Oh how we love this ballroom wedding at The Mayo Hotel! Savannah and Eric’s big day is simply breathtaking! After perusing their beautiful gallery, be sure to read their story below – how they met is just adorable!
On a day in early 2009, Savannah was lucky to get off with a warning for speeding, but little did she know she would also get a husband! Eric, an Oklahoma State Trooper, stopped Savannah for speeding, and three months later Savannah had a family member, who is also a trooper, introduce them.
Savannah’s fascination with the history of the Old South led Eric to plan a surprise trip to Savannah, Georgia, for their four-year anniversary. They stayed in the Kehoe House in the heart of the historic downtown and spent the day touring old homes and learning all about the city’s rich history. That evening, Eric had a carriage waiting outside the bed and breakfast to whisk them off to Orleans Square. Savannah thought they were there to make a wish in the fountain, but instead Eric surprised her with a proposal!
Another surprise was in store for the couple on May 18, 2013, when Savannah’s family threw them an engagement party. The event was at the home of Doctors Todd and Kayla Gaddis in Frisco, Texas, and was hosted by the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Jackson. A few weeks later, the bridal luncheon was held at The Lovely Lady in Atoka, Oklahoma. Savannah and Eric’s friends celebrated in style with a bachelorette party, hosted by the bridal party in New Orleans, and the bachelor party, hosted by the groom’s attendants in Las Vegas. The rehearsal dinner took place at The Harwelden Mansion in Tulsa.
Savannah Merle Black and Eric James Blades were married on May 31, 2014, in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Tulsa. Reverend Kristina Maulden and Bishop Randell Drake officiated the ceremony, while organist Casey Cantwell and soloist Lindsey McKee performed. The bride looked stunning as she floated down the aisle on the arm of her father, Dale Jackson. She wore an ivory organza Lazaro mermaid gown with a sweetheart neckline, silk satin organza-elongated bodice and an asymmetrical layered skirt with a chapel train. Savannah added some sparkle to her look with a birdcage veil designed and created by Debbie Bailie-Collins of Gibson Bespoke, Northern Ireland. The piece had 3,500 Swarovski Crystals hand-sewn into its netting. She also added earrings, a bracelet and belt featuring Swarovski Crystals designed by Andrea Gleason of Helena Noelle.
Savannah and Eric were surrounded with their closest friends and family members with a wedding party of twenty-seven. Savannah’s sister, Kayla S. Gaddis, was the matron of honor and wore a floor-length, strapless, light pink Lazaro gown that matched the bridesmaids, Nicole Ticknor, Jennifer Nguyen, Bonnie Lloyd and Jessica Kisinger. All of the ladies carried bouquets that coordinated with the bride’s bouquet that featured white hydrangeas, ivory roses, ivory spray roses, champagne roses, white peonies, lamb’s ear and vintage brooches. The bride tied her grandfather’s wedding band to her bouquet like her mother and sister did before her, which made the evening even more special. The bride’s men were Adam Lovell and Shervin Shayegan, and they looked dapper in grey suits with light pink vests and bow ties.
The groomsmen stood dutifully by Eric in charcoal three-piece suits and matching ties with light pink pocket squares and boutonnieres. Douglas Rinehart was Eric’s best man while Josiah Moore, Eric Barnes, Patrick Bennett, Matthew Sheets, Chris Dennis and James Brooks served as groomsmen. Hudson Gaddis and Ryland Knight played the part of ring bearers, supporting a sign that read “Mr. & Mrs. Blades” as they walked down the aisle.
The reception was bursting with blush hues in the Crystal Ballroom at The Mayo Hotel in Tulsa. The guests dined and danced all night until it was time to bid the couple adieu with sparklers as they exited the venue and climbed into a carriage. The Sandals La Source Grenada Resort and Spa was the destination for the honeymoon. Savannah currently works as a registered nurse at the OU Medical Center and Eric is a State Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The happy couple currently resides in Oklahoma City, where the warning Eric first gave Savannah is framed and hanging on their wall.
Other Local Vendors:
Sweet Tooth, The French Bouquet, StarDust Celebrations, Millennium Ice, Galaxy Limousines, Icing On The Top, Grassroots Vintage, Whitley Danae Wedding And Event Stylings, T Town Photo Booth, Harwelden Mansion, Cricketbox Jewelry, Willow Paper Goods, Trinity Episcopal Church, Larissa Nicole Photography, Loox By Katy
