Unabashed Love for The Lone Star State Brought Them Together

Erin Lepperd
January 22, 2018
Categories: The Blog

They may be New Yorkers now but this Bride and Groom are true Texans at heart. Great mexican food and an unbridled love for The Cowboys put them on the path to everlasting love and when it came time for wedding planning, the location was a no brainer. Held at The Contemporary Austin, this outdoor celebration designed by 36th Street Events and floraled by Sweetwater Stems, is a mix of easy breezy neutrals and a nod to Midsummer Night’s Dream. Pore through every last gorgeous image photographed by Brett Heidebrecht right here.

From theBride… Spencer and I are native Texans so it seemed only appropriate to get married back home. We’re both originally from Dallas and we also separately attended The University of Texas at Austin so, needless to say, both cities hold a special place in our hearts. Now, I suppose we are New Yorkers but having that instant connection, those down-home Texas roots, was really instrumental in getting to know each other. You can imagine how nice it was to be with someone who understood things like . . . Texas football, good Mexican food and Bluebell Ice Cream. Plus, we’re both Cowboys fans living in New York City, so that immediately shot-gunned us to the realms of everlasting love.

All that said, it was important to us that we get married where our families raised us – in The Lone Star State. The question became “where”? As any bride, I wanted our wedding to be beautiful and timeless, but we also wanted to make it convenient for our family and friends who would be traveling from all across the country. We chose Austin, which was always high on my list because of it’s laid back feel. The City also catered to the intimacy we were seeking. It didn’t take long for us to settle on Laguna Gloria, an outpost of The Contemporary Austin, just minutes from downtown and serenely situated on Lake Austin. After visiting the site, I knew immediately it was the perfect fit. I love old historical buildings and Spencer really wanted to be outdoors; so it’s lush sculpture gardens and winding secret pathways nestled along the lake made the perfect backdrop for our intimate affair. Choosing The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria made the rest of the planning process easy. Spencer and I just wanted an evening under the Texas stars, eating good food, drinking good drink and spending quality time family and friends. Of course, great music and a boppin’ dance floor was important, too!

I had the help of a superstar wedding coordinator, Ren Newey from 36th Street Events. I told her my vision which included words like “ethereal” and “whimsical” and “midsummer night’s dream” – and gave her a gentle color palette of whites and off-whites that would enhance and not compete with the venue’s natural setting and flora. We also chose to tip our hat to my Mexican heritage from my father’s side by serving family-style Mexican cuisine. Ren executed all of this to perfection. She worked with my budget (which I loosened in some areas and buttoned up in others) and helped me secure a fantastic caterer and team of wedding vendors.

On our wedding day, I woke up to torrential rain and whipping winds (every bride’s biggest fear, especially for an outdoor wedding). Yet somehow, I knew everything was going to okay. I was getting married! And I was surrounded by my closest friends and bridesmaids who were keeping me cool and making me laugh as we got ready for the big day. And sure enough, by late morning, the clouds parted, the sun was shining and we were off to the races. My bridesmaids wore various styles of blush/nude colored silk chiffon gowns and my flower girl, also my future step-daughter, wore a simple white play dress adorned with rosettes at the waist. The grooms all wore navy suits including Spencer’s best man, his eleven year-old son.

Spencer and I chose not to do a “first look” with photographs before the ceremony, so the first moment we saw each other was when I walked down the aisle making it all the more joyful. We were both completely filled with emotion. Our ceremony was held in the late afternoon and was presided over by a Presbyterian minister, who we chose not only because of his long-standing relationship with my grandparents, but because we trusted him to perform a beautiful interfaith marriage. He incorporated aspects of each of our faiths mixing in traditions from both Catholic and Jewish ceremonies. (I’m Catholic and Spencer is Jewish). This was not only important to us but it was important to both of our families. To end the ceremony and commence the celebration my siblings surprised us with a mariachi band, secretly replacing the originally planned string quartet. This brought the house down, putting huge smiles on our faces and everyone else’s around us. It also set the tone for a great evening, kicking off with a cocktail hour featuring tacos, a queso/guacamole bar and ice-cold margaritas, and followed by chili rellanos, spinach and mushroom enchiladas, chili rubbed beef tenderloin and plenty of traditional sides for dinner. After dinner, we cut the cake and danced for hours on end to Motown music from the Matchmaker Band. It was truly a night to remember.

Brett Heidebrecht did an incredible job photographing our wedding weekend – from the Friday night honkey tonk hoedown to our wedding night beneath the Texas sky. He perfectly captured the essence of those days, the emotions and the joy. We cannot thank him, Ren and the rest of the team enough for making it an extraordinary affair and we are so grateful for our loving family and friends who were there to be a part of it all.