For Chelsea Mocio, The Fort Worth Club has always been special. Her parents are longtime members of the historic private downtown city club, and her sister Courtney held her wedding reception there.
So when Chelsea became engaged to her boyfriend, Jacob McMillan, she knew the club would be the ideal location for her own reception on April 27, 2019.
“Everything about it is so elegant and pretty, and it really fit the vibe we were trying to go for,” she says. “I felt like with it being in downtown Fort Worth, it gave our out-of-town guests a good, authentic experience of Fort Worth. The venue is just so beautiful; it didn’t take a whole lot to make it look exactly how we wanted it.”
Working with wedding planner Rachel Burrow of Sarabeth Events and florists from A Stylish Soiree, Chelsea had the club’s Horizon ballroom transformed into an elegant display of white — from white and cream linens and extravagant white florals to white candles, a white wedding cake, and even a white dance floor with the couple’s initials displayed in gold in the center.
The elegant scene was emphasized by the ballroom’s massive crystal chandeliers, which were installed soon after the 12-story sky-rise was erected in 1926.
While the couple was married at TCU’s Robert Carr Chapel, neither attended the university.
Chelsea, a Fort Worth, native, went to Texas A&M, where she played collegiate golf. Jacob grew up in Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee. (His groom’s cake, created by the Fort Worth Club’s pastry team, reflected his alumni pride.)
The two met through mutual friends and after about two-and-a-half years of dating, Jacob proposed at sunrise on a beach in Charleston, South Carolina.
They sought a non-denominational venue “to meet in the middle,” Chelsea says. She grew up Roman Catholic and her groom, Baptist. Chelsea’s uncle is a Catholic priest and oversaw the nuptials.
At the reception, guests were treated to a menu that they’re still talking about, says Chelsea.
“People have said it’s the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding,” she says.
Menu items ranged from chicken fried chicken and beef tenderloin to crab cakes and a massive seafood tower. Guests mixed and mingled while perusing food stations to choose their dishes, which Chelsea loved.
“It was nice to have people more interactive. I didn’t want to do a full seated dinner,” she says. “I told my husband I really wanted to pick food people genuinely like. I didn’t want foods that were super clichéd for a wedding.”
With full bellies, guests danced all night to live music by Downtown Fever before showering the couple with a festive ticker-tape exit.
The bride's most memorable moment?
“Our entrance to the reception,” she says. “All of your closest friends and family are standing there, and to get to see all of the planning for 18 months — to see it all together. But I also remember sitting down for dinner and observing the head table, the flowers, and being so thrilled with everything.”
After their grand celebration, the new Mr. and Mrs. jetted off for a honeymoon in Thailand.
Ceremony venue: Robert Carr Chapel
Reception venue: The Fort Worth Club
Wedding planner:Sarabeth Events
Bridal gown: Stardust Celebrations
Hair & makeup: Beauty & The Blush Artistry
Photography: Tracy Autem Photography
Cake: The Fort Worth Club
Floral & décor: A Stylish Soiree
Linens:La Tavola
Stationery: Blush Paperie
Lighting: It’s Your Night Entertainment
Dance floor: Center Stage Floors
Band: Downtown Fever Band
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To submit a wedding for consideration, email stephanie@culturemap.com. Weddings must have taken place in the Fort Worth area since July 1, 2018.
Chelsea Mocio and Jacob McMillan were married April 27, 2019.
Claire Messerle, Betsy Price, Katie MesserlePhoto by Savanna Romano
Guests bid in the live auction.Photo by Savanna Romano
Champagne Yacht Club Band kept the dance floor lively.Photo by Savanna Romano