Mediterranean Cowboy at Hotel Drover|Nicole and Chase

Mar 19

Written By Rachel Giles

When your client comes to you and says, “We want to bring the influences of California and Greece to Fort Worth.” The first call is, obviously, Hotel Drover.

The Hotel Drover is a stunning hotel located right in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards.

From the second you enter the lobby of the Drover you get all of the elements of a chic, high-end hotel, the comfort and western staples of the South that make it feel unpretentious.

Nicole, our bride, was raised in Fort Worth but lives in Tennessee with her groom Chase. This was a destination wedding, and a large portion of their guests were coming in from out of town. That made it so important to have a setting that gave guests, out of town or local, the feeling that they had *officially* arrived in Texas.

“The Barn” has a lot of traditional Texan elements, while also wrapped in natural elements that are warm and take away the “hotel ballroom” feeling. Think, earthy western, comfortable AND elevated.

The space seamlessly flows between the outdoor spaces to the inside room for reception. The mix of the two, and the way the Hotel Drover is designed, gives you the comfort of nature with all of the amenities of being inside. Hello, air conditioning in the Texas Summer!

Design bby

Our sweet couple, Nicole and Chase, are two of the most intentional and thoughtful people!

So, when they wanted to bring in influences from several locations that are important to them I said, “Nicceeee. Let’s go!”

Nicole has spent time living in California and loves the laid-back, lux and lush feeling of places like Montecito. While Chase is Greek (opa!) and wanted subtle nods to his heritage. And some Western touches of course!

I knew I would be able to find a way to bring in the California and Greek al fresco aesthetic through our design elements. But what better way for guests to really experience Texas than by hosting a wedding in the Stockyards - the heart of Fort Worth.

If you have ever been to the Stockyards, you know that the minute you turn onto the brick streets, you are sucked in and taken back in time. It is the first place locals bring out-of-towners to give them that authentic Texas experience. It is such a vibrant and historic area, making it the perfect backdrop for their Destination Wedding.

We continued the western flair throughout with their signage to keep it from feeling out of place like a coastal wedding was just plopped in the heart of the Stockyards. After all, we are all about keeping your wedding cohesive! To bridge the gap between Western chic and Mediterranean coast, Nicole’s mom embroidered bandanas to place at each setting on the head table for an extra little je ne sais quoi.

We used bougainvillea as their main floral to bring the Mediterranean to the party. Bougainvillea is a beautiful, bright pink flower that can grow in a vine, bush or tree. It has this super magical quality of growing and thriving wherever it is.

Plus… the color. Come. On. Stunning.

To keep the floral moment alive, we used the bridesmaid’s dresses to represent the different shades of bougainvillea. Seeing Nicole’s girls lined up next to her in her stunning Danielle Frankel dress was jaw-dropping.

Rain Plan

Here’s a little thing about me… I am *passionate* about your wedding day being perfect. But, unfortunately, some things are totally out of our control.

With this being a summer wedding, we know one thing for certain… it will surely be hot.

However, this day threw us a little curveball by giving us an absolutely ridiculous rainstorm about an hour before the ceremony was set to begin. Luckily, we had created a rain plan as a little “just in case.”

Thank goodness we did, and it turned out FAB (if I do say so myself). The pictures speak for themselves.

It was a perfect and beautiful ceremony that led right into a magical cocktail hour complete with beer burros and live music! Guests were led into reception after they found their ticket stub escort cards. Those little cuties were a little nod to Chase’s love of music, and his band which led to him and Nicole meeting. (If this doesn’t make you say “Awwwwwww” I don’t know what will)

Reception

Everyone’s idea of how they’d like their wedding reception to feel is SO different. Nicole and Chase *really* wanted their reception to feel like a dinner party they were throwing for all of their favorite people.

We wanted to bring in the comfortable feeling of Al-Fresco dining in California. To bring the outdoors in, we added different potted herbs to the tablescape to give an “I picked these from my garden” feeling. To keep it feeling welcoming and cozy, we mixed in decor that you would see in somebody’s home. A bowl of citrus on the bar, postcards from important places, and candles to keep the vibes welcoming.

After the intimate, homey dinner was finished- it was PARTY TIMEEEEE!

For the party portion of the night, Nicole and Chase wanted to take their relaxed dinner and flip the script to a high-energy party!

With music being such an important part of their lives, Nicole and Chase knew they wanted a live band as entertainment and they wanted to dance as much as possible!

I can confidently say, we accomplished both! The second the band started, everyone was out of their seats and danced all night long. Nicole changed into her *incredible* vintage party dress and Jimmy Choos, and before you knew it, those two newlyweds were on stage with their band, dancing the night away!

Nicole and Chase, you guys are such a treat! Thank you for trusting me and letting me be a part of your big day!! Miss ya!!