Elegant Texas Wedding at The Olana | Aradhana + Wes

Not every love story starts with an immediate connection. Sometimes, like for Wes and Aradhana, it’s a slow burn that develops into something extraordinary! “Wes and I met through mutual friends at a birthday party. It was definitely not “love at first sight.” We played the cat and mouse game for a couple of months before we decided to officially start dating!” Later, Wes proposed in one of the most romantic ways possible—in a rose-filled gazebo at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens!

When planning, they envisioned a day with a classic, modern, and elegant vibe. When Aradhana spotted The Olana in an Instagram influencer’s grid, she fell in love! With the perfect spot found, she moved on to the décor, which, she says, “was really important to me because it was one of the ways I could express myself and my vision. I focused a lot of my attention on the floral and other decorative elements. The key detail that made the wedding look so beautiful was the addition of the candles. Lizzie Bee’s, our florist, did an amazing job adding in that detail to all of our floral pieces.”

Meanwhile, the search for the dress started and ended in one place—The Bridal Boutique of Lewisville. There, she met and fell for her customized Dinah gown!

More about their day (including who made her stunning reception dress and how they incorporated their sweet pup, Dany, into the day) from Aradhana:

How did you get engaged?

“Wes proposed at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. He rented this beautiful gazebo in their Japanese Gardens and filled it with roses. My sister, brother-in-law, and my brother all flew in to surprise me and we had a big family lunch right after the proposal. It was perfect.”

Tell us about your outfits! How did you choose your gown?

“I did a lot of research about the type of gown I wanted prior to getting engaged. So, when the time came to actually pick a dress, it wasn’t too difficult. I knew that I wanted a very classic silhouette with very minimal detail and a wow moment. When I tried on the dress that I ended up picking, I truly fell in love with the dramatic addition of the bow in the back. I knew bows were very much on trend, but I hadn’t seen it done in the way that it was on the dress. It was the first dress I tried on and I knew that was it.

My second outfit was a Mac Duggal gown. I really wanted something that was sparkly and reflected the atmosphere of the reception. My second outfit was the perfect follow-up from my breath-taking wedding gown!”

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Tell us about your day!

“Our day was exactly the way it was meant to be. We initially wanted our ceremony to be outside, but due to the weather, we had to move it indoors. Although it was a little disappointing, in the end it was perfect. We had an amazing time with our family and friends. We have a beautiful puppy named Dany and we really wanted to incorporate him in our wedding, so we had our signature drinks named after him and had his face on the bar napkins. It was such a special element for us, and we are so glad that endash, our stationary partner, was able to bring it to life.”

What was your first dance song?

“Mirrors – Acoustic by Beth”

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

“The most important aspect of planning the wedding was for us to make sure everyone felt comfortable gathering in one space. We had about 160 guests, so everyone’s safety was our top priority. We asked everyone to share their vaccination status with us and made sure we weren’t putting any of our guests, especially those who were older and would be at higher risks, in any danger.”

What was your something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?

“My mother-in-law, Michelle, lent me her beautiful ring that she had made with Wes’s birthstone, blue Sapphire, so it doubled as my something borrowed and something blue. My something new was my beautiful wedding dress!”

Three words that best describe your partner:

“Three words that best describe Wes would be funny, patient, kind.
Three words that best describe Ara would be beautiful, caring, and thoughtful.”

Any tips for couples getting married?

“Don’t sweat the little things. Everything will be perfect no matter what. No one will remember how things were supposed to be. They will just be happy to be included in your big day!”