Trinity River Audubon Center Real Wedding | Allison & Sinclair | October 14, 2023
We had the joy of hosting Allison and Sinclair at the Trinity River Audubon Center on October 14, 2023. We are so thrilled to share all the special details of their union. Enjoy!
We love the Trinity River Audubon Center for so many reasons; the first being how beautiful it is just all on it’s own! We knew we’d barely need to decorate because the nature & architecture speak for themselves. We also care a lot about social causes, and the climate friendly aspect and supporting the South Dallas economy were great benefits too. It was one of only two places we toured & Allison may have put down the deposit before Sinclair even proposed… it was love at first (venue) site.
Sinclair and I met at Union Coffee in 2015. We became fast friends. We bonded over a shared love of a great cocktail bar and spent lots of time together at Union, but our first date wasn't until August 2017. We spent every day together until two weeks later…. when I moved to New York for grad school. We stayed in touch and talked all the time, but "definitely weren't long-distance dating"... When I moved back, we both admitted the feelings never really left. We've been falling more in love ever since!
What were your favorite location(s) to take photos at Trinity River Audubon Center?
We loved walking up the ramp to the top to get views of the architecture!
What did you want the theme or overarching feeling of your wedding to be?
We just wanted our guests to feel the deep love and respect we have for each other. Sinclair and I are an interracial, LGBTQ+ couple. We overcame a lot of differences to be together and are fiercely committed because of them. We wanted our guests to see & celebrate that with us!
We both knew all along that our vows would be the most special part & we were right! We’re both creative types- Sinclair works in copywriting for an advertising firm and Allison works for a theater, so telling great stories is a mutual shared gift. Getting to express our commitment & love in front of the most special people in our lives was so joyful (and tear-filled).
Sinclair’s mom passed away just four months before our wedding. Finding ways to bring her presence was important. We jumped the broom, spoke about her all throughout the ceremony, and had a special tribute dedicated to her. Our officiant was also one of our best friends & the man who started Union, where we met- he was the most perfect person to bless our marriage.
Looking back, what words would you use to describe the day?
Sweet, personal, joyful, and beautiful!
We experience a lot of art together- we both love to see theater, read, listen to music, and watch shows together. For our table assignments, we personally recommended a form of art to each of our guests. We sat down and thought about what they would like and wrote the suggestion on the back of their table cards. One guest would get a book rec, another would get an opera, another would get a cover of a certain song… Our guests loved it and we’ve LOVED getting texts and pictures since the wedding of folks taking our recommendation!
We also are constantly writing love notes to each other, so we took a few of them & printed them on cocktail napkins. Each time a guest went back for a drink, they’d have a different little piece of our love story printed on their napkin.
The food was great! We loved how personalized we could tailor the menu!
Our DJ did get mixed up on our first dance. He had an old selection & we had changed our minds and spoken with him about it- he just forgot to change it day-of! We started dancing, and Sinclair looked into Allison’s eyes and saw her slight panic. He said, “Just leave it. It doesn’t really matter as long as I’m dancing with you!” Allison, being the stubborn Type-A she is, said “Nah.” and stopped dancing to talk to the DJ. It all worked out, but it was a funny blip!
Our cake baker, Kayli Bakes Cakes, and I went to college together! She absolutely killed it and it was so fun to work with an old friend!
The staff at Trinity River Audubon Center were so wonderful. Madison made the day a breeze! Thank you to the whole Boxwood team for a dream day!
Do you have any advice for future couples?
Don’t think so much about the wedding that you forget about the marriage!
Allison and Sinclair, thank you so much for sharing your wedding day with us at the Trinity River Audubon Center! Every moment was perfect! We wish you nothing but the absolute best in the years to come!
Vendors
Catering: Boxwood Catering
Photographer: Sara Boyd Photography
Videographer: Burnt Pie Productions
Florist: Cindy Johnson
Bakery: Kayli Bakes Cakes
Gown: Patsy's Bridal
Tux: IndoChino
Makeup: Morgan Mabry Makeup
Hair: Hair by Andrea
Officiant: Michael Baughman