As the first couple to wed at Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, these two left a seriously stylish mark on the venue. Ashley Braithwaite brought in pops of watercolor design, with escort cards in soft pink and handmade ceiling fixtures to match, while eclectic centerpieces and beautiful blooms by Lizzie Bees added another layer of charm. See it all in the full gallery captured by Shaun Menary Photography!
From Shaun Menary Photography…Erin and Mike are one of the most delightful couples we’ve had the pleasure of photographing. They are kind and goofy and oh so in love, and their wedding day was truly lovely. They incorporated so many sweet personal elements. The two have a history of travel, both together and individually, and they incorporated “travel” in some design details of their reception. My favorite was their sign in table: they had guests sign in by writing messages on vintage postcards collected from the Design District that would be sent to the couple after their honeymoon. Also, the couple made custom lettering, decorated with a collage of vintage stamps, to hang on the wall behind the head table (those letters currently adorn the wall above their bed…clever, huh?). Another nice touch was the table numbers. Each card had a corresponding fun fact about Erin and Mike’s love story, according to each number. For example, the Table 2 card share the number of times Mike visited Erin in Peru. So cute.
They were the inaugural couple for the new event space at the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill State Park. The ceremony site could be described as “a concrete hole in the ground,” but it’s so much more! I think the couple themselves best described it as “The Thunderdome of Marriage”. The couple had their close friends and family down on a wooden platform at the bottom of a concrete basin, which was covered in wild foliage and trees. The remaining guests took a standing position on the balcony above and got an ariel view of the ceremony.
The reception room is so very nice, and since one of the walls is floor to ceiling windows that let in the surrounding nature preserve, it needs little help. But Ashley Braithwaite, the event designer and coordinator, brought in a pop of color and took the room from beautiful to stellar with her handmade ceiling fixtures, crafted in the colors of the wedding. As far as the centerpieces, Ashley and Erin chose an eclectic set of wooden boxes and ceramic and glass vases, and then they chose the flowers from Lizzie Bee’s Flower Shop and had the florist construct the arrangements. Erin and Mike’s personal style, and the natural wooded beauty of the venue made this wedding aesthetically beautiful. But it was ultimately Erin and Mike and their perpetual cuteness that made this wedding so memorable.
Photography: Shaun Menary Photography | Floral Design: Lizzie Bees Flower Shoppe | Floral Design: Lizzie Bees Flower Shoppe | Wedding Gown: J.Crew | Cake: Society Bakery | Shoes: BHLDN | Ring: Eisman Jewels | Catering: Bolsa | Ceremony And Reception: Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center | Event Design And Coordination: Ashley Braithwaite | Music: Serenata Strings | Signage: Imri