Though “very out of character” for her, Taylor Leigh Hague made the first move when meeting her future husband, Hunter Roy Odell Hux. “I was feeling confident and I really wanted to meet Hunter, so I just started talking to him like I had known him forever,” she remembers. That introduction led to a first date at a brewery, which became the site of a surprise proposal. “Hunter invited all of our closest friends and family for a surprise celebration afterwards,” Taylor adds. “Needless to say, I was speechless… It was by far one of the best days of my life.” 

Soon, Taylor and Hunter began planning the next best day of their life together, with the help the mother of the bride and their wedding planner, both of whom were a saving grace for the couple while they were both in nursing school. In fact, the bride’s mother even found the pair’s dream wedding venue on the shore of the Lafayette River. 

“Hunter and I loved that the estate had character as well as this Beauty and the Beast aura. It made it extremely magical and romantic,” confirms Taylor of the museum venue, which includes a historic home and picturesque gardens. 

On the spring day of the nuptials, the bride wore a beautifully simplistic strapless gown, which was one part of the wedding that she feels most reflected her personality. “I always wanted to be a classic bride, and as soon as I put my dress on, I knew that it was the one,” she says. Guests stood in awe as Taylor walked down the grassy aisle, which was lined with lush arrangements of colorful florals and ample greenery beneath the trees, for a heartfelt alfresco ceremony. 

“Hunter and I loved that the estate had character as well as this Beauty and the Beast aura. It made it extremely magical and romantic.”

Taylor and Hunter exchanged vows during a fairly traditional ceremony, complete with three special readings as well as a sermon. “One of Hunter’s old clients is a retired Episcopal minister who personalized our ceremony with us,” shares the bride. “He was absolutely incredible and worked with us on such a personal level to make our ceremony so memorable.”

Once they were pronounced husband and wife, the couple took wedding portraits while loved ones enjoyed an outdoor cocktail hour before making their way inside the tent for the reception. “We wanted it to feel traditional and classic, with a touch of coastal,” describes Taylor of the use of blue, green, blush, and whites throughout the décor. “My favorite color has always been blue, and it was so important to me to have blue incorporated into the flowers and wedding.” 

For dinner, friends and family enjoyed various food stations, followed by slices of a classic wedding cake for dessert, and a live band kept everyone on the dance floor for hours. “Hunter and I really wanted a band that had more of a rock component, instead of a traditional wedding band,” notes Taylor of their choice of wedding entertainment, which became one of the highlights of the day. “We loved them so much, and they made our reception one to remember.” 

Before making their grand exit at the end of the night, Taylor and Hunter shared a private last dance to their favorite artist, John Mayer. “It was such a nice private moment to end such an amazing evening, and we could just soak everything in,” smiles the bride. “It was the most perfect day in every way.”

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