It all started with a fake bachelor party. Cameron Keegan and his friends were in Dallas for Labor Day weekend in 2012, and Cam had been nominated to serve as the weekend’s fake bachelor. “A mutual friend of ours invited me to join in the celebrations,” says Meredith Johnson. “Cam and I talked the whole time, and I hung out with their group for the weekend.” On the day he was set to return to Arizona, Cam made sure to get Meredith’s phone number, though she didn’t think he’d actually call. “He ended up calling as soon as he’d landed, and the next weekend he sent me an obnoxiously large bouquet for my birthday. It made my day, and we soon started talking every day.” After 18 months dating long-distance, Cam made the move to Dallas, and nine months later, the couple was engaged. “We went to Temecula, California, for a week of wine tasting with Cam’s family, and my mom joined us as well,” says the bride. She thought nothing of it when the groom’s brother, a professional photographer, asked the couple to pose for a photo at one of the vineyards—and was absolutely shocked when she saw Cam get down on one knee.
The pair spent just over a year planning their November 14, 2015, wedding at Brook Hollow Golf Club in Dallas. “I knew I wanted to have our ceremony at St. Michael’s Church, so once I had a date at the church, the rest of the details fell into place,” Meredith explains. A former corporate event planner, the bride had no trouble tackling the details. “The hardest part was letting our coordinator, Gro Designs, take over a month before the wedding!” she laughs. With an elegant vision and a soft blush and brown color palette, the couple created a lush celebration that was the perfect fit for their formal golf club setting. Photographer Shaun Menary joined the happy couple to document their big day, a lush and classic celebration done right!
Meredith put a modern spin on tradition with her Sareh Nouri wedding dress. The gazaar gown features two tiers of horsehair ruffles and a straight, folded neckline. “It was important to me that I felt like I was picking the dress I wanted to wear, and thankfully my mom, mother-in-law, and friends all adored this one as much as I did!” says the bride. Beneath the chapel-length train, she wore off-white Kate Spade pumps with a bow on each toe.
The bride’s full bouquet combined white, ivory, and blush garden roses, hydrangeas, and ranunculus.
Soft brown was the perfect neutral accent for the couple’s delicate pink color scheme. Meredith’s 12 bridesmaids wore a chiffon number by Amsale. “I wanted them all in the same dress, and this style worked great on a variety of body types,” she explains.
Cam had 12 groomsmen as well, and all wore tuxedos to match the groom’s shawl collar attire. “Our wedding party was very important to us. They each know us individually and as a couple, and we couldn’t have imagined doing it without them by our sides,” Meredith says.
The flower girl wore a tea-length dress in ballet pink, while the ring bearer wore a tux. “He was nervous the night before, but our flower girl told him she would walk with him the whole way,” says Meredith. “She’s got three little brothers, so she knew how to make him feel comfortable.”
The pair married in a traditional Episcopalian ceremony and opted not to write their own vows. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it, and that I’d be crying too hard!” says Meredith.
“Cam really wanted part of the night to be outside,” says Meredith of cocktail hour on the golf club’s lawn. There, guests sipped champagne and chatted on luxe lounge furniture arranged beneath chandeliers hung from the trees.
Inside, the ballroom was washed in an elegant shade of pink. A hallway lined with curtains and candles, framed by a garland of white hydrangeas, led the way to the reception. The long head table was arranged beneath the oversized chandelier, which the couple’s florist dressed with hydrangeas, roses, and greenery.
The head table was topped with an oversized runner of blush and ivory roses, ranunculus, and hydrangeas. “Our head table was definitely the prettiest part of the room!” says the bride. And take a closer look at that floral chandelier! Meredith and Cam chose to go big with their blooms, and the result was totally worth it.
Surrounding tables were set with high and low arrangements of the same blooms, lit with votive candles. Each place setting featured a gold-rimmed plate and a printed menu. Dinner began with a signature salad, topped with Stilton cheese and dried cherries. For the main course, filet and crispy sea bass were served with Chantilly potatoes and green beans.
The towering wedding cake included layers of white cake with champagne, Chambord, and raspberry fillings. The tiers were hand-piped with swags and swirls, then finished with fresh flowers.
The groom’s cake was a doozy, chocolate cake filled with “B52” icing, a mix of totally indulgent Kahlua, Irish cream, and Grand Marnier.
The Think Big Party Band had everyone, from age 2 to 92, on the dance floor. “They played everything from the ‘70s to today, and their song choices were spot-on!” raves the bride. “It was the perfect way to mingle with our guests: On the dance floor!”
After a whirlwind celebration, Cam and Meredith honeymooned in St. Thomas to really unwind. “People get so wrapped up in trying to please everyone,” says the bride. “Instead, remember that this day is for YOU, and that marrying the person you love comes first.” We couldn’t have said it better!
