Sugarland, Tx finest wedding

There are some brides that are just infinitely cooler than I am. Amy West has this chill, Stevie Nicks, rocker vibe, and needed a dress to match. Not an easy task to find off the rack.

Amy's custom, rocker chic lace wedding gown fit her like a glove. We sourced her beaded abstract lace from Germany. We wanted a lace that had a bit of an edge and wasn't a traditional floral motif. She ended the night in a webby French lace jumpsuit with a white satin, floor-length coat. Match made in rock star heaven.

You can find out more about Amy's spectacular wedding at the Smart Financial Center in the latest issue of Weddings in Houston Magazine.

Amy West Houston Texas Custom Wedding Gown David Peck

Here's a little bit more about Amy's stunning wedding ceremony and the process leading up to "I Do"...

Amy West Custom David Peck Wedding Gown

Q: How did you incorporate a family tradition or family heirloom in your special day?

A: In addition to Gary’s grandfather’s prayer shawl, we incorporated a gazillion white orchids which was the favorite flower of Gary’s mom, who is deceased. We had the most majestic, gorgeous white flowers everywhere. It was a magnificent display of fragrance and beauty.

Q: Did you have a wedding hashtag if so, what was it?

A: For both of us, this was a second marriage, so we leaned towards a non-traditional style. Initially, however, we thought it would be cute to have #MeetTheBeckers, but it had been used several times. So, after lots of “re-hashing” and consuming a gargantuan amount of creative energy, we decided against doing one #nohashtag.

Amy West and Gary Becker wedding at Smart Financial Center in Sugarland, Custom gown by David Peck.

Q:How did you and your significant other meet? Or How did your significant other propose?

A: Great question! It’s a really good story J I’m a long-time Sugar Land resident. Several years ago, we heard about a stellar performance facility that was being built in “the land of Sugar” (that’s what we Sugarland folks call it) that would allow our city to accommodate larger events, shows & concerts. Besides a few mid-size venues, our city didn’t really have a state-of-the-art performance center of this magnitude. When the Smart Financial Centre finally opened, many of my friends were suite holders so I had the privilege of frequenting many of the shows. I was at a concert with friends and specifically recall seeing this handsome guy walk by. He had a Rockstar strut and the long flowy hair to go with it, but we didn’t meet right away. Several months later, I ran into a friend of mine who asked if I was seeing anyone. She said, “I have a great guy for you.” Being single & dating later in life was a bit challenging so I was somewhat reluctant whenever someone said, “I know a really great guy.” My friend & her husband were sponsors of Smart Financial Centre and attended most of the shows. Gary ran the theater and was also there for each show so they all became really good friends.

One day, my friend was showing Gary photos of our group of girlfriends and he asked who I was. She said she had a “lightbulb moment” when he asked and immediately knew that the 2 of us should meet. We met & the rest is history. She was spot on about him being a really great guy. I’m so thankful they introduced us.

Not only did we meet at the Smart Financial Centre, but Gary proposed to me there with our family & friends circled around us. The Smart Financial Centre means so much to us. The building was designed for concerts and shows, but no wedding had ever taken place there. It was only fitting to get married there since we met there and got engaged there. Our planner turned this venue into a magical, winter wonderland party of the year!

Amy West Wedding Custom David Peck

Q: Did anything funny or chaotic happen on your wedding day? Thankfully, there was nothing chaotic, but we did have a few funny things…

My parents are no longer alive, so I didn’t have the tradition of my father walking me down the aisle. But, I had the greatest privilege to have my amazing 26-year-old son give me away. As we walked up a set of very narrow stairs to the stage, I kept stepping on the front of my wedding dress. My right hand was holding Brock's arm and left hand holding the bouquet, so I couldn’t pick up my dress to take the final step on the stage. I literally had to hop from the top step onto the stage. I’m pretty sure it looked like a bunny hop but made it onto the stage without ripping my dress!

Amy West and Gary Becker wedding at Smart Financial Center in Sugarland, Custom gown by David Peck.

My cousin was our officiant. As he concluded the ceremony, he said “Amy, I know you enjoy taking selfies. So, I’d like us to take the first selfie as Mr. & Mrs. Becker!" The 3 of us leaned in & took the most precious selfie with all of our guests in the background. It was a classic moment!

Guest Wedding Attire – let this be a lesson to all who want to incorporate a catchy phrase in their invitation for their dress code. My husband has produced rock shows his entire life. Naturally, we wanted to weave a “rock n roll” theme throughout our wedding. Our invitation had “Rock Star Glam/Cocktail” as the dress code. We had a few friends ask us, “WTF is Rock Star Glam”? LOL. We told them it was just a fun spin on cocktail attire. While taking post-ceremony photos, we noticed a man who looked like a cross between Marilyn Manson & Alice Cooper. His face had white paint with black makeup all around his eyes. At first, we were initially alarmed but found out he was a guest who thought it meant showing up dressed like a favorite rocker. Haha!
Wedding Vows – After Gary said his vows, I began telling him my heartfelt vows which were written on a small note card. I was sharing how much I admire his many strong character traits “generous, honorable, unselfish, loving, etc...” as I continued, he leaned in & said “you mean unselfish” & there was a burst of roaring laughter from the audience. I was mortified & wondered ..did I accidentally say selfish? I was reading from my notecards & said “unselfish," but think it sounded like “and selfish”

Either way, it was a hysterical moment & we couldn’t stop laughing.

Amy West Custom David Peck

Q: What song was your first dance to?

A: We’d recently begun dating when Ed Sheeran’s song “Perfect” made its debut. Almost every lyric was spot on & so relative to our relationship. Naturally, our first dance was literally PERFECT.

Amy West Custom David Peck Houston Gown

Q: Where was your bachelorette party?

My best friends and I have a bond stronger than gorilla glue! We call ourselves “the tribe” and even have personalized tribe gear! Our cherished friendship is what most people hope to have in a long-term friendship. We recognize how sweet & rare our friendship is and we don’t take it for granted. We’ve been friends so long, we’re kind of like each other’s human diary LOL.

Even though I wasn’t having a traditional bridesmaids/wedding party, they surprised me with a weekend at Hotel Zaza and told me to just “show up in white”. Every detail was perfect & they had a bunch of personalized items with each girls’ name on it. In their classic fashion, my girlfriends threw the most amazing “Becoming Becker Bachelorette” party which was over the top…but on steroids! Everything from a prime hotel suite which was decorated to the nines, to full VIP treatment as we popped around town to the swankiest Houston spots. During dinner, several girls who I’ve been friends with 25+ years stood up & shared the most precious, heartfelt toasts. I cried the happiest of tears.

Amy West and Gary Becker wedding at Smart Financial Center in Sugarland, Custom gown by David Peck.

Q: What unique feature did you include on the special day?

A: We had several unique features on our special day

Custom Logo was designed & we had a gobo light where our logo was projected onto the curtain as guests entered. We customized our wedding items with the logo and it branded the dance floor.

First Dance – during the last 30-45 seconds of our first dance, guests were surprised with a beautiful firework display. They went off outside directly behind the glass wall where we danced. It was magnificent!

Glow in The Dark Surprise – At one point in the reception, guests were handed a variety of black light items without knowing a special surprise was in store. As the band began a 3-song montage, the lights suddenly went out & the dance floor transitioned into a complete blacklight atmosphere. When the lights went out, guests were glowing in their custom bandanas, glasses and funky headgear that popped among the black lights.

Photo Booth – ours was not a typical photo booth. To carry out the rock n roll atmosphere, our photo booth had actual musical instruments - electric & acoustic guitars & a full percussion set.