While Catherine and Paten originally met and even dated for a few years in high school starting in 2009, it wasn’t until a crawfish boil seven years later that the pair rekindled their romance. When they started dating a few months later, they could feel this time was different than their previous fling. So, when Paten got down on one knee during a trip to New Braunfels with a group of close friends, “he asked the easiest question of my life!” explained Catherine. Then, in March 2021, the couple tied the knot in a stunning white and rose gold wedding at Madera Estates. Click here to read the rest of this post »
Just 40 miles north of Houston, Conroe, Texas, is surrounded by piney forest and the 22,000-acre Lake Conroe. Conroe is the perfect blend of starry nights and city lights, where relaxation meets adventure. And, in Conroe, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Stroll through the streets of downtown to shop the variety of stores and boutiques, and stop into one of many delightful breweries for lunch. Looking for a little more adventure? Conroe boasts many great hiking trails thanks to its forest surroundings, or enjoy a day on the water and rent a boat or paddleboard on the lake.
With so much to see and do, Conroe makes the perfect location for a destination wedding. Plus, in Conroe, there’s a wedding venue for every wedding style! From luxurious estates to rustic-chic barns, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that these seven stunning venues are so close to home.
A week after moving back from Stuttgart, Germany, Ian, an Opera singer and the venue director of Conroe event venue Madera Estates, met Paul at McGovern Centennial Gardens during a holiday party in 2016. Two years later, Paul proposed to Ian in NYC after a Broadway show, on top of the iconic Empire State building. It was only fitting for the couple to select Madera Estates for their winter nuptials! “As the venue owner of Madera Estates, we knew immediately we wanted to play to the strengths of the venue, while also doing something completely different and unique to us,” says Ian. “Our leap day wedding was a vintage, Spanish-inspired evening filled with an abundance of candlelight. Deep and rich colors of navy, burgundy, and saffron were complimented by talavera and handmade wrought iron pieces.”
Guests were greeted upon arrival with flower-adorned beer burros and the women in the wedding party wore Frida Kahlo inspired headpieces. The couple tied the knot in a romantic twilight ceremony followed by a show-stopping fireworks display. The celebration moved indoors to Madera Estates’ Hacienda and the newlyweds made their grand reception entrance with adorable alpacas. The evening’s entertainment kicked off with Ian and Paul’s first dance where a drag queen interrupted them acting as a jilted bride! A churro bar and boozy hot chocolate fueled guests for a lively “La Hora Loca” featuring characters on stilts and light up foam sticks. The greatest challenge Ian faced while planning their festive wedding was, “Letting go! As an industry professional, it was hard to not micromanage the process or even day-of details. I call it the blessing and the curse!”
We are so excited to feature this handsome Houston couple and their vintage Spanish-inspired wedding, captured in such detail by Ama By Aisha. Congratulations, Ian & Paul!
Its name is Spanish for “wood,” which is perfectly appropriate, considering Madera Estates’ majestic pine-covered acres located just north of The Woodlands. This Sunday, from 5 to 8 p.m., Conroe’s picturesque haven welcomes you, your spouse-to-be, and your closest advisors and opinion-givers for an evening of sips, bites, tours and intros to Madera’s preferred vendors. Wander Madera Estates’ lovely wooded grounds, snap a pic beside its iconic fountain, peek in on Madera’s gracious bridal suite, and take a few practice twirls in Madera’s beautiful ballroom, with its gleaming floors, twinkling chandeliers and handcrafted mirrors.
Best of all? You’ll get to experience a bit of everything this truly, totally full-service wedding venue has to offer, including fabulous floral displays, great entertainment and delicious food. RSVP here for Madera Estates Summer Open House on Sunday, Aug. 30 from 5 to 8 p.m.
There’s a certain, special, sense-of-mystery romance that only online dating can create. Just ask recent bride Vanessa, who spoke by phone to eHarmony match Eric almost every day for THREE MONTHS before meeting him face-to-face. Luckily, their in-person meeting was just as romantic as those many, many phone calls, and almost two years to the day they first laid eyes on each other, the pair wed in front of 250 loved ones at a magnificent Madera Estates celebration. While Vanessa says that selecting her song list and making her seating chart were no piece of cake, the wedding itself was pure sweetness, done up in elegant shades of ivory and blush, Vanessa radiant in her Maggie Sottero gown from Brickhouse Bridal. But let us go ahead and let Ama Photography & Cinema’s photos tell the story of this lovely couple’s special day. Best wishes, Vanessa & Eric!
