Ree Drummond's Daughter Spills All The Details On Her Wedding - Exclusive Interview
Fans of Food Network's "The Pioneer Woman" got a special treat on Saturday, June 26, 2021. That was when Food Network aired "Ranch Wedding," a special that offered viewers a peek into the wedding of The Pioneer Woman's eldest daughter, Alex Drummond, to Mauricio Scott, who met as college students at Texas A&M — which, by the way, would be a great "couple name" for A-lex and M-auricio, who make their home in Dallas. The wedding took place at the Drummond family ranch on May 1, 2021. The special was a sweet and nostalgic opportunity to witness how this little girl, whom we met back in 2011 at the age of 13 (during the first season of "The Pioneer Woman"), has grown into an impressive and articulate young woman, not to mention, a beautiful and gracious bride.
Alex Marie Drummond Scott sat down with The List for an exclusive interview on June 25, 2021, an auspicious day not only because June 25 was the eve of the big premiere of "Ranch Wedding," but also because June 25, 2021 was the newly anointed Mrs. Scott's 24th birthday. Happy birthday, Alex! We hope you got to go to Olive Garden. Read on to learn why that's a thing for Alex and what we did to help make that happen — as well as everything you need to know about the wedding, the wedding registry, and what it's like to plan your wedding when your mom just happens to be Ree Drummond, plus a whole lot more.
Alex Drummond and her husband decided to marry AFTER they spent lockdown together!
So, how does it feel to all of a sudden have people referring to you as "Mrs. Scott"?
I feel like everyone for the most part still calls me Alex, so it hasn't really fully set in yet that I'm "Mrs. Scott." But I've been with my mom a couple times since the wedding, and she will be like, "Alex Drummond" randomly, but then she'll be like, "Oh my gosh, I forgot — it's Scott now!" I feel like everyone is still getting a little bit used to it. I'm still getting used to entering my name as Alex Scott. It still feels weird. And I haven't legally changed my name yet. I'm still in the process, so I guess I'm still Alex Drummond, legally.
I understand you and Mauricio started dating while you were at Texas A&M. When did you begin to suspect that he might be "the one"?
We started dating our sophomore year of college. We were about 19 when we started dating. I feel like from — honestly, this is cheesy — but I feel like from when we first started dating, I was like, "I could really see myself being with this guy for a really long time."
But I would say I really knew that we were going to get married after we graduated from college and moved to Dallas together. We both moved to Dallas, and I feel like that was when we started doing real life together. We weren't just in this college bubble anymore. We were going to work, and living more of a real adult life, I guess. Our relationship just flourished even more in that season, so I feel like that was kind of when I knew that we were going to get married and do life together forever.
You graduated from college in 2019, right?
Yes, I graduated in 2019. We both graduated from Texas A&M University.
So that means that you guys spent the lockdown together. Now, that had to be a very big thing in realizing you two belonged together ...
Yeah, it really was. I was actually just talking about this with Mauricio and my family a couple days ago. We had both started our jobs right when we graduated in spring of 2019, and we worked for about a year and then that's when the pandemic hit.
So we had a lot of good quality time together, and we also spent a lot of time at the ranch together with my family. I feel like that was a big step in our relationship, because he really got to know my family a lot more and they got to know him, and they fell in love with him. So that was a really fun, sweet time in our relationship. And I feel like that solidified even more that we wanted to get married. Mauricio just fit so well into my family, which was really sweet.
Ree Drummond's daughter reveals the secret to surviving the wedding registry process
Did Mauricio take an active role in planning your wedding registry?
Yeah, he was actually a lot more involved in the registry than I feel like most future husbands are. Because he was really into it. He had a lot of gadgets that he wanted to register for. He was more honed in on the gadgets and tool side of things. He registered for the tool sets and a lot of the little appliances that we got, like our Roomba vacuum and the Dyson vacuum and things like that. He did a lot of research on those kind of things. And then I registered for more of the cuter things, like the dishes and the tablecloths and the more decorative things.
That was kind of my thing that I did. But he was really involved in it. He liked being involved. We went to a couple stores in person and did the whole scanner thing, and he actually really enjoyed that. So I was glad that he was on board to help out.
That's great because some people find planning a wedding registry while also planning a wedding to be really overwhelming.
Yeah, I mean, there were definitely times that we were a little overwhelmed. There was one time that we went to Walmart to register, and we both hadn't eaten that day, and that was super overwhelming and we were both really "hangry" and we kind of threw our hands up and were like, "We'll just do this another day."
Wow! So, it sounds like you two work really well together — like you're totally in synch.
Well, I do like things with brighter colors, and I also like fun patterns. I kind of take after my mom in that. I like really colorful, girly, floral things. I feel like his one request with registering for china and dishes and stuff was to keep it — it can have some patterns on it, but keep it neutral colors. So that was kind of challenging for me to rein myself in, because I love pinks and blues and all the pretty colors, and he likes more neutral things. That was his only request. He didn't really have a lot of strong opinions about that stuff. I kind of got to run with it a little bit. And my mom was also really involved in helping me pick patterns.
What's it like planning a wedding when your mom is The Pioneer Woman?
What was it like planning your wedding and registry with Ree Drummond — which is to say, a mom who knows just SO MUCH about food and entertaining?
Yeah, so she actually really helped, one, in the registry area. [It was like], "I've had a kitchen for 30 years, these are the things I really liked in my kitchen and the things you could probably do without." And I haven't had my own kitchen for very long, so I didn't know the essential pieces that you need and what you can do without. So she really helped me with that. I really like and value her taste, so she helped me pick out some different items and different patterns and things.
Also with the wedding, she was so helpful. She really has such good taste and style, and really knew what would go together well. So Mauricio and I relied a lot on her opinions and insight into the wedding planning as well. It was, honestly, very smooth sailing. There [wasn't] really any moment where I feel like she was overstepping, but she was super helpful. A lot of my friends who have gotten married, their parents could be a little overbearing at times with their opinions, but I feel like we never really got to that point. It was all just very positive and she really helped me out a lot. It was really great.
Can you give us an example of where your mom was like, "No, honey, no one really needs that"?
[laughs] Yes. I feel like there were a lot more things that she was like, "You really need this." She's a big dinnerware snob. She loves to have a lot of dinnerware options. I feel like she really pointed me in the right direction for finding a good balance of registering for the really nice stuff, like china, and things that are more timeless. And also registering for the basic, good, durable dinnerware that we use everyday. Like the Toni dinnerware that we had on our list, that was a big item that she was like, "You really need this."
So is it fair to say the Toni line of dinnerware is your personal favorite in Walmart's Pioneer Woman collection?
I think it's definitely the one that we use the most day to day, and I love the way it looks, so I really do love the Toni dinnerware.
The Pioneer Woman's daughter and new hubby love The Pioneer Woman slow cooker
How about cookware? What cookware did you register for that you just wouldn't want to live without?
We use The Pioneer Woman slow cooker all the time. I've learned just how amazing slow cookers can be with food prep, and it just makes it so much easier. So we use that a lot, too. Also good cookware — that's another one that's important. And having good non-stick cookware.
So, you're a fan of non-stick cookware. Does that mean you're not part of "Team Cast-Iron Everything?"
I think for most things that you cook — with the exception of steak, we like to do steak on cast-iron, and burgers and things like that. But for almost everything else that we cook, we use our non-stick cookware. And I feel like it is the best thing ever. Because you can make eggs, you can make pastas, you can make all different kinds of things, and the residue doesn't stick and it's super easy to clean. I feel like non-stick cookware is definitely worth it, and every person should have it on their registry. We use it literally every day. A reason that we love my mom's is that it comes in fun colors, and it's good quality and durable, but it also comes in fun colors and patterns, which is, as I mentioned, something I love. So that's why we've been enjoying that a lot.
Even though it's traditional for newlyweds to pick a china pattern and start collecting it from the start, can some couples get away with registering just for the casual stuff?
20, 30 years ago, I would say no, because china is such a traditional value item. I feel like my parents' generation, I feel like they really valued china, and every bride kind of had to register for china. But I feel like nowadays, brides could totally get away with just registering for casual. We registered for china just because we knew of a good handful of people in our life, like my grandma and some of my grandma's friends, that really wanted to buy us china, so we knew, for their sake, we would just add it to the registry. But I feel like you can definitely get away with just doing casual. We got a few sets of china, but we don't even have a china cabinet yet, so we don't even have anywhere to put it. It's just boxed up for now. So we don't have anywhere to really display it yet. But nowadays, I'm seeing it become less and less common for brides to register for china. A good portion of my friends didn't.
Ree Drummond's daughter shares this one mistake couples make when building a wedding registry
Now that you've been through it yourself, is there anything that you think couples mistakenly "think" they need to register for, but actually don't really need at all?
I can't really think of one thing that we registered for that we don't use, but there are a couple things that we registered for a lot of and got way more than we needed. We added a ton of wine glasses and cocktail glasses and things like that, and we didn't realize that that's something that people get you one-off, that's not on your registry. Like, people can randomly gift you a really nice set of crystal wine glasses and things like that. So we have just an abundance of wine and cocktail glasses [and] we aren't going to use all of them. So I would say limiting registering for wine glasses. And another thing is cheeseboards. We registered for cheeseboards and we got so many custom cheeseboards that are amazing, and it was so nice of people to get us those. But we probably have eight cheeseboards now.
Was there a reason? Do your friends and family think of you as a cheese lover?
I think people just like gifting – I think wine and cheeseboards is such a trend these days. And I think people love gifting that kind of thing, if that makes sense.
Ree Drummond gave her daughter this wise advice on marriage and getting married
What was your mom's most meaningful marriage advice?
Oh yeah, that's a great question. My mom and dad have obviously been married for a long time, so I've gotten to just witness their relationship and witness a lot of positive aspects of it. But I think my mom always told my siblings and I growing up, and especially as I started more seriously dating Mauricio, always be their best friend and look for someone that can be your best friend. All the excitement of the wedding, that's all going to fade over time, and the romance can fade and all those things, so you just want someone who is going to be your best friend through it all. She always told me that, and I could see that through her and my dad's relationship, and that's something I really value about mine and Mauricio's relationship. We're just best friends over anything, which makes it so fun. I feel like I definitely learned that from my mom.
How about wedding advice? Did she have any advice about how to keep it all in perspective?
Yeah, I think my mom was the number one person during all the wedding planning process that really reminded me to not get stressed and not get caught up in all the details, but just to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and really soak in this time. Because it's supposed to be the most fun and exciting time in your life. Yeah, it can be stressful at moments, obviously. But I feel like my mom was so good about reminding me to stay positive and not be stressed and not dwell on the little things. At the end of the day, you don't want to look back on your wedding planning experience and just think, "Oh my gosh, that was such a horrible, stressful time." I think she was good about reminding me of that and reminding me of all the positivity and love that should be associated with that period of time. So, she really kept me from getting stressed 90% of the time, which was great.
Dancing with Ladd Drummond was so meaningful for Alex Drummond on her wedding day
Can you talk about what it was like having your wedding documented for the Food Network special, "Ranch Wedding"?
Yeah, the wedding special, I'm super excited for it. We're all super excited for it. I haven't seen it yet, actually, so I'm really excited to see it all come together. I've just seen rough cuts of things. But I think some of the moments I'm most excited about people seeing are, one, just the moment of me walking down the aisle to Mauricio, because that was a big, emotional moment. I haven't seen it on camera — I experienced it firsthand. So I'm really excited to re-live that and see it on camera, because there were a lot of emotions there and I think viewers will really like to see that moment.
Also, the first look with my dad. A lot of people know that my dad was in an accident a couple of months ago, a couple of months before the wedding.
I'm so sorry about that. Did the accident and your dad's injuries get in the way of your dad being able to really participate in the wedding?
It was a crazy couple months leading up, but [my dad] actually got clearance from his doctor the Thursday before the wedding that he was able to take off his neck brace for some of the special wedding day moments. So that was a really special thing, that he was able to be there and not wear this big brace, and he just got to experience it. So I feel like that made my first look with my dad, everything that happened in the months before made that moment more emotional as well. Those are some of my favorite, most special moments. I'm sure there will be a lot of funny dance floor clips, because the dance floor was very poppin'. Everyone was on the dance floor and acting crazy. Also, my parents' speech that they gave at the reception was actually pretty funny. So I'm excited for people to be able to see that. They kind of made it really funny and fun. Those are the moments I'm excited for people to see.
As far as moments that will surprise people, I am excited to see — because the cameras were everywhere on the wedding day. I was at the lodge getting ready with my bridesmaids and my sister and my mom. But the cameras were everywhere. They were with Mauricio, and they were at the site filming all the set-up, and so I'm excited to just have eyes where I wasn't and see what Mauricio was feeling and see his reaction leading up to the wedding. And also see the set-up. I know there were probably a few mishaps and a few stressful moments with all the set-up that I wasn't aware of, obviously. So I'm excited for me and viewers to experience that whole side of things that I was unaware of.
Here is everything that went wrong on Alex Drummond's wedding day
Is there anything about the day you would have changed?
Honestly? I look back, and there's really not. We started running behind on time with hair and makeup a little bit, so it kind of made the two hours leading up to the wedding a little more stressful, because it was really like, "Go go go go!" from there on out. So that would be the only thing I would change, just being a little bit more on time with that. But other than that, everything really came together so smoothly. It was a little windy, but that's kind of inevitable with Oklahoma. The winds are kind of crazy.
I think we must have covered that at some point — or perhaps our sister site, Mashed did. I understand the chances of a late spring hurricane are pretty high where the Drummond family ranch is in Oklahoma.
[laughs] Yeah, we were really worried about the weather. But honestly, there was no rain, the clouds opened up for the most beautiful sunset after the ceremony, so it ended up being perfect. There was a little wind, but hey, you can't really avoid that.
Wrapping up here, I know that for so many brides, the wedding day just gets away from them to the point where they never even get a chance to taste the foods they've chosen to be served at the reception. But something tells me that didn't apply in your case.
Our planner set up a time straight after the ceremony for Mauricio and I to go into a private room for fifteen minutes and get to scarf down some food and have a moment by ourselves, which was super nice, because we kind of got to have a little private moment. We scarfed down a few appetizers. And then once we got out into the tent with everyone, I did not touch a bite of food. I didn't even eat the wedding cake. [Well,] I had one bite of the wedding cake when we cut it. We were just talking with everyone and dancing, and we didn't even have time to think about eating, although Mauricio did eat — I don't know when this happened — but he said he ate some of the steak that was served. So I guess he got to sneak away and have a few bites.
Alex Drummond finally offers her comments on her Olive Garden obsession
I guess there was no need to order Olive Garden up to the hotel room after all was said and done. And yeah, I had to mention Olive Garden, because I saw a post on The Pioneer Woman that says you're a huge fan.
We thankfully didn't have to order any up to the room. [But,] yes, I am a huge Olive Garden fan. I'm sure you've seen the Instagram stories. I love Olive Garden. I just love Italian food. It's my favorite food. I've been joking with Mauricio all day, like, "So, are you going to take me to Olive Garden for my birthday dinner tonight?"
Well, it's your birthday, after all!
Yeah, maybe this will be the one day that he allows me to have it, or that he will eat it.
Someone should pass that along to him.
Yeah, put a bug in his ear.
[Note: We did just that -- through our sister site, Mashed. We hope Alex Drummond got to enjoy some of Olive Garden's famous breadsticks on her birthday! "Ranch Wedding" aired the day after this interview took place — on the Food Network, and it is now streaming on Discovery+. You can find the complete Pioneer Woman collection at Walmart.