From a Helipad Proposal To a Dreamy Farm Wedding — Blake Fertitta and Dana Wempe’s Marriage Story Is a Hometown Romance

February is Wedding Month at PaperCity and throughout the month we’ll be telling stories of notable Texas weddings. Some might involve well-known figures, many won’t. But all will be wedding tales that go beyond the ordinary and perhaps say something about love. And ourselves. 

Not every couple is so lucky as to have the family helicopter and helipad at their disposal but that — atop Houston’s posh Post Oak Hotel — is where the charming Blake Fertitta, son of billionaire Tilman Fertitta, proposed to his lovely high school sweetheart Dana Wempe. After being pals in high school and dating her senior year, their story blossomed at Louisiana State University where Blake Fertitta and Dana Wempe both went to college.

The couple were wed at the F6 Fertitta Farm in New Ulm, Texas, in a flower-decked outdoor ceremony that took place at sunset overlooking the farm lake. They chose this location due to the many memories made there including numerous holidays. They wished to create one more very special memory with the wedding.

“We chose a place that incorporated God’s beauty in nature and had special meaning for us,”  Dana Wempe tells PaperCity in an email.

It was a small wedding with immediate family members plus aunts and uncles.

The bride wore a Spanish tulle gown by Vera Wang from Casa de Novia. Her jewelry was chosen to go with the angelic theme of the dress. She wore her mother’s diamond double circle Bon Levy earrings for something borrowed. The bridesmaids — Olivia Hoffman and Blayne Fertitta (the groom’s sister) — wore floral frocks by Zimmerman. The flower girl was Elle Fertitta, Blake Fertitta’s half-sister.

The fresh flowers in the bride’s hair were a reflection of this Texas wedding decor which featured a bountiful display of fresh pastel-colored flowers and crystal chandeliers hanging from the majestic oak trees that lined the pathway from the house to the wedding site overlooking the lake. As would be expected, The Events Company handled the logistics and the decor for the wedding as the firm is part of Landry’s Inc., Tilman Fertitta’s mega hospitality company.

The groom wore a linen suit by Boss while the groomsmen — Sam Wempe, the bride’s brother; Patrick Fertitta and Michael Fertitta, the groom’s brothers — wore pastel linen suits.

The wedding party included the bride’s parents Brenda and Bob Wempe; the groom’s mother Paige Farwell Fertitta; and Blake’s father Tilman Fertitta, soon to officially be the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and his wife Lauren Fertitta. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend Brett Hurst of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston.

The reception followed at the farm guest house and patio where a string quartet performed “The Way You Look Tonight” for the couple’s first dance. Food and drink were bountiful as one would expect with the family restaurants including La Griglia and Brenner’s on the Bayou. While guests dined together, the newlyweds chose to share their first meal as a married couple privately.

Cutting of the wedding cake was a group affair. That confection was a vanilla cake with fresh strawberry filling and whipped vanilla icing. This is the first cake that the couple had had together and they have subsequently had it every year for Blake Fertitta’s birthday. The happy couple tapped Sweet Nation to provide the cake.

The festivities concluded with the couple walking over to the farm’s barn where “Just Married” glowed in bright lights and where a fireworks show marked the end of the evening.

The newly married Blake Fertitta and Dana Wempe then headed to the farm helipad and “helied” back to the Post Oak Hotel where they spent their first night together as man and wife before heading off to the Virgin Islands for a romantic honeymoon.