Love At First Sight

Blind date leads couple down the aisle in a tropical Texas beach wedding

It’s often said of short engagements that lead to long-standing marriages, when you know, you just know. That theory certainly applies to Lila and Mitchell Malone. It took just one blind date and a weekend getaway three months later to Port Aransas for the couple to realize that they indeed were in the know about the rest of their lives together.

New to Houston and working as head design associate and project manager for Creative Tonic Design, Lila, a San Antonio native, and Mitchell met at Hugo’s for dinner on a steamy July evening in 2015 and by the end of the evening, Lila knew this relationship was a “no brainer.” Three months later, on a weekend trip to Port Aransas, surrounded by the gentle waves and colorful sunsets rooted in Lila's childhood, the couple realized it was time to take their relationship to the next level.

“We fell in love that weekend. I knew he wanted to marry me. There was no option,” Lila said. “My mother grew up going to Port Aransas and we spent summers there. I knew we would get married there.”

This island that housed so many childhood memories became the next chapter of Lila’s adulthood, and she and her mother, Bonnie Chumbley, also a designer, set to work creating a vibrant, fun, and meaningful celebration. The mother/daughter duo capitalized on the island’s natural assets for decor and design, adding their own touches in everything from tabletops to floral.

“My mom is the most creative person I know, so we just took this head-on,” Lila said. “We went for fun and a less-is-more feel. We had these beautiful palms, sand dunes and the beach around us, so we worked with that.”

There was no special instruction on the wedding invite regarding attire, but the couple’s friends and family knew them well enough to eschew the LBD and add their own pops of personality to the celebration in bold, tropical prints fit for a May Texas beach wedding.

One look at the couple’s wedding pictures and the happiness is infectious, but look closer and there are special moments captured on film honoring the memories of Lila’s brother and Mitchell’s mother. The couple chose a glorious confetti release as a way to include them in their day.

“They were fireworks in our lives, with personalities that lit up a room. It was an ode to them and my favorite moment of the whole weekend,” Lila said.

A tasty wedding highlight included lobster enchiladas from Lisabella's Bistro & Bar in Port Aransas. The restaurant is owned by family friends and brought back the dish at Lila’s request. It was one of the little touches that made a big impact.

“At the end of the day, it was Port Aransas. We made it fun and beautiful right where we were,” Lila said.

After all, when you know, you just know.

• Rehearsal Dinner Venue: The Tarpon Inn

• Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Hand painted dress Lila found in a small boutique in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

• Reception Venue: Palmilla Beach Resort and Golf Course

• Ceremony Venue: Palmilla Beach Resort and Golf Course

• Photographer: Matthew Alvarado, Beloved Photography

• Florist: Ray Briones Flowers

• Dress: Watters

• Shoes: J. Crew

• Groom's Tux: J. Crew

• Wedding Planner: Wedding Planners Inc. Robin Waters for logistics the day of the wedding

• DJ: Band - Dysfunkshun Junkshun

• Ceremony Music: John Amundsen, son of a family friend

• Cocktail Hour Music: Dysfunkshun Junkshun

The couple slipped away before the ceremony for their "First Look" photos at the Little Chapel on the Dunes.

weddings

A+ for H-Town

Houston ranks 3rd among Texas’ best large college towns

University of Houston students at a football game

University of Houston/Facebook

Houston knows how to show out.

Houston has entered the spotlight as the No. 3 best large college town in Texas, and it ranks in the top 25 among the largest college towns in America, a new study has proclaimed.

To determine the best college towns, WalletHub analyzed 415 cities based on their "wallet-friendliness," social environment, and academic and economic opportunities for college graduates. Cities are ranked overall and are sorted into one of three population categories: large, midsize, and small cities.

Houston ranked as the 24th best large college town in the U.S., and it ranked 73rd overall regardless of city size.

Out of the three key dimensions, the Bayou City ranked highest for "wallet friendliness" — landing 89th nationally. This category examined local housing costs, student loan debt per person, the adjusted cost of living for young people, and other financial factors.

The city stands at No. 127 nationwide for its "social environment," which compared the number of students per capita, the share of single people, crime rates, and the number of cafés, breweries, food trucks, festivals, and shopping centers per capita, among others.

It may come as a surprise that WalletHub said Houston's academic and economic opportunities leave much to be desired. The city ranked 260th nationally in this category, which analyzed the quality of higher education, the earning potential for college graduates, unemployment rates, job growth rates, the share of part-time jobs and median income of part-time workers, and more.

"As student living expenses can reach over $39,000 per year, it’s important to find the most bang for your buck," the report's author wrote. "Therefore, it’s best to live in a city with a reasonable cost of living, along with good academic and work opportunities. The ideal city should also provide a fun social environment to help students deal with the stress of college."

Other top college towns in Texas
Austin once again topped the list as the No. 1 best college town in America, boosted by the city's wealth of local colleges and universities and the local economy. The Capital City has outshone obvious contenders like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, for five years in a row, and it also tops the large cities list.

According to the report's findings, Austin has the 15th best academic and economic opportunities for college students and graduates, and the 16th best social environment. WalletHub commends Austin for having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and the "34th-best annual job growth rate," while also offering students ample ways to "de-stress after class."

"On top of that, Austin ranks 22nd in the nation for the quality of higher education among more than 400 cities in our study," the report said. "It also has the 112th-cheapest in-state tuition (including room and board), at $34,651 per year."

Six other cities in the Lone Star State appeared on the overall list of America's best college towns: College Station (No. 37), Plano (No. 54), San Antonio (No. 72), Denton (No. 77), Lubbock (No. 83), and Fort Worth (No. 100).

In the rankings by city size, San Antonio ranked as the No. 2 best large college town in Texas and 23rd nationwide.

San Marcos, a college town between Austin and San Antonio, ranked as the No. 2 best small college town in Texas, and 54th best among the small colleges nationally. In the overall list regardless of city size, San Marcos ranked 132nd nationally.

The top 10 best college towns in America for 2027 are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Ann Arbor, Michigan
No. 3 – Charlottesville, Virginia
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Atlanta
No. 6 – Tampa, Florida
No. 7 – San Diego
No. 8 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 9 – Orlando
No. 10 – Charleston, South Carolina

college towns reports university of texas wallethub houston anderson