The Couple

Nicole and Justin were designed to be together. Or rather, their work in design brought them together. They met the summer before their senior year of college while interning at an architecture firm in Houston. Nicole, now 25, was studying interior design and studio art at Oklahoma State University when she and Justin met. Justin, now 26, was studying architecture and geography at Kansas State University. Now, both work for the Dallas architecture firm Corgan. Given their shared love for architecture and design, the couple loves to explore the city from their home base in the Knox-Henderson area. They spend date nights looking for restaurants, shops, and neighborhoods with interesting atmospheres, which is reflected by their favorite spot, The Cake Bar in Trinity Groves.

The Proposal

What Nicole thought was a day of sightseeing with out-of-town family turned out to be Justin’s thoughtful, family-oriented proposal. “Justin really fooled me,” she said. After touring Magnolia Market in Waco with her aunt and uncle, Nicole planned to continue the Texas sightseeing affair back at the Dallas Arboretum. When it started raining, she tried to get her family to re-route and wait out the downpour. Nevertheless, they persisted and convinced Nicole to stick with the original plan. Nicole, bundled in her rain jacket and hiding under an umbrella, thought they were insane for making the garden trek in a downpour. She was unaware that her parents were following them through the garden—her dad ready to meet Justin with the ring. When they made it to Crape Myrtle Allee, Justin pulled Nicole aside. When she realized her parents were there, things started to click. “I completely blacked out at this point,” Nicole said. “But I watched the video and I said yes (about a thousand times!).” She had been so convinced Justin planned to propose on their upcoming trip to Scandinavia that she wasn’t prepared for the surprise proposal but glad it happened that way. “I was drenched in rain, my nails were an absolute mess, and I was wearing flip flops,” Nicole remembers. “And it was absolutely perfect.”

The Wedding

Justin and Nicole will be married in September at the Arboretum. In keeping with their love of design, they chose a sophisticated, timeless aesthetic coupled with the industrial flair of their reception venue: the Filter Building at White Rock Lake.