yes, Yes, YES! And maybe one more Yiggity YES for good measure because this wedding is currently a crowd pleasing favorite at the SMP offices. From bold red lips to a bocce ball wielding reception, we have a free spirited Austin dazzler on our hands, as seen through the lens of The Nichols (one of our favorite lenses to peer through). Take a look for yourself with all the images in one gorgeous spot, right here.
From the Bride… My grandmother’s gloves started it all. When she passed away in 2008 and I inherited her delicate, crocheted gloves from Paris, I knew they would be my “something old” when I got married. Come wedding planning time they inspired my custom, ballet-length gown, the historic chapel venue and really, the overall look and feel of our wedding. I came to define our wedding concept as “vintage-parisian-cafe-meets-retro-americana-lawn-party-meets-rustic-tuscan-dinner-party … with an heirloom sewing theme and a healthy dose of mint green.” I wanted to pull from all things and eras and countries that Tony and I share a love for so that our wedding truly conveyed our personalities and style. The day was all about sharing our love and happiness with our closest friends and family and creating a joyful and memorable evening. Guests arrived to the sounds of Motown radiating from singer/songwriter Suzanna Choffel and her band. We chose a longtime friend to serve as officiant, decorated our altar with vintage doors and sewing-pattern paper flowers and added a touch of playfulness using quotes from the children’s books “The Little Prince,” “I Like You” and “The Velveteen Rabbit” for the invitations, programs and ceremony readings.
Tony and I have never hosted a party sans bocce ball, and this party was no different. During cocktail hour guests played bocce, sipped Pimm’s Cup cocktails out of jelly jars and listened to Suzanna perform her own music in her sultry and soulful style. Dinner was served under the stars and strung lights and was reminiscent of dining in a Tuscan garden. The rustic Italian family-style meal honored Tony’s heritage. The tables were dressed in seafoam linens and dotted with multiple, loosely-arranged and softly-colored florals in blue mason jars, antique milk glass and honey jars. The pistachio and salted carmel buttercream wedding cake was divine and the pie bar, complete with caramel apple streusel and PB&J, was downright sinful. Sugar crash? No problem — the favors were dark-chocolate covered espresso beans. As a visual artist, it was inevitable that I would style and design our wedding, from creating the invitations and programs with the help of my maid of honor to typing the escort cards with my grandfather’s antique typewriter. I could not have done this without the wholehearted support of my maid of honor, Lizzie Choffel, whose typesetting and printing expertise, sharp design eye and willingness to be in a constant state of “brainstorm” helped me plan and create; or without the help of my loving mother who, from afar, painstakingly sewed fabric menu card pockets, burlap table runners and floral cocktail table sashes. Needless to say, there were a lot of fabric care packages flooding the pony express in the months prior to the wedding. The process of working with my longtime friend has inspired the creation of spool + ink {handcrafted}, a design and lifestyle company. We are excited to share our passion with others and to continue to create handcrafted wares.
This was truly a homemade and homegrown wedding — it was our goal to keep things as local as possible, from the locally-sourced food and music to the antiquarian invitation stamps and the mint green Kendra Scott jewelry and cufflinks for the bridal party. We could not have possibly chosen more wonderful vendors — we couldn’t have pulled it off without their help, especially that of our devoted wedding coordinator, Margaret Bedikian, who went above and beyond her duties and who has become a friend and has claimed a place in our lives forever.
Wedding Photography: The Nichols / Wedding Venue: Mercury Hall in Austin, Texas / Wedding Coordination: Margaret Bedikan of Three Apples Events / Design, Styling and Paper goods: Spool + Ink Handcrafted / Floral Design: Zinnia & Company / Catering: Royal Fig / Wedding Cake: Walton’s Fancy and Staple / Desserts: Bake Sale / Music: Suzanna Choffel / Rentals: Loot Vintage Rentals / Registry + Custom Stamps: Antiquaria / Wedding Dress: Custom / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo