It’s hard to believe that this wedding was planned long-distance, but with Jessica’s vision and Tzahhia’s planning expertise, they made the perfect team. Fun fact, Tzahhia also planned Jessica’s brother’s wedding several years ago!

The ceremony took place at the beautiful Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas. The wedding reception was held in a beautifully decorated tent at Arlington Hall. The design for the tent really evolved throughout planning, but there were a few things Jesse knew she wanted from the start: a classic and timeless design with some color (no pink!), a champagne escort display, and gold chiavari chairs.

The design was organic, overall light in color, but full of texture. We brought in whitewashed wooden farm tables from Perch Decor for the head table, and laid a soft, romantic table runner down the center to soften up, but contrast the wooden tables. We found the prettiest floral-print linens from BBJ for the cocktail hour, which were also a little sneak peek to the florals guests would see in the tent!

The unique personal touches incorporated throughout the day, made Jessica and Paxton’s wedding one you will never forget. From the mariachi band playing during dinner, Jessica’s dad playing guitar with the band for the couple’s first dance, the signature drinks named after their pets, to the aguardiente (popular liqueur in Colombia) toast with their guests. This wedding had Jessica and Paxton written all over it!

Continue on to see images of their wedding and learn more about Jessica and Paxton in their own words.

 

Tell us about your love story – how did you meet?

Paxton and I met in Austin, TX while we were sophomores in college. He asked me to his fraternity formal and we dated from that night up until college graduation. After that, we went our separate ways for a couple years – I wanted to travel before starting medical school and he was starting law school – we were in different places in our lives. Finally, I moved to New York to start medical school and Paxton was finishing up law school at SMU in Dallas.

At the end of 2019, he called me to tell me he was still in love with me. I told him that if he really meant that, he could come to New York and tell me himself, in person (not that I thought he would). He was on a plane that week. We got back together, and he proposed 6 months later! For whatever reason, I knew when he came to New York that I was going to marry him. Those two years without him made me realize life is better with him in it.

We are living in New York right now and have three pets (two cats and a dog)! They mean the world to us. When we can get away from medical school and his job, we love to travel and go to concerts. We take Ozzie (our dog) everywhere we go! But mostly we just love hanging out together. We got back together when COVID started, so staying in and just being with each other is natural. We’re huge nerds; we like to play chess and order in.

What was your vision for the wedding?

For the ceremony, I wanted a traditional Catholic mass in a beautiful cathedral with ornate finishings. For the reception, I envisioned a fresh, ethereal garden setting that felt warm and inviting, but being elegant and timeless was always my priority. To set a romantic mood, I was drawn to candelabras and votive candles nestled into low floral centerpieces. Greenery hanging from the ceiling gave the tent an organic and flowy look.

What was your favorite part of the day?

The time in between the wedding ceremony and reception was very special. We rode in an old fashioned style car, took pictures, and even ate dinner in private!

What unique elements or DIY details did you include?

We incorporated aspects of my latin heritage into the ceremony and reception. My family from South American (Colombia, Peru and El Salvador) came to the wedding, and my aunt said a reading in Spanish during the mass. We had a mariachi band play during dinner and passed out shots of aguardiente during a band break as a toast!

Were there any sentimental moments/items incorporated to the wedding?

We used my late grandparents’ champagne flutes for the wedding cake toast.

What advice do you have for other couples/brides-to-be?

When picking out vendors for your wedding, especially the photographer and florist, look at 2 or 3 options before you decide. Take note of how you vibe with the person because you will be spending a lot of time with them. For example, the photographer will be with you the whole wedding day, so it’s important that you get along and are on the same page. I also really valued my florist’s opinion and we worked together well. On that note, be open to listening to other opinions objectively, but at the end of the day it is your decision that matters! After you put thought into your decisions, trust that it’s the right thing to do and enjoy the process 🙂

The bride, Jessica, left Tzahhia the sweetest review:

“Tzahhia was the best planner I could have asked for! I originally was drawn to Tzahhia because of her professionalism and ability to stay calm and collected during my brother’s wedding (she was also their planner). As we worked together for my wedding, she made sure I had everything I wanted in a wedding, while also being conscious of the budget, which I really appreciated! She is incredibly organized; you will have excel spreadsheets on practically everything you need to know about your big day.

She also went above and beyond, from the design board, to the flowers, to executing the wedding (to perfection!). If I requested something specific, she did everything she could to make sure it happened. My wedding was just that – everything I could have dreamed of! She has some incredible ideas and is very talented. She planned things I didn’t even know about! I don’t know what I would have done without her!!”

---

You can view other weddings that Tzahhia has planned for below:

• Claudia + Ben at A Tasteful Place and Rosine Hall
• Kala + Will at The Olana
• Paige + Mike at First Presbyterian of Dallas and The Adolphus
• Brittany + Reid at Christ the King + Park Cities Club
• Halley + Nick at Marie Gabrielle