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When the couple returned to Madison, Gage
surprised Audrey with an engagement party
that included all their friends.
Because she was in a bridal shop all day,
every day, Audrey felt confident that she knew
about buying a wedding dress. “I always
wanted a beautiful wedding dress, but in my
mind, I didn’t know what that looked like.
I went to market in April 2019 and found a
dress I liked from the season before, but it
wasn’t due to arrive in my store until June.
I met with Lazaro, my favorite designer, and
had a dress custom-made. I wanted to be true
to myself, and I wanted a dress that was
different from what I see all the time. I wanted
to feel comfortable and confident, like myself.
I had simply seen too much and knew too much
to settle for anything less. But just as important
to me was for my Bridal Path people to love it
as much as I did. When the dress arrived,
I tried it on and our seamstress, who has
worked in the store for over 30 years, said the
dress looked like me. That was the best thing
anyone could have said. It truly was the dress
of my dreams.”
The wedding took place in December 2019.
Both Gage and Audrey had 14 attendants.
There were three flower girls. “It was much
bigger than I had expected!” Amelia Jarvis
served as Audrey’s maid of honor. Audrey’s dad,
Mike, served as Gage’s best man. “Gage’s
father passed away while Gage was in college,
and he and my dad grew very close.”
The wedding was at Broadmoor Baptist
Church in Madison, with the reception held at
the Reunion Country Club in Madison. “Gage
and I made a pact to stay together throughout
the evening. I’ve been to too many weddings
where the bride and groom said they hardly
saw each other at their reception. We ate a
private dinner prior to the reception, then
stayed together all night.” The couple did a
“first look” and had wedding photos taken at
Reunion prior to the wedding. “That helps so
much in getting rid of any pre-wedding jitters,”
says Audrey. The only glitch of the day was
the lack of planning concerning transportation.
“After we took photos, everyone left to go to
the church. Gage and I were left at Reunion
with no ride. His car was there, so he stuffed
me and my dress into the car and we took off
for the church. We got there right before the
ceremony was to begin!”
After a fun evening at the reception, the
couple honeymooned at Playa Mujeres resort
in Cancun, Mexico. “It was truly like being
in a postcard in real life,” Audrey says. “The
weather for our wedding and for the first few
days of our honeymoon was perfect, then it
rained. That was nice as well, because it kind
of forced us to relax.”
Audrey says she feels she is even better at
her job since having her own wedding. “Things
I knew, I now know in a more relatable way.
I talked to lots of brides before my own wedding,
and they gave me their input. I also did my
own research. You can get so consumed and
stressed with wedding planning, but I
managed to avoid that.”
As wonderful as her wedding was, Audrey
says that she loves being married even more.
“The wedding was one day, the day we made
our vows to one another. The marriage is for
the rest of our lives.” l
Hometown MADISON • 33