I love couples who aren’t afraid to make a wedding day their own. And this Texas duo? Well, they did just that with an environmentally friendly affair personalized down to the very last detail. We’re talking an amazing vegan menu, invites on recycled paper and a handcrafted wedding gown made of organic, eco-conscious fabrics. Of course, the day wouldn’t be possible without amazing vendors like Brock + Co. and Polkadots by their side, and you can watch it all unfold in the gallery from SMS Photography and Diana M. Lott Photography right here.
From the Bride… As soon as Lucas and I started planning our wedding we knew exactly what we wanted it to be. Bringing it to life was a completely different story and we couldn’t have done it without my parents and Henry at Brock & Company Events. We all worked together to bring our vision to life!
We immediately decided that we wanted it to be in Austin. We’re both from Dallas and we love going down to Austin for a quick getaway. We really felt like having it down there would make it feel more special and it would give our guests a chance to get out of town for the weekend and have some fun. Lucas and I really wanted it to be a small intimate gathering of our closest family and friends. We knew that we wanted it to be a little rustic, a little romantic, and feel like a magical experience. We decided quickly that we wanted the ceremony to be outdoors and the reception indoors, with areas set up outside for guests to feel like they could go in and out to play one of the games outside or have their silhouette made by the silhouette artist. Finding the right venue on a good date was really difficult, but as soon as we found Mercury Hall we knew it was perfect. The ceremony took place outside under the tall and gorgeous oak trees on the property. The whole wedding had that warm and magical end-of-summer feeling.
Being a strict vegan, it was imperative to me that everything be done as environmentally friendly as possible. The majority of the food was vegan (gourmet vegan and amazingly delicious), including the wedding cake. One of the hors d’oeuvres and a few of the desserts were vegetarian. Save the Dates, invitations, and most of the other paper items were printed on recycled paper.
I couldn’t picture myself in a super-traditional wedding gown, especially not one made from regular silk, due to the mistreatment of the silkworms. I was so fortunate to find the unbelievably talented Lindee Daniel in Los Angeles. She uses environmentally conscious and organic fabrics. My one-of-a-kind, handmade dress was a collaborative effort between Lindee, my Mom, and me. Lindee was even able to incorporate pieces of lace from my Mom’s wedding dress, which was so special. We worked together on the design, which was quite a (fun!) process, and then Lindee brought it to life! She also made the bridesmaids’ dresses, which turned out so gorgeous! My sister’s dress had silver thread made from metal stitched throughout the bodice, since she was my maid of honor. I feel like their dresses really lent a lot to the look and feel of the wedding that Lucas and I were going for. The guys wore gray suits, with Lucas’s being a light gray and the groomsmen’s being a medium gray. My sister had the silver stitching in her dress and a gray sash around her waist, while my other bridesmaids had golden yellow sashes.
One of the most important aspects of our wedding was our dog, Nesta. Lucas and I are both completely obsessed with him and we knew he had to be in the wedding. We wanted him to be the ring bearer, but we weren’t quite sure if that would work. Thanks to my brother, we were able to make it happen! Nick walked down the aisle with one of my bridesmaids and then doubled back to bring Nesta down. Some of my favorite photos are the ones of Nesta. He stole the show – barking at the end of the ceremony when we were announced husband and wife!
As far as “colors” go, we didn’t want to feel like we were bound to specific colors, but we did have a palette from which we worked. There were many shades of green with hints of golden yellow and orange, especially in the flowers and plants. We wanted a lot of succulents throughout the ceremony and reception, accented with bright colors. And we loved the moss on the tables. Wendee, from Unexpected Elements, perfectly captured the exact look that we wanted with the flowers and plants. We wanted to be able to bring home as much as possible after the wedding and thanks to Wendee we were able to bring home the amazing arbor she created and the beautiful wreaths she made for the doors. She also created the very special hanging lanterns with the candles in the jars and we were able to keep those as well.
Since we wanted the wedding to have a very natural and original look to it, we turned to artisans on Etsy for a lot of the details. It all started with the engagement ring that Lucas got. We were so fortunate to find the amazing Kristin Coffin on Etsy. She creates environmentally conscious rings, by using recycled gold and conflict-free diamonds. My engagement ring and wedding band are also crafted from a real twig, as many of her designs are. When it was time to pick out our wedding bands I already knew that I wanted to get mine from Kristin Coffin. Lucas knew he wanted a simple yellow gold band, so I found Celia Boaz at The Sly Fox, another very talented artisan, on Etsy. I also really wanted to have another wedding band to match Lucas’s, so I got a small, thin band from Celia as well (both made from recycled gold, as well). Some of the other items we got on Etsy were: Nesta’s adorable bow tie, the special hanger my dress was on, our guestbook and pen, my garter belts, our date banner (which we used for our Save the Date photos and it was hung from the dessert table at our reception), and the very special heart-shaped patches that I got for my Dad and husband.
Lucas and I had the best time at our wedding and we repeatedly say that we wish we could do it all again because it was so much fun! We couldn’t have done it without all of the amazing vendors and artists that helped bring it all together. Fortunately, we have beautiful wedding photos from our amazing photographers, Stacy Sodolak and Diana Lott, to keep that day alive for us.
From the coordinator/designer: From the first moment we spoke with Jessica and Lucas over the phone, we could tell that they were envisioning something completely different for their wedding … natural elements, loads of fun details, the use of eco-friendly products + sustainable materials, plus a super fun party. Sign us up!
Our eco-friendly theme started with Jessica’s wedding gown, which was made by LA dress designer, Lindee Daniel. The gown was layered in all-natural, wild organic vegetarian silks and cottons free of chemical and synthetic dyes.
For the ceremony, Unexpected Elements created an amazing wood altar, covered in greenery and moss, which Jessica and Lucas now have set up in their backyard. Nesta, the sweet family pup, wore an orange bow tie and served as the ring bearer. So adorable!
Everywhere you looked, there were elements that represented Jessica and Lucas – light gray and yellow linens in the couple’s favorite patterns, ceremony songs from the couple’s favorite artist, Jorge Ben (played by Hill Country Strings) + an all vegan menu with Jessica and Lucas’ favorite foods.
Primizie Catering did an amazing job in creating a menu full of healthy eats – roasted root vegetables inspired by the couples’ favorite Austin vegan café, butternut squash shooters, artichoke and asparagus risotto, truffle baked mac and cheese and vegetable pot pies. How can we forget the prickly pear margaritas and pomegranate mojitos served during cocktail hour? Delish!
Throughout the reception, the organic and natural theme continued with moss runners made of succulents, driftwood and river rock accents. The various containers on the dining tables – mason jars, vintage brown bottles and mercury glass — created the most intimate glow during dinner. Anibella Ink + Paper created a wooden tri-fold dessert sign with a passage from Jessica and Lucas’ favorite television show, Numbers. Every single stationery piece, including our dinner menus and invitations were printed on recycled paper.
Throughout the reception guests were treated with special dessert items — ice cream from Sweet Ritual, cannoli, brownies, macaroons and other assorted vegan treats from Polkadots Cupcake Bakery.
The night ended with the most enchanting sparkler send off as Jessica and Lucas rode away in a vintage ’63 Bentley. As a parting gift, guests took home bottles of local, organic olive oil. Not only was Jessica and Lucas’ wedding was an exact reflection of their style and personality, but it also highlighted their most important values.
Photography: Diana M. Lott Photography | Photography: SMS Photography | Coordination: Brock + Co. Events | Event Design: Brock + Co. Events | Florist: unexpected elements | Wedding Dress: Lindee Daniel | Cake: Polkadots | Stationery: Anibella Rachel | Ceremony Venue: Mercury Hall | Wedding Bands: The Sly Fox | Catering: Primizie Special Event Catering | Makeup: Houston Puryear | Hair: Urban Betty | Lighting: Filo Production Services | DJ: DJ Kit K | Officiant: Austin Weddings Unlimited | Transportation: Uptown Valet | Bridal Hanger: Highfills Hangers | Date Banner: Butterfly Above | Engagement Ring + Band: Kristin Coffin | Garters: The Ragged Diamond | Heart Shaped Patches: Sew Happy Girls | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Music: Hill Country Strings | Pup Bow Tie: La Dog Store | Rentals: James Allen Salon | Wedding Guestbook + Custom Pen: Lorgie