Kaleta Blaffer-Johnson, Meredith Connally, Jennifer Cifuentes, Nathalie Barrera, Hayden Hrncir.Photo by Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studio
A quartet played Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes during dinner. Photo by Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studio