Texas Weddings

Modern and minimal. Not for everyone. No lace and peonies, no burlap and mason jars. But even if modern and minimal isn’t your normal jam, warm up your vocal cords, because this shoot from Studio Uma is going to have you singing a whole different tune. It’s the kind of simple pretty that anyone can not only appreciate, but also fall in love with. Still not convinced you’re the modern type? This gallery is all the convincing you need.

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From the photographer … I’m so excited to share this wedding inspiration photo shoot I put together with a team of incredibly talented creatives here in Austin.

With the abundance of vintage/rustic inspiration right now, I was interested in exploring a completely different theme. The modern and minimalist architecture of the Kimber Modern boutique hotel in downtown Austin was our inspiration for fashion, makeup, tablescape, floral design etc. At the Kimber Modern you’ll see clean, elegant simple lines with a lot of white space, punctuated by small, bright pops of primary color.

Wardrobe stylist Cristina Facundo created three stunning modern looks for our bride, and two for our groom. Event designer Maureen Stevens and florist Carrie Beamer created a beautifully modern tablescape and florals.

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Photo shoot location: Kimber Modern | Photography: Uma Sanghvi of Studio Uma | Wardrobe Stylist: Cristina Facundo | Hair: Laura Heyns | Makeup: Laura Martinez | Models: Emma Hefti and Bradley Kee | Florals: Carrie Beamer of Flora Fetish | Event and prop design: Maureen Stevens | Groom’s Attire: Billy Reid | Brides Dresses: Nicole Miller Peplum, Alvina Valenta via Unbridled; Nicole Miller Cowl Neck via Unbridled; CiarlaBride Cheri Dress | Modern double-bow bridal headpiece: Milli Star | Clutch: Sondra Roberts |  Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Tableware: Breed & Co  | Silverware: DIY made by Maureen Stevens | Quartz tray, board and alligator: Neiman Marcus | Paper Products: Meldeen

This is a love story. A celebration. A gorgeous, inspired party that I have been obsessing over since the moment I first saw it. It’s glowy and romantic and a total blueprint for what a truly memorable party looks – and feels – like. Designed by the bride, who also happens to be an event planner, with photographs by She N He Photography, this little celebration with laughter and joy overflowing from every moment, should be the foundation to which we all plan our own parties. With complete unabashed love. Click here to see even more.

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From the Bride… My first experience at Lenoir will always be diamond and white gold glitter dusted with the fact that it was on the same night that my best friend/partner in food love of over five years proposed to me. I’d crafted a Labor Day Weekend Stay-cation that mainly consisted of eating our way through Austin. No hiking Mount Bernal. No swimming in Barton Springs. And certainly no jogging on the lake. Our mouths moving and hands lifting would be all the exercise we needed. We planned to eat at places that I’d read and heard about and had yet to try, sprinkled in with eating at some of our favorite haunts.

After passing by Lenoir several times during my drive home and after reading an article in Bon Appetit where Lenoir was selected as one of the best new restaurants in 2012, Lenoir was placed on our Labor Day Bucket List. I also found it romantic that the restaurant was run by a talented husband and wife team. When I first walked into Lenoir, I thought “I want to eat here. I want to eat here A LOT.” And because I’m an event designer, I thought “I also want to throw parties here and I want to get married here. This place is magical.” Instead, I threw my engagement party there. I planned the event in a little over a month’s time and enjoyed every part of it.

Chocolate Invitations: Because we are food lovers and are in love with the Austin food scene, our wedding theme is “A love affair with each other and with food.” I had custom chocolate invitations made by Delysia Chocolatier which I hand delivered to each guest. The invitations were engraved with our wedding theme: “Dinner a Love Story: Devour love and life. Eat every single bite. Then lick your fingers.”

Design: The space has a “Marie Antoinette meets Alice in Wonderland” feel and is definitely is a classy grownup version of whimsy. The front of the restaurant’s building is covered with a panel made from whitewashed scrap lumber. The interior has a soft palette of blue and white and achieves a chic, romantic look using mainly re-purposed or recycled materials. We wanted to stay in keeping with the eco-friendly design by utilizing natural materials like succulents, bark, and seasonal flowers. We worked with the talented and earth friendly EcoChic Floral to achieve our design vision. There were also a couple of DIY projects with my bridesmaids including the huge white balloons with lace as the base, gold streamers and gold cord as the string and glittering gold pears with guest names written on the leaves for the place settings. EcoChic Floral used vases and containers found at thrift stores and garage sales. Our pop of color to add to the blues and creams of the space was achieved with coral colored flowers.

Cocktail Hour: We wanted the evening off right with lots of bubbly, live nostalgic jazzy music from the talented musically brilliant married couple Courtney Sanchez and Paul Sanchez, and of course, a great assortment of canapes to nibble on.

Dinner: For the feast portion of the evening, we decided upon four courses made with seasonal foods paired with four wines. Each of the four courses from the Lenoir kitchen was a culinary delight perfectly paired with wine. It was a story, from the appetizers and fennel and radish salad to the final bite of dessert, that truly celebrated the reason we were all gathered together. And because you can’t have a party in Austin, TX without live music, there were planned and spontaneous serenades from Paul Sanchez, a classically trained operatic singer.

We also had a fun moment when Delfino and I were goaded by our guests to kiss. We kissed and another guest yelled out “Now, EVERYONE kiss!” To which another guest said “Oh! Its that kinda party!” Which of course made every one roar with laughter and cheers. Best moment ever.

At the end of the evening, when our desserts were being served, popular local singer, Erin Ivey, sang the sexy romantic song “Chocolate” in French and in English.

The evening was a moment in time that neither Del, my guests or I wanted to end. After five hours of celebrating together, we all said our slow and reluctant goodbye’s. It was a joyous beginning to our wedding season with our close friends and a wonderful beginning of our lives together as two married best friends.

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Venue/Food/Wine: Lenoir Restaurant | Photography: She N He Photography  | Event Coordinator & Designer : Jette Momant PR & Events | Cocktail Hour Music and Dinner Music: Courtney & Paul Sanchez | Dessert Music: Erin Ivy  | Flowers: Eco Chic Floral| Invitations: Delysia Chocolatier | Hair: Ashanti – New York Vixon | Makeup: W3LL People (organic makeup)

Reading the description from a Bride of her big day never will get old to me. It’s just impossible. Each time as I work my way from beginning to end, I feel a grin forming on my face, and for a moment I feel like that lovely lady is one of my besties. Particularly when the story and Bride is as sweet as this one. With her a proposal that included her Grandmother’s wedding ring, and a wedding that was perfect in every way thanks to the help of the ones she loved most, this wedding captured by Shannon Cunningham Photography is simply as sweet as they come. See it all here.

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From the Bride… Jordan and I often joke that my grandmother proposed for us. I think both our families knew we were great together and were getting anxious for us to tie the knot. While I was on family vacation, my grandmother pulled me aside and nervously held out her hands and asked if we would like a diamond. It could not have been more special! I received a diamond that was lovingly bought for my grandmother by my grandfather. So much love was already represented in the stone that I knew Jordan and I would only benefit from having it be a beginning to our lives.

We began planning our wedding immediately. We wanted a relaxed and fun atmosphere. We were very blessed to have such great people that made our wedding happen. From the planners to the florist to the photographer – everyone was amazing. Our wedding day was very traditional and relaxed. I felt relaxed and calm until right before I was about to see Jordan for our first look. I was so nervous – it felt like our first date again.

My great uncle married us under beautiful oak trees and scolded Jordan for trying to take a kiss a little too early! After the ceremony guests retreated to the courtyard to enjoy hors-d’oeuvres and music from a string quartet. Our wedding party retreated to the grooms room to enjoy hors-d’oeuvres and tequila shots to prepare for our announcement dance.

The best part of our wedding was the dancing! We started with the Grand March to the old Budweiser song (ode to Jordan’s home town of St. Louis) and ended in the middle for Jordan and my first dance. Once the DJ started playing everyone was on their feet. We ended the party with everyone doing the K-State Wabash Cannonball, since Jordan and I first met at a K-state football game.

We must thank our family, friends and every single person who helped make our wedding special. Without all of your love and support this day could have never happened. Everyone involved made our day very stress-free and extremely fun! We love you all.

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Wedding Photography: Shannon Cunningham Photography | Wedding Venue: The Vineyard at Chappel Lodge | Event Coordination: Megan and Becky of BZ Events | Floral Design: Unexpected Elements | Catering + Cakes: Word of Mouth | Rentals: Hill Country Event Rentals | Transportation: Transportation Consultants  | Get-a-way car: Vintage Rides of Austin | Hair: Johanna Escobar | Makeup: Nisa Nicole | Lighting: FILO | DJ: DJ Sam | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo

When we see the group of vendors involved in this beauty of Texas wedding joined forces again to create wedding magic, we simply sit back, grab a another cup of coffee and watch the magic happen. Because when Nadine Photography, Petal Pushers and Nostalgia Film team up at the gorgeous Vista West Ranch? You are basically guaranteed prettiness. And that’s precisely what is sitting in this gallery.

See even more of this gorgeous day through this beautiful film from our talented friends at Nostalgia Film…

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Vista West Ranch Wedding Videography // Molly & Charlie’s HD Wedding Highlights from Nostalgia Film on Vimeo

From Nadine Photography… Do you know what’s worse then rain on your wedding day? Fire. This was a really memorable wedding. There was a forest fire on the road leading up to the venue, and many of the vendors like the caterers and band were stuck behind the blockade caused by the firefighters. The photographers just managed to get through. The bride and groom were worried the guests might not be able to come, but the firefighters managed to put out the fire, and everything was just delayed by 1.5 hours and the wedding still turned out amazing.

They had beautiful details, table names were Austin venues, and name labels were hung against a greenery, and beautiful flowers. The bride had home made cookies made by her mom and grandma, the wedding cookies are a family tradition and have been at every wedding in her family

From the Bride… We met and fell in love in Austin and it was great to share one of our favorite places with friends and family. Fire aside, the evening felt like absolute perfection. The details were a labor of love — my sister penned beautiful table names and place cards, my mom made 200 mini cobblers in ramekins, and my mom and grandmother made 700 cookies, a family tradition. An assortment of local drinks and food included “Grandma’s Old Fashioneds,” a tribute to my grandmother, who happens to love the classic cocktail.

We spent the entire night on a packed dance floor with the fabulous Memphis Train band. We were so happy to be surrounded by our favorite people in the beautiful Austin hill country. It was quite the party!!! 

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Wedding Photography: Nadine Photography | Cinematography: Nostalgia Film | Wedding Venue : Vista West Ranch | Floral Designer: Petal Pushers | Catering: Gourmet Gals | Wedding Planner: Coordinate This | Desserts: Gorgeous Cherry Cobbler’s by Bride’s Mother | Cookie Tower: Bride’s Mother and Grandmother | Wedding Dress: Justin Alexander | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung | Ceremony Music: Austin City Brass | Band: Memphis Train

Some folks just ooze style without having to do a thing. So when those lovelies decide to tie the knot, we sit back and watch magic happen. These two cuties captured by Select Studios fall perfectly in that category. And their wedding? Drop dead gorgeous. With that effortless yet elegant style that makes us all swoon over here at SMP, this wedding has style for miles, and you can see it all here.

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From Select Studios… When Megan and Matt first met, she was modeling in Houston and he was playing baseball for Tulane University. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Matt’s baseball team spent a semester in Lubbock. During that time, Megan visited some friends who attended Texas Tech. Matt and Megan were then introduced by mutual friends over a game of sand volleyball. Though they had fun, it was a year and a half before they saw each other again. Megan was spending a weekend in New Orleans with her friend Blair, who was secretly trying to set the pair up all along. Much to Blair’s delight, the two hit it off and have been together ever since!

We were thrilled when Megan and Matt asked us to be a part of their wedding day. We’ve known Megan since she was in her teens and worked with her throughout her modeling career. The venue she and Matt chose for their big day was another plus. Located in the hill country near Austin, Texas, Le San Michele offered a peaceful, yet vibrant atmosphere. Ornate garden accessories and hanging lanterns along with various arrangements of plants and flowers surround a cottage beautifully decorated with antique furniture and unique accessories. This gorgeous setting, paired with such a sweet couple, made it easy for us to capture some beautiful images.

From the Bride… It was the best day of our lives!  We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our new life together.  We had 160 of our close friends and family at a hill country outdoor venue called Le San Michele in Buda, TX (about 15 miles south of Austin).  Our venue gave us a lot of flexibility to incorporate various ideas and details – it was perfect, and thankfully the weather cooperated too!  

I had a great time getting ready at Hotel San Jose with all of my bridesmaids, and both my mom and future mother-in-law.  We drank champagne and laughed and cried.  Later on at the venue, while patiently waiting inside my dressing room, I peeked out the window and saw my soon-to-be husband arriving with his groomsmen.  I was so excited to be marrying my best friend.  

Once our marriage was official, we had a great party with live music from Sauce and amazing food & drinks from Austin Catering (the build-you-own mac & cheese bar was a huge hit!).  We also had an airstream trailer photo booth which was a lot of fun, and made for some hilarious pictures.  The folks at Select Studios were there taking pictures and did a beautiful job capturing the many memorable moments from our special day.

There’s only one thing I would have changed about our wedding day… I would have made it last longer!

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Wedding Photography: Select Studios | Wedding Venue: Le San Michele in Buda, Texas | Wedding Coordination + Floral Design: Tana Kent | Catering: Kristin Stephens from Austin Catering | Wedding Cake + Desserts: Blue Note Bakery | Music: Sauce | Wedding Dress: Watters | Bride’s Jewelry + Shoes: BHLDN | Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

For a girl who absolutely adores intimate weddings (read: me), an elopement is one of the best ways to say I do.  It’s all of the glamour of a traditional day paired down to the coziest of details for just you and your honey.  Absolute heaven, if I do say so myself.  And for these two sweeties, it was a day that was planned to beautiful perfection by the gorgeous bride, who dreamt up every moment and filled them all with sweeter than sweet details that really spoke to her and her mister (I’m looking at you, cupcake toppers).  See them all captured by Amie Reinholz right here.

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From the Bride… As a photographer myself, I had my whole elopement planned out in my head “according to the pictures” I wanted to have! Funny, I know, but this is how it literally all happened! I wanted to create something that resembled both Mike and me, which is one of the reasons we eloped! We wanted our wedding day to be about us and nothing else. I think I may have even done things a little backwards when it came time to plan (it took me about three weeks to pull everything together)! I didn’t start with picking a dress or colors, I picked out the items I wanted to decorate with first!  I spent hours upon hours on Etsy and I say that it paid off! I didn’t care if everything matched… I just wanted it to represent us and our style! So slowly, but surely, everything starting coming together and I was thrilled with the outcome! This first time I got to see it all laid out was with Amie in the suite we stayed in. I couldn’t wait to see it photographed! I would do it this way over and over again if I could and never change a single thing! Having a small, intimate ceremony with just the two of us was absolutely perfect! It was definitely a start to my happily ever after!

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Wedding Photography: Amie Reinholz Photography | Location: Brenham, Texas | Bouquet + Boutonniere: Curious Floral Crafts | Cupcakes + Stands: The Garden Market  & Bakery | Birch Vase: Braggin Bags | Forks: Milk and Honey Luxuries | Coke Bottles: Kroger | Pin Wheels: Aubabi78 | Large Chalkboard: Pratto’s Creations | Paper Straws: The Party Fairy | Mason Jars with Straws: Unuseless Goods |  Chalkboard + Burlap Mason Jars: Country Barn Babe  | Cupcake Toppers: Mudpies and Marigolds | Wildflowers: Hobby Lobby | Wedding Dress: Dillard’s | Bride’s Shoes: Target | Rings: James Avery | Hair + Makeup: All Made Up by Chelsea

There are a lot (A LOT) of reasons I adore Texas weddings, but ranking high atop the list?  All of the creative details you lovelies manage to infuse into your big days.  Take for example this sweet Austin duo, who took their love of design and architecture and created one crazy gorgeous memory after another with custom designed invites, DIY favors and a whole lot of woodworking.  A day that will most definitely go down in SMP history?  Yes, indeed.  See every last moment captured by the amazing Eclectic Images Photography in the full gallery.

And a little extra sweetness with a beautiful film from Photography by Vanessa…

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From Eclectic Images Photography… Kelsey and Alex are both architects and their wedding really reflected their passion for design and architecture. They custom designed their own laser cut wedding invites (using the laser wood cutting machine at their school to make the invites). Their design for the invites was based on the architecture of the chapel they chose to have their ceremony, which was designed by a University of Texas architect in the 1960’s (I believe). Alex is a master woodworker so they made their own modern wooden candle holders and containers. They made their own favors of jam and posted photos of them making the jam at their wedding check in table. They used vintage furniture to accent the architecture of the reception venue.

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Wedding Photography: Eclectic Images Photography | Ceremony Venue: Austin State Living Center Chapel in Austin, Texas | Reception Venue: Palm Door in Austin, Texas | Wedding Cinematography: Photography by Vanessa | Floral Design: Donna Foster from Central Market | Catering:  Zocalo Cafe | Wedding Cake: Whole Foods | Bar Service: Pink Avocado | Custom Wood Decor: Line + Box | Vintage Rentals: Retrospective Austin | Hair + Makeup: Orbit Salon

You know what is seriously fantastic?  A bride who says she “absolutely loves to throw a party” and dives into crafting the day of her dreams like it’s no ones business.  I love brides like that.  So, this stunning Austin Mrs.?  I happen to adore her.  Because, together with a talented team of vendors and her handsome Mr., she put together a day that was all kinds of crazy gorgeous with a stunning Mercury Hall setting, to-die-for blooms from Central Market and a gallery of non-stop pretty captured by Katherine O’Brien Photography.  Join me there for sooo much more.

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From the Bride… As soon as we saw Mercury Hall, it solidified our vision because it was a little bit of charm tucked right smack dab in the middle of central Austin with a beautifully simple interior and gorgeous live oak grove outside. We selected a color palette of plum, eggplant, green, ivory, and gold that picked up on the natural landscape surrounding the venue, the stained glass windows of the hall itself, and the cozy feel we wanted to capture.

Once we settled on a location, the rest quickly fell into place. As someone who absolutely loves to throw a party, I stepped into high gear with all sorts of DIY projects. Several friends pitched in too by lending their beautiful handwriting to our menus and origami talent to whip up scads of paper roses to mark each place setting. We tried to be mindful about overspending by getting married on a Friday night, having a very small bridal party, choosing two signature cocktails over a full bar, buying our own beer, wine and liquor, having our favorite neighborhood bakery provide cupcakes and working with our florist to use seasonal flowers.

We spent a great deal of time thinking through our ceremony because we knew that it was truly what the day was about. As a weepy gal and a more introverted guy, the idea of reciting personal vows felt like too much. Instead, we chose to exchange letters with our private vows while we were getting ready. Amazingly, we gave each other the exact same card! We also made the non-traditional choice of walking into the ceremony arm-in-arm as a symbol of entering into our marriage together. We asked my brother and two of our friends to read poems that resonated with us. And, we wanted to involve all of our guests by passing out blessing stones as they arrived and asking them to imbue them with their well wishes, prayers, and hopes for us.

Our goal was to wrap-up all wedding-related details ahead of time, so that we could enjoy our wedding week – and we did! The days leading up to our nuptials could not have been more relaxed. We felt totally present in the moment and supremely grateful for the love we have for each other and for our community of family and friends. It was so cool to see people from different points in our life connect with one another, explore Austin en masse, and develop friendships over multiple days of festivities. We were fortunate to have vendors who came through for us in every way to hold a meaningful ceremony, throw a heck of a dinner and dance party, and capture all of it for posterity via film and video. My husband and I could not stop grinning. Every time we reflect back on our wedding, Michael and I can’t help but smile.

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Wedding Photography: Katherine O’Brien Photography | Wedding Venue: Mercury Hall in Austin, Texas | Officiant: Nancy McCranie | Wedding Cinematography: Crooked Tie Studios | Wedding Coordination: Stefanie Yandell from Your Wedding, Your Way | Floral Design: Donna Foster from Central Market | Catering: Austin Catering | Wedding Cake: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop | Cake Banner: Ready Go | Favors: Love Puppies Brownies | DJ: Byrne Rock | Tent + Lighting: Premiere Party Central | Wedding Invitations + Programs: Minted | Wedding Stationery: Paper Source | Monogram: Loft Life Press via Wedding Chicks | Pashminas: Morpheus Boutique | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Bride’s Shrug: Jessica Howard | Bride’s Clutch: Paulownias | Bride’s Earrings: Family Heirlooms | Bride’s Bracelet: The Red Magnolia | Bride’s Hairpiece: Anna Panik | Bride’s Sash: Something Ivory | Bride’s Shoes: Vigotti “Artie” via Zappos | Bridesmaid’s Attire + Shoes: David’s Bridal | Bridesmaid’s Bracelet: Savoy Bracelet via Jewelmint | Bridesmaid’s Clutch: Mod Dot Textiles | Flower Girl’s Necklace: hotmixcold | Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse | Groom’s Cufflinks: Cuff-Daddy | Groom’s Shoes: Nordstrom | Groomsman + Ring Bearer’s Ties: Solid Color Neckties | Hair + Makeup: BeautyMark Agency

These two sweeties really know how to craft a wedding.  I’m talking mason jar candles, fab paper goods, burlap, lace and all kinds of crazy awesome DIYing, people.  They (+ their amazing friends and family) are as talented as they come.  And not only do they know how to create a fabulous wedding, they also happen to know how to throw a fantastic party.  One with yummy BBQ, Elvis (!) and dancing ’till dawn. See every last fun-filled moment captured by Carlea J Photography right here… and prepare to get your pretty on.

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From Carlea J Photography… Kristi and Aaron’s wedding was, without a doubt, one of the most creative/fun/beautiful weddings I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of. To say it was a production would be quite the understatement, as it took a crew of family/friends/wedding party members several months of prep and hours of setup the day of the event to pull it off. But the end result was sooo worth it! Every detail was handmade- from the wood burned signs to the hand-melted and scented mason jar candles, wrapped in lace and burlap, right down to the branches of seat assignment cards, and hand-painted mason jar drinking glasses at the head table, it was truly a labor of love.

The Tejas Hall at Texas Ole Town might as well have been made for Kristi and Aaron. It was the perfect backdrop for their rustic country wedding. The ceremony took place outdoors and was a showcase for Kristi’s five flower girls as well as one handsome ring bearer. Kristi made their headbands, and their rustic baskets were collected from different thrift shops throughout Texas. Kristi decorated them herself, and they were filled with peach and pink rose petals. Kristi and Aaron’s all-time favorite movie is the western, Lonesome Dove, so naturally the Lonesome Dove main theme song played first. Guests also enjoyed the instrumental versions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.”

The officiant was Kristi’s childhood pastor, John Lockhart, from First Baptist Richmond. His message held several personal references to Kristi and Aaron’s relationship, including their love of nature and Kristi’s dad’s love of fishing. Kristi and Aaron sealed their love with a vow, a ring, and a kiss, and as they turned to walk down the aisle, The Monkees “I’m a Believer” blared out across the congregation!

After the ceremony, Kristi and her bridesmaids switched into cowboy boots for a true Texas reception, full of homemade barbecue, and all the Texas traditions, including the Aggie War Hymn. The Grand March, a traditional European wedding dance, enjoyed at weddings by past generations from both Kristi and Aaron’s sides of the family, was also a highlight of the reception. All guests paired up and followed in line to the beat of “under the double eagle” ultimately making their way through the long tunnel of people. They even had a surprise visit from Elvis! The bride’s cake was covered in a cascade of real pink and peach colored flowers and the grooms cake was a giant Lone Star beer cap, complete with a riddle on the underside. Personalized camouflage koozies and gold flip flops which acted as “dancin’ shoes” were also on hand. Close to 500 guests two stepped the night away before sending the happy couple off to Mexico!

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Wedding Photography: Carlea Wilson from Carlea J Photography | Reception Venue: Texas Old Town in Austin, Texas | Floral Design: Wimberley Flower Shop + WOW Factor Design | Bar Service: Texas Ritas Bartending Service | Wedding Cake: Irene Soechting (830.625.1351) | Groom’s Cake: Debra Vahalik (361.741.6700) | Wedding Cinematography: James Leist Video (361.293.5686) | DJ: Bryan Binder | Metal Decor Rentals: Mancino Iron | Wedding Dress: Celebrations | Flower Girls’ Attire: Pink Princess | Groom’s + Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear Retail | Groom’s + Groomsmen Shirts + Ties: JCPenney | Hair: Nuance Salon & Spa | Makeup: Adrienne Pitkin from  Makeup By Adrienne

A traditional Austin wedding chock-full of beautiful blooms from STEMS Floral Design is kind of like a gift from the wedding gods.  A drop-dead gorgeous, stop-you-in-your-tracks gift that brightens our entire day here at SMP Texas.  So, this uber-stunning Driskill Hotel affair?  It has us pretty excited.  Because anything dripping with sparkling gold hues and lush white florals is sort of right up our alley.  And the breathtaking images captured by Jenny DeMarco Photography?  Brilliant.  See them all in the full gallery.

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From the Bride… “It was love at first conversation,” John likes to say. John and I went to the same college but somehow did not meet each other until law school at the University of Texas. We are both avid readers of history and philosophy, so our conversations were immediately deep and interesting. We quickly realized not only that we were in love, but also that we had a love that could last like our parents’ marriages, which was important to both of us. Both sets of parents have been married for over 30 years and have been a source of inspiration for both of us.

Our wedding was about family. We both have relatively small, intimate families, and so we chose a location that would best allow the largest number to attend – Austin, Texas. We are both descendants of Texans who were here before Texas’s statehood, and given that we also attended law school and met in Austin, it was a particularly relevant location for both of us.

I am originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma and was an active member of my Episcopal church there growing up, just like my mother and her mother. Fortunately, John’s parents were married in an Episcopal church in Austin, which became the venue for our ceremony. The Good Shepherd, therefore, had a special significance for both of our families.

John and I are traditional and romantic and wanted our wedding to evoke those feelings. We chose the Driskill Hotel, a historic hotel in Austin, because it represented our love of history and tradition. STEMS created a setting that perfectly supplemented the dark wood in the room with a light, airy, and romantic tablescape. Hydrangeas, orchids, and roses appeared to float on top of glass candelabras. All of our details, from John’s Texas flag cufflinks and oilrig groom’s cake to my cowboy boots and great-grandmother’s ring demonstrated our attention to detail and sentiment.

The most memorable moment was when I surprised John with a video from his friend who was deployed. After a beautiful slideshow created by my sister, who is a film editor, everyone paused as the sound of a helicopter overcame the speakers. The video depicted Sam, a marine, descending from a helicopter and running up to the camera to congratulate us. John’s eyes instantly filled with tears and everyone cheered. Coincidentally, John had just toasted to Sam even though he could not be there.

John and I are blessed with the most loving and supportive families in the world, and we will never be able to thank them enough for helping us to create and experience such a special day.

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Wedding Photography: Jenny DeMarco Photography | Ceremony Venue: The Good Shepherd in Austin, Texas | Reception Venue: The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas | Floral Design: STEMS Floral Design | Catering + Wedding Cakes: The Driskill Hotel | Wedding Invitations + Stationery: Crane & Co. | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza via Stanley Korshak | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka

When an Austin wedding pops up in our inbox, I can’t help but drop everything and devour it.  Because there is something about that Texas city (and its people) that just seem to produce the most stylish of fêtes. My point is proven in the prettiest of ways with this wedding captured by Alea Moore Photography. It mixes tradition and trends in the most fabulous of ways, and the lovely of this Austin affair all unfolds right here.

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From Alea Moore Photography… Having gotten to know them, it comes to no surprise that over 100 people came by air to Austin to celebrate with this adorable couple. It didn’t take long for everyone, us included, to understand why Ximena and Marshal insisted on having their wedding at the beautiful Hummingbird House just outside of the city. Both families have embraced each other and each other’s cultures, and, simply put, it is just a beautiful thing to see. Naturally, their wedding was a sweet celebration of their relationship, with many opportunities for us to brush up on our Spanish, and included lots of dancing! Ximena put so much care into making every detail of their wedding just perfect, incorporating different time periods and travel experiences. We were honestly blown away by every single detail. 

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Wedding Photography: Alea Moore Photography  | Wedding Venue: Hummingbird House in Austin, Texas | Floral + Event Design: Cheri Grant from The Gala Gal | Wedding Cinematography: Photo House Films | Wedding Coordinators: Danny, Lauren, & Courtney | Caterer: Jesse Martin from Royal Fig Catering | Ceremony Musicians: Anthony Chen from Terra Vista Strings | DJ: Sean Alan

Planning a wedding in just three months may seem like an impossible task, but if I’ve learned anything from these stunning Austin sweeties, it’s that it CAN be done.  And not only can it be accomplished, but with the help of devoted family and friends (+ awesome vendors), it can be accomplished with flying colors.  I’m talking a rustic meets desert-inspired love-fest planned to perfection by Heavenly Day Events with amazing blooms from Petals Ink and drop-dead gorgeous images from Day 7 Photography. See every last beautiful moment in the full gallery.

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From the Bride… When Nathan and I decided to get married, we decided to have a short engagement. We were only engaged for three months! We hit the ground running and immediately started planning our wedding! For three months we made spreadsheets of task lists, vendors, details we wanted to include and timelines. We had prepared so much that once our wedding day rolled around, I felt like I was really able to enjoy the day and felt very calm, excited, and relieved. I spent the day getting ready with my family at a local Austin salon, Paloma, which was really relaxing and fun. It also gave me the opportunity to spend some one on one time with my female family members before the wedding started!

Nate and I did a first look, which was great! I was so excited to see him and we were able to check-in with each other and spend time together before we walked down the aisle.

We were really inspired by the desert, Mexican culture, Texas culture, and family picnics. We wanted our wedding to feel like a family friendly-rustic-Texas picnic. Nate is from Arizona and I am from West Texas, it was really important to me that our wedding incorporated “desert beauty.” Nate, my mom, my sister, and I picked out the flowers and did a trial arrangement with mason jars and Topo Chico bottles. The day of the wedding, Nate’s Aunts arranged all of our floral centerpieces (which included 88 mason jars and 88 Topo Chico bottles)! They did an amazing job. Other wedding details were done by my mom and aunt, we sent each other ideas and inspirations and they executed it beautifully! The details of our wedding were truly a family affair and I feel really lucky to have had so many loving, helping hands at our wedding!

DIY projects included the floral centerpieces, the candy bar, my cousin Max and I stamped each candy bag with a bride and groom and each table number two nights before the wedding. My mom, dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles all worked on the candy bar, choosing the candy, and filling the jars. Throughout our engagement, Nate and I saved all of our Topo Chico bottles to be used for centerpieces. The weekend of the wedding we didn’t have enough and my aunts started a Topo Chico drinking campaign so that we would have enough bottles to fill up the tables!

One of the most special parts of our wedding was the incorporation of our family in the ceremony, we did not have the traditional bridal/groom party. Instead, we only had our siblings, parents, and grandparents walk down the aisle. We chose all of the Baha’i Writings and selected specific family members to read them. Nate’s brother, Jon, was the master of ceremony.

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Wedding Photography: Day 7 Photography | Wedding Venue: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas | Wedding Planning: Heavenly Day Events | Floral Design: Petals Ink | Catering: Pink Avocado | Macarons: Hello! Macaron | DJ: Spacecraft Entertainment | Rentals: Marquee Event Group | Wedding Dress: BHLDN | Bride’s Ring: Cathy Waterman | Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini | Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss | Groom’s Tie: Burberry | Groom’s Ring: Calvin’s Jewelers | Groom’s Shoes: To Boot New York | Makeup: Hedieh Fakhriyazdi, friend

After spending the last hour or so gazing longingly at this beautiful Mercury Hall affair from Briana Purser Photography (my job rocks), one thing has become perfectly clear.  I will never ever get enough of this wedding.  From the breathtaking ceremony under that amazing oak tree to the stunning florals from Last Petal to a bride and groom who are seriously the epitome of happy (they exude pure joy), it’s like everything I adore about saying “I do” wrapped up in one sun-filled party.  And I’m in love.  Click here for more.

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From the Bride… My husband is a musician in a cajun band and I am a photographer, so needless to say the music and photos were the top priorities. I found our wedding photographer, Briana Purser, through a friend and immediately fell in love with her work. I knew we would be a great fit when I suggested we take our engagement photos in Bastrop State Park (which had recently suffered from a devastating forest fire) and she was as excited as I was.

There really was no other choice for the band other than Dale Watson. He is the quintessential Austin musician and we couldn’t have asked for a better band. Old country mixed with a classic crooner – he created the most wonderful soundtrack to our reception and kept everyone dancing and singing

My Mom and I found my dress on the first shopping trip – we walked into Unbridaled (the most amazing bridal shop in Austin) and I rattled off a list of adjectives – lace, vintage, light-weight, comfortable. Living in Texas, there was a strong possibility that it could be 110 degrees at the end of September and I was under no illusion that layers and layers of tulle or a heavy structured dress would be the practical choice. I wanted it to be lightweight and I wanted to be able to dance in it. We bought the second dress I tried on.

The venue was Mercury Hall, which is an amazing chapel that was built in 1904 in the town Mercury, Texas and was transported to South Austin and restored in 1997. We were married in a private family ceremony under their giant oak trees in the yard and held the reception inside the hall which spilled outside to tables under a tent lit with festoon lights. Essentially, we had a backyard wedding and the party in the church.

The flowers were designed by the WONDERFUL Melanie Tipton of Last Petal. I basically told her I liked bright pinks and oranges and would be on board with anything she wanted to do – I don’t know anything about flowers so why not let the professional do her job? She did a fantastic job. My favorite detail she provided was the giant wreath with flowers that served as the backdrop to our ceremony, that was then moved inside and hung over the cake table.

Rosemary’s Catering made some mouthwatering food. My favorite part was the Groom’s Cake – my husband LOVES chocolate chip cookies, so in lieu of a cake Rosemary’s provided freshly baked cookies and shots of milk kept cold with a custom ice sculpture.

We hired Katie Netherton at Something to Celebrate to coordinate the day-of details and I honestly don’t think we could have pulled it off without her. She kept the show running while also dealing with last-minute disasters (busted water pipe onsite two hours before the ceremony) without us even knowing. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have someone besides yourself or your family in charge the day of the wedding… life savers.

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Wedding Photography: Briana Purser Photography | Wedding Venue: Mercury Hall in Austin, Texas | Wedding Coordinator: Katie Netherton from Something to Celebrate | Floral Design: Melanie Tipton from Last Petal | Catering: Rosemary’s Catering | Band: Dale Watson | Wedding Dress: Unbridaled

Oh inspiration, how we love you. We live for you really, and when that inspiration comes in the form of a shoot as lovely as this one captured by Studio Uma? We stop, and get to swooning. With the prettiest of vintage details placed perfectly by Furbish Vintage and Styling, a mint palette that’s beyond pretty topped off with a scrumptious cake from Simon Lee Bakery, and two real life newlyweds playing models for a day – it’s the perfect way to inspire your day, and weekend for that matter. See it all here.

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From Studio Uma… I’m excited to share this lovely vintage wedding inspiration photo shoot with you! Austin, Texas residents Jeff and Greer got married in Las Vegas in September. I photographed the newlyweds in Austin a few weeks later. You will swoon over the beautiful mint green 1954 Buick Skylark, the too-pretty-for-words bouquet and the to-die-for mini-cakes.

With the groom in his James Bond tux, and the bride in her pretty birdcage veil and bright pink lip (perfection), we made some truly magical portraits. Our team of talented wedding pros worked off of a color we love: mint green. We added touches of white, silver and pink to complement our color palette. A lovely dessert table and cocktails played off of the vintage theme inspired by colors.

The bride has written a few words about their apparel and the search for The One. Perfect dress, that is.

From the Bride… We got married in Vegas and we had decided on an old Hollywood, 1920’s theme. I had this in mind while dress shopping. I found “the dress” in an East Atlanta boutique called Kelly’s closet. Interestingly, my sister had found her wedding dress at the same boutique last year. When I tried on the Natasha dress (designed by Robert Bullock) I immediately knew it was the one…it even fit perfectly!

Kelly’s closet had a great variety of birdcage veil’s available. With my short hairstyle I knew the birdcage veil was perfect for the look I was creating. I decided on a Sara Gabriel veil that looked great with my dress. We had a black and white color scheme going and I decided on a black belt with rhinestones that I found on etsy.com. I thought the rhinestone belt added a little glamour to the dress.

My husband stuck with the old Hollywood theme and went for a tuxedo with a white jacket and black bow tie. Although, I think really liked it because he felt like James Bond in the suit.

The look really came together nicely in an organic way. We certainly felt like movie stars!

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Wedding Photography: Studio Uma | Location: Austin, Texas | Event Styling + Furniture Rental: Leslie Martin from Furbish Vintage and Styling | Floral Design: Lauren Shipp from Cedar Park Florist | Wedding Cakes + Tarts: Judy Lee from Simon Lee Bakery | Wedding Stationery: Rachel Carter from Paper Yum Yum | Wedding Dress: Robert Bullock via Kelly’s Closet | Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel via Kelly’s Closet | Hair + Makeup: Dannie Warren from Razmataz Salon

Ok, these two? They are adorable. Downright, all-out cute as they come. So it should be no surprise that their detail-filled love fest at  Star Hill Ranch was equally fabulous. Because, oh, it was. It’s baby’s breath and cardigan-wearing maids, it’s burlap and flower girls in tutus. It’s a Texas beauty through and through captured beautifully by The Bird & The Bear, and it’s all sitting pretty right here.

Can’t get enough of these two? We can’t either. Thankfully The Bird & The Bear sent along their film so we can keep the oohhs and ahhs going…

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From The Bird & The Bear… Meagan & Will are super cute, and even though it poured all day on their wedding day, they were laughing and giddy the whole day!  Each piece of their decor was lovingly chosen by the bride and her family.  They wanted a light, vintage feel and had an amazing waffle bar at the reception!

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Wedding Photography +  Cinematography: The Bird & The Bear | Wedding Venue: Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas | Floral Design: Steve Britt | Catering: Catering With a Twist | DJ: Tunes Across Texas | Hair + Makeup: Mindy Orsak

I am telling you, I absolutely adore elopements. I’ve probably said it a million times, but, to me, you can’t get more romantic than running off with your nearest and dearest to say I do. This couple did just that, topped it off with a sweet picnic and made sure they had Day 7 Photography following in their footsteps to catch all the timeless memories -and all that adorableness is waiting for you right here.

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From Day 7 Photography… I’m thrilled to share this elopement from Austin, Texas that was taken on top of a parking garage. Brooke told me that she trusted me with whatever I threw at her, and so I got together with my stylist friend, Nita Teng, who helped put together a mini-reception for Brooke and Ryan. We asked Brooke and Ryan what their favorite thing to do together was, what some of their favorite music is, their idea of a romantic date, and what type of food they liked. The answers we got helped us to formulate an idea of how to style the reception. They like indie music, eating any food that resembles modern america, and for a romantic date, it could be anything as long as it’s not forced or cheesy.

From the Bride… After two months of stressful wedding planning, Ryan and I knew an elopement was right for us. We felt a small intimate ceremony reflected our personalities perfectly. We really love each other, but we’re also very private!  Austin was the obvious choice, it’s the city where we fell in love and has a rare combination of Texas charm and eclectic personalities. Our ceremony and picnic reflects everything we love about Austin – unique, with a Texas flair. 

I knew I wanted our photographs to look timeless, where you couldn’t really guess which decade they came from. I thought of everything myself, and we scoured Austin that morning for the perfect pink roses! There was no plan, we just did what made us happy.

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Wedding Photography: Day 7 Photography |Location: Park in Austin, Texas | Officiant: Spike Gillespie | Wedding Cinematography: Crooked Tie Studios | Event Styling: Nita Teng | Floral Design: King Florist of Austin | Wedding Cupcakes: Polkadots Cupcake Factory | Furniture Rental: Loot Vintage Rentals | Wedding Dress: Vintage | Shoes: David’s Bridal | Makeup: Keep Austin Gorgeous

I love a long, gorgeously styled reception table. It sends this blogger’s heart into insta-flutter. And one populated with peonies and strung cafe lights? Even better! This work horse of reception dining is perfectly fit for open air affairs. You know the ones where the sun is shining, the birds are singing and everything is feted under a bright blue sky? That is exactly the style of wedding we get to dive into right now. Crafted by Keely Thorne Events along with miles of pretty blooms by Merveille Flowers and image after image of alfresco goodness captured by J. Cogliandro Photography, you can see it all unfold right here.

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From the Bride…Brian and I knew about each other before we ever even met!  Our childhood best friends lived down the street from each other, and we still think there is a distinct possibility that we may have been rivals in an epic boys versus girls water balloon fight when we were eight…but we are not quite sure!  We did not “officially” meet until we were freshmen in high school, and when we did, we became good friends and remained that way throughout college -even though he was attending school in Boston and I was in Louisiana.  In a futile attempt to avoid the dreaded long distance relationship, we decided to not “officially” start dating until we graduated and were both back home in Texas, but that plan was derailed when I decided to attend law school in Seattle.  Although long distance was not always the easiest, it definitely made our relationship stronger, and after 6 years of dating, Brian decided it was time to make our relationship truly “official” when he proposed in January of 2011 at a beautiful bed and breakfast on Lake Travis in Austin.   

Having been a part of each other’s lives for the better part of 15 years, we wanted a wedding that truly reflected our journey and more importantly, the emphasis that we place on family.  Although we are Houstonians at heart, we decided that Austin would provide the perfect backdrop for an amazing outdoor wedding, in addition to being a fun city for our out of state guests to visit and get the true taste of the Texas hospitality that we know and love!  With our time consuming work schedules and the difficult task of planning an Austin wedding from Houston, we knew that the most important decision that we would make would be choosing a wedding planner that could execute our vision!  From the wearing of my grandmother’s wedding dress at the rehearsal dinner, to the use of a 1937 Plymouth that was hand-built by Brian’s grandfather to drive me to (and the both of us from) the venue, each detail of the wedding was meticulously thought out and executed with our families and their influence in our lives in mind.  Keely Thorne Events came highly recommended as a wedding planner in Houston, but it was when we met Emily Moise specifically that we knew we had found the right person to bring our ideas to life.  

Our wedding weekend began with an amazing welcome party hosted by the parents of Brian’s childhood best friend (now best man) where our guests were treated to beautiful views of Lake Travis and delicious Tex-Mex!  The celebration continued the following night with a barbecue rehearsal dinner at The Salt Lick, where we displayed our favorite wedding pictures of each of our family members as our friends and siblings presented us with the most memorable speeches!  The weekend ended with the most amazing wedding we could ever imagined!  The ceremony and reception were held at Villa del Lago on Lake Travis, where our 170 closest friends and family members watched us make our lifelong commitment to each other!  To make the moment even more personal, we had my brother-in-law sing as I walked down the aisle, had one of our best friends officiate the ceremony, and each of us picked a surprise reading that we dedicated to each other that reflected our views and hopes for our marriage.  The ceremony was followed up with an amazing dinner where my husband and I enjoyed our favorite foods as we looked down the most stunningly beautiful table and enjoyed the beginning of the rest of our lives with all of our favorite people!!! 

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Photography: J. Cogliandro Photography | Wedding Planner: Emily Moise with Keely Thorne Events | Stationery+ Signage: Atheneum Creative | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Villa Del Lago | Floral Design+ Décor: Merveille Flowers | Cinematography: 31 Films | Lounge Rentals: Suite206 | Strings: Amp’d by Divisi Strings | DJ: Josh with Penguin Entertainment | Catering: Pink Avocado | Photo booth: SocoPhoto Airstream | Lighting/Sound/Visual: ILIOS Productions | Vintage Car: Family owned | Hair: Erin Janzten with Mint Salon | Makeup: Donna Bruns with Bobby Brown | Guest Transportation: Transportation Consultants | Resort: Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa | Bride’s Attire: Ivory Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid

Sometimes it’s crazy to me that a wedding, a gorgeous wedding no less, can be planned in less than six months. I know it can. I planned mine in five. But when one like this Old Glory Ranch soiree comes along and I read that it was planned in four months… I’m floored. Every time. Every detail j. cota photography captured was so stunning that I’m actually amazed that it all came together so quickly. And so fabulously. Click here to see the whole day!

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From the lovely bride … We have all heard the saying, “Timing is everything!” and in our story that was exactly the case. Our best friends married each other twelve years ago where we first met at their wedding, however, our journey together did not start until seven years later. After several years of dating, my husband proposed on New Years Day up on top of the mountains in Colorado at sunset, and yes, he caught me off guard! I had expected it to happen New Years Eve or perhaps earlier in the day when he surprised me for a train ride on Silverton Express. To be honest I was gazing out the window after the train on the car ride back to the cabin where I thought we were now just headed to pack up and fly out in morning and my heart was disappointed. I was trying to figure out a way to stay in Colorado because I knew there were many friends and family waiting back home to hear the “news” and I thought I didn’t have any to give them. In my mind the trip was over and meanwhile Sloan was in the driver seat trying to time the sunset and kill time to wait for the picture perfect moment, and it was.

After I was able to stop staring at the ring on my finger, it was time to plan our wedding. We knew we did not want a long engagement and I had the venue Old Glory Ranch in my mind because of the family river cabin we had during my childhood in Wimberley. To our surprise they had a date still open and I was convinced we could plan this in just four months. We were both drawn to the outdoorsy feel of Old Glory and loved the rustic décor and setting, yet did not have to compromise on an ounce of class. It was important to our faith and values to be married in a Chapel and the beauty of what they had to offer blew us away.

I love neutral colors and I am known to be simple in style, so I wanted to carry this look throughout the wedding. With such a beautiful outdoor setting for the reception looking over the Hill Country, I chose colors that would carry out these earth tones. My dress was ivory and my bridesmaids wore a fresh spring green that truly looked good on all 10 of them! This green complimented the natural wood all throughout the Old Glory Chapel. The groom’s side wore khaki colored suits with Tom’s shoes and both the boutonnieres and bridal bouquets had succulents mixed in (my husband’s favorite!) with the flowers for a Texas flare.

My dad and I rode up on a carriage to the ring of the chapel bells before the anticipated walk down the aisle. I had an antique piece of lace wrapped around my bouquet that was my grandmother’s and also wore my mom’s Belgium lace veil for the ceremony. Once we were announced husband and wife, we joyfully walked out to the tune of “Oh Happy Day” as our guests were ushered out of the chapel to the patio under the oak trees dressed with chandeliers for cocktail hour. There were mini donkeys saddled up with Mexican beers to honor Cinco De Mayo, our wedding date. Salt Lick catered the best BBQ in Texas, and we had Tiny Pies paired with blue bell ice-cream for the groom’s dessert, as well as a five tiered vanilla-almond and raspberry filling bridal cake. I traded my veil for a flower to accessorize my hair and ditched my heels so I could boot scoot boogie and kick up the dance party. We danced until midnight to the tunes of Night Fire Band and exited through an archway of bright sparklers into a 1946 antique truck. We drove away under the stars and there were bright strikes of lighting all across the sky. I believe it was God’s display of fireworks just for us as we rode into this new chapter together as Dr. and Mrs. Hildebrand.

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Photography: j. cota photography | Cinematography: Sondra Hicks and Scott Mayo at Ditore Mayo Entertainment | Floral & Event Design: Old Glory Ranch | Cake: Classic Cake by Lori | Event Planning: Old Glory Ranch & Carey Millington, BASH Events | Venue: Old Glory Ranch | Invitations: Jenny Oroz | Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender | Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier | Bridesmaid Dress Designer: J.Crew | Men’s Fashion: John W. Nordstrom + TOMS Shoes | Pies: Tiny Pies | Band: Nightfire | Catering: Salt Lick BBQ | Officiant: West Brazelton

Nothing gets me excited for spring quite like a gorgeous pop of color. And this Austin affair has plenty to go around with the happiest hues of navy, purple and pink infused from start to finish. Add in an al fresco dinner party with the most heartfelt “I dos,” and you’ve got a recipe for the prettiest watercolor-inspired wedding around. Taylor Lord Photography sent us a slew of lovely images, and we even have a film from Bird and the Bear to tie it all together.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/56663288 600 338]

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From the Bride…Ryan and I fell in love in the fall and two years later got engaged on a chilly November evening. Because this was a special time of the year for us, we wanted to have a fall wedding (which also gave us a year to plan!) Though we currently live in Dallas, we chose Austin to be nearer families and for the laid-back atmosphere (Ryan is also a UT Austin grad) We knew we wanted a relaxed outdoor ceremony, festoon lightning overhead for dinner, and a serious dance party to follow. Mercury Hall provided the perfect space to make all of these things happen. We chose navy, blush pink, with various tones of whites, browns and greens to convey a nontraditional fall palette with a relaxed, rustic feel. I also wanted to incorporate holiday touches as it was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We had a tree with personalized mercury glass ornaments for favors and chose a hearty fall meal. We also had a shrimp and grits station, a personal favorite of Ryan and I’s.

In planning the wedding, the most important aspect for us was to personalize the day. With 175 guests, we still wanted it to have an intimate and genuine feel. To accomplish this, we incorporated family and friends. Ryan wrote the entire wedding ceremony, with readings by his youngest sister and older brother. We involved my brother and his younger sister in the actual exchange of vows. His uncle, a district judge, was the officiant. We wrote our own vows, one of my favorite parts of the day (a must!). It made for an emotional but heartfelt ceremony. We also had a signature blueberry margarita for guests to enjoy as they arrived for the ceremony, another aspect of the relaxed atmosphere! We continued the involvement of family with my brother and his bandmate playing our first dance, father son dance, and mother son dance. They performed the MOST beautiful covers of M. Ward’s “Poison Cup,” Loudon Wainwright III’s “Daughter,” and Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” My mom and I also took quite a few DIY projects to add our touch to the decor. I made all the signage, she sewed special table cloths and runners with the help of a sweet friend, among many other things.

Dinner was held on the gravel patio under festoon lights at banquet tables. We chose to place our table in the center, perpendicular to the guests tables. It was so perfect to be in the center of the party, where everyone could see us as well. Following dinner, the dance party began, with incredible music by a DJ and long time family friend, Silace Amaro. We ended the night with a sparkler exit and a ride to Hotel St. Cecilia in a pedicab! This was another very memorable moment for us…it was so nice to have an extended trip via pedicab to reflect on the night and enjoy each other’s company. We even drew some honks and congrats from rolled down windows on the way there!

The night was made incredibly special by our phenomenal group of vendors we chose. Taylor Lord was the most incredible, fun, and easy photographer to work with. I can’t imagine not having our memories captured through her perspective! Our wedding highlight video by the Bird and the Bear was so well done and is so fun for us to watch. STEMS florals created the exact vision I was looking for and were so great to work with.

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Wedding Photography: Taylor Lord Photography | Wedding Venue: Mercury Hall in Austin, Texas | Wedding Cinematography: Bird and the Bear | Floral Design: Stems Floral Design | Invitations: Hip Ink Paper Co. | Wedding Cake: Blue Note Bakery | Catering: Dagar’s Catering | Handfast Ties: Anthropologie | Lighting: Ilios Lighting | Music: Jamestown Revival for First Dances | Wedding Dress: Reem Acra

You may recognize this lovely bride’s smile from American Idol. She was a finalist on Season 8, and her wedding? We’ll let’s just say, it’s weddings like this that will live on the pages of SMP forever, known simply as stunning. Pretty as a picture (and oh Christina Carroll Photography‘s pictures tell quite the beautiful story), I can’t help but file this one away in my wedding-brain-catalog under the heading of Gorgeous. The bride, the groom, the kids, the fashion… the cake. All absolutely gorgeous, stunning, pretty, and perfect. Click here for more!

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We met in April 2007 at a mutual friends birthday party. I’m a singer/songwriter and Justin is a personal injury attorney here in Austin. I guess they say opposites attract because that we are. I am pretty much the definition of a right brain person and Justin is completely left!

For years people had tried to get me to audition for American Idol, but I never did. Shortly after we started dating, I came home and Justin had printed out all the paper work and audition facts for American Idol and insisted that I audition. I don’t know what it was but something about him gave me the courage and the faith in myself that I could do it. That year, I successfully became a contestant on American Idol Season 8 making it all the way to the top 36 and onto the live show!

He has so much faith in me and supports and pushes me to do things that I never through I could do. Its all of this that make me love him so much. His drive and Left-brain ways round out my right brain ways and make me a better, more rounded person.

Justin is such a driven person. I have to brag. This year he was nominated as one of the youngest “Rising stars of Texas Attorneys” to ever be recognized by Texas Monthly. We met right after he took the Bar and its just be absolutely amazing to watch him grow and succeed!

Justin proposed on New Years Eve 2011 in front of all of our closest friends and family. I never expected a thing and was completely shocked! We were hosting a NYE party at the W Hotel which is why I thought that all of our friends and family wanted to come into town. We held a pre-party at our condo before we went to the hotel and it was there that Justin said “He had a toast to Make.” Even at that point, I was still clueless. I just thought he was making a New Years toast! It was then that he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

We knew from the beginning that we would be having a very big wedding. My grandmother was one of 20 so my family alone was probably over 100 guests. But, we have always been “the more, the merrier” type of people. I knew I wanted something grand, and elegant, yet classic. We did creams, whites, blushes with pops of gold and silver.

The one thing that we knew before anything else was that we wanted our wedding to be a PARTY! My family is from Louisiana and the one thing we do best is dance, eat, and drink! So having an amazing band, awesome food, and an endless open bar was a priority!

I have been to a lot of weddings at the Driskill and it was important to me to make ours uniquely different. So, Olivia (owner of Liv by Design) along, with Townsly and David Kurio came up with a vision to turn the ballroom into a completely different space.

We completely covered the carpet of the ballroom with white carpet and brought in lounge furniture. The most amazing part of the room was that there were 13 foot cut out spaces in the walls in which had our engagement photos blown up to 21ft photos and placed in the spots. (We did a Mad Men Theme for our engagement photos because we are both completely obsessed with that show) It was so amazing! Probably the biggest question from the night from our guest was “What are you going to do with them after?”

Another amazing detail was my wedding cake and my cake table. My dress was layered cream, white, blush, and peach tulle. Making my dress light pink. First of all, I never dreamed in a million years that I would wear a pink wedding dress. But when I saw it and knew it was the one! The linens of the cake table looked just like my dress. Probably one of my favorite photos was me in my wedding dress, squatting down next to my cake table!

Another favorite moment which has become a family tradition is a dance my dad does in a moment of celebration. Its called “the gator” in which my dad gets down on the dance floor an basically flops around like a gator. It sounds silly but he is known for doing it!

It was such a beautiful day and there were so many people who helped to make it happen!

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Photography: Christina Carroll Photography | Event Planning & Design: Liv by Design | Floral Design: David Kurio Designs | Furniture: Townsley Designs | Linens & Custom Cake Linen: Peggy Poling Designs | Lighting: Ilios Lighting | Rentals: Marquee Rentals | Stationery: Inviting Pear | Band: Sauce | Cocktail Hour Band: Dave Madden | Shuttle Busses: Uptown Valet | Ceremony Venue: Central Christian Church | Reception Venue: Driskill Hotel | Departure Dress: Linda Asaf | Jewelry: Beard Jewelers | Cinematography: Tim Bougie