Moments before Hannah Garner was to walk down the aisle, the lights went out. And they stayed out. Undeterred, the bride took a deep breath and continued toward her groom in the dark, and though she and Klayton Mai could barely see each other—much less their nearly 200 guests—the ceremony went on as planned. They said their vows, exchanged rings, and shared a first kiss as man and wife. And then they got the party started.

Remembering, Hannah laughs at her ability to just roll with whatever comes. “You know, it was perfect,” she says. “There were moments of imperfection, but it ultimately was an amazing night that had a very real-life feel to it. Klayton and I were getting married, and all that mattered was that we were together.”

The couple, both of whom grew up in Dallas, met in college at the University of Oklahoma and dated six years before saying “I do” on the evening of October 20, 2012, at the Dallas Museum of Art.

When planning her wedding, Hannah focused on simplicity and fun. She describes herself as “a ham” and a person who likes to let loose—and that’s exactly what she intended for her friends and family to do on her big night.

For decor, she wanted bright colors and put it all in the hands of Alicia Rico at Bows and Arrows. “I showed her stuff I liked and just said make it look good and handed her the reins,” Hannah says. And Alicia did.

The floral designer took inspiration from the Chihuly installation in the museum’s cafe—where the reception took place—and created an arch festooned with huge paper flowers and colored streamers to serve as the backdrop for the ceremony in the DMA’s outdoor sculpture garden. She tied paper flowers to white folding chairs and scattered yellow, orange, and red rose petals on both sides of the aisle. For each of the seven bridesmaids, Alicia crafted a different color bouquet—bright bursts of pink roses, blue hydrangeas, or yellow dahlias. She took a similar approach to the groomsmen’s boutonnieres.

For the reception, Hannah had three requests: queso, crème brûlée, and as little time as possible between the couple’s arrival on the scene and the aforementioned letting loose. “I was ready to be married and ready to be done with the responsibilities of the day and just enjoy our friends and have a good time,” she says.

Which explains the appearance of funny hats, the abundance of glow jewelry, and the dancing that went on until midnight.

—Allison Hatfield

"I was ready to be married and ready to be done with the responsibilities of the day and just enjoy our friends and have a good time."