June 17, 2023
Hotel Drover
Fort Worth, TX

Nicole saw Chase’s band play a festival in Atlanta back in 2018 and decided, right then, that she was going to marry him. It took another year for the two of them to actually meet after a show, a long stretch of long-distance between Nashville and Atlanta, and a proposal at the same Chattanooga museum where their first date began. By the time they got married at Fort Worth’s Hotel Drover, all of that history was woven into the day.

A Backyard Party, Just Bigger

Nicole and Chase wanted their Hotel Drover wedding to feel like a party they could have thrown in their own backyard — Texas-meets-California, loose, and entirely personal rather than formal. Guest tables carried concert ticket stubs as place cards, a nod to Chase’s music career, and the guest book was made of vintage postcards, echoing the postcards the two of them mailed each other during their long-distance years.

Bougainvillea, Rain, and a Quick Recovery

Bougainvillea, Nicole’s favorite flower, showed up everywhere — in the bridesmaids’ dresses, each one in her own shade, and throughout the florals. Rain pushed the ceremony from Hotel Drover’s lawn to its covered porch at the last minute, but by cocktail hour the sky had cleared enough for guests to spend the afternoon outside with a small herd of donkeys before heading back in for dinner and dancing.

A Reception Built Around the Dance Floor

The band kept that dance floor full most of the night. Guests waved light-up foam sticks and wore illuminated cowboy hats, and Nicole & Chase joined in to single a couple songs. Mid reception, Nicole changed into a sparkly pink dress to keep the energy going. It was the kind of night that never really slowed down.

Why Film Mattered to Them

Nicole and Chase asked for film specifically, wanting to look back on these photos 50 years from now and still love them. That’s exactly why we love shooting weddings this way — the kind of images that don’t just document a day, they hold up decades later.

Weddings like Nicole and Chase’s are why we love this work — two people who know exactly who they are, throwing exactly the party that felt like them. If you’re planning a wedding in Fort Worth, Austin, or anywhere in between, we’d love to hear your story.

Testimonial

“Working with F&T felt like working with close friends. We can’t recommend enough doing both engagement and wedding sessions with them. No matter how many times you’re with them they make you feel like family, but having gotten to work with the twice was truly a treat. They made every moment feel natural and also assisted when help was needed (posing, where to look, smiling, etc.). With such a wide range of types of photos (digital, film, video) we couldn’t be happier. Thank you soooo much!!”

Vendors

Photo & Video: Ruét Photo Austin Wedding Photographer @ruetphoto
Planner & Designer: Honey & Co. Weddings @honeyandco.weddings
Venue: Hotel Drover Wedding @hoteldrover
H/MU: Cathi Singh @cathisingh
Baker: Swiss Pasty Bakery @swisspastryshopfw
DJ / Band / Lighting: DART Collective Blue Roses
Florist: Jim Irwin
Rentals: Big D’s Party Rental

Planning a wedding in Austin or beyond? We’d love to document yours. Explore how we work and what to expect → Austin Film Wedding Photographers | Ruét Photo