I’m just going to come out and say it, this couple planned one major celebration. Because not only did they have one crazy stylish bridal party, but their surprise guest? May or may not have been a few adorable donkeys. That’s right, so you can only imagine that we’ve got more stylish surprises from Kerry Jeanne Photography in store for you via The Vault!
From The Bride…We always envisioned our wedding to be outdoors. Growing up in the Philippines and coming from simple families, we spent a majority of our time outdoors enjoying anything from parks, beaches, and even our backyards. There is something about being and connecting outdoors away from the hustle and bustle of society. In addition, our frequent trips to Austin and its surroundings made us realize this is where we wanted our wedding to be. Le San Michele, which is in the city of Buda is just 20 minutes from Austin, played a perfect host as it had everything we hoped to have and more. Driving through the gates and onto a gravel filled driveway led us to house which represented simple old world charm. Having an expansive lawn, ample greenery which included a myriad of flowers and trees, and intricate chandeliers hanging within the branches had us imagining what our day would be like from the minute we walked out of the French doors and into the vastness of the vicinity. The only thing left to do at that moment was book our day and hope for great weather.
Having come from very tight knit families we always knew that we wanted our wedding to revolve around the theme of bonds. We involved our family members to help us in every aspect of the wedding so that when it came to the big day they would feel a sense of pride knowing they contributed to a successful event. Till this day, we are still so appreciative of our family as they supported us from the beginning to the end without hesitation. For instance, Ralph’s uncle officiated the ceremony, which turned out to be very heartfelt and full of humor. Monica’s eldest sister and Ralph’ sister in law were the wedding coordinators. To sum it up everyone from both sides of our families played a role.
As for our guests, they traveled as far as Houston, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, New York City, Alberta, Minnesota, Philippines and even the Czech Republic. Keeping with the theme of our wedding, we invited those who truly saw our relationship develop throughout the years. Our story is a little out if the ordinary. Monica came from a military family that moves around. Ralph was raised in Houston TX a majority of his life, but both somehow found each other in their freshman year of college in the Philippines 7 years back. Our family, friends and former classmates were able to see us grow as individuals and as a couple. With everyone so close to us being so spread out across the world, we felt so much gratitude to those who came to share this day with us.
One thing we really wanted for our wedding was for our guests to feel at ease. We ensured this by preparing lawn games during cocktail hour. Children and adults could be seen enjoying themselves in a round of corn hole and crochet. Passed Hors d’oeuvres were prepared by the awesome Catering With a Twist. Cocktails and beer on tap kept the guests mingling, and to top it off we brought two miniature burros for the children to play with. They also made for a great picture opportunity. After cocktail hour, everyone made their way to the stoned patio, found their seats under the hanging garden lights and Catering with a Twist delighted us again with an amazing dinner. We had the best seats in the house as we were able to see everyone’s faces smiling, conversing, and enjoying the music. After the formalities, we were treated to a night of incredible music prepared by Toast Entertainment. Hips were moving, legs were shuffling, and hands were nae naeying. It was picture perfect, and we are so thankful to have Kerry Jeanne capture it all. We still find ourselves in awe at how amazing the pictures came out.
Realizing that everything turned out to be exactly what we wanted , all we can be is thankful to those who were involved. Our wedding was a night to remember not only because of the amazing venue or the serene atmosphere but because it was full of love. Love from our guests and love for each other. We believe that we belong to each other, and it transpired throughout our wedding night.
Photography: Kerry Jeanne Photography | Floral Design: The Flower Studo | Wedding Dress: David's Bridal | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Various | Catering: Catering with a Twist | Makeup: Sarah Frey | DJ: Toast Entertainment | Venue: Le San Michele | Film Processing: The Find Lab
