A Love Letter to The Godfreys
Three cultures, two days, and a wedding that felt like a love letter to everyone who came before them
Brittany & Russel Godfrey exchanging vows on the Union Lawn during their wedding ceremony at 1880 Union Hotel. (Photography Credit: Karson Calaway Photography)
Some weddings truly capture and resonate with people. Brittany and Russel's was one of them.
It started, fittingly, with a movie reference. Russel responded to Brittany's Hinge prompt about The Mummy being her favorite film, and somewhere between Brendan Fraser and a road trip through Los Alamos, the two of them stumbled upon the Union, peered through the closed front door, spotted the saloon, and decided then and there that this might be the place. When they got engaged, it was the first venue that came to mind.
As Brittany told us, "the moment we got engaged [1880 Union Hotel] was the first place that came to mind."
There was also a stranger thread of fate running underneath it all. Her great grandfather was a Wells Fargo shotgun rider in this area. There's a good chance he passed through this very stagecoach depot long before she ever did.
A Wedding Built from Ancestry
From the very first conversation, Brittany and Russel knew exactly what they wanted this weekend to be. Her mother's side is Mexican. Her father's side is English. Russel is from the Deep South. Every choice they made flowed from one of those three rivers.
"We wanted our wedding to be a direct reflection of our family histories and traditions and used that as our north star for almost every decision." — Brittany & Russel
The November 1st date was the first decision, and the most meaningful. Brittany's family celebrates Día de los Muertos every year, and the idea that their loved ones who had passed could return and celebrate alongside them made the date feel inevitable. It also gave them the perfect excuse to throw a costume welcome party next door at The Makers Son on Halloween night, a Día de los Muertos celebration layered into a full Halloween party. The ofrenda told stories no slideshow could. An old worn saddle. A pocket watch. A favorite hot sauce. A dog's favorite toy. Little artifacts of the people they lost, glowing through the entire night.
Wedding Day at the Union
The pivot from Halloween magic to Saturday's black tie optional celebration was effortless. The Union showed up in its full autumn glory, candlelight, deep oxblood, and the kind of warmth only a 145-year-old building can offer.
High Tea at Cocktail Hour
Cocktail hour was British high tea, served on English china Brittany has collected over the years and silver trays that belonged to her grandparents.
As she put it, "it's honestly what my British family would have been doing anyway."
The ferns they brought into the lobby for the event were so beautiful they inspired our decision to install permanent ferns in the Lobby during our renovation this winter. Brittany and Russel quite literally changed our space.
Honoring History & Culture
Russel's New Orleans roots showed up everywhere. Spanish moss draped on the gazebo. Alligator motifs throughout the venue. A real alligator head from Louisiana on the dessert table, which the groom claims as a personal favorite. Russel wore a white tie and tails tux, a traditional New Orleans look. Brittany's bouquet was made with smilax, the same vine used in his grandmother's wedding.
Chef Noban pulled all three worlds onto one menu. Salsa verde carnitas. Blackened Cajun salmon. Beignets. Tajín and chamoy fruit. Custom tequila and bourbon cocktails. And the late night fried chicken biscuits guests are still talking about.
The Details That Made It Theirs
This is where Brittany and Russel separated themselves from every wedding playbook in existence. The table numbers were Lotería cards, because that's what her family plays every year. The violinist played her down the aisle to songs from her favorite musical. The bathrooms had pirate chests filled with gold doubloons (and a generous supply of Tums and Tylenol) because they love Pirates of the Caribbean. A magician worked the saloon, because Russel loves card magic. Cocktails were named after their pets. Portraits of those same pets, dressed as royalty, hung in the lobby. The pets appeared again on the cake toppers, this time as sugar skulls. The cake itself was a deep oxblood red, because they thought it looked cool. Invitations and signage were pulled from their favorite book covers.
"At the end of the day we just wanted to do what we actually loved. If it was meaningful to us or it sounded fun, we did it." — Brittany & Russel
It is, frankly, the best wedding philosophy we have ever heard.
What's Next
The couple snuck away for a minimoon in Big Sur, which they described as exactly what they needed. They are now home with a new Scottish Terrier puppy named Archie, who is reportedly keeping them busy, and planning their big honeymoon to Africa.
A Note from the Team
Brittany and Russel, thank you for trusting us with this weekend. Thank you for honoring the people who came before you while you celebrated the life you are building together. Thank you for the ferns. Thank you for the alligator head. And thank you for reminding us that the best weddings are not about choosing one thing. They are about loving everything you are made of, out loud, in front of everyone you love.
We will be thinking about this one for a long time.
Brittany and Russel officially married on the Union Lawn at 1880 Union Hotel (Photography Credit: Karson Calaway Photography)
For the Record
