Bride: Madison + Matt
They say that love that grows out of friendship is the strongest, and that may be the case for Madison Sanders and Matthew “Houston” Clark. The two met in 2016, as freshmen in college and soon became friends…but there was always something more there. “We were in the same friend group and hung out together quite often, so I asked him to a date party the end of freshman year—but just as friends,” says Madison. “Little did I know that he had expressed to some of our other friends that he had a crush on me. The school year ended, but we didn’t keep in touch over the summer. Even so, when we got back to college, we started hanging out and never stopped. I am so happy we got to be friends freshman year, but deep down, I always had a crush on him, too!”
Over the next four years, their mutual “crushes” deepened into love, until Houston took the next step in making their relationship a lasting one. “We were on a beach trip with my family in March of 2021 for my birthday, and the day after, he proposed at Turquoise Place, where we were staying,” Madison recalls. “He had all of our friends and family there to surprise me and celebrate with us that night! It was so special, having all of our closest people there with us. It’s truly a day I will never forget!”
Six months later, they had another unforgettable day, when Madison walked down the aisle at Heron Pointe at the Wharf on December 31, 2021. Wearing a simple gown with a flower at the neck, she exchanged vows with Houston as 500 of their friends and family gathered to celebrate with them. Vows exchanged and marriage pronounced, the newly married couple joined their guests for a reception and a party as they waited for the year to come to an end and the new to begin.
