Ahhhhh…. although Fredericksburg is about 90 miles northwest of San Antonio, it still almost feels like “home” to me. It is a charming community, rich in pioneer Texas history and many of the original dwellings have been restored to their traditional German architecture. It’s the kind of place where the hustle and bustle can be left far behind and big deep breaths are the order of the day. And so it comes as no surprise that Anne & J.B. would choose Fredericksburg for their destination wedding!
Stella and Leon Alesi have shared this delightful wedding with us! See more of the day in the gallery.
Anne and JB held their destination wedding in the quaint German settled town of Fredericksburg, Texas. An hour and 15 minute drive from Austin we passed many peach farms and fields of wildflowers on our way there. The ceremony and reception both took place at the Hoffman Haus. The Hoffman Haus is nestled in one of the quiet charming neighborhoods surrounding the Main Street shops and restaurants of Fredericksburg. Ivy covered walls, picket fences, beautiful log cabin construction, a variety of courtyard spaces and a large reception hall make it a unique and interesting place to hold a wedding. What I will always remember about this wedding was the large wedding party, 30 bridesmaids and groomsmen, not to mention the flower girl, ushers and house party. They were fun and at times outrageous, and kept the party hopping. The details of the wedding were beautiful, fan styled programs, personalized beer cozy’s, iced tea and lemonade stand, and a bride in cowboy boots!
On our way back to Austin, we couldn’t resist stopping along the way to photograph some of the peach stands and the landscape …
from Anne ~ J.B. and I met through mutual friends in 2004 when I moved to Houston, but it wasn’t until we drove 13 ½ hours to Dallas, evacuating from Hurricane Rita in 2005 that we started dating. From the beginning of our engagement, we knew that we wanted a wedding in Fredericksburg. The town is just so charming and it really encompassed everything I envisioned. Rustic elegance was the inspiration and it quickly came to life when my mom and I walked into Hoffman Haus on our first planning trip. In keeping with the innate beauty of Hoffman Haus, I decided to stick with a natural color palette of whites, creams, taupes and browns. One really neat thing about having our wedding at Hoffman Haus, is that it’s a bed & breakfast as well as a venue. Along with J.B and me, almost our entire wedding party got to stay there the whole weekend.
Stella Alesi, our fabulous photographer, could not get over our giant wedding party. J.B. and I are both very fortunate to have the most amazing friends! So we decided to highlight our bridesmaids and groomsmen with the only pops of color in the wedding – navy and hot pink. Last minute, my amazing florist, Johnathan Sage, added the bright rose clusters in the tree above where we got married, which became one of my favorite details. The garden at Hoffman Haus is so beautiful and our plan was always to get married outside, even in the Texas summer heat.
The ceremony was short, but so wonderful. We found little ways to make the heat more bearable. Upon arrival, each guest received a program that doubled as a 5 panel fan, and everyone was offered lemonade or Firefly spiked iced tea as they entered. From the get go, J.B. and I both wanted the same things – we wanted subtle touches that reflected our personalities, everyone to feel completely at home and relaxed, and the reception to be a total blast!
Our band, The Heat, was awesome! They did such a great job of appealing to all ages with old and new hits. Even J.B.’s 88-year- old grandparents got out there and danced, which was so adorable. Two of my best friends had gotten lots of different fun things to wear on the dance floor like hats, mustaches, glittery tiaras, funny noses, and oversized sunglasses, which JB actually threw in lieu of a garter!
A last little tidbit – If any brides are considering getting married in Fredericksburg, your very first call should be to Elizabeth Harris! She is simply the best – knowledgeable, resourceful, organized, wonderfully sweet, and the best part is that she is so calm. Nothing fazed her or got her anxious at any point. She made everything so seamless and perfect.
See the Alesi’s blog for more images from this beautiful day!
Stella Alesi / Photography, SMP Portfolio
Vendors
Stella and Leon Alesi
I had the most amazing experience with Stella ~ who is just a genius!
She and Leon have such an amazing aesthetic and were such a joy to work with!
I cannot say enough wonderful things about them.
Regina B. (Jewelry)
Regina was so wonderful. I saw the pair of earrings that I wanted on her website,
but was worried that the stones would be too dark. She asked me to send her a picture of my dress,
and she then custom matched new stones on the pair of earrings I selected. I am such a
jewelry person and I had been searching for the perfect pair of earrings
as soon as I chose the dress. She went above and beyond!
Venue – Hoffman Haus
Dress – Monique Lhuillier
Bridesmaids Dress – Butter by Nadia
Floral – Johnathan Andrew Sage, Inc. (Houston)
Cake/Cupcakes – Sophie’s Choice Bakery (Fredericksburg)
Boots – The Wild West Store, Boot Whisperer (Wimberley, TX)
Invitation – Morgan Davis Stationery (Fredericksburg)
Wedding Planner – Elizabeth Harris
Catering – CarteWheels (Kerrville)
Rentals – Marquee Rents
Band – The Heat (Dallas)