Madeline + Jake by Valerie Thompson

We drew inspiration from the surreal aesthetics of Annihilation

We’re currently living in Austin, Texas, but by the time this is published, we’ll have just moved to Chicago. We’re both creatives at heart: I work in events and programme coordination in the arts sector, and Jake works in live broadcasting. Our life together revolves around our cat, live music, hiking the Austin Greenbelt, playing pool in dimly lit bars, and travelling with friends.

We met in 2019 in Paris, on the night of Fête de la Musique, a chaotic and joyful evening of overlapping bands, crowded streets, and music echoing from every corner. We had been attending the same study-abroad programme, even sharing classes, but that night was the first time we truly spoke. I turned to Jake, noticing his freshly bleached hair, and said, “I bet you have good music taste.” I was right. And we didn’t stop talking until I fell asleep on him in a nightclub at 5am.

Film above by The Elly Edit, @thellyedit

When it came to planning our wedding, the first decision we made was our venue. Barr Mansion felt like the perfect setting — an elegant, restored historic home surrounded by lush gardens. The venue’s greenery paired beautifully with our eclectic palette, and became the foundation for everything that followed.

One of our favourite details was our escort cards. We assigned each of our 160+ guests a music album we love — a significant undertaking, but a meaningful one. Each card featured an album on the front and, on the reverse, a drawing by my sister-in-law, depicting places and symbols meaningful to us. These same illustrations appeared throughout the day, on menus, cocktail napkins, signage, and even custom matchboxes.

My dress was the result of an extensive search. I was determined to have long sleeves, but finding a gown in Texas that fit my vision proved difficult. After trying on more than 50 dresses, I worked closely with Sophia at Lovely Bride in Houston to create a custom bolero using sourced lace. The result felt true to everything I’d imagined. Jake wore a green suit with a bespoke glass-blown bolo tie. Created by Austin artist Steph Granillo, it was colour-matched to his suit and echoed his style perfectly. She also made coordinating bolo ties for the groomsmen, which doubled as their wedding gift.

We chose to prioritise photography and florals in our budget, and both brought immense beauty to the day. Valerie Thompson captured our celebration with such sensitivity and artistry — we return to her images often. For florals, we drew inspiration from the surreal aesthetics of Annihilation, and Courtlynn from Lovelily Florals translated our vision into something wonderfully organic, layered and textural. Aside from a minor oversight — our cheese wheel “cake” wasn’t served to guests — the day unfolded seamlessly. The silver lining? We enjoyed charcuterie for weeks and arrived at every post-wedding gathering with cheese in hand.