Texas Weddings

This spring fête by Gema Blanton Photography is just the cutest thing I’ve seen all week.  All the different centerpieces this adorable couple put together for their backyard wedding using vintage goodies, wildflowers, branch slices and planter boxes with photos and quotes from their favorite classic romantic movies are just the most darling things ever!  Each special little detail like the paper heart boutonnieres, colorful napkins and doily place settings make this one of the sweetest celebrations around!  Click here to see it all!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… We knew we wanted one kind of atmosphere: an intimate backyard affair with our closest family and friends. At any point of the planning, that was always our goal. And even with 140 or so people, we still managed that intimacy and charm of a small Southern soiree. Elwyn and I live in Tyler, Texas, which is in East Texas. I had lived in Houston for most of my life, so I was a lot more accustomed to the city life prior to Elwyn. When we were dating, he introduced me to so many wonderful things! Now I can’t imagine my life without them. I tried to incorporate a lot of these things into our wedding to almost tell our story to our guests.

First, there were the pies from Fresh Bakery. (Yes people, I had never had pie before meeting my husband!) Pies replaced the cakes, and people loved them. The buttermilk pies were a hit, especially. Personally, the cake feeding tradition needed to die down anyways and I decided to start this anti-tradition in my family. Then there are the birds in our centerpieces. Those are inspired by my husband’s love of birds. He’s a biologist, and when he first started taking me camping, I remember us hiking through the woods and him pointing out all of the different native birds. He can go into details about each of them. Every bird I saw at my wedding would instantly remind me of those days. Next would probably have to be the BBQ and the sweet tea (also things I never had before my husband and now I CANNOT live without!) Our first date was actually at Stanley’s BBQ and what better place to cater our wedding than them? They were so cool too about it. Last, would be the classic movies inspiration. I am a huge fanatic of classic film and now have successfully converted Elwyn into one of us. The women and men of those times played a huge part of my aesthetic in this wedding. The colors were inspired by films like My Fair Lady and the Wizard of Oz. (The flowers and the gingham on the napkins definitely says Wizard of Oz to me.) There were vintage touches here and there. And those pink boxes with the classic movie quotes on them were made from love. Elwyn built and painted the boxes while I collected my favorite classic romantic moment and printed them out to paste. The one motif I had definitely included in our wedding was bears. Elwyn and I call each other bears. He’s actually big bear and now hubby bear. I’m his little bear and his wifey bear. Gema Blanton did such a great job capturing our engravings on our rings. I didn’t even think she would notice them, but she came back with our rings smitten with the cuteness of it all. I am not even a cutesy person particularly, but with Elwyn, I can’t help it. He IS my big bear and my best friend.

My friends are all different from each other and I loved that their clothes were too. I just told them my colors and that it’s a garden wedding, not the club. They went at it, and looked great. The men looked very handsome with their heart shaped boutonnieres, and the men on Elwyn’s side really were the most important men of our lives. He had two very close mutual friends, my brother, his brother, and his father stand beside him. I literally felt surrounded by love when we were exchanging vows. My dress was from David’s Bridal, and my headband was from Etsy. (Thank God for Etsy.) I chose a headband instead of a veil or tiara because how simple and sweet the wedding was. Plus I really looked like myself, but bridal. My bouquet and all of the flowers were from The Flower Girl in Tyler. Alison was amazing! I didn’t give her too many specifics — I just said that I wanted to carry a garden in my hands. And boy, did she bring it. All the imperfections and quirks made our day perfect. That, and we walked up and down the aisle to George Harrison. Thanks, George!

Wedding Photography: Gema Blanton Photography / Wedding Venue: Victoria Station in Whitehouse, Texas / Floral Design: The Flower Girl in Tyler, Texas / Officiant: Tommy Jackson of Longview, Texas / Catering: Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Que / Pies: Fresh by Brookshires / Cupcakes: DIY by the Bride / Favors: A Donation to the Treatment and Learning Center for Children with Autism / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Headband: Etsy / Hair + Makeup: DIY by the Bride / Rings: James Avery

Some days all I need is a sweet, classic wedding to get me going. Something with gorgeous white flowers, a stunning bride in a gorgeous Oscar De La Renta ball gown. Men in tuxedos, candlelit receptions, five tier cakes. Keely Thorne Events and Chris Bailey Photography were there for me this time, when I decided I simply needed a gorgeous wedding and some fantastic images. If you’re on the same page, you won’t want to miss ALL the gorg happening in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire soiree in the full image gallery!

From Keely Thorne Events … Even though June 2011 in Houston was one of the hottest months on record it didn’t stop Caroline from having the elegant, classic and cool summer wedding she had been dreaming of all of her life. With the help of her personal interior decorator, her mom Melinda Overstreet, Caroline created a breathtaking French inspired wedding deep in the heart of Houston. The ceremony at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church started off an elegant evening of sophistication and style. The reception, held at River Oaks Country Club, was the perfect backdrop for the reception of Caroline and Andrew’s dreams. Everything was themed off of her families roots in Louisiana and their French heritage. From the Southern food stations to beignets and cafe au lait at the end of the night there was a true French elegance that flowed throughout the reception! 

Photography: Chris Bailey Photography  / Cinematography: Crescent Video Productions / Flowers: Events in Bloom  / Event Design: Events in Bloom & Keely Thorne Events / Event Planning: Keely Thorne of Keely Thorne Events / Ceremony Location: St. Martin’s Episcopal Church / Reception Location: River Oaks Country Club / Invitations: Sicily Eason / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Dress: Oscar de la Renta from Casa de Novia / Cake: Susie’s Cakes

Succulent-filled florals rank high atop my list of perfectly perfect centerpieces – and these glorious displays created by Rosehip Flora have my heart doing some serious leaps and bounds.  Yep, they’re adding just the right touch of bloomy goodness to an Austin soiree that is simply overflowing with fabulous, including a gorgeous natural setting, sweet lavender hues and a bundle of breathtaking images captured by Amelia Tarbet Photography.  All planned by Lizze Belle Event Planning, this, my friends, is rustic sophistication at its finest.  See it all here.

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From Amelia of Amelia Tarbet Photography… Erica is an interior designer who lives in Dallas. When it came to picking her venue, she wanted something that had a relaxed Austin feel, as well as a unique element. The answer: The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Her centerpieces were BEAUTIFULLY crafted by Erin of Rosehip Flora. They were done in low, square tins with sand, stones, succulents and other unique elements. The leather wrap on her bouquet was handmade and after the wedding, it was made in to into a wallet for Ben. Instead of a traditional cake, her Italian heritage led Erica to choose cannoli and other pastries from Mandola’s Italian Market. She also gave her guests small bottles of olive oil.

Wedding Photography: Amelia Tarbet Photography / Wedding Venue: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas / Wedding Coordination: Aimee Villa of Lizze Belle Event Planning / Floral Design: Erin of Rosehip Flora / Catering: Circle C Catering / Pastries: Mandola’s Italian Market / Band: Shakedown / Bride’s Dress: Watters / Bridesmaid Dresses: Wtoo / Wedding Invitation Design & Paper Goods: The Bride / Wedding Invitation Letterpress: Drippy Ink Designs / Leather Bouquet Wrap: Erin of Rosehip Flora

Oh my… the flowers. The romantic, pretty, show stopping flowers from Exquisite Petals. It took me all of .5 seconds to fall in love with this wedding thanks to the flowers that set the tone for the most gorgeous soiree. With Forever Photography Studio behind the lens, it’s always going to be beautiful, but this wedding brought a whole new level of beauty to the world. Trust me. You NEED to visit the gallery.

Click here to see the rest in the full image gallery!

It was always nerve racking introducing a boyfriend to the family, but even more so with Blake because I wanted everyone to like him the way I did. Of course, he won them all over. Every holiday my mom will give all of her kids a little gift, usually something that each individual likes, mine would always be crafts. For Easter last year, Blake and I were visiting my family and when we got home from church, everyone was told to go throughout the house and search for their colored giant Easter egg. We all brought them back to the living room where we watched everyone open them. Naturally, my little brothers went first, then Blake. Everyone got a new bathing suit and I was so excited to see what mine looked like because my mom always buys the best!

When I opened the big egg, there was a smaller egg, and in that, an even smaller egg, and so on for 5 eggs. I was thinking this was some sort of joke, but when I opened up the last egg there was a ring in it. Not just any ring either, Blake and I had discovered this hand-crafted ring randomly on a trip to New Mexico when weather made us stay in Santa Fe for an extra night. I was more than completely shocked and just started crying tears of happiness. Then Blake walked over, got on one knee and told me how he had asked my parent’s permission and knew how much they meant to me and then he turned around and asked all four of my brothers for their permission too. Needless to say, it was the sweetest thing and still to this day I cannot believe that everyone was able to hide the surprise so well; no wonder my mom was making such a tiff about what I should wear to church!

I owe all of the inspiration and decorations to my mother, who had the most amazing ideas and was able to exceed my expectations. The two weeks that lead up to the wedding were filled with unexpected wintery weather that left us with no choice but to change venues five days before the wedding! There was high stress during this time, but we ended up having our ceremony and reception at Lakeway Resport and Spa which I would not change for the world! Julie at Lakeway Resort and Spa was a saving grace and was super patient and professional as we tweaked a few things and transformed our ideas into a new venue. I honestly think we were meant to have our wedding there the whole time.

We found what we called the “love poster” on the internet that was a poster of blue, pink, yellow, and gold with a beautiful vintage design with the word “love” in the middle. From this we built the style of the wedding. The bridesmaid’s dresses were a soft champagne color that would make the flowers pop. We took a high resolution picture of the “love poster” and made it the cover for our invitations, programs, and wish card tags. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous and I can never thank Beth Richards at Exquisite Petals enough for taking our previously planned romantic outdoor wedding into a dreamy floral display of love inside. She way exceeded our expectations!

Blake and I are dedicated to Christ and wanted to celebrate in all the joy of love and marriage blessings that He sustains us with. So to carry on that circle of love, we began our marriage ceremony with the “loving hands” of our families and the surprise of seeing each other at the alter. My father escorted me with love down the aisle, my little brothers also walked down the aisle with rings and message boards, my step-father anointed us with God’s promise of love as our officiant, and my mother stood by my side (as she always does) as my Matron of Honor. We had the joy of a song sang during our ceremony by JR Taylor, the same song that was played during my mom’s wedding ceremony. Our vows were sealed with a kiss that was unimaginable prior to that moment amid this romantic endless stage of flowers!

Photography: Forever Photography Studio / Floral Designer: Beth at Exquisite Petals / Event Designer + Planner: Lynn Oliver + Julie at Lakeway Resort and Spa / Venue: Lakeway Resort and Spa / Invitation Designer: Lynn Oliver, Mother of the Bride / Cake: Scott Calvert, The Cake Plate / Wedding Gown Designer: Wtoo / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jasmine Bridal

When it comes to planning your big day, it seems you really can’t go wrong with a reception at Ouisie’s Table. This fab (and oh-so-chic) Houston location really knows how to throw a sophisticated soiree – and I go all caps GAGA every time I see them pop up on my computer screen.  Add to that some seriously stunning images by Ben Q. Photography, a downright gorgeous gown by Jim Hjelm Couture and a bride and groom that can.not.stop.smiling and we have ourselves one FABULOUS Tuesday treat.  Care to join me for all of the pretty?  See it all here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Ben of Ben Q. Photography… Chace and Greg were married in Houston, Texas on October 21st, 2011. Chace actually found us through Style Me Pretty through a real wedding submission. She is a regular Style Me Pretty blog reader and even drew inspiration for some of the personal touches of her day through the website. Our favorite details of her day were the Plum Pretty Sugar kimono she wore while getting ready, her Jim Hjelm couture wedding gown and her groom’s boutonniere wrapped in burlap. The bridesmaids each wore different sand-toned dresses and the groomsmen donned bow ties. The ceremony took place at St. Martha’s Catholic Church, and the chic reception was held afterward at Ouisie’s Table. As guests walked in, they could see the names of the newlyweds illustrated in chalk art and framed in lights. The couple had a a custom wooden art-piece with their monogram on the cake table.

Wedding Photography: Ben Q. Photography / Ceremony: St. Martha Catholic Church in Houston, Texas / Reception: Ouisie’s Table in Houston, Texas / Entertainment: DJ Dave Productions / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm Couture / Bride’s Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender / Kimono Robe: Plum Pretty Sugar

When a Texas Hill Country venue this fabulous opens it’s doors, the first wedding to grace the property need be extra special. Chic and stylish to match the decor. This fabulous fête, as seen by Dustin Meyer, could not have been a more perfect match. The all-white floral design from Verbena Floral Design so perfectly compliments the French-inspired Camp Lucy. Save a little extra time this afternoon to visit the gallery, because this wedding is just THAT special!

Click here to see the full image gallery!

When Don and I first got engaged in May, we knew we did not want a long engagement, but I also knew that I was going to have to work around football season, so we ended up landing on December 17th. I am a teacher and this date was going to work out perfectly with my schedule. I had the summer to plan and winter break to spend our honeymoon.

We had already talked about venues and found the perfect venue in Camp Lucy; it had the Texas Hill Country-chic vibe that we were looking for. I had so many ideas floating in my head, and I scoured the internet, wedding magazines, and picked my best friend’s brain (she also happens to be an event planner). She gave me the best advice and put me in contact with Kristen White of Frills Consulting, an event planner in the Austin area who she had worked with in Houston. Since my mom and dad live in Houston and I live in Dallas, we decided that we needed help to pull this whole thing together in Austin. From the first meeting, I knew I loved her and I knew we had similar taste that would allow us to work together perfectly.

When I began the process, I had a slew of pictures that I had torn out of magazines. I knew I wanted all white flowers, and that I wanted chic elegance, while still embodying the beauty of the Texas Hill Country. With the help of Kristen, my best friend Christi, daily visits to Style Me Pretty and Etsy, we were able to pull the whole idea off!

Kristen directed us to our wonderful Austin area vendors. Don and I did interviews in Dallas for our stationery girls and we fell in love with the work of Daley Harris from Merry Maps, who then directed us to Frontier Paper Company. Daley, Allison, and Libby teamed up to do make an incredible suite from the save the date to the small details at the wedding, to the simple elegance of the wedding invitation itself. Each one of our vendors helped to create the perfect day for Don and me.

When December finally arrived and Don and I were ready to say “I do,” we did not have to worry about anything. All the hard work, thought, and attention to detail planned out in the months prior to the wedding really paid off. Kristen was amazing, and the day went off without a hitch. Don and I loved that every detail of the wedding was an idea or thought that came from us and was translated through Kristen, LuAnn, Dustin, or one of the many other people working on the wedding. When I first saw the brand new ballroom/barn space at Camp Lucy and how everything came together, I was blown away… we both were. The flowers went beyond my expectations and every detail played out just like I imagined. It was truly the happiest day of my life. I loved every minute of it, and I really love being a wife. It was the perfect start to our lifetime of happiness!

Photography: Dustin Meyer / Floral Design: LuAnn Dickson, Verbena Floral Design / Wedding Consulting: Kristen White, Frills Consulting / Venue: Camp Lucy / Wedding Cake: Classic Cakes by Lori / Maps: Daley Ann / Invitations: Frontier Paper Company / Marquee Rentals: Marquee Event Group / Catering + Desserts: Pink Avocado

A sweet at-home ceremony, followed by a glorious restaurant reception… oh, how we LOVE a fabulous non-traditional soiree.  And when that fab soiree is boasting a plethora of vibrant hues, a pair of sparkly blue TOMS and a darling Austin duo that could.not.be.cuter, well… we LOVE it that much more. All planned to absolute perfection by the geniuses at 36th Street Events and captured in breathtaking images by mike reed photo this, my friends, is how you start the week off in some serious style.  Click here for more.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

The couple’s main goal for their wedding was for it to be a personalized gathering that showed who they are as a couple. They decided on October 21, 2011, then later found out it was the bride’s great-grandparents’ anniversary. Austin was the only choice for location, but after searching through all of the typical venues they decided to take a different more non-traditional approach. The bride’s parents had recently begun construction on a new deck at their house, and they soon realized it was the perfect space for the ceremony. The space would not hold the entire guest list, plus they wanted to keep the ceremony small, so they decided to have an intimate ceremony with a bigger reception. Not long after the groom proposed, the couple had dinner with the bride’s family at Malaga and discovered it was the perfect place for their larger reception. It had everything all in one place and had the perfect ambiance they were trying to accomplish. At first it seemed impossible to connect the decor at Malaga and at the house, but with the help of their wedding planner and florist they were able to create a beautiful connection that worked for both places. 

The colors were the easiest part of it all. The couple’s mutual favorite color is blue, so naturally it was to be the main color for the big day. Gray is a close second therefore blue and gray became their colors. We mixed in mauve, eggplant, natural green, ivory and mustard yellow to round out the fall color palette. The colors were mostly reflected in the menus, table numbers and flowers. Linens in chocolate brown donned the tables and the decor was kept to a minimum as to not overpower the beauty of each location. Whole Foods reusable grocery totes were placed in the seats and doubled as wedding favors and place cards. The couple also wanted to create a very personalized feel with the rest of the decor, favors, photos, etc. The groom created a “brand” using the couples initials in place of a traditional monogram. The brand was used on the invitations, koozies, the groom’s cake, cocktail napkins and wedding shirts. Inspired by a photo in a magazine, the couple made a banner that hung on the door of Malaga with the wedding date and brand. Wedding photos of the couple’s grandparents and parents were on display with a canvas of the couple’s favorite engagement photo, a gift from the bride’s sister. The bride and groom wanted to send a save-the-date postcard with the Austin skyline, but couldn’t find a photo that they loved, so the groom created a sketch that was used for the save-the-date and the guestbook. 

The bride gave the groom cufflinks, made by the groom’s mother, with pennies from their birth years, the year they were engaged and the wedding year. In keeping with the colors, the bride received sparkly blue TOMS from the groom as a wedding gift, which she ended up wearing all night. The bride’s sapphire earrings and necklace were custom made by the groom’s mother, and she wore her grandmother’s bracelet.  Their rings were also handmade by the groom’s parents and sat in customized ceramic ring bowls during the ceremony.  The couple chose to have their family as their bridal party and asked them to dress in shades of gray, blue and black. After the ceremony the bride’s mother surprised the couple with a classic 50s Cadillac that drove them to the capital for photos then to the reception.

Wedding Photography: mike reed photo / Ceremony: The Bride’s Parents’ Home in Austin, Texas / Reception: Malaga Tapas & Bar in Austin, Texas / Wedding Coordination: 36th Street Events / Floral Design: Jennifer Pavlovich Designs / Officiant: Georjean Blanton / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: Paper Place / Cupcakes: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop / Cookies: Great American Cookies / Linen Rentals: Marquee Linens / Ceremony Exit Vehicle: Vintage Rides Austin Texas / Pedicabs: Metrocycle Pedicabs / Wedding Dress: 2Be Bride via Circle Park Bridal / Bride’s Belt: Blue by Enzoani via Circle Park Bridal / Bride’s Earrings: The Groom’s Mother / Bride’s Bracelet: From Her Grandmother / Bride’s Shoes: Antonio Melani + TOMS / Groom’s Cufflinks: The Groom’s Mother / Hair + Makeup: Estilo Valdez

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Love caught on camera…there’s nothing like it. Love caught on camera by Melissa Hayes around the wilds of Austin, there is definitely nothing even remotely close to that magic. And these two are like the cooler, hotter version of my hubby and I. Just hanging out reading, playing chess, grabbing a bite to eat but looking ever so stellar in the process. They are too cute and they have the images to prove it. See them all right here.

Click here for the FULL engagement session!

From the Bride-to-Be… My fiance Will and I live in Austin, but are getting married in Chicago in June. He’s a seventh generation Texan, but I grew up in Chicago. When we were trying to book a late winter engagement photo shoot with our Chicago-based wedding photographer Melissa Hayes, she mentioned she wouldn’t be opposed to traveling to sunny and 70 degree Austin for the shoot. Totally worth the expense! We got to meet and get comfortable with her, as well as take some outdoor photos that showcased the unique and funky spirit of our adopted hometown. Because Melissa had never been to Austin before, I planned everything and loved it. I scouted locations and made lists of good sites. I planned our outfit changes. I undertook the project like I was styling a magazine shoot: props, hair, makeup and accessories were all accounted for. I made an engagement photo inspiration board on pinterest. There was even a play list for the car that day while we trekked from location to location. I kept it simple for him: cowboy boots, jeans and three different shirts. Meanwhile I was hiking on a pair of pantyhose (Pippa Middleton has made those cool again, right?) in the middle of a downtown sidewalk. My red and hot pink color block ensemble with his red plaid shirt. My black and white polka dot dress with his white button down. Wearing our denim-on-denim “Texas Tuxedos” together was an obvious choice.

Many of the sites have emotional history from our dating life, while some of them were pure chance. We’ve road tripped and lived all over the country, so I brought along a highway road atlas as a prop, but who would have known that we’d stumble across a cool minty green vintage car parked on S. Congress Ave? Or that it would belong to the employee of Heritage Boot who sold us our wedding cowboy boots? We stopped by a cool Austin mural on the side of an art gallery, and after chatting with the owner (and for a small fee) were allowed into his backyard — a site previously only seen in an Anthropologie catalog. I brought along copies of the Pablo Neruda love poem books we’ve given each other as gifts over the years. It’s an inside couple joke how many Mexican blankets I collect, so I snuck some of those in as well. He put his foot down at setting up the contents of our picnic basket for a mock picnic.

We took photos in front of murals and pretty buildings. We took photos at romantic hotels in town — placed we’ve stayed or hope to stay one day. We took photos from a scenic overlook we’ve often walked or biked to to watch the sunset. We took photos of us playing chess because we like to play chess when we go on camping road trips to the beach. We were both a little nervous about so many pictures being taken of us. We obviously wanted to look good, but natural and not posed. We are so happy with how the pictures turned out! I don’t know what looks better — us or Austin? I can’t wait for Melissa to capture Chicago, our loved ones and us on the big day!

Photography: Melissa Hayes Photography / Location: Austin, Texas

The Secret Garden is really one of those classic childhood stories that has introduced so many of us to the world of romance. It was just a matter of time before some genius bride planned a perfect day around the book, and with help from Country Sugar, this bride has done it. The day is everything we could have imagined – romantic, pretty, nature-filled. The images from Al Gawlik Photography induce a giddy girlish glee in all of us here at SMP. We’re positive you’ll feel the same effect in the gallery!

Click here to see the whole wedding in the gallery!

As a girl I loved the children’s classic The Secret Garden. The theme of new life really spoke to both Chris and I, and we knew we wanted to experience this with our wedding.

We found the venue of our dreams in Camp Lucy. Tucked away in the Texas Hill Country over Onion Creek in Dripping Springs was this wonderful property. The French Colonial chapel was brought over piece by piece from Vietnam and given new life. When we were looking at pictures of the property we came across a quote from the owner Mr. Whit Hanks that sealed the deal; “Camp Lucy was created to celebrate life, family, and new beginnings, whether it’s a repurposed Amish barn originally built in the early 19th century or a French Colonial chapel from the other side of the world, giving new life and a new purpose to old buildings embodies that spirit.”

We incorporated the beautiful trees on the property into our save the dates, invitations, and programs. We found on Etsy, tree stump personalized magnets that had our initials carved into it. We put those into bags that had some of our favorite quotes from the book shredded into thin slivers of paper. For our invitations we used an image of a tree and the image of our initials carved into the tree trunk. We created programs that would help guide our guests through the ceremony.

We decided to put together our own service after meeting with Chris’ lifelong pastor. Chris grew up in a Lutheran church and I grew up in a Episcopal church. I’ve always loved the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer, and when we met with pastor he felt comfortable enough with us to let us construct the service how we wanted. As our guest arrived, they were greeted by an old mantel that Chris converted into a chalkboard. On the chalkboard were the names of our wedding party. Everyone was included even our precious golden retriever Brodie who served as our ringbearer. We were married in the French colonial chapel under a arch of grapevine with flowers suspend above us as we said our vows. It was magical.

Our reception was in the old Amish barn on the property. All of our centerpieces were objects we had found that you would see in a garden. Our amazing florist gave life to these curious finds creating beautiful floral displays in each of the pieces. We wanted each centerpiece to look as though you could have stumbled upon it in a garden. On one side of the barn we had a live magnolia tree surrounded by moss and flowers. The tree is now planted in our front yard as a constant reminder of that day. Nested among it was a basket with our favors for our guests. Our favors were little bird seed hearts you could hang in your garden. Alongside the magnolia tree was a vintage white iron garden set for our guests to sit and visit. Our guestbook sat on a table that we created from an old wooden door. We used small tree trunks to give the table more of a garden feel. Next to Chris’ Mom’s childhood copy of The Secret Garden was a puzzle hand carved in the shape of a tree that our guests wrote well wishes on On the opposite side of the gorgeous fireplace was a vintage green steamer trunk that held our gifts. An old iron greenhouse wrapped in ivy sat next to the trunk for our guests to place cards in. Another surprise for our guests was a dessert table filled with family recipes and treats from both of our families. We tried to create a whimsical atmosphere full of enchantment while we celebrated two families becoming one.

Photography: Al Gawlik Photography / Event Coordination: Country Sugar / Flowers: Casa Linda Floral / Event Design: The bride / Ceremony + Reception Location: Camp Lucy / Shoes: BHLDN / Catering: Primizie Austin / String Quartet: Divisi Strings / DJ: Altared Weddings / Cake: Classic Cakes by Lori / Rentals: Marquee Rents & Mancino Iron / Makeup: The Retreat, Lori Goode

We love weddings. A lot. And as much as we love the pretty, idyllic, personal soirees that waltz across our desk every day of the week, we love them a teeny bit more (if that’s even possible) when they have a small carbon footprint. Green is a favorite color around our parts. So when Three Apples Events decided to piece together a fabulous inspiration shoot, inspired by thrifty treasures, organic foods, and local blooms, we sweetly demanded that we be the first to see the gorgeous images from She-n-He Photography and Design. Next on the agenda? Sharing the whole thing with you!

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Margaret of Three Apples Events… The concept for this shoot, captured beautifully by She-n-He Photography, emerged while scouring Goodwill for something entirely unrelated. I was looking at the incredible finds out there and started thinking about a completely mismatched wedding assembled from unique thrift store pieces. We started amassing plates, forks, knives, glassware, etc. of all different colors, shapes and styles to create our tablescape — some traditional and some quirky (like the heart-covered red cake stand!). We even created the napkins out of a printed fabric we came across. And in the end, our mismatched pieces seemed somehow to, well, match, and we created a beautifully eclectic and colorful table. As we were collecting all of the pieces, we realized that not only was our table fun, but it was also eco-friendly in a creative way since every piece was something being reused. Since many couples take their carbon footprint into consideration these days while planning their weddings, we decided to take that concept and expand from the table throughout the whole design — we set up the photo shoot at the Barr Mansion in Austin, the nation’s only certified organic event facility. Even their cakes (like the button-covered one that they gave us for the shoot) are 100% organic. Pretty cool, right? The outfit for our casual chic bride is a second-hand Marilyn Monroe style halter dress and a pair of super-fun yellow heels that we updated with a hot glue gun and some buttons to make them match the whole design. The used shutter for the escort cards fit perfectly, and I’ve already used it again at a couple’s wedding for their escort card display! And Zinnia & Company’s super-fun, bright wildflower centerpieces were composed of flowers locally sourced in the hill country area, from the sunflowers to the purple basil blooms. We had so much fun putting together this colorful, eclectic and environmentally-friendly wedding!

Photography: She-n-He Photography and Design / Venue + Wedding Cake: Barr Mansion in Austin, Texas / Design + Coordination: Three Apples Events / Floral Design + Production: Zinnia & Company / Invitations, Table Number + Escort Cards: She-n-He Photography and Design / China, Glassware, Silverware, Escort Cards Shutter, Wedding Dress + Shoes: Various Thrift Stores

We’re used to seeing backyard weddings with a little DIY flair which we LOVE don’t get us wrong but it’s so much fun and so refreshing to see an at-home wedding done in such a glamorously modern way.   This insanely gorgeous Houston wedding boasts some of the most spectacular florals I’ve ever seen.  I love the mix of silver and white centerpieces and the bold head table surrounded by ghost chairs.  After drooling over the beautiful collection of images by Jennifer Lindberg Weddings check out the equally as heartwarming proposal story below!  Then see it all in the full gallery!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… Tripp proposed to me the way that every girl dreams of! We had a trip (planned six months in advance) to Bermuda because we knew that after Labor Day, we would not be able to escape the big city until Christmas time. The week before we left, of course, there was not one but two hurricanes headed straight for Bermuda. I could not figure out why Tripp was stressing out so much, but I would soon find out!

Despite the hurricane forecast we took off for Bermuda the Tuesday before Labor Day in 2010. We spent the next day on the beach, with a hurricane warning looming over our heads. The day was absolutely beautiful, and we didn’t see a single drop of rain. That night, Tripp wanted to venture off of our hotel property and check out the famous Coral Beach Club. A friend from home was a member, and we were able to visit as his guests. We planned to go for cocktails and a walk along the beach at sunset. Once we arrived, we were told that the main entrance to the beach was closed because there was a small British wedding just below the steps. Plan foiled … not! We found another entrance through a slightly rougher terrain, and we finally made it down to the beach. We walked the shore from end to end, trying to kill time while the wedding was wrapping up. We walked for what seemed like forever, and finally, the wedding was over. To Tripp’s disappointment, the reception began right in the spot that he’d planned to propose. We stood there for a few minutes, just watching in silence. Suddenly, in true Currie-oblivious fashion, I looked at Tripp and said “What are we doing just standing here? We should probably go get another drink and head back to the hotel for dinner.” He told me he wanted to keep walking to the other end of the beach, and so I acquiesced.

We walked past the little wedding to the very end of the beach. Tripp started making all of these really sweet comments … which was not too out of the ordinary, but I was a little surprised at the time. Then all of a sudden, he dropped down to one knee and asked me to marry him! I was in such shock — I asked him if he was serious. Of course I said YES, and then he put the most beautiful ring on my finger. When we turned around to head back to the beach club, the entire wedding had been watching our most special moment. The photographer was taking pictures! All of the British women in their little hats came running up to us for hugs and taking more pictures. We even posed with the bride and groom! One of the funniest moments of our lives and absolutely perfect! Of course after everything happened, I wanted to know how long he had been thinking about this and how he had planned everything. He admitted that he had pulled it all together in just three weeks … what a guy! Needless to say, we were the happiest people in the world and continue to be so happy as we begin our married life together!

Wedding Photography: Jennifer Lindberg Weddings / Ceremony: Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas / Reception: The Bride’s Family Home in Houston, Texas / Floral Design: Mark Miller of Stems Custom Floral / Wedding Planning: Bobbi Asarch / Catering: A Fare Extraordinaire / Wedding Invitations: Ann Werme Stationers (713-339-4511) / Tenting: Derek Widis of SPF Event Resources (281-256-8656) / Lighting: Malcolm Hackney of Bright Star Productions / Specialty Tables + Linens: Elizabeth Swift of Swift + Company / Specialty Wooden Dining Table: Events in Bloom / Band: Big Swing & The Ballroom Blasters / Butt Sketch Artists: Krandel of The Original Butt Sketch / Cigar Roller: Leonard of Hight Cigar / Wedding Dress: Saks Fifth Avenue / Hair: Greg of Christiane’s (713-780-2412) / Makeup: Ryan Thomas

We can’t think of a more thoughtful interpretation of Vintage glamour. From getting ready with her maids while watching Father of the Bride (total movie perfection) to all of the lovely DIY elements tucked away into the day. We’re talking homemade cookies, hot cocoa favors, lovely little owl trinkets that pay homage to the Bride’s grandmother and a million other gorgeous details all captured by The Nichols. Not only is this wedding beautiful but it has a whole lot of heart. That’s our favorite detail of all. See the full day right here.

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Stephanie + Brett’s San Antonio Wedding Short Film from The Wedding Theater on Vimeo.

From the Bride… Being a professed SMP follower for the past few years, I already had a wedding portfolio full of photos of my dream day. After Brett and I got engaged, I shared my vision with him, and we collaborated to make it our perfect day. With our “vintage glamour” vision in mind, we set out to find the perfect vendors for each aspect of our wedding day. We wanted a celebration that would not be forgotten and wonderful pictures to relive it through for years to come. My mom has always wished that she had better wedding photos, and because of this, I knew this was where I needed to begin. I found the Nichols on SMP and immediately knew that they were the right fit for us. Our next order of business was to find a band that would make our wedding an unforgettable party. We found the Ice House Band online and knew that they would pull everything together for us.

Our wedding day was an absolute dream come true. My girls and I began the day getting ready at my house while watching Father of the Bride and just enjoying each other’s company. This was such a sweet time for me to spend with my closest friends. But, I have to admit, my most favorite moment of our day was our “first look” session before the wedding took place. It was such an intimate moment to see my groom and to have some time to whisper sweet nothings to each other. I highly recommend this time for any brides who are considering when to take photos! From photos, we moved to the church for the ceremony to take place. Our close family friend presided over our ceremony, which made it so very special for us.

Our reception was a “vintage glamour” feel with DIY elements incorporated through out the design. Brett and I both love cookies, so of course we had to have our “Love is Sweet” cookie table. Family and friends provided cookies, which I thought was a perfect DIY to include everyone who offered to help on the wedding day. I made the guest favors, hot chocolate cones, and ordered the cute tags off of Etsy. My sister and I made the table numbers (I have a slight obsession with glass glitter!) and my wonderful stationery company that created our programs and place cards designed a background for me to put the table numbers on. I also incorporated little owl ornaments into many of our flower arrangements as my late grandmother collected little owl trinkets. So many guests commented on how cute the owls looked peeping through the flowers and I loved knowing that my grandmother was a part of our day. Though I knew the vision for my wedding day, I have to give so much credit to my floral designer, Steven Pizzini, and my wedding planner, Melody Agee, for making my vision come to life. They did such an incredible job and I am so thankful that Brett and I were able to have the wedding of our dreams!

Wedding Photography: The Nichols / Wedding Venue: Southwest School of Art / Floral Design: Steven Pizzini of Pizzini Designs / Wedding Coordination: Melody Agee of San Antonio Wedding & Event Consultants / Wedding Cinematography: The Wedding Theater / Catering: Absolutely Delicious Catering / Band: Ice House Band / Save-the-Dates: Half-Orange Photography / Wedding Invitations: Laura Vandergriff of By Invitation Only / Wedding Dress: Customized Monique Lhuillier via Julian Gold / Bride’s Belt: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bill Levkoff via Houston Bridal Gallery

Tea parties seem to forever have a place in my heart. They are deep-rooted in my party loving soul, and that might just be because a tea party was the first soiree I ever hosted. Granted I was all of four and the guest of honor were my Grandmother and Mother, but there is something timeless and fabulously fancy about sipping tea and devouring tiny sandwiches in style. Sherry Hammonds Photography is serving up just a party by way of this pretty little shoot, and it’s full of all the things that make tea parties stand the test of time and then some! See it all here!

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Sherry of Sherry Hammonds Photography… This photo shoot was a collaboration between a number of very talented women in Austin, Texas. I like to do a few projects like these every year to explore new options and have a chance to look at the same idea in a different way. I feel this helps me when I shoot real brides. The reason why we wanted to do this shoot was to highlight everyone’s talent. We wanted to give brides an idea of what they can do with their bridal session and/or bridal showers. That they do not have to stick to the traditional but can make it unique and their own … and of course, we wanted to have fun!

Everyone involved in this shoot has a very distinct style and offers something unique. The gowns are a showcase of some of the new gowns and accessories provided by one of Austin’s bridal boutiques where they specialize in providing something a little extra than your usual bridal gown. Green Alley Salon provided the hair and makeup. They are a green salon — trying to reduce their carbon footprint by using products that are friendly to the environment. They even use up-cycled furniture and decor. Unexpected Elements provided the flowers for the shoot. They not only offer beautiful flowers and event design but also custom props and decor. The tea party staging, decorations, props and food are from Sophie Parrott, owner of ‘The Marvelous Vintage Tea Party Company’. Sophie is from England, and she purchases most of her china and decor directly from there. Her items are unique and authentic, as is each party — a real treat to work with. She not only provides decor, music and even vintage hostesses but will bring traditional goodies and treats for her clients to enjoy during each unique event.

Photography: Sherry Hammonds Photography / Location: A Field in Austin, Texas / Floral Design: unexpected elements / Styling + Accessories: Unbridaled / Props: Sophie Parrott of The Marvelous Vintage Tea Party Co. / Macaroons, Sugar Cookies + Cake Pops: Polkadots Cupcake Factory / Hair + Makeup: Green Alley Salon / Models: Alli Wilkinson, Kelsie Ryan Van Dusen + Ellie Willis

This Marble Falls wedding by Two Times Photography is one of those youthful, sweet celebrations that is sure to put a giant smile on your face.  The bright, cheerful colors and patterns are the perfect way to get us ready for spring and the adorable couple make our hearts sing.  The fact that they did pretty much everything themselves and incorporated so much heart into each detail just makes us love them more!  See it all in the full gallery!

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From the Bride… Matt and I wanted to create a natural, outdoor feel with bright, colorful accents for our summer wedding. Matt loved the freedom of wearing a linen suit and going barefoot by the lake. I loved playing with colors and patterns with our bridesmaid dresses and table settings. I picked our main colors primarily based on my favorite flower, the sunflower! Our wedding was at the Lakeside Pavilion in Marble Falls, Texas. Since it was June and hot, we started at 7 p.m. and provided handmade program fans. We had so many great friends and family all help out that day in preparation for the wedding since we did set up everything on our own. Thankfully there was just enough of a breeze to cool off our guests during the ceremony, which overlooked the lake. We had musical friends play and sing during the ceremony, and my dad was the officiant. It felt so special and personal to have so many loved ones involved. We chose to do a sand ceremony and also participated in a worship song as our first act as man and wife. All our bridesmaids picked their own fabric patterns for their dresses, which were handmade vintage tea dresses from the Etsy shop Sohomode. Our ring bearers wore suspenders and bow ties, which were handmade by my sister, owner of the Etsy shop The Green Crayon. Since our ring bearers were two years old and younger, we had them carry their favorite stuffed animals, which also had their own matching handmade bow ties, with them. Our flower girl wore a white sundress and carried her petals in a yellow painted watering can. All in the ceremony were barefoot.

We were on an incredibly tight budget, so we did everything we could and stayed true to our down-to-earth personalities. We made own our photo booth with a colorful sheet, dollar store props and an old family trunk. The groom’s cake was actually “groom’s pies” that his grandmother made herself. We also made the stands that the pies were on by gluing candlesticks to some plates. For the tables, we covered them in butcher paper, which doubled as entertainment for kids with crayons, as well as space for guests to write us messages. We added some swatches of lace and filled different-colored vases (collected from thrift stores) with flowers. I hand-painted our name sign and also created our sign-in sunflower, which people signed the petals of. For the dance floor, we made string lanterns of all shapes and sizes and incorporated the mason jars and candles that lined our aisle during the ceremony. Other fun decorations were fabric banners, a heritage table, and our favors were sunflower seeds.

I loved having an anniversary dance instead of a bouquet toss. Our DJ did an amazing job singing, “When I’m Sixty-Four,” and everyone had a great time. It was also really special to honor the longest married couple in attendance. I also loved using the gold heart balloons for our send-off and seeing them fly up as we left. The groom’s favorite part was waiting to see me until I walked down the aisle. To this day, he never regrets saving that special moment for our ceremony. Our wonderful photographers quickly incorporated our couples session between the ceremony and reception.

Wedding Photography: Two Times Photography / Wedding Venue: Lakeside Pavilion in Marble Falls, Texas / Flowers: Purchased from H-E-B + Arranged by the Bride / Catering: River City Grill / DJ: Mark Klentzmen of Klentzmen Entertainment / Fabric Banners + Bow Ties: The Green Crayon (Owned by the Bride’s Sister) / Groom’s Pies: The Groom’s Grandmother / Name Sign + Sign-In Sunflower: DIY by the Bride / Program Fans: DIY / Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo / Bride’s Headband: Anthropologie / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Sohomode

I have to just say that Bri of BLUE LOTUS may be my newest florist obsession.  I am dying over the gorgeous arrangements she created for this Dallas soiree.  The mix of blue, peach, blush and white blossoms are the perfect blend of wild and elegant and the perfect match for this romantic, DIY affair.  Through photos by Sara & Rocky, it is truly a work of art.  You just have to go to the full gallery to see it all!

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And if you thought their wedding was beautiful you have to see their engagement that Sara & Rocky captured as well!  I was in tears literally within 15 seconds and the waterworks did not stop through the entire thing!

For the big day, Andrew Miller Design worked his magic behind the camera!

From the Bride… When Ben and I first met, I would definitely say the roles were reversed, and I pursued him … hard. I had seen him playing in the worship band at a new church I started to attend, and knew right then and there that he was the man I wanted to marry. After several persistent months of chasing, our relationship finally took off. When he did propose, I thought I would be able to tell it was coming and read him like a book, but I was wrong. He totally had me fooled and it was perfect. He proposed to me in an old barn that is the home of House of Hargrove, a little antique and furniture store that we have been visiting for months. Going antiquing is a fun hobby of ours and the way he arranged the barn to be open just for him to be able to propose inside was so sweet.

So of course, as soon as we got engaged, I kicked it in to high gear. Because I had been addicted to wedding blogs for quite some time, I knew exactly what I wanted. Since Sara & Rocky Garza of Sara & Rocky Photography, are some of our best friends, we of course knew we wanted them to document our day. Our cinematographer was another close friend of ours, and he did a magnificent job producing my absolute favorite part of any wedding, the video trailer. I already had a small list of florists in the area I was considering, but after meeting Bri with Blue Lotus, the chemistry was right. I knew she would be able to bring alive my vision of bringing the outdoors inside. She used succulents, ferns, and brass and wood vessels. My bouquet even turned out to be exactly what I wanted and more. The tables were simple with small lace table toppers and handmade table numbers. The escort cards were all done by me as well and hung on super cute screen doors I found from Rent My Dust. The DJ, Aaron Kannowski with Uptown Sound, is such a great guy! I have worked with him on another wedding, and I knew I wanted to use him. He goes above and beyond for his clients.

My dress was the Adela by Pronovias. When I first started shopping, I thought I knew the exact dress I wanted but was so wrong. I ended up visiting six different bridal stores and trying on at least 30 dresses. We ended up at the Bridal Boutique in Lewisville where I fell in love with my dress immediately. I saw a sash I absolutely loved but couldn’t afford, so I ended up making it myself and must say, I think I did a fabulous job! My shoes were from DSW. I wanted something dramatic but since I wasn’t using much color in the wedding, I went for a huge bow instead. I had all the girls pick their own dresses from wherever they wanted in a cream/blush color. I know how it can be to not feel comfortable in a bridesmaids dress so I wanted my girls to be able to be themselves and wear something to their personality. The boys I wanted all different. They each found their own gray pants and vest, purposefully mismatching. Ben wanted to still wear a suit so we found a unique one from Zara and the perfect bow tie. He felt very studly! The entire day went by so fast but it was exactly what I imaged. I had the best team a girl could ask for and an even better husband whom I adore!

Wedding Photography: Sara & Rocky / Ceremony: Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas / Reception: The Room on Main in Dallas, Texas / Floral Design: Bri of BLUE LOTUS / Wedding Coordination: After Yes / Wedding Cinematography: Andrew Miller Design / Proposal Cinematography: Sara & Rocky / Wedding Cake: Tina Woodbridge / Wedding Invitation + Programs: Yay Invites / Letter Press: Elefant Press / Rentals: Rent My Dust Vintage Rentals / DJ: Aaron Kanowski of Uptown Sound / Other Decor: BHLDN / Succulent Favors: SucculentDESIGNS / Wedding Dress: Pronovias “Adela” / Bride’s Sash: DIY by the Bride / Bride’s Shoes: DSW / Bride’s Veil: Fine & Fleurie / Hair: Amy Jo McKinley / Bride’s Robe: Plum Pretty Sugar / Groom’s Suit: Zara / Groom’s Shoes: DSW

Be still my wild heart!  This Austin wedding by Hyde Park Photography packs a pretty punch and is just bursting with so many personal touches that are sure to make you swoon.  The details are not your standard fare but rather incorporate a lovely, organic feel with wildflowers, herbs, fruit and topiaries overflowing from every corner and table.  See each one in the full gallery!

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Brian and Alexandra celebrated their wedding with a unique combination of their home states, Connecticut and Texas. The ceremony took place in the hill country in Austin, with items brought from home spread throughout the decor. Connecticut vintage lace was placed on hay bales, vintage doors were used for place cards, and vintage cans and soda crates from each area were used throughout. The combination of food was fun and refreshing: fried chicken, grits with various toppings and Brian’s grandmothers strawberry rhubarb pie. Alexandra chose to forgo the elaborate wedding cake and chose a selection of pies instead, which didn’t last long. And what’s a Connecticut wedding without a Labrador? The couple’s black lab, Shea, proudly walked the aisle as the stand-in flower girl. The oohs and aahs made her day. The bridesmaids chose their own white dresses, and the results made everyone happy and comfortable. The ceremony incorporated friends and family — Brian’s close friend played banjo, another friend performed the ceremony, and family did the readings. The flowers were not standard issue, rather leaning towards natural and organic with fruit, herbs, topiaries and wreaths. The wedding uniquely combined both backgrounds of the bride and groom into one fun and beautiful evening.

Wedding Photography: Hyde Park Photography / Wedding Venue: University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas / Floral Design: Merveille Events / Event Planning: Keely Thorne Events / Wedding Cinematography: Crescent Video / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang “Emmeline” / Veil: Vera Wang / Cowboy Boots: Vintage

I may have squealed like a little girl when I first laid eyes on this ranch wedding by Half Orange Photography.  OK, there may have been a few shrieks of glee.  But can you blame me?  The flowers!  The lace details!  I’m just crazy about the whole soiree! Scrolling through the gallery is like floating on a little cloud of rustic wedding perfection.  You really won’t want to miss a single inspiring detail so head over there right now!

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From the Bride… When Rene and I got engaged, we soon found that we had two very different opinions of the perfect wedding. I wanted something small, personal, and sweet, while he wanted a huge party. We met somewhere in the middle and our wedding turned out to be a perfect combination of the two. We both love the Texas Hill Country and knew we couldn’t get married anywhere else. Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs was the perfect fit for us: gorgeous views, rustic surroundings and tons of tiny details. They have an outdoor ceremony site overlooking miles of Hill Country, a stunning reception venue, a biergarten with fire pits for socializing and adorable lodges for guests to stay the night. We were sold.

Rene and I agreed that we did not want the day to feel formal or stuffy, so we worked to make it rustic and beautiful with tons of personal touches. To make it comfortable and personable, I wanted to decorate with antiques, family heirlooms and quirky treasures that were all in some way special to us and our families. My mother was the workhorse of our collecting and began to sift through (what felt like) every antique shop in Texas, collecting old lace, tablecloths, doilies, jars, doorknobs, lanterns, books and anything she could get her hands on. I wanted the tables to all look different but be completely covered in old, beautiful things. I probably took on too many projects for the wedding, but I wanted every single detail to be done by hand. I made the table numbers and page parcels out of old discolored book pages, the burlap signs, the place cards, the thank-you notes, menu displays and more. With help from a few friends and family, we were able to set up everything the day before so that it was exactly how we envisioned it. It was so much fun!

The wedding day was December 30, and we were expecting cold drizzly weather for an outdoor ceremony with no contingency plan. Last minute, we arranged for outdoor heaters to be set up and put together a table piled with antique quilts and warm wassail for guests to grab on their way in. We had the fire pits lit, ready to warm our guests with some hot chocolate and s’mores. As luck would have it, December 30 came and we laughed at how blessed we were to have 75 degree weather with the most gorgeous light we had ever seen. It was perfect. The ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt, and the reception was the most fun celebration, thanks to our amazing band who fed off of the party. Everything went seamlessly and we enjoyed every second of day. After we left the reception, we wanted our friends to continue the celebration. We rented out the Vista West Ranch lodging and loaded the refrigerators with food, alcohol and goodies so they could continue the party late into the night (how many venues allow you to do that?). Later we found out that the caterer and bartender even brought over all leftover food and alcohol to the lodges to be finished off by our friends! At the end of the day we were so blessed to have exactly what we both wanted, to make it out of wedding planning alive, and to finally be married! If I could give any advice to future brides, it would be to take a deep breath and roll with the punches. A wedding is not worth bickering with loved ones or losing sleep over. Although it doesn’t feel like it, everything eventually falls into place. You are fortunate enough to have found your better half, and no matter what kind of flowers or silverware you have, at the end of the night you will be married!

Wedding Photography: Half Orange Photography / Wedding Venue: Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas / Floral Design: Petal Pushers + H-E-B Blooms / Wedding Cake: Sweet Traditions (210-654-6122) / Wedding Invitations: The White Aisle / Lighting: Filo Designs / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Watters + Wtoo

Don’t you just ADORE bridal sessions?!?  Yep, me, too.  There’s just something about donning your wedding day attire PRIOR to the big day for an afternoon of glamour that never fails to send my heart into overdrive – and this darling Victoria shoot is all kinds of fabulous, with an uber-stunning bride and two breathtaking locations leading the way.  Korie Lynn Photography captured all of the pretty images and, my oh my, does it make for one fine way to spend a Wednesday.  Click here for more.

Click here for the FULL photo session!

From Korie Lynn of Korie Lynn Photography… For Lauren’s bridal session, we ventured into downtown Victoria, Texas, to highlight the area since she lives there. Wouldn’t you know, there was a gorgeously lit, antique furniture-stocked wine bar just calling our names for her bridals! The 77901 Wine & Spirits Bar couldn’t have been a more perfect setting, plus we had the place to ourselves! They didn’t open for business until later in the evening, so they let us have free run of the place. Win-win! The entire storefront was composed of floor-to-ceiling windows, just flooding the place with yummy light! And then add all that killer furniture to work with aaaaand a lovely bride! Heaven.

Lauren was ready for the vintage setting the wine bar provided, and added her own flair to the shoot: lace gloves, layered pearls, a cute compact mirror and red lipstick. Then there was her custom-altered Pronovias gown. The gown was a mermaid shape with a sheer lace overlay that was originally permanently attached. However, Lauren had it altered so she could wear the same gown two different ways for her bridals and the wedding day! The first way is with the sheer overlay, and the second way (for the reception) was having the overlay removed. She had some crystal trim beading added to the overlay where it attaches to the gown under the right bust line. The crystal added a finishing touch and a little more sparkle to the gown. Such a clever way to work your wedding dress!

Our second location for her bridals was the Raisin L Ranch, where Lauren would be getting married. Since she was getting married out at the ranch, we wanted to go there for sentimental value alone. 

Photography: Korie Lynn Photography / Location: 77901 Wine & Spirits + Raisin L Ranch, Both in Victoria, Texas / Wedding Dress: Pronovias (With Modifications) / Heels: Badgley Mischka / Flats: Tahari

Texas, you are just kicking some serious butt in the dreamy wedding department!  We’ve seen a lot of really beautiful barn bashes recently and this Hofmann Ranch wedding by Ivy Weddings definitely takes the cake. It is rustic romance to the highest possible power with the prettiest of brides, a blush and ivory palette and so many sweet, steal-worthy details.  See them all here in the full gallery!

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From the Bride… Jeison and I met through mutual friends in college. We got to know each other while working in the same building. Every time Jeison would come into the building while I was working, he would throw acorns at me — I would never know where they were coming from. When he finally asked me out, he had carved out an acorn and wrote “Homecoming?” inside with letters cut out from a magazine.

Jeison is from Guatemala and is an aspiring doctor. He is currently working in the E.R. as a scribe and working on getting into medical school. I am from Castroville, Texas, and I am currently a second grade teacher. We both attend church and love being outdoors when the weather is not too hot or cold.

For our wedding, first of all we knew we wanted God to be glorified throughout the entire event. As far as the look and feel of the wedding, I think it went exactly how we imagined. We were going for a vintage, country feel with plenty of girly touches from me. :) It was really important to incorporate family traditions as well.

Wedding Photography: Ivy Weddings / Ceremony: First Baptist Church Castroville in Castroville, Texas / Reception: The Grande Hall at the Hofmann Ranch in Castroville, Texas / Floral Design: Kim DeCock, Katie DeCock, Kelly Bujnoch +  Zac Bujnoch, Family Members / Catering: Castroville Cafe / Wedding Cakes: Haby’s Bakery, The Bride’s Grandparents’ Bakery / MC + DJ: Clayton Tschirhart + Jose Zapata / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee via Circle Park Bridal Boutique / Bride’s Locket: Her Grandmother / Bride’s Bracelet: Her Great-Grandmother / Bride’s Earrings: Frocks Boutique (972-661-3399) / Bride’s Hair Flowers: JMG Jewel Design / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Bridal Portraits Hair + Makeup: Toni & Guy for M.A.C. / Wedding Day Hair + Makeup: Michelle Ferren of Salons by JC / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: MNG by Mango / Men’s Suits: Calvin Klein

This Hill Country wedding by Anne Marie Photography is vintage, rustic chic to the max!  The details, oh the details, are so crazy gorgeous it’s unbelievable!  I’m talking funky, antique furniture, lace runners, gilded china and flowers galore.  It is a vintage lovers dream!  See it all in the full gallery!

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We couldn’t sign off without sharing the amazing video by Elite Video Productions!

From the Bride… Jeff and I wanted our wedding to reflect us and to be something unique and fun for all of our friends and family. Shortly after we got engaged, we decided to choose Kerrville, Texas, for our wedding destination because this hill country town means so much to us. My family has a ranch house in Kerrville, and for the past five years we have been visiting together with our best friends. Living and working full-time in Houston, we knew it would be a challenge planning our wedding out of town, but luckily we found our brilliant event designer, Tricia Hamil, to take our vision and bring it to life to create our dream wedding day. In looking for a reception venue in Kerrville, we knew we wanted something tented, outdoors and in an open area under the stars. My dad and step-mom were married at Riverhill Country Club in 2007, and as soon as we walked onto the property we knew this was where we had to have our reception too. I told Tricia the look we were going for was hill country-chic, and I have always loved vintage style and knew we had to incorporate that into our big day too. Tricia worked with me on every detail, including picking our exquisite flowers, farmhouse wooden tables and the menu that reflected us and our favorite foods: sushi and fried pickles! She pulled incredible vintage furniture and small detailed pieces together to create a beautiful cocktail hour complete with a Texas country band and created an amazingly chic and gorgeous space in our clear tent for the reception.

Our ceremony was a traditional Catholic mass at the lovely Notre Dame Catholic Church located on historic Main Street in Kerrville. This church was built in the early 1900s, and the wooden beams and stained-glass windows created a perfect setting for our ceremony. We were also very blessed to find Traci and Kellie with Anne Marie Photography and Sam and Lisa Blanco with Elite Cinematic Productions who both captured our day so well! Having all of our family and friends together in one room to celebrate with us was an unbelievable feeling I can’t even describe. Everyone celebrated and danced into the late hours of the night, and Jeff and I couldn’t have been happier with how perfectly blissful our day was.

Wedding Photography: Anne Marie Photography / Ceremony: Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, Texas / Reception: Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville, Texas / Floral + Event Design: Tricia Hamil of Viridian Design Studio / Cinematography: Elite Video Productions / Wedding Cakes: Sophie’s Choice Bakery / Wedding Invitations: Katie Pinson / Rentals + Tent: Marquee Tents / Wedding Dress: Christos / Vintage Rentals: Loot Vintage Rentals