Real Bride (and wedding planner!) Jess in Beau by Kyha at Her Wedding at The Norton Museum of Art

Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal?

Hunter and I met when we were juniors at the University of Alabama. Mutual friends introduced us during Tuesday-night bingo at Bear Trap, our favorite campus bar, and there was an immediate connection. We graduated together in 2019 and eventually settled in the West Palm Beach area. We really grew into adulthood together, and our friendship has always been the foundation of our relationship.

After nearly seven years together, Hunter surprised me with a whirlwind three-day trip to Paris. We had designed my engagement ring together and agreed on a weekend, but the destination was a complete surprise. He even let me believe we were going to New York before revealing our connecting flight to Paris. After dinner, we walked along the Seine to a spot with a view of the Eiffel Tower, where he had arranged for a photographer to be waiting. He proposed there and we spent the rest of the weekend celebrating in my favorite city. 

When you started planning your wedding, what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision?

As a wedding planner, I approached our wedding with a very specific perspective. I wanted it to feel elevated and intentional, but never like a traditional ballroom wedding. The vision was a balance of modern art and soft garden romance—clean architectural elements balanced with organic florals, layered tabletop details, and an open-air celebration.

The finished wedding certainly felt true to that original vision. The Norton Museum of Art gave us the modern foundation, while Ellie’s Garden brought in the softness and romance. Seeing every detail come together was incredibly meaningful, especially because each choice had been made with such purpose. I truly love designing and planning weddings and planning mine was just all the more special.

What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include—or not include—in the wedding?

It was important that the wedding feel genuinely reflective of us rather than being guided by tradition for tradition’s sake. We wanted someone who truly knew our relationship to marry us, so we asked our college friend Jared—who was there the night we met—to officiate.

We also wanted our guests to experience the museum itself, so the celebration began with a walk through the galleries before everyone entered the garden. Dancing was another priority; we wanted a full, high-energy dance floor all night. On the design side, every detail needed to have a reason behind it. One of my favorite examples was our escort display: I found a photograph of every guest or couple and transformed each one into an oil-painting-style portrait, turning our guests into the art.

How did you decide on the location?

Choosing a venue was surprisingly challenging because, as a planner, I work at so many beautiful places and have relationships throughout the Palm Beach market. The Norton Museum ultimately felt distinctly right for us. It offered the nontraditional setting we wanted and naturally combined an intriguing modern, clean design with the garden romance I envisioned.

I had also worked with the museum’s exclusive catering team, Constellation Culinary, for other client events and genuinely loved collaborating with them. The venue gave our guests an experience from the moment they arrived: they could move through the galleries before entering the garden, and even during the open-air reception, the art remained part of the backdrop with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing an indoor gallery set behind the DJ.

Let’s talk dress! Give us all the deets!

My gown was by Beau by KYHA and, of course, came from Chic Parisien.

I wore a tulle ballgown with a drop waist. I knew I wanted to make a statement with my dress, but also feel timeless. As a ballet dancer growing up, tulle was naturally so attractive to me, and with every ballgown that Kendall pulled for me at Chic Parisien, I kept coming back to that soft, romantic, full-skirted feeling. At the same time, I was very intentional about not wanting anything that felt overly “princess-y” or overly youthful—I still wanted it to feel elevated and refined.

This dress struck that balance perfectly. It had that beautiful, dramatic ballgown silhouette I was looking for, but still felt modern and sophisticated. I was also able to customize the neckline with the alterations team, which made it feel even more special and uniquely mine. Kendall knew this dress was right for me before I did! It was the first dress she put me in and, despite me not being initially sure of it, she never removed it from the room. She read exactly what I wanted and was so clear in what was right for me when I was too clouded to see it. She put me back in it at the end of the appointment and I'm so glad I had her to guide me. I was ultimately stuck between my dress and Malibu, also by Khya. Kendall suggested we modify the Beau to have the softer neckline of the Malibu, which was the perfect combination of the gowns.

Once I found the dress, I was so in love with it that I decided to stay in it all night long. Most of my brides have two or three wedding night looks, and I absolutely love that—I always assumed I would do the same because I adore bridal fashion. But I truly couldn’t imagine not soaking in every single moment in that dress. I didn’t even want to change for the after party, though I did have to admit I couldn’t exactly show up to a cocktail bar in a full ballgown!

How did your family and friends play into your wedding planning and wedding day?

Our family and friends were woven into the day in meaningful ways. Jared, one of our closest friends from college and someone who has had a front-row seat to our relationship from the beginning, officiated the ceremony. Having him speak about our relationship made that moment feel especially personal.

My two maids of honor each gave a toast, as did one of Hunter’s best men. My father welcomed everyone and my mother added a few words as well. After being together for more than eight years by the time we married, so many of the people present had watched us grow up together. Celebrating with them felt like honoring not only our wedding day, but the entire journey that brought us there.

What’s one specific memory from your wedding day that you don’t think you’ll ever forget?

The entire day is still so vivid in my head, but the moment that stands out most is seeing Hunter for the first time and reading our private vows. We chose to be “traditional” and spend the night before the wedding apart—me with my two maids of honor at the hotel and him at our home—and by the morning we were both so over the separation and were ready to be together. We were texting all morning, counting down the minutes until we’d see each other. When we finally saw each other, it was such a grounding moment; all of that anticipation and nervous energy just melted away, and it felt like we could finally breathe and start the day together.

Later in the evening, another memory that I know will stay with me forever is looking out at the dance floor. We absolutely love to dance, and while we’re usually right in the center of it all, we found ourselves stepping to the outer edge at times just to take it in—watching all of our favorite people together, celebrating and dancing in a space we had so carefully curated. Seeing everyone we love enjoying the night so fully was incredibly special.

How did you decide on your hair and makeup look?

I worked with Brianna Michele Artistry and wanted the finished look to feel polished, timeless, and still recognizably me. I always wear my hair down and curled and it’s when I feel most like myself. When I worked with Brianna Michele, she had such an accurate vision of a bridal version of my everyday look, so that’s exactly what we did. I wore my hair down in soft, natural curls—polished and intentional, but still effortless. We were very conscious of balancing the ballgown silhouette so it didn’t feel too youthful, and Bri achieved a beautiful, more mature take on my signature curls that felt elevated and timeless.

For makeup, I wanted something natural and glowy. Bri is incredible at enhancing your natural features with a soft glam approach, and that’s exactly what we leaned into. The result felt like the best, most bridal version of myself—fresh, luminous, and still very true to my everyday style.

Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about?

I truly can’t choose just one—my entire vendor team was exceptional. From Ellie’s Garden, Brianna Michele Artistry, Paulaje Specialties, Constellation Culinary, Isi. Marketing Co., and the remainder of our creative team, every single one played such a meaningful role. It was such a joy to work so closely with vendors I regularly recommend to my brides, and to experience firsthand just how seamlessly and beautifully they all collaborate. As a general statement though, I truly believe every bride needs a bridal valet! Not only did mine make sure every detail with my gown was perfect, he even put out a few fires like bringing me a change of shoes and sewing my maid of honor back into her gown when her zipper broke!

Where did you go on your honeymoon, and what was the best part?

We went to Croatia! We spent our honeymoon exploring historic old towns along the coast, wandering cobblestone streets and taking in the Adriatic views. We balanced that with time at beach clubs and slow, poolside afternoons, and some of the best meals we’ve ever had. More than anything, it was a chance to fully unwind together in a beautiful place and lean into what we love most as a couple—traveling, discovering new places, and making memories together.