Huntsville natives Anna Catherine Brooks and Owen Crump tied the knot in October 2022. From lifelong friendship to husband and wife, proposal to honeymoon, Anna Catherine relates their story…
The Meeting
Our families have known each other for many years We went to the same high school and college. After college, we reconnected while living in Nashville – we both attended Auburn University for undergraduate. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and is now working as a construction manager for real-estate developer. I graduated Auburn University School of Kinesiology with a Bachelor of Science in Education. I decided to further my education and attend graduate school at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. I am now working as a nurse practitioner.
The Proposal
In December 2021, we went to the beach with my family and while on that trip he proposed. On the night of the proposal, my family told us to be ready for family pictures on beach before dinner. They asked the two of us to go search out a good picture spot. The weather that day was foggy and misty, so I was a little confused on why we decided to go take pictures that afternoon. While walking on the beach we could barely see through the thick fog. Owen told me to turn around so he could get a picture of me with the view because “it looked so cool.” After a few moments, he told me to turn back around to see the picture he took, but to my surprise he was down on one knee. Not only did he surprise me with the sweetest proposal, he also had his family secretly waiting to join us on the beach for the celebration. It was the best day.
The Plans
We got engaged December of 2021 and married October 2022. I thankfully had the help of my mom, Kim Brooks; and wonderful wedding planner, Faith Woods. They both have great taste, which made the process of wedding planning much less stressful. They did an incredible job planning every detail of the wedding. It was such a fun surprise the day of the wedding to see all their work come together so beautifully. I was so lucky to have a rockstar group of vendors to make the day so memorable.
The Bride
I was a carefree bride-to-be, and not stressed. I was at ease knowing the planning group we had was unmatched. We were just excited to have friends and family there to celebrate the day, which is all that truly matters.
The Ceremony
It’s hard to decide what my favorite part of the ceremony would be… Having some of our closest friends and family gathered in one place to celebrate our marriage was so special. Our wedding party was a combination of lifelong, childhood and our closest friends from college. It was so fun to have everyone get to meet one another. Another special aspect was that I was able to have two of my cousins read scripture during our ceremony.A funny mishap prior to the ceremony was when we were taking all the photos before, and I for-got to pick up the train of my dress. By the time the photos were 昀nished the bottom of my dress was 昀lthy, so my mom and bridesmaids all had to gather around me and clean the train of my dress until moments before the ceremony.
The Reception
Our reception was at Huntsville Museum of Art. I knew I wanted a majority of my reception outdoors, so my parents rented a tent to go in the outdoor space directly behind the museum for the band, dance 昀oor, and lounging area. I could not have asked for better weather that day, especially with how unpredictable October weather can be. The decor was truly breathtaking with the beautiful backdrop of the Big Spring Park. One of my favorite 昀oral designs was the greenery and 昀oral ring above the dance 昀oor. Our top priority when it came to planning the reception was to have a great band that everyone would have fun dancing to. I cannot recommend the Voltage Brothers enough. They kept the party going and made the night so much fun! Every part of the reception was perfect. It was better than I could’ve ever imagined.
The Honeymoon
We went to Italy for our honeymoon! It was the most perfect trip ever. We started out on the beautiful coast, Positano, then made our way to Rome, Tuscany, Florence, and ended our trip in Venice. It was a trip of a lifetime, and we cannot wait to go back one day.
Married Life
Married life has been so much fun! After the wedding/honeymoon, we went straight into the hol-idays. It was so nice getting to spend time with both families. Though it has been such a busy and exciting season in our lives, we are so excited to 昀nally slow down and enjoy our time together in Nashville. We love trying new places, spending time outdoors with our pup, Penny, and have been enjoying decorating our home and getting settled.
Advice for Brides
One piece of advice I have for any future bride-to-be is to take in each moment of the day. With all of the planning and anticipation, it is crazy how fast that day goes by…
THE VENDORS
Reception: Huntsville Museum of Art | Ceremony: Huntsville First United Methodist Church | Wedding Planner: Faith Woods | Photographer: Photos by Ava Vienneau Videography: Easton Film Co | Lighting and Draping: AG Lighting | Lounge, Decor, and Design: Brooks and CollierRentals: Eventworks Birmingham and Mullin’s Special Occasions | Florist: Barbie Harwell and team; Petals by Ali | Caterer: Boyce Restaurant Concepts | Chef James Boyce Wedding Cake: Betty Creson | Hair: Perfectly Undone | Makeup: Be-Loved Beauty | Wedding Gown: Ivory and White | Men’s Apparel: The Black Tux | Band: The Voltage Brothers Ceremony Music: Jillian Gardner | Invitation: The Topiary Tree | Day-of Paper Goods: Ledgewood Fine Stationery | Linens: BBJ La TavolaTHE
