Boxwood's 1,000th Event | Real Wedding | Erica + Jose | March 18, 2023

Real WeddingsSpring
Written By Thomas Bain

This past spring, Boxwood Hospitality was thrilled to celebrate our 1,000th event with Erica & Jose! From the very first gathering to this momentous occasion, we have been privileged to be a part of countless unforgettable moments, celebrations, and milestones in the lives of our cherished clients.


Erica and Jose were no different. Being wed at The Laurel on a beautiful Spring day, we are so excited to share with you all the special details of this milestone wedding!

We met on an online dating app - The modern love story!  I was home in Plano, TX for winter break in college, and Jose was visiting his family in Frisco, TX. We both happened to get the dating app just for fun over winter break, and ended up “matching” with each other on the app. Jose took me on our first date at First Watch. Our conversation was flowing so naturally that we accidentally stayed past closing.

During that date, I found out Jose was living in Fredericksburg, TX while I was either in Plano or College Station. Our entire dating relationship was long distance. But that didn’t stop us from seeing each other almost every weekend and our love grew stronger each and every day.

We wanted the wedding to feel elegant, fun, and a welcoming environment for all of our guests to celebrate with us. Overall, the theme was on the lines of an ‘elevated garden party’.

For me, it felt unreal! It was so much fun spending time with my mom, future mother in law, and all my best friends. Being pampered by my hair and makeup artist was amazing, and made me feel so special. Towards the end of getting ready, all the giddiness and excitement started to flood in. I couldn’t believe the day had finally come!! I remember having the most insane butterflies in my stomach as I put on my wedding dress and prepared to walk down the aisle to see Jose and become his wife.

For Jose, the hours felt so long. I woke up feeling so excited and ready to see Erica in her dress! The day went by very slowly, I remember looking at my watch multiple times throughout the day thinking “when is it time to put my suit on and go out there?”  Getting to spend time with my groomsmen and my brothers was a great time. We all were watching golf at one point and listening to Youtube videos of being great. It was some sort of hype up video for me. Once the clock hit 5:45 p.m. I knew my time to go to the altar was up. The feeling I felt going up the aisle and waiting for Erica to walk down it was an unforgettable moment. I can’t explain the feeling, but it was amazing! I will never forget the day she said yes to being my wife.

We were looking for a location that felt welcoming and a space to throw a great party! We chose The Laurel because everyone we interacted with was so kind and truly made us feel special. We fell in love with the chapel and how the natural light flooded into the room. As soon as we stepped foot on the altar, we just knew it was the right venue for us. You also cannot beat the incredible location! We had lots of family and friends traveling in, so the proximity to hotels and the airport was fantastic.

Our ceremony was one of the most special moments of the whole night. Being joined together in front of all our friends and families and becoming husband and wife was incredible. It felt like time had stopped and it was just us up there, professing our unwavering love for one another.

Lauren Whicker (Lo & Co media) took the BEST pictures of our special day! She was able to capture all the emotions that occurred throughout the day perfectly. We love looking through all the images she captured, and we can’t wait to show our kids in the future.

Outside on the green lawn during golden hour! Our photographers snuck us out on the lawn during dinner for 10 minutes to take some amazing sunset pictures. The greenery was beautiful and the sun was in the perfect location.

We had a mariachi band during cocktail hour! This was a really fun way to showcase Jose’s culture while also creating a fun environment while guests snacked, drank, and fellowshipped.

There were custom koozies, stir sticks and napkins with our initials, and match books that guests could take which added a special touch to our wedding. We also had a mariachi band during cocktail hour which was really fun and somewhat unique.

Looking back, what words would you use to describe the day?

Fun, magical, joyful, and unforgettable.

Kate McLeod created the floral arrangements of my DREAMS! The flowers at the wedding were a big priority for me, and Kate brought my vision to life. She is also one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and her team was so nice on the day they were setting up.

We LOVED the food at our wedding! The short rib and mashed potatoes is a dish we still think about to this day, and guests agree. We also loved the margaritas! It was fun to have a specialty cocktail that we both love to drink.

Another favorite moment was sitting at the sweetheart table during dinner and just soaking everything in. We looked around the room at all our friends and family that traveled to celebrate our marriage. Seeing all the details and planning all come together was a surreal feeling.

The dance floor was also unforgettable! Everyone was out on the floor all night long and all the smiles, laughs, and awesome dance moves was so fun to be part of. We played a mix of Spanish and American music on the dance floor, showing our blend of our two cultures. It was awesome seeing everyone dance to the different music styles that we love to listen to.

Jeremiah Brinkley from It’s Your Night entertainment was the BEST DJ ever, and made the dance floor so fun all night long. All the transitions between songs, speeches, dances were seamless and there were no hiccups in keeping the flow moving.

Our guests had an amazing time at our wedding! Everyone we have talked to said everything was so beautiful, and they could feel the love we have for each other. Our friends and families still talk about it, even 3 months later, and I believe we will be talking about how fun and beautiful it was for years and years to come!

One of Jose’s close family friends recently told us how welcomed he felt during the entire event. The mixing of our cultures was so seamless and it was evident our love brought everyone together.

Your wedding day flies by, so try and soak up every minute of it! Jose and I did not leave each other’s side the entire night, and it was so special getting to soak in all the little details with one another. Also, enjoy your season of engagement! Enjoy every minute of wedding planning, showers, parties, and spending time with your fiancé. Be as extra as you want to be - it is such a special and unique time in your life!!

Erica and Jose, thank you so much for sharing your incredible wedding day with us at the The Laurel!
We wish you nothing but the best in the years to come!


Cheers to a thousand memories, a thousand successes, and a thousand more incredible events yet to come!

Thomas Bain
Previous

Real Wedding | Ashley + Jamison | February 11, 2023
Next

Real Wedding | Alex + Mark | May 6, 2023