Real Wedding: Kristin and Carder's Military Wedding

After meeting through match.com, Kristin and Carder enjoyed a whirlwind romance. The couple became engaged on the beach over Memorial Day weekend and jumped into planning right away. Kristin found her gorgeous Augusta Jones Ali style gown at StarDust, as well as her Toni Federici veil.

Quickly realizing they needed assistance with planning, Kristin enlisted our team of wedding planners to help create her dream wedding.

A pediatric oncology nurse, Kristin was looking forward to becoming a Navy wife to Carder, an Ensign in the US Navy, so she wanted to bring in lots of military details.

We went with a Navy-inspired color palette of sapphire blue, white and silver, which also worked well for the season for this winter wedding.

We created a cohesive look throughout the wedding by incorporating a scrolled frame with various iterations of Kristin and Carder’s names or initials that we put on everything from wedding invitations and programs to the wedding cake and dance floor gobo.

And course, we included traditional military wedding traditions. The couple walked proudly under the saber arch on their way out of the church.

Later, they carefully cut the cake with Carder’s saber. Kristin surprised Carder with an incredible groom’s cake – a replica of an aircraft carrier!

The couple wed at Custer Road United Methodist Church, and the reception was held at the Belo Pavilion. While we kept décor for the ceremony to a simple minimum, the reception site was beautiful with the ballroom awash in dramatic lighting and the space punctuated by alternating tall and short lush floral centerpieces.

Elegant sapphire blue and white linens were complemented by bling accents, including rhinestone napkin rings, bejeweled table number frames and hanging crystals.

Guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres such as mini crab cakes and spicy beef empanadas during cocktail hour, along with a specialty cocktail called Anchors Away. For dinner, the couple chose a relaxed station style, with fun and delicious food options with themes of Southern Comfort, Texas Steakhouse and a Taste of Italy.

Later in the evening, the couple offered a passed snack of brisket sliders and shoestring fries. Guests enjoyed winter-themed cake pops as a final pick-me-up treat on their way out.

At the end of the night, Kristin and Carder were sent off in a flurry of bubbles, which guests shot into the air with light-up bubble guns.

A big thank-you to our wonderful vendor team!

Bakery (wedding cakes): Fancy Cakes by Lauren

Bakery (cake pops): C.Marie's Sweets

Bridal gown: Augusta Jones, StarDust Celebrations

Bridal veil: Toni Federici, StarDust Celebrations

Ceremony: Custer Road United Methodist Church

Florist: The Garden Gate

Lighting: Dallas Drape and Lighting

Linens: S.E.A.T. by Design

Makeup: Elan Studios

Mother of the Bride Apparel: Ursula of Switzerland, StarDust Celebrations

Music, Ceremony: CRUMC Organist Kay Sendry

Music, Reception: Mars Hill Band, Marcus Rollins as DJ/Emcee

Photographer: Graham Hobart

Reception: Belo Mansion and Pavilion

Rentals: DFW Dance Floors, Celebration Event Rental

Transportation: Blue Diamond

Videography (Ceremony Only): CRUMC, David Lucas

Wedding Planning: Marsha Ballard French, StarDust Celebrations



Stardust and LuLu’s Closed in Honor of Memorial Day

Both Stardust Celebrations and LuLu’s Bridal Boutique will be closed this Monday, May 28, for Memorial Day. In honor of this patriotic holiday, we thought it would be fun to share some basics on a few of the wedding traditions that make a military wedding special.

One of the most obvious things that sets a military wedding apart from a civilian event is the attire. Military grooms and other members of the wedding party wear their uniforms according to the formality of the wedding and seasonal requirements. If the bride is a military officer, she can choose to wear her uniform as well, but she is also free to wear a traditional bridal gown. Also, a boutonniere is never worn with a uniform, and white gloves are necessary for all saber/sword bearers. Military guests have the option of wearing their uniform to the wedding or they may wear civilian attire.

The Arch of Sabers or Swords is a beloved custom of military weddings and definitely one of the most recognizable. Each branch of the military has very specific regulations as to who is allowed to participate and how and where the arch takes place. We most often see the majestic arch just outside of the ceremony site, where the couple will pass through this symbolic pledge of loyalty to them. Sometimes, the final pair of saber bearers will lower their sabers to detain the couple until they kiss. Then, often the last man on the right will give the bride a gentle swat on the backside with his sword while telling her, “Welcome to the (branch of service)!”

You thought working out your seating arrangements was a challenge…imagine trying to work in military guests according to rank! At the ceremony, the bride’s or groom’s commanding officer and spouse may sit near or with the family, or even in the front pew if the parents are not present! It is also customary that flag and general officers be seated just behind the two families. And at the reception, military guests are traditionally shown to their seats according to rank.

Bella Pictures

At a military wedding, you are likely to hear regimental music, including the branch of service’s theme song, and see more patriotic decorations incorporating flags and standards of the bride and/or groom’s unit(s). But the most memorable reception tradition is the cake cutting, truly the highlight of the celebration! The bride and groom will cut the wedding cake with a saber or sword belonging to the groom if he owns one. The bride takes the lead cutting while her groom rests his right hand over hers on the sword’s hilt and wrapping his left arm around her. Picture perfect!

Happy Memorial Day! With grateful hearts, we humbly thank the men and women who have served our country in the military!

Military-themed Bridal Garters

With Memorial Day just around the corner, we thought we’d give a little shout out to our military brides. Truly special ladies, these brides share their grooms with our country, sacrificing precious time together in the name of freedom.

We love these sweet garters by Jamie Lynn that give these selfless brides a cute way to honor their grooms’ dedication to the military. They come with a tiny medallion for each branch: Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy. We are proud to carry these in our Plano Stardust Bridal Salon.

Thanks to our men and women of the service! Can I get a “Ooh-rah?!”