Insite Magazine

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March 2012March 2012

BRIDEGUIDE‘I DO’

AWEDDING PLANFORHAPPILYEVER AFTER

EATS & TREATS: A GUIDE TO FOOD & FUN

2 INSITE BRIDE March 2012


PUBLISHER’SDESKSOME DAYS YOU CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHICH END

IS UP and if you’re having that feeling reading

this month’s issue of INSITE, well, sorry about

that. It’s just that sometimes you shouldn’t have to

choose between two really great cover features. So

we didn’t.

The Bride Guide is the romantic story of how

one bride-to-be kept dozens of wedding planning

details – and her happiness – on track to create the

wedding of her dreams. Her secret weapon? The

BRIDAL ASSOCIATION of the

Brazos Valley’s annual show at the Expo Center. This

year’s SPRING SHOW is February 19 and

it’s a don’t miss opportunity to meet the vendors that

specialize in happily ever after.

Not a bride-to-be? No worries. You can still

go to the dance … the NCAA MARCH

MADNESS dance, that is. Having a

bid accepted to host the fi rst and second rounds

of the Women’s Basketball NCAA tournament

is quite the honor for TEXAS A&M

ATHLETICS and if the Lady Aggies make

it to the party, the home court advantage will be

something to CELEBRATE.

If you’re a visitor – WELCOME to

Aggieland! In this issue of INSITE, we’ve given

you a FRONT ROW SEAT to all the charms Bryan/

College Station has to offer for shopping, dining and

attractions. Enjoy your stay and come back soon!

– Angelique Gammon

Get in Touch

Sign Up! Wednesday’s Wake Up to the Weekend Possibilities e-Newsletter

www.insitebrazosvalley.com

Angelique Gammon, [email protected]

Insite Magazine


CONTENTS6 WEDDINGPLANS

A Bride’s StoryFrom ‘I Do’ to Happily Ever After

by Margaret Ann Thurmond

15 YOURSOURCEBride Guide

Wedding Planning ResourcesSpecial Advertising Section

6

INSITE Magazine is published monthly by Insite Printing & Graphic Services, 123 E. Wm. J. Bryan Pkwy., Bryan, Texas 77803. (979) 823-5567 www.insitebrazosvalley.com Volume 28, Number 10. Publisher/Editor: Angelique Gammon; Account Executive: Myron King; Graphic Designer: Karen Green. Editorial Interns: Cheyanne Baker, Margaret Ann Thurmond; INSITE Magazine is a division of The Insite Group, LP. Reproduction of any part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Insite Printing & Graphic Services Managing Partners: Kyle DeWitt, Angelique Gammon, Greg Gammon. General Manager: Carl Dixon; Pre-Press Manager: Mari Brown; Offi ce Manager: Wendy Seward; Sales & Customer Service: Molly Barton; Candi Burling; Manda Jackson; Marie Lindley; Kim Quinney; Barbara Wyss; Production: Stephen Beatty; Norris Carnes; Marilyn Carey; Don Coburn; Jaimie Colwell; Ricky Conchola; Byron Lee; Margie Lowry; Arthur Maldonado; Richard Pearce; Brandon Prouse; Frank Ramirez; Mike Seward; Ruben Torres; Stephen Woodruff.

HUB VENDOR


“We all went to Chuy’s for lunch. We were sitting over there,”

she says, pointing to a table in the corner. “I knew something

was going on because he started getting nervous, and then

he turned to me and looked me in my eyes and told me how

much he loves me and how much he cares and how he wants

to be with me forever. And then he got down on one knee

and proposed.”

Surprisingly, not many people noticed.

“I was surprised,” she muses. “He had to be really

bold to do that.”

‘I Do’A Bride’s StoryA Bride’s StoryStory by Margaret Ann Thurmond / Photos by Fernando Weberich Photography


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Get a Step Ahead on


Pre-Wedding PlansLaDoris Beckworth has just entered into the blissful and draining world of engagement. Her race to plan out the last detail before The Big Day arrives has begun on an intimate double date at Chuy’s. After saying, “Yes,” La-Doris can only think, “What’s next?”

LaDoris is the fi rst child in her family to marry, so planning a modern wedding is a new phenomenon for the Beckworths. Luckily, LaDoris has the love and support of both her family

and her fi ancé’s family to make the journey

a little easier. A Bryan/College-Station native,

she fi rst met her fi ancé Jamal Bowers during

their senior year of high school. Fast forward

fi ve years and the Beckworths and Bowers

have formed a united front to make LaDoris’

dream wedding happen. Everyone was able

to show their support, in ways both large and small. “It makes you feel good that so many people love your child,” the mother-of-the-bride says.

LaDoris has dived into the planning pro-cess with The Knot, an online website that has everything from color scheme ideas to advice

on how to fi nd the perfect honeymoon destination. LaDoris also has used lo-cal resources to research vendors in the local bridal market. “I attended a bridal show at the Expo Center here,”

“The Proposal” launches a married

couple-to-be into the whirl of decision

making known as “Planning

Your Wedding.” Each step

along the path helps create a

wedding that will refl ect two

lifetime journeys that become

one at the alter. Whether it’s a

small, intimate affair or an

epic adventure for family and

friends, all wedding plans share

some traits: excitement, research,

a touch of nerves, details, lists and a

catch of breath as the day fi nally unfolds.

“Yes,” LaDoris can only

think, “What’s next?”

“The Proposal” launches a married

couple-to-be into the whirl of decision

making known as “Planning

Your Wedding.” Each step

wedding that will refl ect two

lifetime journeys that become

one at the alter. Whether it’s a

small, intimate affair or an

epic adventure for family and

friends, all wedding plans share

some traits: excitement, research,

a touch of nerves, details, lists and a

catch of breath as the day fi nally unfolds.

This is the story of LaDoris Beckworth’s path to becoming Mrs. Jamal Bowers, a

journey that began their senior year of high school and culminated in happily

ever after at an elegant, traditional wedding celebration in January.


she says. “They had all the local vendors.” She stresses how vital the Bridal Show & Benefi t has been to her success, a show that is held in spring and again in the fall at the Brazos County Expo Center. Vendors from the area and surrounding cities are on hand to answer every bride’s questions and con-cerns. A advantage of attending the show is the forms a bride-to-be fi lls out so that emails updates with the latest bridal events and spe-cial discounts on services can be sent during the planning phase.

LaDoris has decided to use all local ven-dors for her wedding and she emphasizes the need for experience. Using a vendor with knowledge of the latest wedding trends also is helpful. Flower decisions, for instance: La-Doris says she and her mother had no idea where to begin or what was traditional and the fl owers prove to be a huge undertak-ing. Debbie Brooks at Post Oak Florists takes care of both the ceremony and reception. “I would recommend her to anyone,” Beckworth gushes. “She was very helpful.”

L a D o r i s also stresses the

need to consider the small details that many people

don’t think about when planning a wedding: the unity candle, the groomsmen’s bouton-nieres, the party favors and table settings. Using local vendors as resources has kept the small mountain of details from becoming overwhelming.

As the big day draws near, it’s all coming together just the way LaDoris has wanted it to be since she was young – with a few changes sprinkled here and there.

“I wanted a turquoise dress, but that changed,” she says. Her idea of a mermaid-style dress transformed into an elegant ball gown when she discovered one at a trunk show in the Woodlands. “When you’re shopping

for the dress and she puts

on ‘the one,’ you know immediate-

ly,” LaDoris’ mother says. “We knew.”

There’s no doubt that plan-ning a wedding can be stressful, and part of the reason is that opinions helpfully offered from every direction can become overwhelm-ing.

“Dealing with people who don’t do what they say they’re going to do is frustrating,” LaDoris says, while explaining wedding plan-ning woes. What she isn’t struggling with is pressure from family members to have her wedding a certain way. “A lot of people want-ed to give suggestions to save money,” she says. LaDoris offers a lesson for other brides:

the planning process is ongoing, right up until you say, “I do.” “It’s all the little details,” she says. “There are still a lot of things where you think, ‘Oh, I haven’t thought about that.’”

LaDoris advises future brides

she says. “They had all the local vendors.” She stresses how vital the Bridal Show & Benefi t has been to her success, a show that is held in spring and again in the fall at the Brazos County Expo Center. Vendors from the area and surrounding cities are on hand

L a D o r i s also stresses the

need to consider the small details that many people

don’t think about when planning a wedding: the unity candle, the groomsmen’s bouton-

for the dress and she puts

on ‘the one,’ you know immediate-

ly,” LaDoris’ mother says. “We knew.”

“I attended a bridal show at the

Expo Center here,” she says.

“They had all the local vendors.”


to deal with the stress by staying organized. It’s important to keep everything in line so you won’t become overwhelmed. She adds, “Think about the end result.”

“Everyone wants to give their ideas, but you just want her to be happy,” LaDoris’ mother says. The best news for the stressed bride-to-be: “We’ve never had a moment where we felt like we didn’t want to do this again.”

The Big Day After almost a year of planning her dream wedding, the fi nish line is in sight for LaDoris Beckworth. The easy part will simply be say-ing, “I do.”

LaDoris says that she isn’t at all nervous before the ceremony begins. In fact, her quiet calm radiates to those around her as she waits for the ceremony to commence.

“Everybody else was nervous, [but] it was just what I always wanted,” she recalls af-terwards. “I knew he was who I wanted to be with; I had no doubts.”

The Day starts early at Christ United Methodist Church in College Station with the wedding day coordinator helping things run smoothly. LaDoris and her wedding party set up tables and chairs, and everything else is left to the vendors. Her organization and planning is paying off.

“Everything came together perfectly,” she

will say after. “It was pretty amazing how ev-erything fell into place.”

LaDoris has used her local resources to fi nd the perfect setting for her wedding as well as a day coordinator. “When I was look-ing for a nice church I asked for information about wedding packages,” she says. “They had a coordinator, music; a lot was included in the price.”

Two words come to mind during the cer-emony: traditional and elegant. The guests are holding custom-made, tiffany blue programs and are wait-ing patiently for the bride to walk through the doors. Light from the af-ternoon sun is streaming into the sanctuary, and the groom is standing at attention, looking for his bride.

There is a barely audible gasp when La-Doris walks through the church doors. Her beauty is radiant as she

makes eye contact with her groom. The tradi-tional feel is continuous throughout the cer-emony as the pastor brings a message of true love from the Bible.

On a day that creates a new union, fa-milial love and support fi ll the sanctuary and continue into the reception. Again, it’s the small details LaDoris has attended to that add to the moment, from the lavish candy bar with custom-made “LaDoris and Jamal” labels for the sweets to the tiny silver bows wrapped around the dinnerware. Guests

“Everything came together perfectly.”


are seated at tables adorned with in-tricate centerpieces and individually wrapped party fa-vors, all with a hint of tiffany blue.

After the chil-dren visit the candy bar, those who were part of the ceremo-ny take seats at their own table where wedding coloring books and place-mats await them. LaDoris and her mother had found a wedding coloring book online that sparked the idea.

The bride and groom are seated at their own table at the head of the room, an oasis

of intimacy for the newlyweds surrounded by family and guests. The reception proves to be the fun celebration LaDoris and Jamal have been dreaming of, a time to celebrate and share. Soon they will be off on their honey-

moon adventure, but for now they are content to savor the moments that will become cherished memories for all the years to come.

Happily Ever AfterThe wedding and hon-eymoon have now come and gone, and it’s the rare bride who looks back with few to no re-grets about plans that have gone awry.

“A lot of people said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever seen,” LaDoris says. “It was elegant and classy.”

When asked if there was anything at all she

would have done differently, she has only has

a few suggestions. “Yes,” she says with a laugh.

“I would have given the photographer more

direction.” She encourages future brides not

to assume that every vendor knows what you

want.

“Vendor’s aren’t perfect; there’s a whole

lot going on, but sometimes [things] can slip

your mind.”

Above all, LaDoris stresses the need to

stay organized because things can become

overwhelming once the day gets close. “Stay

calm, and if anybody asks to help, take advan-

tage of it,” she says. “It really helps that people

are supportive.”

From her new viewpoint on the other

side of The Day, this bride returns to how im-

portant the Bridal Show at the Expo Center

proved to be during the planning process: it’s

not only an opportunity to get to know dif-

ferent vendors but also to see their work.

LaDoris has one fi nal piece of advice:

“Don’t let the vendors take advantage of you.

They see stars in your eyes, and some people

can use it the wrong way,” she says. “Stick with

what you want.” i14 INSITE BRIDE March 2012


THE BRIDE GUIDE

Besco Custom JewelersCustom Designed Jewelry

3rd Floor Compass Bank Building2405 Texas Ave. S, College Station(979) 764-8558BescoJewelers.com

Th e Brazos Cotton ExchangeSpecial Event Venue

Howell Building200 South Main, Third Floor, Bryan(979) 575-4181BrazosCottonExchange.com

Briarcrest Country ClubSpecial Event Venue & Catering

1929 Country Club Drive, Bryan(979) 776-0133BriarcrestCC.org

Charli Clothes, Jewelry, Gifts

505 University Dr. East, College Station(979) 268-9626 CharliOnlin.com

Cricket Cruise & TravelHoneymoon Packages & Travel

[email protected](979) 836-6600 / (713) 446-4990CricketCruiseAndTravel.com

Christopher’s World GrilleSpecial Event Venue & Catering

5001 Boonville Rd, Bryan(979) 776-0802 Christophersworldgrille.com

David Gardner’s JewelersJewelers, Gemologists

911 University Dr. East, College Station(979) 268-0800 DavidGardnersJewelers.com

YOURSOURCE

16 INSITE BRIDE March 2012 S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

Dermataloge Medical SpaMake-Up for Special Occasions

1707 Broadmoor Dr. #101, Bryan(979) 776-7546 Dermataloge.com

Mad Hatter’s Tea Room & BoutiqueSpecial Event Venue & Catering

212 S. Echols, Caldwell(979) 567-3504MadHattersTeaRoom.com

Post Oak FloristWedding & Special Occasion Flowers

900 Harvey Road, Suite 12, College Station(979) 764-0091 Weddings.PostOakFlorist.com

Royalty Pecan FarmsSpecial Event Venue & Catering

10600 State Hwy. 21 East, Caldwell(979) 272-3904 RoyaltyPecans.com

Specialties PhotographyBridal, Engagement & Wedding Day

524 University Dr. East, College Station(979) 696-9898 SpecialPhoto.com

Texas A&M Rec CenterSpecial Event Venue & Services

West Campus, College Station(979) 845-0838 RecSports.tamu.edu

The University Club & Texas A&M University CateringSpecial Event Venue & Catering

12th Floor, Rudder TowerTexas A&M University(979) 845-2582 UniversityClub.tamu.edu

For more vendor information, visit InsiteBrazosValley.com/BrideGuide

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