Blog Post

A Christmas Wedding

April 22, 2021

Abbie and Travis' 2020 holiday wedding

Clarice’s Bridal has been helping brides’ dreams come true for over forty years! In that time, we have seen constant cultural shifts around relationships and wedding planning. One such shift is prioritization of adventure in today’s couples. Continue reading to see how Abbie and Travis embody this ideal and find adventure together.

The couple’s adventurous relationship began with a picture-perfect meet-cute. Abbie and Travis both attended the wedding of Abbie’s friend and Travis’ cousin. They really connected that first night and found they had a lot in common! They shared mutual friends and discovered that they grew up just twenty minutes away from one another without ever meeting. The pair was an instant hit but faced logistical challenges, as Travis was working in Florida at the time. He returned to Abbie’s neighborhood for special occasions, and they always spent time together over the Christmas and New Years’ holidays. “December was always a special month for us," Abbie recalled. "We met in June of 2016 and would only see each other here and there when we could, but somehow, we always managed to be together over the holidays!"

After seeing each other sporadically for that first year and a half, Travis finally returned from Florida, and the couple officially paired up. “I knew long before he did!” Abbie chuckled. “But that’s the standard with us. I’m more of a 'gut feeling' kind of person, and he is more calculated and measured.” The next year and a half were filled with travels as the couple grew closer. They took multiple international trips and invested in rental properties. They found over the years that they meshed well and enjoyed life together. Abbie said, “I like to think there really is no better pair! He needed someone to make life in the Midwest a bit more exciting, and I needed someone a bit more calm.”

Their love for adventure brought them incredible experiences, and travel became so important to their relationship that they planned to start their life together on a grand trip! “We had actually already planned a wedding in Italy [even before] we were engaged,” Abbie recalled. “We had booked the Airbnb and everything!” On February 1, 2020— with a wedding already planned—Travis officially proposed and surprised Abbie with a big bash at their neighborhood bar celebrating both their new engagement and Abbie’s birthday!

Their plans for a small Italian wedding were dashed by the coronavirus pandemic, and they had to come up with an alternate wedding plan. “We thought about just getting married and having a big party later, but it just didn’t feel like something we wanted for ourselves,” Abbie recalled. They ended up having a small wedding in Abbie’s hometown at her childhood church followed by a reception at The Original Springs Hotel, a 19th century venue in the area. “December was always a special time in our relationship, [so we had a Christmas wedding]! We wanted everything to feel very elevated and elegant. . .” Abbie explained. “Everything was already half decorated for us. We had greenery everywhere and lights. . . It was perfection itself!” To go with the black-tie holiday theme, Abbie picked a sleek number at Clarice’s. “Clarice’s was the first and almost only store I went to!” Abbie recalled. “All the [Clarice’s staff] were so excited because no one was buying this dress, and they [loved it on me]! It made me feel like this dress was the right one for me, and it was just different enough but not too out there.”

City skyline

Photo By: John Doe
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Birthday Sparks

Photo By: John Doe
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With COVID-19 making a plan to road trip across Europe unrealistic, Abbie and Travis instead went to Florida for their honeymoon. They spent time outside on the beach, playing tennis, and soaking up the sun! They even took a day drip to Orlando to visit Epcot, Walt Disney World’s park featuring multicultural attractions. “We didn’t get to go to Europe like we wanted, so we went to Epcot to fake our international travels!” Abbie smiled. They plan to take overseas trips to Asia and Europe this year as the world reopens post-pandemic. The couple has recently purchased a property in Carlyle, Illinois, that will eventually become their family home, and they look forward to splitting time between St. Louis and Carlyle for now. We wish Abbie and Travis all the best on their adventures together!