Tucked away in the Hill Country of Texas, this home state fete is cozy with a capital C. For it was over an intimate meal with friends that this duo decided they wanted their Big Day to feel just like fun dinner party, and I have to say they NAILED it. From the cupcake pedestals to the the hand-built arbor crafted by the Bride’s grandfather, to the musical DIY boutonnieres, Love, The Nelsons captured it all in the gallery!
From the beautiful Bride… I think the inspiration for our wedding started over dinner with friends. Dave and I were hosting and doing exactly what we love to do which is have the best time with friends and family over a cozy meal and a glass of wine. I remember talking to Dave and discussing that we wanted almost a “dinner party atmosphere” for our wedding. Something that really was indicative of our life as a couple. Dave and I live in Nebraska, but I am a born and raised girl from Texas and I couldn’t imagine not getting married in my home state! After that was determined our team of vendors fell together naturally. My aunt and her husband own Pilot Knob Vineyard tucked away in the Hill Country of Bertram, Texas. It is gorgeous with unsoiled views that go for miles. My amazing planner, Ellen Westcott, and I have been friends since our high school dance team days. I remember her bringing wedding magazines to read on the bus on the way to football games. This girl was born to plan weddings. :) Then I scooped up Love, The Nelsons as our photographers whom I actually met years ago when we were neighbors! Such a small world. Dave and I were very adamant about finding an officiant who could make our ceremony something special. We found Reverend Lorelei of Sacred Affairs and couldn’t have been happier. It was personal, Christ-centered and unlike any other wedding ceremony I have experienced. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the bunch!
With Ellen and Pinterest to guide my way we nailed down a vision and set out to make it happen. Dave and I started with a bang by sending viewmasters with a custom reel as our wedding invitations. We wanted to signal to family and friends that this was going to be a FUN party and totally representative of us as a couple. A couple of my favorite DIY projects were the ceremony arbor that my grandpa built. I will cherish that forever and plan to have many snuggly nights under it! I made the groom and his groomsmen’s boutonnieres. They are all musicians and I managed to find Christmas ornaments that looked just like their actual instruments. It was a fun surprise for them and a cool, unique spin on the boutonniere. My other favorite touch was our cupcake place cards. I went to thrift stores and antique stores almost every weekend for a full year collecting anything glass that would work as a cupcake pedestal. We ended up with an assortment of candlesticks and sorbet cups which we spray painted gold. It was the perfect personal touch for everyone to have their name in a cupcake on it’s very own pedestal. Meredith Speer with Bristol Lane did the most amazing job on our florals. Everything from my bouquet to the centerpieces was a gorgeous work of art! Since we had people coming in from all over the country, we worked with Catering With A Twist to create a seriously delicious spread with a touch of southern flare including chicken and waffle teasers. They also did our cupcakes and a s’mores bar as a late night snack. I wish we could eat our wedding meal every night!
I look back at our photos and am so happy to see that it was everything we wanted. It felt like the dinner parties we love to host which is exactly the experience we were after. You can tell from the photos that everyone was genuinely having fun, smiling and celebrating with us. It was absolutely perfect.
Photography: Love, The Nelsons | Videographer: Second Generation | Florist: Bristol Lane Florals | Invitations: Image 3 D | Ceremony: Pilot Knob Vineyard | Reception Venue: Pilot Knob Vineyard | Bride's Shoes : J.Crew | Bridesmaids Dresses: Rent The Runway | Catering: Catering with a Twist | Lighting: D & H Stage Lighting | DJ: Friends Of The Bride And Groom | Officiant: Sacred Affairs | Transportation: Clark Travel | Bride's Lace Topper: BHLDN | Design And Coordination : Westcott Weddings | Groom And Groomsmen Suits: Studio Suits | Bride's Dress : Nicole Miller | Film Scan Processing: PhotoVision Prints | Gold Leaf Terracotta Pots, Cupcake Stands, Boutonnieres, Escort : DIY By Bride | Hair And Make-Up: Mindy Orsak | Reception Band: The Innocence | Rentals: Marquee Event Rentals | Table Numbers: Better Off Wed | Table Runners: BBJ La Tavola