Isabelle Gresham & Jacob Lovett
October 5, 2024

Though Isabelle Gresham and Jacob Lovett had known each other in high school, they didn’t connect until they matched on Bumble years later. After five years of dating and a surprise West Texas engagement, the Fort Worth–based couple planned an “organic and romantic” celebration at Bowie House that the bride says was everything she could’ve hoped for and more. “When I think about my wedding day, I really don’t think there was a single aspect that wasn’t filled with so much joy,” she says. “If I could relive it over and over again, I would!” Following a honeymoon that took them through Italy and Greece, the couple have been settling into their new home with the help of their sidekick: their cat, Ravioli. The couple reflects on wedding planning and gives advice to couples who are in that process. 

What was the smartest thing you did while planning your wedding?

Isabelle: Having our planner—Larissa Marple of Fête Fort Worth—keep us organized and on track was the smartest move we made. Worth every penny and kept our stress levels to a minimum!

Jacob: Hiring a planner took a lot of the stress out of the day of so we could actually enjoy it.

What was the hardest part about wedding planning?

Isabelle: Condensing our guest list to our venue’s capacity! We are so lucky to have so many people we love that we wanted there, but we had a pretty strict capacity with our reception being in a ballroom.

Jacob: Narrowing down our options. You have so much you can do, so many places to have it, so many add-ons, etc. It’s overwhelming at first, but once we focused on where it was going to be, it became a lot easier to narrow down those options.

What stressed you out the most?

Isabelle: Honestly, the idea of walking down an aisle with hundreds of eyes on me terrified me and was my biggest constant stress throughout planning. I’m not someone who typically loves that level of attention, and I was terrified I would trip. And in tandem, I was stressed I’d be so focused on not falling that I wouldn’t take the moment to just let it all soak in. Luckily adrenaline kicked in, and it was perfect!

Jacob: My wedding-rehearsal speech.

What was your most worthwhile wedding splurge?

Isabelle: Our band! Our main focus for our reception was making it a giant party, so we took our band selection very seriously and knew we wanted to dedicate a good chunk of our budget to that—and Manhattan through Jordan Kahn Music Company could not have been more fun!

Jacob: My custom tux.

Was there anything your spouse wanted that you weren’t sure about? How did it turn out?

Isabelle: Jacob had the idea of doing a silent disco at the end of our reception, and I loved the idea! When we started looking into it, logistically it wasn’t going to work out, but I so wish it would have.

Jacob: Nothing really. We enjoyed being able to work on it together to build out what we knew we would both enjoy.

What was your biggest takeaway from the wedding-planning process?

Isabelle: Having a wedding is a blessing and a privilege, and we had genuinely such a great time planning, but we are so glad to be married and to never have to plan another one ever again!

Jacob: Fifty percent of planning happens in the first two weeks, 50 percent in the last two weeks, zero percent in between. At least that’s what it felt like.

What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?

Isabelle: Reading our vows privately before the ceremony. It was such a beautiful moment that I will remember for the rest of my life, and having that moment just between us two was the best decision we could’ve made!

Jacob: Seeing my wife walk down the aisle and seeing how beautiful she looked.

Anything unexpected happen?

Isabelle: If anything did, I didn’t know about it! I think that’s a testament to our planner and her team. Her entire focus was making sure we had the best day and that everything ran smoothly—and it really did.

Jacob: Nothing out of the ordinary.

What has surprised you most about married life? How (if at all) does it feel different?

Isabelle: I think in the months following the wedding, we both settled into this feeling of deep peace, knowing we were officially in it for life. That level of commitment is palpable, and it’s amazing. It’s hard to explain, because logistically nothing is really different, and yet, everything is different!

Jacob: How much closer we have gotten. Even after dating for six years, one of those being engaged, I just feel more connected to my wife than I ever have. It feels complete.

If you had one piece of advice for engaged or newly married couples, what would it be?

Isabelle: The biggest thing that made the process so enjoyable was allowing things to roll off our backs easily. We trusted that no matter what happened, our day would be beautiful and special. Having that attitude made a world of a difference!

Jacob: Be a good listener and better friend. Never stop dating each other. And always be honest.