LeeAnne Locken‘s extravagantwedding tolongtime love Rich Emberlin certainly proved that everything’s bigger in Texas!
In this week’s issue of PEOPLE (on stands Friday), theReal Housewives of Dallasstar, 51, shares all the exclusive photos and details about her over-the-top April 27 affair — gushing that the day felt like a fairytale.
“I know what Cinderella felt like,” Locken tells PEOPLE. “The whole wedding was perfect. It couldn’t have been better. I’m smart enough to know perfection doesn’t exist, but if anything could attain perfection, that was it.”
“I’m very aware how imperfect Rich and I are; we both came from the land of misfit toys. But together, we were perfect and that day was perfect,” she adds.
LeeAnne Locken and Rich Emberlin.Peter Larsen/Bravo
The Texas twosome said their “I dos” at the Cathedral of Hope — the world’s largest inclusive church — in front of 400 guests made up of family, friends and some of Locken’s Bravo costars.
“Love was bursting out of every pore of everyone in that church,” Locken says. “I could feel it radiating from the ceiling back down on us. This is what it feels like when an entire town comes out to celebrate. That was real love.”
The Cathedral of Hope.Peter Larsen/Bravo
Of course, Locken and Emberlin were dressed to the nines for their big day.
Emberlin had his own sparkle, in $30,000 worth of accessories (including a platinum brooch with an American flag motif of rubies, sapphires and diamonds).
LeeAnne Locken, leaving her wedding in a silver Rolls Royce.Peter Larsen/Bravo
LeeAnne Locken and Rich Emberlin’s wedding reception.Peter Larsen/Bravo
After the ceremony, guests headed to the Prashe Showroom for an over-the-top reception flanked with performers fromBravo Entertainmentdressed as neon cowboys, mid-century modern living lamp ladies and disco ninjas.
LeeAnne Locken and Rich Emberlin’s wedding reception.
The Bubble Tap Champagne Trailer.Peter Larsen/Bravo
Sprinkles cupcakes.Peter Larsen/Bravo
The drinks flowed inside, also, with wine beHailstone Vineyards, passed tequila shots, and a Stoli vodka bar making customized drinks in disco-ball glasses.
A tower of Sprinkles Cupcakes provided a sweet treat for hungry guests. Others were encouraged to leave words of wisdom for the newlyweds and paste Polaroids of themselves (taken in front of the pink and white flower wall) into a keepsake book.
“Steve Kemble, my wedding planner — he did all of that,” Locken gushes. “Everything you saw, every detail, came from his brain. He did all of that. I’ll never ever ever be able to pay him back for what he did. He’s the sweetest.”
LeeAnne Locken and Rich Emberlin’s wedding cake.Peter Larsen/Bravo
The ten-piece Dallas-based Emerald City Band provided non-stop energy, rocking the house and keeping the dance floor packed all night.
They also composed a first dance song just for Locken and Emberlin. “They know us so well and every lyric of that song reflected back on our relationship,” Locken says. “That’s the whole thing — with every single person who contributed to our wedding, it was like they stood up and said, ‘This is love, and I’m going to put my version of love to show just how much these two people love each other.’ It was all so special.”
Standing tall in the center of the room was a 12-foot-tall, 72″-round champagne cake with buttercream frosting from baker Shane Morgan andhis company, Posh Cakes. It featured a sea of cascading flowers and intricate patterns, and was topped with a castle design to symbolize their fairytale marriage.
On the way out, guests were given gift bags with a variety of treats including an “R&E” candle.
The whole wedding, in total, was worth 4.5 million, Locken says.
Peter Larsen/Bravo
This is Locken’s first marriage and Emberlin’s third. (His 20-year-old daughter, Elise, from a previous relationship was at the wedding as well.)
“It was just such a happy day,” Locken reflects. “When I said I want to freeze this moment in time cause I knew I would never be happier, I wasn’t kidding. Every cell in my body was vibrating with excitement and joy.
“I’m so lucky,” she adds of Emberlin. “I’m so in love with him. I just realized how genuinely blessed I was to be able to say ‘I do’ to him.”
Hoda Kotb covers PEOPLE with daughters Hope and Haley.Brian Doben
Since their big day, Locken and Emberlin have been flying high.
“I really didn’t think it would change our relationship, but it has,” Locken says.
“If anything, it’s made us so gentle and kind to one another,” she continues. “He has woken up every morning and he’s like, ‘How did you feel about being my wife?’ It’s so sweet. And everything we do now, we start tearing up. Just when I think I’m out of tears, I think about him or I read something someone wrote us and I just start crying! There’s just so much love flowing through me right now, I feel like I’m on cloud nine!”
As for the honeymoon, that will have to wait until July, when work commitments die down. “I’ll be worth the wait, just like this day was.” Locken says.
source: people.com
