Bride and groom
Haleigh Haggerton, who grew up in Alice, Texas and is now owner of Hush Hush Little Baby Newborn Care with offices in D.C., Austin, Dallas and Tampa; and Collin Almquist, originally from North East, Pa., an analyst/consultant with Praescient Analytics in Alexandria. The couple lives in South Arlington.
The wedding
May 12, 2012 at La Paloma Events Center in Austin, Texas
How they met
Match.com
First date
Dinner and drinks in downtown Austin. At the time, Collin was serving in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Hood.
The proposal
At sunset outside the Washington Monument on the National Mall. “Collin was working in the Middle East for a year and was home for the July 4th holiday,” Haleigh says. “He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! Then I had to say goodbye to him for another three months.”
What she loves about him
“Collin is typically goofy, but I love how he goes above and beyond to support me.”
What he loves about her
“She has made me a better person since the day we met.”
Wedding theme
Vintage creative with shades of pink and antique gold
Number of guests
180
What made it special
“I have always been in love with my grandma's things—pictures, jewelry, trinkets, books,” Haleigh explains. “I’ve spent hours dreaming of what times were like when she was a little girl. I took a lot of inspiration from the times I spent at her home.” Homespun details included hundreds of collected milk glass vases, spray-painted gold for centerpieces; paper flowers on the altar; old family photos as decorations; and a wedding arch that was hand-crafted from dyed coffee filters. “The chandelier above the dance floor was a cascade of pages from old books that had been folded and sewn together,” she adds. The bridesmaids’ dresses were mismatched styles from Ann Taylor and J Crew. And the wine, from Collin’s hometown, featured custom labels printed with a silhouette of the couple.
First dance
“Feet Don’t Touch the Ground” by Stoney LaRue
Gown
Strapless lace with a trumpet skirt, by Demitrios Bride for Macy’s
Honeymoon
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Favors
Personalized cookie bags.
Near disasters
“Texas never gets rain, so outside weddings are typically safe,” Haleigh says. “But it poured on Thursday and Friday. Thankfully it cleared up Saturday morning and was beautiful for a Saturday evening wedding.”
Photographer
Details
Wedding planner and florist: Sweet Sunday Events; Music: Angelic Strings; Caterer: 360 Catering; Cake: Sweet Treets Bakery; Hair and makeup: Salon Hush; Groom’s attire: Calvin Klein; Invitations: Wood Chic Studios on Etsy