Weddings are like a page-turning novel to me. Each detail of a couples’ special day is like an enticing chapter I can’t wait to devour. Where did they meet? What did they love? Well, when I can figure all of that out by a single day alone, it’s pretty special. So watching a love story like this one unfold in the prettiest of ways (hello planning from Bird Dog Wedding and gorgeous imagery from Heather Curiel) might just be my favorite thing ever. See all the reasons why in the VAULT.
From The Bride…Neal and I met as random roommates in an apartment in Boston’s South End. We loved living in New England, but in need for a little adventure we moved south to Austin, Texas on a whim! Austin has been an amazing city to live in, and not long after we arrived Neal (with the help of our puppy, Brady) proposed! We couldn’t wait to show off our new city to our friends and family, so it was only fitting that we invite everyone down to Texas for our wedding.
Picking a venue in Texas was no easy feat. Our style is more modern than Texas-chic, but we wanted our guests to get an authentic Texas experience. Enter: Prospect House. We feel so fortunate to have come across this new venue in the Hill Country- the vibe is very modern-art-gallery-meets-Texas-barn and it was perfect!
Once the venue was set, all of the other details just seemed to fall into place. We kept the vibe very natural and elegant, playing off of the modern, clean lines of the venue. Even picking the dress came easy- I ended up with the very first one I tried on (despite trying on what seemed like hundreds of others)!
Including our friends in our big day was really important to us. Neal and I wrote the entire ceremony, including our own vows, and we had a very dear friend, Mike, officiate. He was ordained online, and having him there made the whole day feel so much more personal and special. We opted for a very small bridal party, but several of my girlfriends served as my “something blue” and sat up in the front row as a good omen.
Because our guests were all coming from out of town, we hosted a big welcome party at Terrace 59 on Congress, we made welcome bags full of Austin-made treats and a map of the local area highlights. Most of our guests made a long weekend out of the trip and took the time to really explore the city, which was exactly what we had hoped they’d do! There’s so much to see.
We wanted everyone to get the most out of their Austin experience, including a meal from a food truck. Dock and Roll drove out to Prospect House on Saturday night to deliver late-night lobster rolls and homemade chips- it was the perfect way to cap off an incredible evening and a great nod to our New England roots.
With the entire day behind us, my advice to future brides is that you opt for a “first look”. Neal and I were set on not seeing each other before the ceremony- he wanted to see me for the first time as I was walking down the aisle. But we had some minor snafus on the big day and by the time we arrived at the venue I knew that the only way I’d calm down was to see him. He’s my person- that’s why we were getting married in the first place. I had our photographer grab him for a quick hallway hug, and it was all I needed to feel excited and ready for the ceremony. The rest of the day was absolutely perfect!
Photography: Heather Curiel | Event Planning: Bird Dog Wedding | Floral Design: Blackbird Floral | Cake: Green Lily Bakery | Catering: Royal Fig Catering | Makeup: Avery Allen Makeup | Band: Royal Dukes Band | String Quartet: Terra Vista Strings | Venue: Prospect House | Late Night Catering: Dock And Roll Diner