A Chic Texas Wedding at Ma Maison in Dripping Springs With Black-and-White Details
Jordan Wessel, model and founder of More Than Inc., and Brendan Canova, a sales professional, celebrated their love at Ma Maison in Dripping Springs, Texas, with a chic black-and-white wedding. Despite saying "I do" in Texas, the couple knew they didn't want a rustic wedding. Instead, they wanted something that felt "timeless and romantic. We wanted to bring a black-tie wedding to Texas Hill Country, and for it to feel like a modern fairytale—like you just walked into a Taylor Swift music video." The couple's venue played a key role in bringing together the black-tie celebration. Jordan and Brendan fell in love with Ma Maison because it felt "like we had been transported to France" and was the perfect backdrop for their elegant nuptials.
Years before their Texas wedding, an Instagram DM planted the initial seed for Jordan and Brendan's relationship. The couple survived years of long-distance dating, multiple moves together, and the global pandemic—all of which reminded them just how special their bond is. Jordan explains, "When COVID hit New York City we made the abrupt decision to come back to Arizona to be with family. As tough as this year has been, it’s also put so much into perspective for us and given us the time to focus on what we truly want without distractions. I built a female empowerment company, Brendan got promoted at work, and we started having serious conversations about what we wanted the next chapter of our lives to look like." And the couple kicked off that next chapter with an epic wedding in Texas, which the couple planned from afar.
Jordan shares that most of her wedding planning took place online. "I found and booked our wedding venue and all our wedding vendors online. I began researching and planning from Arizona, and quickly found our incredible wedding coordinators, who connected me with our wonderful vendors." She goes on to add that she was "anticipating the process would be a lot more glamorous than it actually was. There’s so much emotion tied up in wanting to make your big day perfect, and I had no idea how overwhelming, stressful, detailed, exciting, and exhausting it would be at times. I learned early on that I can’t compare my journey to anyone else’s, and once I let go of expectations, the planning process became a lot more fun. When Brendan and I would need to make big decisions, we’d make a date out of it so we could enjoy the process. We became even closer during this time and I’m so grateful for that."
When it came to decorating their wedding, Jordan "wanted to play off of the venue's gorgeous greenery by adding white florals everywhere. Playing off the modern fairytale theme, I wanted black and white with pops of greenery and white florals to make it feel romantic and added gold accents to bring in extra elegance."
"I really wanted the ceremony spot to be a WOW moment and for our guests' attention to be on all the beautiful florals we brought in," shares Jordan. "Our ceremony spot was surrounded by lush trees with a giant brick arbor. I instantly envisioned the arbor covered in white florals to complement the greenery and make it feel like a fairytale. We covered the arbor in garden roses, hydrangea, and baby’s breath. We also lined the aisle with lush baby’s breath and white garden roses, which were later repurposed for table decor at the reception."
The couple skipped a first look so the ceremony processional was the first time Jordan and Brendan laid eyes on each other. "Seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle was the most overwhelming rush of emotions for us both," recalls Jordan. "It was pure magic. As we stood at the altar and looked out to see the faces of our loved ones all witnessing this moment was indescribable."
When it came to the reception, which took place indoors, the couple "wanted to bring in a ton of candlelight to make it feel romantic, elegant, and modern," explains Jordan. "The venue has a beautiful staircase which we lined with florals and candles leading to our cake table which was also decorated with florals and candles. We brought in a beautiful acrylic white dance floor, and an acrylic front to our DJ set with our monogram on the front. On each place setting, we had a thoughtful thank you card expressing our gratitude for our guests making the trip to celebrate us."
"Since we couldn’t have our sweet pup, Bear, there on the wedding day we wanted to find a sweet way to incorporate him. For my 'something blue' I had a blue charm on my bridal bouquet with a picture of Bear so he could walk down the aisle with me. We also ordered custom cocktail napkins with his face and they were a huge hit."
The music at Jordan and Brendan's reception was especially unique. "Brendan wanted a live band and I wanted a DJ so we found the perfect compromise and had a DJ that came with a live drummer," says Jordan. "We loved how unique it was, and how we were able to play all types of music to cater to all guests. A highlight of the night was when Brendan got on the drums to surprise to everyone (including me)."
Looking back on their Texas wedding, Jordan and Brendan encourage other to-be-weds to "Decide as a couple what is the most important to you on your wedding day, and prioritize that with your time and money. Vendors book out far in advance, especially because of the pandemic so get your big vendors secured as early as possible. And lastly, use this time to draw closer to your spouse-to-be, instead of obsessing over the little details."