I’m pretty much head-over-heels in-love with this Giddings Stone Mansion wedding and all its sweet simplicity. Planned in only five and a half months, and with a close eye on budget, this adorable couple put the highest price tag on the things that meant the most to them; family, faith and friends. P.S. Photography filled the gallery with timeless, emotion-filled shots that will be treasured for years to come.
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From the Bride… My husband, Collin, and I were married on June 9, 2012 in the small Texas town of Brenham, which is where Blue Bell Ice Cream is made (what initially drew us to this little town for our wedding). We have both lived in Chicago for three years now, but we grew up outside of Houston, Texas, and most of our family and friends are there, so we chose Brenham. It may be of interest to you that we planned the wedding in 5 1/2 months and on a pretty small budget (less than $15,000). We chose a few values around which to craft our day: celebrating our southern roots, honoring our faith as the center of our marriage, and crafting the day with our own gifts and the involvement of our family and friends.
Because we wanted to show off our southern heritage, we hosted our day at historical mansion built in 1869 by the Giddings family. We both wore cowboy boots made by the boot company that Collin’s grandfather, Rios of Mercedes, which is one of the last companies in the states that makes cowboy boots by hand. We had a pie bar instead of cake and served local Blue Bell Ice Cream. Our first dance was to Willie Nelson’s “Waltz Across Texas,” and our “getaway” was in Collin’s old pick-up truck.
To honor our faith as the center of our marriage, we had a long, beautiful, liturgical service because we are Anglican, and we also brought our pastor in from Chicago to conduct the service. The ceremony was held at Brenham’s beautiful St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. We spent a long time crafting the service together — choosing vows, prayers, music and scripture passages that were meaningful to us and represented what we believe marriage is about. Our first act as a married couple was took communion and then served it to our family and guests, symbolizing our commitment to serving the church together.
And lastly, we took on lots of DIY projects to personalize our day. I am a graphic designer and calligrapher, so I did all of the paper goods and calligraphy. I designed us a monogram for the day, which you’ll see embossed on the wedding paper goods and such. My cousins and aunt did all of our flowers, and our family and friends made all of the pies for the pie bar. We also created a family heritage table with photos and mementos from our parents’ weddings. I wore my mother’s bridal headpiece, her pearl bracelet, carried a purse my aunt had made from my late grandmother’s wedding dress, a garter my sister had made for me, and my jewelry for the day was placed in my grandmother’s jewelry box. All of our siblings (some as young as 9) were included in the wedding party. And we had a traditional receiving line after the ceremony, which allowed us to greet all of our guests (and then enjoy the reception without worrying about speaking to every person).
Wedding Photography: P.S. Photography / Ceremony: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Brenham, Texas / Reception: Giddings Stone Mansion in Brenham, Texas / Floral Design: Eddie Boyd, Donna Roeder + Deanna Roeder, Aunts & Coustins of the Bride / Wedding Day Coordination: Jasmin Jackson-Bray of Memoir of Love / Catering: Design II / Wedding Paper Goods: DIY by the Bride / Reception Band: Benito Brackovich and Soul Wagon / Ring Bowl, Bridal Bouquet Tile, Groom’s Boutonniere Tile + Groom’s Monogram Cufflinks: Paloma’s Nest / Custom Guest Book: NatalieAsIs / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston (Now Closed) / Dress Alterations + Bride’s Ceremony Veil: Widad’s Couture Alterations / Bride’s Reception Birdcage Veil: DIY by the Bride / Hair + Makeup: Thyme Day Spa & Salon / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: French Connection / Groom’s Attire: J.Crew + Billy Reid / Maid of Honor’s Dress: BHLDN / Bridesmaids’ Monogrammed Handkerchiefs: Felicia’s Fancies / Flower Girls’ Dresses: Gymboree / Flower Girls’ Tiaras: FromTheAttic1 / Bride’s & Groom’s Custom Boots: Rios of Mercedes (Owned by the Groom’s Grandfather) / Bride’s & Grooms’ Rings + Jewelry: Custom by Marla’s Gem Creations