A Dreamy Outdoor Ceremony, a Dress That Took 200 Hours to Create and an LSU Connection — The Wedding Story of Meredith Flores & Mason Barker

The road to the altar ran through Baton Rouge for Houston couple Meredith Flores and Mason Barker. They met while going to LSU.

Proposal

It happened March 11, 2021 at sunset on the beach of the lavish Lyford Cay Club in the Bahamas.

Wedding Event Planner

Todd Events

Invitation

Bell’Invito

The Wedding Setting

Two hundred and fifty guests attended an outdoor ceremony in the formal gardens and sunken pool loggia of the bride’s parents home in Houston. Cherie and Jim Flores’ neoclassical English Regency-style house was designed by famed architect John F. Staub for Texas oilman Hugh Roy Cullen in 1933.

And it made for a beyond dreamy wedding setting. Hundreds of roses suspended by ribbons from crape myrtle trees graced the path to the altar, a scene designed by Alexandra Stergion of Todd Events, that brought a real sense of enchantment to the ceremony.

The Bridal Gown

Meredith flew to New York — making eight trips — to design the dress with Naeem Khan and his son Zaheen. The hand-beaded grown, with a tree-of-life symbol embroidered into the dress, took 200 hours to create.

Fady Armanious of Tootsies was involved with every trip, sourcing accessories and design concepts. The bride also wore a Naeem Khan white beaded jumpsuit for the after-party.

“It would’ve been wrong to change out of the bridal masterpiece into any other fashion house’s creation,” Meredith says.

The Groom

Mason Barker wore a Harper + Jones custom tuxedo with a Tom Ford bow tie, paired with his father’s gold-and-onyx cuff links, and changed into a midnight navy Tom Ford tux for the reception.

Wedding Rings

Meredith’s band was designed by Pia Tolomei, owner of Bella Madre, the Houston jeweler. The groom’s band came from Tiffany & Co.

Bridal Party

There were 17 bridesmaids who wore Marchesa and four maids of honor, including the bride’s sisters Alanna Flores and Olivia Flores, who wore Markarian gowns.

The groomsmen wore dinner jackets from Culwell & Son in Dallas.

Flowers

Todd Events created bridal bouquets and floral installations through the Flores home and at the Corinthian.

Catering

City Kitchen in Houston handled the catering for the wedding. The wedding wine was a 1996 Chateau Haut-Brion that the father of the bride had been saving since the year Meredith was born.

Wedding High Notes

A handbell group rang in the rose garden to signal the ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle to the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” played by a string quartet with French horns from Élan Artists. When Meredith and Mason kissed as man and wife, musicians played Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” with a sax player adding some magic.

At the reception, family friends Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn performed five songs including “Neon Moon” and “My Maria.” The reception band was Rhythm Collective. DJ Savy Fontana, who alternates between St. Barts and Aspen, supplied tunes for the after party.

The festivities expanded to 450 at the Corinthian, the neoclassical treasure in downtown Houston with the after-party taking place in the historic former bank vault.

First Dance

Meredith danced with her father to “Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones, a joke between them. Mason danced with his mother to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, an ode to Louisiana jazz, which he was raised on.

The Happily Ever After

The new Mr. and Mrs. Barker took a mini-moon to St. Barts, staying at Eden Roe. This summer, they’ll honeymoon in Italy — with plans to visit Milan, Lake Como, Tuscany, Florence and the coast for Amalfi, Positano and Capri.