Photos by Audrey Spiars Photograpy
When Mollie McGehee and Noah Fry tied the knot at the Ice House on Main on June 29, 2019, it was romantic, peaceful, and personal. They met on the dating app Bumble, and after dating for eight months, they were ready to get married.
Noah proposed in the backyard of Mollie’s parents’ house, where her three older sisters had all had their wedding receptions.
“I thought it was a normal day; I didn’t look good at all,” says Mollie. When she got to her parents’ house, she found Noah in what her family calls “the chapel,” an outdoor kitchen with a cross hanging above it. “He was under the cross and our song was playing. He forgot all the things he planned to say, but he waited for our favorite part of the song and asked me to marry him.”
While planning the wedding, Mollie says things just fell into place. They only toured two venues before deciding on the Ice House in downtown Bryan.
“The Ice House was perfect because it wasn’t super modern,” says Mollie. “We loved the feel of it and the story of the place. It has the red brick, columns, hardwood floor thing, and the lighting was cool. They flipped it between the ceremony and reception while we were taking pictures.”
Taking pictures between the wedding and the reception led to one of the most memorable moments for the couple: Mollie and Noah sneaking across the street to Blackwater Draw afterwards.
“Our photographer told us we had plenty of pictures, but we still had 30 minutes before we were going to be presented at the reception, so we ran across the street and had a beer and some time to ourselves,” says Mollie. “It wasn’t planned and no one knew where we were but our photographer. Blackwater Draw didn’t charge us for our drinks and they were so excited for us.”
The wedding was full of personal moments and touches like that one. Their party favors were bumblebee cookies as a nod to their start on Bumble, Mollie wore the veil that all her older sisters had worn to get married, and they had Whataburger deliver fries to the reception because their last name is Fry. Noah’s 6-year-old daughter from his previous marriage also got to share in the fun.
“They did a daddy-daughter dance instead of a mother and groom dance because his mother passed away,” says Mollie. “That was really sweet. Piper loved that; she was twirling everywhere.”
Rather than doing a first look, Mollie and Noah exchanged letters around a corner and prayed together before walking down the aisle.
“One of my favorite parts of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing him,” says Mollie. “My knees buckled because his faces were just the best. My dad had to ask me if I was okay.”
As for advice she’d give to brides-to-be, Mollie notes she regretted not hiring a videographer to capture footage of the day, but overall, she was glad she used local vendors.
“[The Ice House] had a built-in coordinator that was amazing,” says Mollie. “She took care of pricing and things beforehand, but she was also a day-of coordinator and made a very detailed schedule with every little thing. … Because we did all in-town people, they all know each other and were used to working with each other, so it was very easy. It was very personal, and everyone was so sweet.”
Ultimately, what was most important to Mollie was how personal and intentional the wedding was itself.
“It was very intimate — just our people. We couldn’t stop giggling all day,” says Mollie. “When you’re planning, you want to think about everyone else and try to accommodate them all, but it’s the one day in your life that can be about the two of you. It’s your wedding!”
Fry Vendors:
Dress: Coreena’s Bridal
Cake: Sandee’s Sweets
Flowers: Postoak Florist
Venue: Ice House on Main
Music: Downtown Event Services
Balloon: Bubblelloon
Photographer: Audrey Spiars Photography
Catering: Admiral Catering
Invitations: Aggieland Printing
Special Linens and Cake Stand: Ashley & Co.
Hotels: Calvary Court and The LaSalle Hotel
Bridal Photos: Calvary Court
Wedding Night Hotel: The Stella Hotel
