Sydney Shortridge & Braden Merrill

Sydney and Braden tied the knot with a classic and elegant New Year’s Day wedding at Pecandarosa Ranch. Sydney met Braden for the first time while studying at the OU library during finals week. The two only exchanged a few words, and Sydney believed she’d never see Braden again. A few days later, a friend invited Sydney to lunch with people he had met at church. When Sydney walked in for lunch, she was surprised to see the cute boy she met at the library sitting with her friend. The two quickly hit things off and began dating! The couple’s love story didn’t end here, though. Braden proposed at Sydney’s family’s lake house over the July 4th weekend. Both sides of the family surprised the couple, and the two families spent the weekend celebrating the future Merrills!

Sydney and Braden’s New Year’s Day wedding contained the most elegant gold and emerald green details! Before the ceremony, Sydney’s bridesmaids took turns praying over the couple’s marriage. Sydney said, “this sweet moment reminded me how blessed my husband and I are to have such impactful people in our lives.” After being surrounded by the love of her bridesmaids, Sydney took her father’s hand to walk down the aisle. Sydney radiated the bridal glow in a gown from Ellis Bridal as she walked toward her soon-to-be husband. Once the two exchanged their vows and the officiant pronounced the couple Mr. & Mrs. Merrill, Sydney and Braden walked down the aisle with true wedding bliss! The couple made their grand entrance inside the elegant reception space at Pecandarosa Ranch. Inside, The Fleuriste made all of Sydney’s floral dreams come true, while Party Pro Rents provided gold and dusty rose decor and rentals, making for an eye-catching head table! In addition, Just Catering by Orr catered a delicious dinner for guests.

Don’t miss all the beautiful images Susan Alyse Photography captured below, and read a special note from the bride herself! Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Merrill!

Sydney and Braden’s Favorite Wedding Memory:

“My favorite wedding day memory was the whole ceremony from start to finish. The moments before walking down the aisle when I was standing with my dad were so special. Then, getting to walk to Braden with all the love and confidence in the world, extremely excited to marry him.”