Real Weddings || Devin + Matt || First Anniversary
Some say a couple that dances together, stays together — and Devin and Matt Johnson are here to prove it. Devin and Matt danced their way through college and even surprised their wedding guests with the ultimate first dance at their reception!
Yesterday they celebrated their one year anniversary of saying “I Do” at The Laurel. Devin was kind enough to share with us many of the special moments she and Matt remember most from their big day.
From Devin:
In May of 2015, Matt proposed to me at the University of Oklahoma — back where it all began. He got down on one knee on the stage of the historic Holmberg Hall auditorium. Under the theater lights, I said yes!
I told Matt that I wanted to find a wedding venue that felt like we were hosting a big party at our house. I wanted the ceremony to be intimate, but also have a reception space with a large dance floor. The Laurel was perfect — the decor was very Texas, without being overly "country." It felt like home, it was polished yet rustic and had everything we had hoped for.
The hardest part about our wedding day was not having my Dad there. He passed away earlier that year. Fortunately, he had been able to see my dress and the venue, as we had chosen both on a trip home a year earlier (before The Laurel had finished construction!). While my mom and sister helped me into my dress, we listened to classic rock, like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, to make it feel like my Dad was there too.
Our “first look” was very exciting! Matt looked so handsome (which I knew he would) and he loved my dress. We didn't cry, there was just a lot of giggling. I think we were both giddy that the big day we had been planning was finally here.
Also, while we were taking pictures outside, I had a big, beautiful dragonfly flying around me (which we continually saw in and out of the venue throughout the night). I see my dad in dragonflies, so I felt like it was his way of letting me know he was with me.
We will both remember our first dance forever, which we choreographed together in our apartment the summer leading up to our wedding. Matt was dead set on having a fun, first dance as a surprise for everyone at the wedding — the whole thing was his idea. We met dancing in college, and we both haven't stopped dancing since. Our friends and family know us for that, so we thought it was important to give them a show!
It had been such an emotional year with my dad's sudden death, which everyone in that room experienced with us. This was the first time we were all able to celebrate together. Everyone was so happy for us, and also for our family, that we could celebrate after a year of pain.
Looking back, what we remember most is our first dance for sure! Also, how perfect our ceremony was, how many people were on the dance floor alongside us all night and just how much love was in the room!
The best word I could use to describe our wedding would be absolute JOY.
From Tom Petty in the Magnolia Suite to a surprise, choreographed first dance, September 24, 2016 was a day to remember. Thank you, Devin, for sharing your sweet love story with us! We wish you and Matt a very happy first anniversary and all the best in the years to come.
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