Lauren and Lance’s wedding day wasn’t about just them…it was about Ryland, Lauren’s (and now Lance’s, too!) daughter. Our sweet couple met the new-fashioned way—on Tinder. But the moment they met, it was old-fashioned love, especially after Lauren introduce Lance to her sweet daughter. In Lauren’s words, “I knew once I saw Lance with my daughter and that she was accepting of him and was building a trusting relationship with him, that we had found our person!” Doesn’t that make your heart just swell with happiness for them?!
The three of them (and we mean it—Ryland was a huge part of their engagement and day, as she should have been!) planned a fun, family-filled, romantic ceremony and celebration at The Springs Event Venue in Denton/Aubrey. The images of their ceremony and first dance (to which they moved to Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”) will make you feel all the sweet feelings a person can feel!
Lauren and Lance both share their sweet how we met, got engaged, and got married stories below:
How did you guys meet?
“Lauren: After my divorce, my friends encouraged me to set up a profile on Tinder. After talking through texts for a few weeks, I finally agreed to meet for lunch and we have been together since.
Lance: I was also encouraged by friends to set up a profile on Tinder. I went on 3 or 4 first dates before finally going on my last first date and never looked back.”
wedding dress: Astrid & Mercedes customized Cherish via Bliss Bridal Salon | photographer: Kelli Holder Photography | full vendor list below
How did you know he/she was the “one”?
“Lauren: I knew once I saw Lance with my daughter and that she was accepting of him and was building a trusting relationship with him, that we had found our person!
Lance: I honestly had fallen in love early on. She accepted me for who I was and am. The biggest piece was going to be meeting her daughter. I was more scared the day I met Ryland than I was on my first date with Lauren.”
How did your sweetie propose?
“Lauren: After our niece’s birthday party, we went out with family to the restaurant where we had our first kiss. Outside of the restaurant is a grassy courtyard area and Lance got down on one knee and first proposed to my daughter, Ryland, asking for her permission to marry me and be her stepdad. Once she gave her yes, it was my turn. He then pulled out a second ring and proposed to me.
Lance: I had actually asked permission of her brother and sister-in-law to propose on that day. I didn’t want to take away from my now niece’s birthday. They laughed and said as long as it wasn’t at the house when the birthday party was taking place, they were perfectly fine with it. It took me three attempts to make the reservations at the correct restaurant that afternoon, as well. Her daughter had fallen asleep next to me in the restaurant so I carried her out half asleep and walked away from everyone and was holding her down on one knee. Then waited…and waited and waited for her mom to turn around and see what I was doing.“
How did you choose your gown?
“Lauren: I wanted something that was very different from my first wedding dress style. I wanted something I knew Lance would love and not expect. With my mom, sister-in-law, daughter, and aunt we went and tried on dresses at Bliss Bridal. I fell in love with the top of the Cherish dress and the skirt from the Lovely dress. We were able to put them together and just like that, I had the perfect dress!
Lance: I was speechless when I finally got to see her in her dress walking down the aisle. It was perfect.“
Tell us about your day!
“Lauren: From a theme perspective, there really wasn’t much we had to add to the venue. The Lodge at The Springs Event Venue in Denton/Aubrey was perfect. It gave us the look and feel of being away from the city and the privacy we wanted and a rustic feel. The day turned out perfect with the weather and being an outside wedding was huge.
Lance: We had the entire family—both sides—helping set up which turned out awesome. We were able to get everything set up just before lunch so plenty of time to relax. I did refuse to want to see my soon-to-be-wife the day of the wedding, though. Or my soon-to-be-daughter. It kinda drove Lauren nuts but that’s what I wanted. We ended up getting my uncle to be the officiant and the three of us, myself, wife and daughter, did the unity sand with three colors to make sure we all three were represented.”
Describe your wedding day in 5 words or fewer:
“Lauren: Perfect celebration of our love story.
Lance: Flawless perfection.”
What was the funniest moment of your day?
“Lance: We had a few funny moments throughout the day. With me not wanting to be able to see Lauren before the wedding frustrated her, so we would have to chat between the walls and doors when she needed to tell me something and that kind of confined her to the bridal room as well which was humorous to me (ha!). And then when myself and the groomsmen were entering, one of the guys said, “So what are we walking into…. Superman or something?” And I turned and looked at him and said, “Yes….yes we are.” Everyone got a kick out of it!”
Three words that best describe your partner :
“About Lance: selfless, loving partner.
About Lauren: perfect, selfless, nurturing.“
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“We have actually yet to go on our honeymoon that would just be the two of us. We did do a mini moon that included our daughter. We went to Great Wolf Lodge for the weekend and had an amazing time just the three of us. She wanted to be a part of it so badly and we didn’t want to disappoint her. It gets complicated to schedule some time for just the two of us but we will eventually get our down time.”
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
“Plan early…Plan often.
Whatever you think your budget is, plan on going over it by at least 20%.
Lean on family for help. They were a life saver to us.
The day was worth it…I hear a lot where people say that the few hours of the celebration is not worth the months of planning…I would do it all over again just to make sure we got our day and those moments.”
wedding dress: Astrid & Mercedes customized Cherish via Bliss Bridal Salon | photographer: Kelli Holder Photography | venue: The Springs | florals: T & T Flowers and Gifts | catering: The Patriotic Pig | bartending: Professional Bartending of Greater DFW | wedding cake: Texas Star Bakery | film: Hello Beautifulfilms | DJ: DJ Dave – David Hoover
