This Fairytale Wedding at Arlington Hall Was Fit For a Princess

Ciara Cooley & Huntington Biggers
April 23, 2022

It was a studious start for Ciara Cooley and Huntington Biggers—the pair met while she was getting her MBA at SMU, and he was in law school there. “My roommate went to high school with him,” the bride explains. “I came home one day and he was there, and I was like, ‘Who is that?’ ” Nearly two years later, a rescheduled tea reservation at The Ritz-Carlton tea room proved the perfect proposal spot, with their families just in the other room. The couple knew they wanted an outdoor wedding, so they booked Arlington Hall for April and crossed their fingers for good weather—and lucked out.

Ciara Cooley & Hunnington Biggers at the Altar as Bride & Groom

To Have And to Hold

Having been torn between Arlington Hall’s pavilion and the sunken garden, the pair ultimately chose the pavilion for their “I do’s.” “It’s just a natural place to have a ceremony,” says Ciara. “We didn’t want to change the space entirely but just add to it.” The couple also wanted to represent their Christian faith in the service.

Ciara Cooley & Hunnington Biggers, Bridal Gown

Tailor Made

Ciara had seen a photo of this stunning Monique Lhuillier gown three months prior to getting engaged, but it was in pink, so she dismissed it. Consider it fate, then, when her Neiman’s sales representative showed her a picture of the same gown. Still not feeling the blush hue, Ciara had it custom made in a champagne-to-ivory ombre. “I fell in love with it,” she says.

 

Guests: 215

First Dance: “When I Said I Do” by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black

Honeymoon: Costa Rica

Cake Flavor: Champagne cake with mixed berry mousse, mixed berry puree, and vanilla buttercream frosting

Signature Cocktail: A spicy strawberry margarita dubbed the “Remirita” after the couple’s dog, Remi

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