“God just kept placing us in each other’s paths,” smiles Elizabeth (née Boswell) of her husband Hudson Wiley. After years of missed connections, they finally had their first date and “it was game over,” she confirms. “We knew on that first date that we had both found The One!”

At Thanksgiving dinner one year during the Boswell Family prayer, Elizabeth’s mother asked if anyone had anything else they were thankful for, and “Hudson then politely volunteered, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him in front of everyone. It was one of the best days of my life,” reminisces the bride.

As the pair resides in Fort Worth, Texas, 465 loved ones witnessed their nuptials at the same church where the parents of the bride were wed 37 years prior, followed by a joyful celebration at one of their favorite places. “I’ve always been a huge animal lover, so of course I had to have my wedding at the zoo where I could be surrounded by them,” explains Elizabeth.

Loved ones were first introduced to the design scheme by way of a colorful save the date featuring a special addition: a custom watercolor crest illustrated by the bride, showcasing the pair’s initials, dogs, hobbies, and other personalized elements. Her artwork also appeared on the invitation suite and ceremony program, as well as various reception details, the wedding cake, dance floor, and more. “I find a lot of joy and peace of mind during the process of creating something beautiful,” she shares, adding that her artistic background led to the wide use of color.

On the day of the ceremony, guests were seated in pews decorated with vibrant florals along the aisle of the sanctuary. The bride was gorgeous in a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline and detachable lace sleeves. Her tresses were left down in soft curls, accessorized with a veil that has been worn by several brides in her family dating back to the late 1800s. Among her favorite moments of the day was seeing Hudson for the first time as she walked down the aisle. “The feeling is indescribable,” muses Elizabeth. “It was emotional; he’s my best friend.”

After the “I dos,” attendees made their way to the reception space, entering the tent to discover a rainbow of color. “I wanted guests to walk into a new world – to feel as if they were walking into an enchanted garden, but a garden that was also filled with fun, laughter, colorful flowers dangling from the ceiling, sparkling disco ball chandeliers, romantic candlelight, and the best music,” describes the bride. “Literally thousands of blooms” decorated the space, with varieties inspired by the florals in Elizabeth’s artwork and all of the gorgeous spring flowers April brings.

“I wanted guests to walk into a new world – to feel as if they were walking into an enchanted garden, but a garden that was also filled with fun, laughter, colorful flowers dangling from the ceiling, sparkling disco ball chandeliers, romantic candlelight, and the best music.”

Tablescapes were adorned with towering candelabras and vibrant floral centerpieces comprised of peonies, garden and spray roses, ranunculus and lisianthus blossoms, hydrangeas, tulips, and more in every shade of pink, blue, lilac, orange, yellow, and green. Friends and family enjoyed a variety of fun fare arranged throughout the tent, including a tenderloin carving station, upscale flatbread station, chicken-and-biscuits station, and more. “I wanted to ensure our guests had fun, so we really focused on having a great band, yummy food, tasty drinks, and exquisite florals by Bella Flora of Dallas,” affirms Elizabeth.

After dinner, friends and family savored slices of the stunning wedding cake covered in jewel-toned flowers, as well as late-night food stations including hamburger sliders and fries, as well as miniature Brandy Alexander dessert cocktails that looked like tiny milkshakes.

With their palates satiated and a live band keeping their energy up, guests celebrated all night with light-up cowboy hats and accessories such as sunglasses, necklaces, bracelets, and rings passed on the dance floor, beneath a ceiling installation highlighting a garden of blooms and sparkling disco balls overhead.

Despite a torrential downpour that led to many last-minute changes related to the floor plan and tents required for the reception, the couple wouldn’t change a single thing. “I hear that rain on your wedding day is good luck! I’ve been told that if a knot becomes wet, it is extremely hard to break; therefore, when you ‘tie the knot’ on a rainy day, your marriage is just as strong as a wet knot,” explains the bride. “It was a beautiful, gorgeous, and fabulously fun wedding!”

This real wedding was originally published in the Spring 2025 expanded-digital issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

To order a copy of the Spring 2025 expanded digital edition, visit our library of Inside Weddings digital back issues available for purchase.