- Quick Facts
- How they met...
- Tell us about the proposal.
- What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?
- The Ceremony...
- Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
- What is your best memory from your wedding?
- What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
- Want more elegant modern wedding inspiration?
- Vendors:
Sticking true to their creative vision for their big day, Tatiana and Keith celebrated their union with a modern and elegant wedding on the gorgeous grounds of The Arlo in Austin, Texas.
Tatiana and Keith’s love story began during the pandemic when a mutual friend decided to start a biking club. With most gyms closed and limited social events happening, both Tatiana and Keith decided to join. During one particular ride, Keith noticed something about Tatiana’s bike—her seat was positioned too low, causing her to struggle with the ride. So he offered to fix it for her and, after one look in her eyes, knew they were meant to be.
Keith proposed on a trip to D.C. with an extravagant surprise at the Alexandria Waterfront.
Asking Tatiana to come meet him for pre-dinner drinks, Keith got down on one knee in front of an illuminated “I LOVE YOU” sign on the shore. After a near-perfect execution of the proposal (aside from splitting his pants), Keith took Tatiana out for dinner, where their friends and family awaited to celebrate with them.
The couple tied the knot on May 2, 2024, at The Arlo in Austin, Texas. Themed “pampas and pearls,” the couple’s wedding effortlessly combined a neutral color palette and boho florals with elements of luxury and glamour. The pair said “I Do” under a lush pampas arch in an intimate ceremony space and then danced the night away with their loved ones, serving their guests pancakes and tacos for a late-night pick-me-up.
Read on for all of the details on Tatiana and Keith’s elegant, modern wedding!
- Couple: Tatiana & Keith
- Wedding date: May 2, 2024
- Wedding location: Austin, Texas
Quick Facts
- Gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen: The bridesmaids received customized woven gift bags with their names on them. Inside, there were emergency kits, earrings, sunglasses, customized champagne glasses, customized slippers, customized hangers, robes, and other knick-knacks. The groomsmen got gift bags filled with Cuban cologne, a personalized flask, customized cufflinks, a personalized shot glass, and snacks.
- Gifts for one another: I gave my groom a box fully customized with gifts for the day: socks so he wouldn’t get cold feet, Henny XO to calm the nerves, a Rolex so he wasn’t late to the altar, a Louis Vuitton tie with a picture of his dad that passed on the inside so that he could be by his side, a pack of mints for a fresh first kiss, and customized cuff links and a tie clip to hold himself together. The groom’s gift to me was a dozen red roses and a gold forever rose with this note delivered by his sons: “The significance of gold and Love dates back to the beginning of time. It symbolizes purity, love, and endless commitment. On the other hand, Gold denotes everlasting love, romance, and beauty. Tatiana, you have personified what Love means to me. Your elegance and beauty are unmatched, your heart so pure and free. Please take this token as a tangible sign of my endless love and appreciation for you, and like the gold, our love will never tarnish or lose its value.“
- Groom’s ceremony entrance song: “Dearly Beloved” by Wale
- Bride’s ceremony entrance song: “First Time” by Teeks
- First dance song: “So into You” by Jac Ross blended into “U Move, I Move” by John Legend
How they met…
The pandemic was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Between being stuck inside and losing loved ones due to sickness, it was also the time when the couple met. Being that all the gyms were closed due to COVID-19, a mutual friend, TJ Grainger, started a bike group to keep people active. One day, during a bike ride, Keith saw that Tatiana was struggling. He noticed her seat was a little low and offered to fix it for her. While fixing the seat, Keith states that Tatiana looked him in his eyes, and from that moment, he knew he would have her to be his lady.
Time passed, and after a couple weeks, the two would meet again, this time out at a popular club, Hollywood Hookah, located in Richmond, V.A. Tatiana came with TJ to the club to meet Keith and other members of the bike group. After a while, TJ was ready to leave and asked Keith if he would mind taking Tatiana home. After taking her home, Tatiana called Keith to make sure he made it home safely.
Keith and Tatiana stayed on the phone until the sun came out the next day–it was so effortless and natural! After that conversation, Tatiana went out of town to visit family, and when she returned, Keith persistently pursued her. When the two met up again, Keith presented her with a massive bouquet of flowers, melting Tatiana’s heart! It’s been amazing from there, and the two have been inseparable since, hence the term #coopedup.
Tell us about the proposal.
We went to D.C. for my birthday weekend, and when we were getting ready to go to dinner, Keith called me and asked me to meet him on the waterfront to get some drinks before dinner. I pulled up in the Uber to the Alexandria Waterfront, and he was standing in front of an illuminated sign that said I LOVE YOU. As I walked up, he got down on one knee (ripping his pants), and everyone cleared the area. I immediately started shaking.
He said, “From the moment you looked up at me on that bike, I knew you would be mine. You came into my world and shook it up for the better. You are my best friend, my partner in love, and I can’t imagine a life without you. Will you marry me?” Naturally, I said YESSS, then knelt down to kiss and hug him since his pants were ripped.
He pointed to some cameras hidden in the distance, and it was my best friends and two professional photographers waiting for us! We got to do a professional shoot, then finally got to dinner where our family and friends were all waiting for us.
What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?
My dress was ordered online from Kosovo. It was a hassle to get–I was featured on The Shade Room because of it. The company gave me a lot of run around, but I did end up getting the dress in the end, and it was beautiful. I personally would not suggest this route for anyone else because it was a lot of added stress, but I am thankful it worked out for me because some weren’t so lucky.
For the groom’s suit, we caught a flight to L.A. to the Garment District and went store to store looking for the perfect suit until we found the perfect cream suit to go with our pampas and pearls theme.
The Ceremony…
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
Culture was incorporated in part during the reception through the food and music. We served Caribbean food like plantains and creole salmon, and reggae and kompa music was blasting during party time.
What is your best memory from your wedding?
The best memory I had was in the getting-ready stages when the matriarch, my grandmother, my mom, my aunts, my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and daughter-in-law all expressed their love and gratitude for me. It was a highly emotional time but I’ve never felt so loved and validated. We cried, we laughed, we prayed. A moment I’ll never forget. The icing on the cake was my daughter-in-law telling me she was proud to call me her mom aka bonus mom.
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Take your time in the planning process. Push your date out to a comfortable place so you don’t feel rushed. It’s definitely the bride’s day, but make sure to include your groom’s wishes as well. As long as you’re doing this for the right reasons, everything will fall into place. Write down your vision and your wants, and don’t let anyone or anything deter you from it; it’s your day, and you are in control. It will get stressful, but don’t let that stress take over the reason for the event–your love should always prevail.
Want more elegant modern wedding inspiration?
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Vendors:
- Photography: Wisteria Jade Photography
- Videography: Justin Porter Media
- Ceremony location & reception: The Arlo
- Wedding coordinator: Shamika Johnson of An Event To Remember
- Wedding dress designer: Valdrin Sahiti
- Bridesmaids’ dresses: Birdy Grey
- Hair: Mandy Williams of The Queen of Kash
- Bride’s makeup: Dwayne Calientè
- Bridesmaids’ makeup: Brieana James of BMJ Beauty & Bree of Beauti by Bree
- Bride’s shoes: Sophia Webster
- Groom: Louis Vuitton
- Florist: HEB
- Cake: Melissa French of Caked by Mel
- Stationery: IYHTV Designs
- Groomsmen’s attire: The Modern Groom
- Furniture rental: Bee Lavish
- Late-night eats: JP’S PANCAKE COMPANY & Tacoman512
- Cigar Bar: Red’s Smoke Shop
