As a self-proclaimed nerd, I get more than a little giddy over the library wedding and when it’s done well it shoots to the top of my favorites list. With Ashley Garmon Photographers and Keely Thorne Events on the job, this wedding has done just that. It’s library elegance if I’ve ever seen it!
From the stunning bride… Like many little girls, I grew up envisioning my wedding daya vision which changed a million times over the course of the last 26 years. Since Ori and I got engaged last fall, I was focused on creating a wedding which was, foremost, personal to the two of us. My goal was for everyone to come away saying, that was so YOU. I set out on a search for a fun, nontraditional wedding venue which was unique to Texas. With a guest list full of out-of-towners, many of whom had never set foot in Texas, I challenged myself to planning an elegant wedding with a Texas flair.
One afternoon, while visiting the Hobby Performing Arts Center to check out their party spaces, Ori and I had a hard time finding parking downtown. We finally parked in front of a beautiful, old deco building, and I thought, I wonder if they have weddings here! That building was the Julia Ideson Library, the recently renovated Houston Public Library built in 1928. I went inside and fell in love. The library was perfect: unique, elegant, and a little nerdy. In combination with our rehearsal dinner venue, the Hall of Paleontology at the Museum of Natural Science, I felt like we were giving our guests a good tour of Houstons finest!
A typical Type A perfectionist I obsessed over every detail, and thankfully Sydney Mafrige from Keely Thorne Events, our wonderful, wonderful wedding planner, was there right along with me. We added as many personal touches as possible, incorporating my parents antiques throughout the venue, my cousin Daniels company GoodPop for our signature drink, my grandmothers special cake recipes, and serving wines of vineyards I had visited with Ori and during my bachelorette party. We also had fun with the library theme, from the bookmark the date reminders to the card catalogue escort cards to our typewriter guest book and globe grooms cake. We wanted to enhance the natural beauty of the library, and Bergner and Johnson created wonderful white and green floral arbors for the ceremony, cake, and reception room. I loved our long tables – they added to the sophistication of the reading room, where our guests ate dinner!
We cannot thank our amazing vendors enough; we really would not have changed a thing!
Photography: Ashley Garmon Photographers | Cinematography: Crescent Video | Event Planner: Keely Thorne Events | Floral Design: Bergner and Johnson Design | Wedding Gown: Vera Wang | Cake: Who Made The Cake! | Brides Shoes: Stuart Weitzmen | Catering: A Fare Extraordinaire | Makeup: Kristin Daniell | Hair: Hues By Heather | Band: Bulletproof Brass | Venue: Julia Ideson Library | Ceremony + Cocktail Music: Divisi Strings | Chair Rentals: A Finer Event | Invitation: Atheneum Creative | Linen Rentals: Aztec Events | Vintage Rentals: Bourbon And Bloom Vintage Rentals | Wedding Day Stationery: Atheneum Creative