Catherine and Lee first met in May of 2021 when she moved home to Midland, Texas from Nashville, Tennessee to work at their family business. “Lee had worked for the company for several years and was actually living in Abilene at the time. I came to work as a finance manager, and he was one of my sales reps that I covered, and the rest was history!” Catherine shared. Following two years of long-distance dating, he moved back to Midland for work and to further their relationship in the same town.
Lee popped the question at Catherine’s house in Midland. Last minute, Catherine was called to a meeting for work on the same weekend as Lee’s surprise proposal, forcing Lee to hatch a plan to have her home. “When I walked in, he was sitting on the couch, there were two dozen roses waiting for me on the kitchen table with the sweetest note – while I was reading (and sobbing), he got down on one knee and told me he had wanted to change my last name since the minute he met me and asked me to be his wife,” Catherine gushed.
After Lee’s heartfelt proposal, wedding preparations were underway. Catherine had long toyed with the idea of being married in Napa, but Lee, a Texas boy through and through, had a feeling they would be married in their home state. “The funny thing is two of my sisters both were proposed to on the family ranch, and I know that is where my dad wanted Lee to propose too – however, I think in the back of my mind Lee knew all along that we would get married on the ranch. The ranch in Brownwood has always held a special place in my heart, it’s my happy place and I got to marry my best friend there – it couldn’t have been more perfect,” she shared.
Mrs. Nelson always knew Catherine and Lee were destined to get married at the ranch. “Their personalities and love for country music made it clear to me,” she shared. The wedding unfolded just as she had envisioned, drawing inspiration from a chic ranch aesthetic, Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar, and constructing the reception around the existing landscape, with oak trees filling the room. An airy and wistful atmosphere was thoughtfully crafted with help from Bows and Arrows and Eclectic Hive.
Amid fields for miles, Catherine and Lee exchanged their vows beneath an arch decorated with vibrant, colorful flowers. Family played an important role in the ceremony for the Conolys. As a tribute to Lee’s late grandmother, the officiant read from her eighty-year-old Bible. “Lee lost his grandmother Meme a few months before the wedding, and I know he wanted her to be there more than anything, not just her but all of our lost loved ones. There was a moment while he was reading when Lee and I looked into each other’s eyes and just cried, and I told him that I knew all of our grandparents were watching over us that day, and the sun started beaming over us,” Catherine shared.
The shining sun further enhanced the vibrant colors of their wedding day. Catherine’s bridesmaids, dressed in lilac gowns, beautifully complemented the wildflowers and the ambiance of the celebration.
Following the ceremony, as one of Texas’s beautiful pastel sunsets painted the sky, they moved to their tented reception area, which overflowed with colorful floral arrangements and stunning interior décor. The dance floor, embellished with flourishing greenery and an array of beautiful purple, blue, and pink blooms, as well as woven chandeliers, created an enchanting atmosphere. The evening was filled with joyous laughter and hours of dancing to follow.
Catherine and Lee ended their evening with a petal toss send-off from their guests, followed by an utterly spectacular surprise firework show lighting up the Texas sky, just before they departed in their getaway car.
