In the age of "Do it for the 'gram" wedding planning, Morgan Timberlake and Matthew Riggi focused their lens in a different direction entirely: "Do it for the meaning and memories." In fact, their September 24, 2023 wedding at The Addison Grove was a masterclass in how to incorporate thoughtful, personal touches into the big day.
Morgan, a nurse, and Matt, a tech consultant, met in 2018 during their senior year at James Madison University in Virginia, and later got engaged back on the campus of their alma mater.
Now living in Austin, the couple knew they'd have friends and family traveling from near and far, and wanted their wedding to honor their guests as much as it celebrated their love for each other. With that in mind, they planned a Texas-sized weekend full of events, leading up to their wedding on Sunday evening. They spent the day before the wedding on a party boat with their wedding party.
"We were so happy that we were able to enjoy precious time with all of our favorite people," Morgan says.
The couple also thought of unique ways to pay tribute to their loves ones — past, present, and future — throughout their ceremony and reception. One of the sweetest touches of all was in Morgan's bouquet.
Morgan's bouquet was wrapped the baby bonnet she wore as an infant.Photo by John Moody/Moodyography
"When my parents first found out they were pregnant with me, their doctor gifted them with baby bonnet that, when the time came, I could cut to make a wrap for my wedding bouquet." she says. "So as I was becoming a wife, my wedding flowers were wrapped in this baby bonnet that I first wore as a newborn."
While the bride carried her "something old" close to her heart, the groom met her down the aisle, wearing "something new."
"Matt wore a 'wedding watch' that we got specifically for the wedding day, signifying the aspect of time, how important one’s time is, and how meaningful it is to spend time with each other." Morgan says. "The hope of this watch is that it will be passed down to be worn on future wedding days."
While the couple didn't see each other for the first time until the ceremony, Morgan did a "first look" with both her father and her younger brother, whom she calls her best friend growing up. "Having that special time with them and seeing them for the first time that day was emotional," she says.
During the ceremony, all of their siblings read a passage to welcome guests and led them in a group vow of support for the couple.
Then, with fairytale light streaming through the majestic oaks overhead, Matt and Morgan read their own vows to each other.
"Seeing the tears in everyone’s eyes as we exchanged vows, while tears were building in my own eyes, was a humbling experience," the bride says. "The raw emotion and pure love was palpable."
The couple reading their own vows brought tears to the eyes of family and friends.Photo by John Moody/Moodyography
Thoughtful touches continued into the reception from the moment guests picked up their place cards.
"We chose to use the seating assignment to write personalized thank-you notes to each one of our guests, thanking them for being with us on this day and reminiscing on some of our memories with each them." Morgan says. "We have gotten such appreciative and heartfelt feedback from our guests about this detail and we are so glad we took the time to do it."
The bride and groom wrote personal thank-you notes to each guest and affixed them to a seating-chart sign that Morgan's dad built.Photo by John Moody/Moodyography
Inside, a special "Generations Table" organized by Morgan's mom displayed family wedding photos from previous generations around a sign that said, “All that we are, and all that we hope to be, we owe to our loving families.”
Morgan and her dad were more prepared than most for their father-daughter dance; they'd taken professional ballroom dance lessons and learned a choreographed waltz to the Zac Brown song “The Man Who Loves You the Most."
"This was one of my favorite moments," she says, "not only because of the dance itself, but also because of the time we were able to spend together taking lessons before the wedding."
Pretty soon, the crowd got on its feet and "the dance floor was absolutely bumping from start to finish" thanks to DJ Conor from Premiere Entertainment, the couple says. Matt and Morgan even found a fun way to get their beloved dog, Maeve, to the party, in spirit: "We included handmade 'fat head' cut-outs of our dog to use as props on the dance floor."
Maeve, their dog, was there in spirit.Photo by John Moody/Moodyography
The pinnacle of the night was a circling-up of family and friends, arms around each other, singing their college's unofficial theme song, John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads." But soon, the crowds were ushered out, the room fell quiet, and Matt and Morgan were able to enjoy a private last dance.
"We were able to take a few minutes and soak up the last moments of the most incredible night," the couple says. "We felt so grateful to have each and every person there to celebrate this milestone of our life with, and were a little sad it was all over."
They weren't quite done celebrating, though. An after-party with their nearest and dearest awaited at their wedding hotel, before the newlyweds jetted off to Playa Mujeres, Mexico for a relaxing honeymoon.
Looking back seven months later, Matt and Morgan say they are thankful that they — with the help of their families and planner Jennifer Ashford of Altar Ego Weddings — took the time to plan and execute all the extra unique details that made guests "feel like they were at 'Matt and Morgan’s wedding' and not just another generic wedding."
"We spent a lot of time adding details that we felt were unique to us as individuals and as a couple," they say.Photo by John Moody/Moodyography
Their biggest advice for couples currently caught up in the whirlwind of wedding planning? On the practical side, "try to book vendors who are familiar with each other and familiar with the venue," they advise.
But mainly: "Take your time, enjoy being in the stage of life that you are in. Don’t race to get to the wedding, or feel like you have to do something just because someone else did. Enjoy the process and make it fun.
"It’s such a privilege to be able to gather all of your friends and family in one place, just to celebrate you," they add. "At the end of the day, you won't remember what color the napkins were; what you will remember is the joy and love that everyone brings to the table."
Matt and Morgan's Austin-area vendors:
Venue: The Addison Grove
Planner: Jennifer Ashford, Altar Ego Weddings
Photographer: John Moody, Moodyography
Caterer:SoHo Catering & Consulting
Cake: Cakes & Gourmet Goodies
Florals: Native Bloom
String ensemble: Terra Vista Strings
DJ: Premier Entertainment
Hair & makeup:LoLa Beauty ATX
Officiant:Short & Sweet Weddings
Transportation: Your Day Charters, The Lux Limo
Photo by John Moody/Moodyography
Morgan Timberlake and Matthew Riggi married September 24, 2023 at the Addison Grove in Austin.
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Know of an Austin-area wedding to consider for publication? Email brianna@culturemap.com or stephanie@culturemap.com. Weddings must have taken place since January 1, 2023. Find more information about submissions here.
