Story by Paige Brazil
Every girl dreams of their first date with their future husband. Most first dates consist of a nice dinner and getting-to-know-you conversations. From the moment Samantha Segers met her future husband, David Novinski, she had a feeling they wouldn’t have the typical, run-of-the-mill dating experience.
“I met David our junior year at Texas A&M. I was a Class Councils officer and I actually interviewed him to join the organization. I immediately thought he was cute and, unbeknownst to him, placed him in my committee so I could get to know him better,” says Samantha. “He couldn’t make one of the meetings, so I asked him to get coffee and catch him up on what he missed, but, let’s be real, I just wanted to hang out with him.”
Samantha and David hit it off immediately and talked for a few hours over coffee.
“I wanted to continue hanging out with him, so I asked him to come hammock with me,” says Samantha. “We went to Research Park and hammocked for a couple of hours. Then, we went to a mutual friend’s birthday party. We even went back to Research Park and watched the sunrise. What started out as a meet up for coffee turned into a 24-hour date basically. After that day we just decided we were dating.”
David proposed to Samantha in March of 2018.
“We were back [in College Station] visiting my parents and David took me back to Research Park to hammock. He proposed in the exact same place we had our first date,” says Samantha. “We chose to have our wedding in College Station because [David’s] family is from Dallas and mine is from Houston, so College Station just made the most sense. Plus, both of our families and most of our friends went to A&M.”
The two wed on Jan. 5 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and had their reception at the Stella Hotel in Bryan. 275 guests attended the Novinski wedding and partook in both Catholic wedding and Texas A&M traditions. David comes from a Czech family, so of course, the Grand March was a staple. The couple’s friends and family also attended Texas A&M, so at the end of their wedding night, everyone gathered to sing the Aggie War Hymn, says Samantha.
“The entire wedding was incredible. One of my favorite parts, though, was riding off in David’s grandpa’s restored 1952 MG. It was really amazing to be able to incorporate that family aspect into our special day,” says Samantha. “Also, David decided for his groom’s cake that he wanted my grandma’s homemade Texas Sheet Cake. So my grandma literally made 10 pans of Texas Sheet Cake that we put on display, pan included. It was a huge hit!”
For any new bride, it’s important not to stress about planning; your wedding is supposed to be fun, and it’s over within 24 hours, so just focus on what is most important to you, and the rest will fall into place, says Samantha.
“Your wedding day goes by so incredibly fast,” says Samantha. “Don’t forget to slow down and look around at all the wonderful people who traveled from near and far to come together and celebrate you and your loved one on your special day.”
Novinski Vendors Ceremony: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bryan Reception: The Stella Hotel, Bryan Coordinator: Ashley and Company, College Station Photographer: Jessica Isaac’s Photography, Dallas Dress: Gowns of Grace, Dallas Food: The Stella Hotel, Bryan Cake: Tiffany’s Treats, local lady in College Station Flowers: Petal Patch, Bryan Tablecloths: Party Time Rentals DJ: Downtown Event Services, College Station Photo Booth: Fun Fab Photo Booths & DJ’s, Houston
