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Around the World in Six Hours
By Lisa Y. Taylor
Photography By Steve Holloway
When guests received the invitation to the wedding of Tamara Smith and
Brian Cole, they knew to expect an adventure. The ivory paper stock had
the appearance of an airline ticket envelope.
Inside the invitation, the “itinerary” listed airport, hotel and car
rental information. A tab on the front of the invitation released a
“ticket” announcing the essentials of the Sept. 3, 2005 nuptials – the
destination: the San Antonio International Center; the time: 6:30 p.m.
Words printed on the front of the invitation gave this piece of advice:
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
A Sailing Señorita
When the couple met, they both
traveled for business, though Brian mostly stayed in the United States.
Their courtship took them around the world.
“We didn’t have the normal ‘I’ll pick you up at 8 o’clock,’ kind of
dating,” Tamara says. “We had to plan a trip if we were going to see
each other.”
She lived in Philadelphia and he lived in Chicago. “We traveled
internationally a lot, so she’s expanded my horizons,” Brian says.
They weaved into their wedding a little bit of their most exciting
travels together, including trips to each other’s hometowns.
The first destination for their wedding was the International Center,
where the couple hosted their family and friends on a stone patio
overlooking the San Antonio River. As guests sat on ivory, satin,
bow-tied chairs, they listened to saxophonist Todd Oxford play bluesy
renditions of classics such as “Moon River.”
The ceremony’s location gave Brian’s family, from Detroit, a taste of
the exotic ambience of San Antonio, the city where Tamara grew up. Cool
river breezes blew into the patio and swayed ferns, palms and weeping
willows that lined the river.
When the ceremony began, the wedding party walked through a curtain of
ivory satin at the back of the patio, down to the riverside veranda. The
bridesmaids wore tea-length Victorian rose gowns accented with a
spaghetti ribbon bow and rhinestone broach at the waistline and with
ivory organza at the hem. Family and friends chuckled as they saw the
adorable flower girl pull the toddler ring bearer in a red wagon.
With her father, Joe Smith, at her side, Tamara made her grand entrance
floating upon a river barge. Guitarist Mark Dunwale serenaded her to
“Always and Forever” by Luther Vandross. She looked like a Spanish
señorita in her flowing lace veil, dangling Swarovski earrings and
lace-topped dress designed by Monique Lhuillier.
During the sermon, Tamara took to heart the words of Rev. Donecia
Miller, a former co-worker, who compared the marriage relationship to a
flower that needs commitment as its soil, communication as its water and
expressions of appreciation as its sunshine. She commended them to
“express how you feel, even if the other person does not agree.”
Following the exchange of the vows and rings, the bride and groom each
took a vase of sand and combined it into one larger vase. The ritual
symbolized how their commitment to one another, like the sand, is
inseparable. After the reverend told the groom to “salute your bride,”
Brian embraced and dipped Tamara, kissed her and followed up with
another kiss.
Not one to be reserved, the bride enjoyed the impromptu audience of
tourists who cruised in barges or strolled nearby during the ceremony.
“That just added to the whole experience,” she says. “It felt as though
everyone was sharing in our day.”
Cocktails from Above
Guests continued on their wedding
journey on the third floor of the International Center where flags
suspended from the ceiling represented such countries as the United
States, Mexico, Britain and Japan.
The bride chose not to have a traditional
cake, she says, because of her lack of a sweet tooth. Instead, the Elms
Cake Shoppe baked carrot and vanilla cupcakes. Brian’s chocolate cake
bore the logos of his favorite sports teams.
After the toast, Tamara basked in sisterhood when her bridesmaids formed
a circle around her, and sang “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston. The
bride didn’t sit long before she got up and sang and danced with them.
Toward the end of the night, about 20 couples formed a dance line
similar to the ones on “Soul Train,” a show that the couple grew up
watching.
Best wishes were left along the canvas
border of a painting of Tamara and Brian created by Tony Ferro, artist
and designer from De Vinnie’s Paradise, a floral and design company.
In the ballroom’s generous hallway and upon
the balcony that wraps around the ballroom, guests nibbled on tequila
shrimp, bacon-wrapped cherries and stuffed mushrooms with marinara sauce
that bore flavors of Spanish, Pacific and Mediterranean fare.
From the balcony, guests admired the River Walk and downtown skyline and
peered into the floor-to-ceiling windows of the ballroom where ivory
votives on steel window ledges warmly lit the room and shined on tiers
of cupcakes interspersed among lavender and ivory roses, and orchids.
The candlelight also reflected on glasses and place settings that
beckoned guests to come in, sit down and enjoy.
Intercontinental Dining
Alas, guests were directed to the
ballroom where the D.J., a family friend, played 70s and 80s rhythm and
blues tunes that reminded the couple of their childhood and teenage
years. The reception possessed all the markings of sophistication, and,
yet, was a down-to-earth celebration as well.
The couple and their wedding party lined up at the ballroom’s doorway
eager to “get the party started,” Tamara says. Each bridesmaid and
groomsman couple grooved into the ballroom to a different song excerpt
they selected that fit their personality. The newlyweds made their
reception debut by dancing the robot to the theme song from “Shaft.”
Brian mimicked the iconic character by wearing a conspicuous Afro wig.
When the time came to enjoy the meal, wedding coordinators, Darryl and
Carolyn Flores from Weddings by Showtime, ensured that the couple had
time to eat. Often, newlyweds are so busy visiting with guests that they
don’t savor their own wedding cuisine. But, throughout the evening, the
Floreses paced events seamlessly and without a hurried feeling.
The roast beef and lemon-herbed
chicken were succulent, the green beans almondine were fresh and crisp,
and the mixed greens salad featured raspberry vinaigrette with the
perfect mixture of sweetness and tanginess. The buffet, prepared by
Absolutely Delicious Catering, was tantalizing enough, but decorations
made the spread more irresistible. The rose organza overlays provided by
A Touch of Elegance gave a shimmery and luxurious background that
complemented the breathtaking arrangements of roses, birds of paradise
and palm trees set on the buffet table.
The guest table centerpieces were the glue to the international theme of
the wedding. De Vinnie’s Paradise used its artistic expertise to create
20 arrangements highlighting a destination significant to Tamara and
Brian. The table showcasing South Africa, where they became engaged on
New Year’s Eve of 2004, for example, was decked out with an African
wooden mask, bamboo and orchids. The Los Angeles-themed table featured
red and cream roses resting on towering, winding film strip depicting
pictures of the couple. The focal point of the San Antonio centerpiece
was a terra cotta lantern. The sweetheart table, ornamented with rod
iron lanterns, hinted of the couple’s honeymoon in Monaco.
A Soulful Night
For the newlywed’s first dance,
the maid of honor, Diedra Artis, sang “Inseparable” with a voice as
clear and romantic as Natalie Cole herself. As the groom looked at his
wedding band, he could not help but think about how “a new chapter” of
his life was beginning.
“It was a new day,” he says.
The bride’s dance with her father to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She
Lovely?” reminded her where she developed her passion for travel.
“We’ve always been close,” she says. “He was very big on family
vacations and taking us all over.”
After the bride’s playful dance with her father, the groom and his
mother endearingly held each other and swayed to Josh Groban’s “You
Raise Me Up.”
At their departure, the guests waved hot
pink glow sticks as the couple boarded a white, 1931 Studebaker that
drove them to the nearby Watermark Hotel & Spa. The bed of their
honeymoon suite was adorned by white rose petals arranged in the shape
of a heart and overlaid with a red long-stem rose. The next day, they
headed to their first excursion as husband and wife, a honeymoon to the
ritzy country of Monaco.
Now that the couple is living together in Cincinnati, they don’t plan to
settle down for too long.
“We plan on taking at least one or two international trips a year, if we
can,” Brian says.
Content Copyright ©
2001-2005,
SanAntonioWeddings.com, TLK Group, Inc.
Images Copyright ©
2005-2006,
Steve Holloway
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