This was such a special way for us to give an ode to our aviation backgrounds and also to have a unique, fun activity throughout the weekend.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Ryan and I (Chloe) both grew up outside of Dallas, TX. Ryan is a year older and went to the University of Texas at Arlington while I attended Texas State University. Our story together starts after college, however, when we both separately made the decision to become a pilot. As fate would have it, we both attended the same flight school in Addison, TX and met during the start of our aviator careers. Today, we live in Grapevine, TX, and both work as airline pilots- I fly the Boeing 737 for American Airlines, and Ryan flies the same plane for Southwest Airlines. We both truly love our job and feel so lucky to be where we are! During our free time, and when our ever-changing airline schedules allow for it, we love to go on walks around our neighbourhood, cook together, play pickleball or tennis, and often travel to see family, friends, and new places.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Ryan and I first saw each other in the fall of 2018 when I was in the middle of flight school and Ryan came with his mentor came to tour the school. Although we didn’t meet then, Ryan’s mentor can attest that he noticed I had eyes for the future pilot! We were properly introduced when Ryan started his training in the spring of 2018. At that time, I had just begun my new job as a flight instructor. We were both seeing other people at the time and we also wanted to stay professional while I was an instructor and he a student, so we were just friends for the first year or so. We both, however, remember fondly a couple of flights in which I was his instructor and we totally hit it off, laughing continuously and sharing a bit of our lives in between lessons. In the summer of 2020, Ryan and I were both single, he had completed his training and was now working as an instructor, and asked me out to dinner after a friends birthday party. The rest is history!
When did you first realize that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
With Ryan, everything has just made sense from the beginning. From our first dinner, it was like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together, and every situation or experience that we’ve been through since has proved that over and over again. I knew from the first date that he was someone that I not only truly loved to be around but also the kind of person I could see myself building a life with. We share a love, respect, and genuine appreciation for each other that we know we are lucky to have found.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
About a year after we started dating, I landed my first airline job and moved to Denver, CO. Ryan was still living in Dallas, so we were long-distance for almost a year until Ryan also accepted a job at the same airline and made a move to Denver as well. We had been talking about marriage for a while by then, and soon after Ryan was settled in his new apartment, he suggested a hike to Saint Mary’s Glacier in Idaho Springs, CO. Although I had a decent idea of what he might ask me at the top of the mountain (to his credit- he really tried to be sneaky), I had no idea about the party he had planned for him back at home that afternoon. Our families had flown in, and our friends had set up a beautiful little party to celebrate the day. The whole entire day is one of my favourite memories.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
One element we were happy to splurge on was the venue itself. Bella Cosa is a bed and breakfast turned wedding venue that has a history and story to it that we love. It also has 11 separate apartment-style suites, which can accommodate up to 32 people. We eventually made the decision to splurge on renting the venue for the whole weekend- Friday through Sunday- in order to really make our wedding feel like inviting our guests into our home for the weekend. We invited our close family and friends, along with my bridesmaids, to stay there on-site with us, which made for some really special memories, not only on the big day but also on the night before and the day after. We also loved the idea of the venue’s location on the lake, which made it possible for my dad to bring his seaplane in for the weekend, in which he and my brother Ty treated our guests to a flight around the area and some fun sea takeoff and landings. This was such a special way for us to give an ode to our aviation backgrounds and also to have a unique, fun activity throughout the weekend.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
When I woke up on the big day, I felt anxious due to the weather. I had envisioned a warm, sunny, beautiful day and all the events taking place outside, and what we got that Saturday was an unseasonably cold, windy, cloudy, and rainy day. Up until an hour beforehand, we weren’t sure if the weather would hold out for us to do the ceremony under the big tree where we had planned. We ended up getting the ceremony done where we wanted just in the nick of time- in fact; I felt raindrops falling just as Ryan and I were walking back down the aisle! The rest of the night was blustery and chilly, but the clear tent we had put up made it seem all the more intimate, cozy, and sweet. And although we eventually had to give up on our outdoor checkered dance floor, the party, once moved inside, was so much fun, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Looking back, the weather not being perfect highlighted for me the fact that nothing mattered more than marrying Ryan and getting to share that with our closest people.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story? The history of the ceremony dress…
One of the most special elements of the wedding was my reception dress, which actually was my mom’s wedding dress that she had shortened for me. The process of trying it on and her hemming it for my use was really special and fun for us, and I made sure to change into it right after the father-daughter dance. Paired with a chunky pearl studded heel, the dress turned out to be the perfect dancing dress for the rest of the night. My ceremony dress was exactly what I imagined. I wanted something classic and timeless that still felt like me, and I knew I wanted to feel comfortable all day and be able to eat and drink without thinking about how I might look/feel in my dress. I tried on the Sottero and Midgley Aspen dress early on in my dress shopping and immediately fell in love with it. I still wanted to cover my bases and try other gowns, but I always knew that the Aspen was the one to beat. Finally, I made the decision and am so happy I did!
PHOTOGRAPHER Lauren Galloway, @laurengallowayphotography PLANNING Lora Wardman, @lorawardmanevents FLORIST Flower Smith, @flower_smith_ CELEBRANT DesJay – Xclusive Deejays, @xclusivedeejays CATERING Tabletop Catering, @tabletop.catering STATIONERY Maureen Hall Invitations, @maureenhallinvitations RINGS Cook Diamonds, @cookdiamonds HAIR & MAKEUP Make-Over Station, @makeoverstation BRIDAL DRESS Aspen by Sottero and Midgley BRIDE’S SHOE Zinfandel Sandal – Vionic, @vionicshoes ACCESSORIES MaLi Beads, @malibeads CUSTOM TUXEDO Dallas – Alton Lane GROOM’S SHOE Mr. B’s Euston Oxford Shoes – ALDO, @aldo_shoes GROOMSMEN TUX The Black Tux, @theblacktux
