When St. Louis native Madison Nye met Texas ‘cowboy’ Andrew Nguyen at Texas State University’s freshman orientation, their connection was immediate. The two kept up communication until arriving at school and began officially dating in October. “The summer we graduated, I kept thinking he was going to propose every weekend,” Madison laughs. Her expectations were finally met while driving to a winery in Texas hill country with friends. “We pulled off on a farm road in front of a traffic cone,” she recalls. “His friend escorted me to a freestanding door in the middle of the field with a note that said, Here’s to new adventures. Are you ready? Andrew was on one knee when I opened it!”
A similar door made an appearance at their wedding at Cedar Creek in New Haven, Missouri. “I had my dad rebuild it as a surprise,” Madison says. “I was standing behind it for our first look.” Since Andrew and his family are from Texas, the two wanted some rustic Texas flair mixed in with the more elegant elements. Andrew’s special wedding cowboy boots were perfect for the couple’s first dance to George Strait and for line dancing later in the evening. “The barn reception was exactly what we wanted, and a lot of our guests stayed on the property to make a weekend out of it,” Madison says.
She says their private moment during the first look is one of her favorite memories, as well as spending time with each of her girlfriends before the ceremony. Another decision she cherishes was choosing their college mentors as officiants. “They both watched us grow together, and we couldn’t think of anyone who knew us better as a couple,” she says. “The number of people who traveled and took the time to be there was humbling, the amount of love we felt that day was huge.”
The couple resides in the Central West End. Andrew is an associate at DHR International executive search firm in Clayton, and Madison is the Midwest account executive at Safety Vision.
resources
ceremony | The Lake at Cedar Creek
reception | The Barn at Cedar Creek
gown | Allure Romance
cake | Celebrating Life Cake Boutique
florist | Tina Barrera, The Special Event Florist
music | Griffin and the Gargoyles
honeymoon | St. Lucia
wedding party
maid of honor | Gracie Nye
bridesmaids | Hillary Franz, Taylor Gutierrez, Catie Horseman, Courtney Bromley, Jordan Montgomery, Molly Anderson, Rochelle Meiske, Katelyn Lipscomb, Amy Bridger
best man | Brandon Blood
groomsmen | Coleton Burrus, Javier Gutierrez, Matthew Nguyen, Royal Starr, Trace Gandy, Rob Atkins, Lee Travis, Ty Johnson, Coby Nye
flower girls | Audrey and Emma Garza
bride’s parents | Todd & Jennifer Nye of Clarkson Valley
groom’s parents | Tuan & Kim Nguyen of Friendswood, Texas
Wedding Date: Oct. 9, 2015
Photos: Hawes Photography