Archives for March 2020

Meet Spencer and Erinn! These two love birds are getting married on April 2, 2021, at The French Farmhouse Venue and we are so excited for them! 

How did you and Spencer meet?

I was working at a coffee shop called Summer Moon while Spencer was off at college. He would come in when he was home on the weekends and one day our staff found out he got hired for the summer. When he started working at the shop we instantly connected and became really good friends. Our love story blossomed and we began dating right before he left to go to Nashville for college.

How/when did Spencer propose?

On March 19th in the midst of COVID-19, we were supposed to have our young adult bible study on Thursday but that got canceled so Spencer wanted to do a surprise date to get us out of the house before all of this got worse. He eventually told me we were going to dinner at a cute little wine bar in downtown Frisco. I was working that day so he picked me up from work and we started to head to dinner. On the way, he stopped in the parking lot of summer moon (the coffee shop we met at) and told me to get out and we would be right back. He took me to the gazebo right next to the shop where he had flowers and pictures of us set up. He had a notebook personalized for me with my new last name on it and he popped the question.

Why did you choose The French Farmhouse Venue?

I have been following the French farmhouse on Instagram since they started the page and I was always obsessed with everything they were sharing on their feed. When we got engaged I looked at other venues online just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything else. From the moment we stepped foot on the property I was in awe and immediately fell in love. It was such an easy decision and Kelsey and her mom Michelle made the experience even that much better.

What are you most excited about getting married?

I am most excited that we will get to finally do life together and not have to be apart anymore. Our entire relationship Spencer has lived in Nashville for college and our visits were always short weekends besides summer break. I can’t wait to just get to start our life together in Texas and just enjoy each other’s company at all times.

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Introducing Thanh and Alyssa… We can’t wait to ring in the New Year with this fun couple and I can promise you one thing it is going to be one for the books! 

How Did We Meet?

Thanh was once just a random stranger that walked into the office across from my cubicle one day. But even then, he didn’t seem like a stranger. He seemed like a familiar ray of sunshine.

I neglected my work for 15 minutes as I watched him chat with my boss. Something about the joy on his face intrigued me. I tried to figure out what he was talking about, but I could only make out the fact that he was transferring from our company’s Houston office to the Dallas office – where I worked- and I made a mental note that I would probably be seeing more of him.

For the next couple of weeks, we only caught glimpses of each other due to our working in different departments. We technically met for the first time in our office break room, but I’m afraid I did not give off the best first impression. I was taken off guard by how friendly Thanh was. I had always been very introverted and closed off, especially at work. Luckily, my demeanor changed dramatically very soon after our first meeting. Thanh had absolutely everything to do with that.

As luck would have it, we ended up both being put on the same project- a project that required us to work in a tiny office together every day for months, where we got to know each other well. We joked around (primarily with puns), sang pop songs, and ate endless amounts of junk food. However, most surprisingly, I immediately felt comfortable opening myself up to Thanh and he quickly became my best friend. We talked about everything- God, love, family, and everything in between. We talked all day at work and, even after we got home, we continued our conversation by texting each other into the early morning hours. I could tell that we would never run out of things to talk about.

I loved the fact that we had so much in common, but I loved our differences even more. I always wanted to hear Thanh’s sunny perspective on life and people. I was shockingly cynical for a 23-year-old, but Thanh helped me to notice all the beauty in this world- to stop and smell the roses if you will. Thanh has always encouraged me to pursue anything that would make me happy and that has helped me to see the world very differently. I soon realized that one of the things I needed to pursue, in order to achieve my ultimate happiness, was Thanh himself.

We started a flirtation-ship with a couple ambiguous “hangouts” (or were they dates? I’m still not sure!). Specifically, I remember a time that I made Thanh walk several miles in the Texas heat so that he could push me on the swings at the park. Another incredibly romantic memory that comes to mind was a CVS shopping spree that we once embarked on during our lunch break. Truthfully, our first date may have been grabbing drinks at Quarter bar, the bar that we had discovered was the favorite of both of us. But that is also not the date that we acknowledge as our first.

The night of our real first date started with drinks at a rooftop bar with a beautiful view of the Dallas skyline at sunset. Then, we went to dinner at a great restaurant called Neighborhood Services. Early into the dinner, we noticed one of our coworkers sitting nearby so we spent the rest of the dinner trying to hide our faces and laughing at our attempts to be sneaky. Despite the subterfuge, this was the perfect first date for us. The date was symbolic of the next 6 months of

our “secret” office romance, which we later found out was obvious to everyone at the office. We never have been very good at hiding our feelings for each other.

From there, our relationship has been a blur of laughter, movies (especially Hallmark Christmas movies which we both inexplicably love), and snacks. Throughout dating, living together, and co-parenting a puppy, we have learned a lot about each other, about relationships, and about helping each other be the best versions of ourselves. We cannot wait to continue learning and growing on our new adventure of marriage!

How did Thanh propose?

Thanh and I love to travel together and we discovered that Oahu, Hawaii was a particularly magical place for us. On our first trip to Oahu, I was nervous to do one of the more difficult hikes and told Thanh to go alone. After returning to Texas, I regretted missing out on an experience because of fear so I vowed to Thanh that on our next trip to Hawaii, I would do the Lanikai Pillbox hike with him. It was a year before we returned to Oahu- a year in which Thanh and I focused on becoming better versions of ourselves and strengthening our relationship.

Almost exactly a year from the day that I first chickened out on doing the Lanikai hike, we were once again in Hawaii and at the bottom of the mountain, ready to embark on the hike together. On the way to the top, we kept stopping to admire the views and to reflect on how much had happened in the past year. I was no longer afraid of the hike but instead looked forward to the challenge. Thanh felt that this journey to the top was symbolic of how much we had grown since we were last there.

Once we made it to the peak, we sat with our legs dangling off the mountainside. We gazed out into the ocean without speaking, but both knowing that we felt complete peace and contentment together. Thanh reached into his nearby backpack and pulled out a wrapped gift that he presented to me. I unwrapped the gift and uncovered an illustrated book- a nod to my love of reading. Thanh had created the book himself and it was filled with illustrations of both our memories together and the hopes that we had discussed having for our life ahead. When I turned to the last page of the book, I suddenly knew that something special was happening and that all our dreams for the future would come true.

As I looked up from the book, Thanh turned to me, propped up on one knee. He opened a small box with a ring inside. I could barely wait for Thanh to get the words out before I threw my arms around him and burst into tears. I had known for a long time that we were meant to spend our lives together, so my answer was an absolute no-brainer. Yes.

Why did you choose The French Farmhouse Venue?

Kelsey and her mom were nothing short of wonderful. The way they described the venue while we toured the Inn was exciting and captivating. Even though the actual venue was only a slab of foundation and a little bit of framework at that time, Kelsey made us able to envision how beautiful the finished product would be. Even more importantly, we saw ourselves in the picture

she painted- making sacred vows to each other and celebrating our love with our friends and family. We drove away knowing that would the place we would get married. We can’t wait to say our “I Do’s” under the beautiful wedding tree!

What are you most excited about getting married?

Alyssa – I’m most excited to see Thanh’s face as I walk down the aisle and know that we are about to commit ourselves to each other for life. We chose New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day as our wedding date because we believe that the new year is a celebration of new beginnings and hopes for the future. I am often anxious about the future, but in marrying Thanh, there is no anxiety. There is only excitement and hope for our life ahead. I cannot wait to see what experiences we will have as a married couple and as our family grows.

Thanh – I’m most excited about knowing each day I can wake up to my best friend, favorite teammate, the future mother of my children, and eventually be able to tell as many dad jokes as I want!

Introducing Amanda and Chris! Coming all the way Wisconsin to tie the knot in Texas. We are ready show these two everything really is bigger in Texas!

How did you and Chris meet?

Chris and I met in high school. It was the summer going into my sophomore year, we met at a party. He actually knew my friends for a few weeks before meeting me. We were introduced that night and became friends for a bit! As we started hanging out more and more we started growing closer! Second semester of my sophomore year we started dating! We have officially been together for 8 years now!

How/when did Chris propose?

Chris proposed to me on December 26, 2019. We were in Tampa, Florida staying with his mom for two weeks. We decided over the summer of 2019 that it would be an amazing time to drive to Florida with our dogs and stay for the majority of the holiday season. Little did I know it was meant for something bigger! The day after Christmas we went to Fort De Soto beach, we were walking all the way down the beach to get to this pier. I was walking ahead of Chris in the water and he called my name. When I turned around he was on one knee asking me to marry him!

Why did you choose The French Farmhouse?

We chose the French Farmhouse because it is SO unique. I have been dying for a true country barn wedding but this gives it a whole new twist. Even with no real pictures of the venue yet, I knew this had to be our venue. Especially since Chris and I looked at so many venues back home in Wisconsin and we were not pleased with any of them. They were all missing some sort of expectation we had, and our wedding would have felt like a compromise. What made our decision even easier was Kelsey & her mom, Michelle. They were so welcoming and so descriptive about everything that even before the tour was over I asked for the contract! We are so happy with our decision, we can’t wait for next October 2021. 

What are you most excited about getting married?

We are just so excited to FINALLY make it official. Eight years together is such a long time, we have made so many great memories together and we can’t wait to do it as husband and wife. We are also excited to say that we made it as true high school sweethearts!