Texas Weddings

Holy cuteness! Get ready for a parade of be-yond cute little ones lined up in a row. I want to pinch each of their cute little yellow-wearing cheeks. Even with the cuteness overload from the very proud flower girls and “bubble boys” (ok, that’s adorable), they still don’t steal the show from this stylish bride and groom. Because this duo naturally has that sort of style and spunk that sets them apart from the rest. Francis Joseph Photography made sure all the spunkiness, adorableness and cuteness was captured in a perfect way, and you can see it all in the full gallery of images!

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From the Bride…The words I would use to describe how I wanted the wedding to be are summery, natural, beautiful, casual but still classy, vintage touches, family-oriented, personal, and fun. We used Abby Diagle as the florist/decorator and the main flowers were purple basil, soft colored succulents, yellow orchids and spray roses, and light green hydrangeas. I wanted the colors to be in the flowers and not forced on the clothing, so the girls wore champagne colored dresses and the boys wore wheat colored suits with eggplant ties (bubble boys wore yellow bow ties); the flower girls wore light yellow.

The venue was The Barr Mansion (ceremony on the grounds and reception in their barn turned ballroom), and they provided the all of the food and the cake- all organic as the venue is actually certified organic, and all of the wait staff, bartenders, and all other accommodations. The cake was lemon with raspberry cream filling. The beer varieties were home-brewed by my brother-in-law Brenden Stubblefield, owner of Texas Brewing Inc. The most popular beer variety was a hefeweizen that he infused with raspberries. The liquor was bought at Specs.

Hyde Park Strings provided a string quartet for the ceremony and Penguin DJ’s provided music for the reception. I bought my dress at Unbridaled, the girls got theirs at David’s Bridal, and the boys got their suits at J.Crew. Since the ceremony was outside during the summer, my mom provided fans for the guests. The guestbook was found by one of my bridesmaids at an antique store, and she “reinvented” it by adding pictures and fixing it up. Also, she found the brooch turned hair piece for my hair at an antique store. I wanted to honor my passed grandparents by having their wedding photos out by the guestbook as well. Our reverend was Sara DeShong Baker, a very close friend of ours that got ordained just for our wedding. She did such an amazing job, that she is being asked to do more! We wrote our own vows and Sara kept the ceremony very personal to me and Derek.

The ring pillow was made by Derek’s mom. For gifts, we potted succulents into mini pots, ribboned them, and drew our “symbol” – an S and D in the shape of a heart that we both got tattooed on our arms during our first year together on the pots. Our “symbol” was also on the groom’s cake and on the invitations. Our photographer was our friend Francis Joseph Cruzada of Francis Joseph Photography who I have known since I was little. Our hair was done at Frenchy’s salon by our friend Kallie Simms.

Venue: Barr Mansion / Floral: Stems Floral Design / Scrumptious Home-Brewed Beer: Texas Brewing Inc. / String Quartet: Hyde Park Strings / DJ: Penguin Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Unbridaled / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Hair + Make-up: Frenchy’s Beauty Parlor / Wedding Photographer: Francis Joseph Photography

Oh how I love this charming, DIY San Antonio wedding! The flowers are so bright and pretty they almost seem as if they are jumping for joy and why wouldn’t they? This wedding is just that adorable. Captured beautifully by Elissa R. Photography, this wedding was certainly a lobor of love with the groom writing the vows, a close friend officiating, and the bride and her sister handcrafting the seating chart complete with little paintings of Texas wildflowers instead of numbers. Totally brilliant! See that and so much more in the full gallery!

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From the Bride…The inspiration for our wedding was our hometown of San Antonio, Texas. We love it and really wanted to highlight its charm and beauty, especially for our many out-of-town guests. Showcasing San Antonio started with our venue, the gorgeous Southwest School of Art and Craft, located on the River Walk. Founded as a convent in 1851, the school’s chapel features gleaming hardwood floors, Texas limestone walls, and Spanish-style wrought iron chandeliers.

Our cocktail hour, which took place in the school’s garden overlooking the San Antonio River, featured San Antonio-inspired food and drink. Guests sipped sangria and pineapple aguas frescas and ate savory empanadas, jalapeno chicken with chimichurri sauce, and tequila shrimp shooters. When they came back inside for dinner, a host of Mexican street foods awaited them, including gorditas, pork tacos, and quesadillas. It was also important for us to incorporate our own talents, as well as those of our family and friends, a decision that made our day more personal and that helped us save money.

Jared wrote our ceremony and vows and we created our 80s-centric playlist together. A family friend and I did the calligraphy for the invitations. My artistic twin sister/Maid of Honor Sam designed our invitations from an inspiration board that I created.  Instead of using numbers for our table assignments, Sam hand painted a variety of Texas wildflowers to lead guests to their seats, and we built our seating chart together using fabric and corkboard. We decorated our cake table with photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days that we printed and framed ourselves. Our good friend from college served as our officiant and my stepdad’s brother played the violin during the ceremony.

All of these choices helped us create a wedding that was uniquely us. It was full of beautiful details, love, and we had a ton of fun dancing the night away. It was a wonderful way to begin our new life together.

Wedding Photography: Elissa R. Photography / Floral Design: Uptown Flowers / Event Design: The Bride + Groom / Ceremony + Reception Location: Southwest School of Art and Craft / Wedding Invitations: Samantha Fisk (twin sister of the bride) / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Wedding Dress: Allure via Mayfair Bridal / Reception Dress: Nordstrom / Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss / Rentals: San Antonio Rentals and Party Planning / Hair: Erin Jackson of  Emali Lane Salon/ Make-up: Yvette Rosenstein / Wedding Cake: Cathy Young / Catering: True Flavors / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Ceremony Music: Sam Barnett / Ceremony Coordinator: Krystle McCollough / DJ: Music Connection

I absolutely adore a vineyard wedding.  And a vineyard wedding in Texas, well, I doubly adore that. So, as you can imagine, this Delaney Vineyards wedding has me smiling from ear to ear.  And it’s not just the setting that has captured my heart.  No, I am also loving (in no particular awesome order) those gorgeous bright yellow bouquets by The Gala Guru, the uber-charming windowpane menus and those sweet as can be lantern centerpieces.  And let’s not forget the fashion designer bride, who handmade everything from her veil to the flowers on her dress.  Love. It.  Lucky for us, Taylor Lord Photography was there to capture all of the amazing details, so join me in the gallery for every last stunning image!

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From Taylor Lord Photography… Lindsey and Quinn dated for five years before tying the knot in Dallas, TX and then immediately moving to NYC! Lindsey was a fashion design major and handmade her amazing veil, flowers on her dress, and hairpiece for the reception! She bought vintage brooches from antique stores to create the center of the flowers. The shot of her by her dress is when she sewed on the final flower.

Lindsey went to school in Waco, and had Common Grounds (her favorite coffee shop there) catered just for the wedding! Her mom handmade all the bridesmaids’ and house party necklaces using vintage brooches as well. Lindsey’s family is German and her grandmother led a traditional wedding march during the reception after dinner.

Wedding Photography: Taylor Lord Photography / Wedding Ceremony Location: Robert Carr Chapel / Wedding Reception Location: Delaney Vineyards / Bride’s Cake: Hot Chocolates / Groom’s Cake: Swiss Pastry Shop / Flowers: The Gala Guru (pam_hill2005@yahoo.com) / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Hair: April Lloyd, Sean Lauren 2 Salon / Wedding Invitations + Programs: Ethicus Resources

I simply love a bride and groom who are not afraid to use color and have a little fun on their big day. And this gorgeous Waxahachie couple, well, their wedding was all kinds of colorful and all kinds of fun and, oh boy, do I wish I had been on that guest list.  All designed and planned by the amazing Mother of the Bride, I have been lost in these stunning images by Matthew Moore Photography all day long. From the bright orange and hot pink candle holders to the colorful bouquets by Happily Ever Flowers and every DIY project in between, this wedding is fab.u.lous and then some.  Join me in the gallery for SO MUCH MORE!

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From the Bride… Justin and I are both Texas Aggies and met through mutual friends during our time in college. It was love right from the start and neither of us ever had any doubt that we wouldn’t be looking at each other in rocking chairs 50 years from now, God willing. Justin proposed the semester before he graduated and it was just like a fairy tale. All of our family and friends were gathered together as Justin drove up on a white horse and carriage. I was completely surprised and of course said “YES.”  And from that day forward it was a race to the altar.

The brains behind the entire operation, my mother, the most incredible person I know and of course poor dad footing all the bills. Though we had lots of help from family and friends, my mom was by my side helping me make decorations until all hours of the morning, and made sure that I didn’t go completely insane throughout the days leading up to the wedding. Our wedding took place on May 28th 2011 in Waxahachie, Texas at the beautiful Central Presbyterian Church. Our reception was only blocks away in a loft in the old downtown area. With 300 plus of our closest family and friends we had the time of our lives, and could not feel more blessed to be at the place we are in our journey.

Wedding Photography: Matthew Moore Photography / Flowers: Happily Ever Flowers / Event Design + Planning: Mother of the Bride / Wedding Ceremony Location: Central Presbyterian Church / Wedding Reception Location: Loft, Downtown Waxahachie / Hair: Katie Anderson- Moore of Luxe Salon / Wedding Dress: Emma’s Bridal Boutique

There is something to be said for a totally classic, all white wedding and that something is GORGEOUS. Loads of white flowers, a venue draped in chandeliers, bridesmaids in pretty black dresses – it’s a no fail combo and one that Bella Flora of Dallas does so, so well. Add to that, one breath-taking image after another from Stacy Reeves and we’re in wedding heaven. Don’t forget to stop by the gallery for more from this fab fête!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Bella Flora of Dallas…Lisa and Jason exchanged “I Dos” on Lisa’s mom and step father’s gorgeous ranch in Aubrey, Texas. Lisa and Jason wanted to bring in rustic, but glamorous touches to transform the country ranch into a vintage-chic wedding. The ceremony was held in the backyard under a canopy of crystal chandeliers and suspended candlelight. Lisa walked down the rose-covered aisle to a string quartet playing the classic love song, “The Way You Look Tonight”. Guests were given escort cards with vintage broaches and cuff links that Lisa and her mom had collected throughout the wedding planning process. The ranch driveway was transformed into a grand reception complete with a giant white tent and rustic wooden tables. A sparkling crystal chandelier was hung in the center of the tent along with white draping for a grand focal piece. Overflowing white floral centerpieces with birch and natural accents were placed down the long tables  for an elegant, yet vintage look.

Jason and Lisa’s laid-back attitudes and close-knit group of friends were evident throughout the night. Their good friend from California spun the tunes as guests boogied on the dance floor. I love the shots of Jason and Lisa in the ceremony area for a little private time after dinner—they are so sweet! Lisa did a great job of incorporating her family into the ceremony—her mom was the officiant, her youngest son was the adorable ring bearer, and her oldest walked her down the aisle. They also added a unique aspect to the wedding with the rock ceremony. As guests entered the ceremony, they took a rock and wrote a wish for Lisa and Jason. All the rocks were collected in a vintage chest after the recessional. Guests also sipped on “Lisa-tinis” throughout the night that included personalized “Lisa-tini” stir sticks and Lisa’s favorite cocktail. Displayed on a vintage chest Lisa’s mom refurbished were fun pashminas for guests to enjoy as the night got cooler. This wedding was so unique and personalized, and I Ioved being a part of it!

Wedding Photography: Stacy Reeves- The Wedding Photographer / Event + Floral Design, Planning: Bella Flora of Dallas / Ceremony + Reception Location: Winterhaven Ranch

I am SO in love with every. single. element of this wedding. It has seriously brought a big, fat smile to my face and I’m pretty sure it will remain here for the entire day. This is just the sweetest DIY I’ve seen in quite some time. The bride and her friends put together such a fun day and I can’t help but wish I was there. Oh, and the bride? She’s drop dead gorgeous in her tea length dress and bright, red lipstick. Lucky for us the talents of Nine Photography were there to capture all the pretty details and there’s so much more in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I adore the soft, romantic-garden, Leave-it-to-Beaver-esque segment of the 1950’s era and everything about it, so I decided to go that route.  Tea length dresses, bright red lips, old-fashioned candy, large pink roses, birdhouses, a white picket fence, milkglass, and ice cream hues of pinks, blues, turquoise, and green woven in and out of anything possible.  Weeks before the wedding, my fiance, family, bridesmaids and I were working away. After seeing mason jar lanterns hanging from a tree in a Martha Stewart magazine, my sister had the brilliant idea of just using them as table lanterns instead.  We decided to paint them all turquoise to flow with the colors chosen. The wedding friends and I were fixing and painting an old white picket fence for the ceremony forefront, gluing pennants to ribbons, and hemming green-gingham fabric to make tablecloths.  We located all types of clear glass vessels and jars to create a charming candy station, as well as bought out any candy at stores nearby that reminded us of the ’50’s.  My sister, being the genius of a graphics designer that she is, designed and printed the lovely invitations, program fans, and candy station labels to follow consistent themes and fonts. All of the bridal party’s dresses were  made out of the darling, “Hello Rose in Olive” Nicey-Jane fabric by Heather Bailey, and to make each unique, according to a 50’s style dress each appreciated the most.  The guys wore seer-sucker skinny ties and gray vest suits to complement the ladies.  On my wedding day, I was so delighted to finally see all of the many, tiny ideas come together so beautifully.  It was well worth every bit of the work.

Wedding Photography: Nine Photography / Flowers: Bows & Arrows / Event Planning: Birds of a Feather / Location: Winfrey Point, Dallas Texas / Cupcakes: Sugar Bee Sweets

Oh, Texas.  How I adore you and your lovely weddings.  You’ve got rustic chic down to a science and I simply love every single soiree you send our way.  Take for example these gorgeous Brenham nuptials by InTandem.  It’s mason jars, twinkle lights and burlap all wrapped up in a big, beautiful barn.  And you know how I feel about a bride in cowboy boots.  Seriously awesome.  So, here’s to Texas weddings and to an image gallery filled with pretty!

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From the Bride…It’s likely that my husband and I met in a sandbox at day school when we were kids. We grew up five minutes apart, yet it wasn’t until we were well into college that our paths crossed and our friendship began. We both swore up and down that we would never marry someone from our same, small hometown, but God had other plans. (Thank goodness!) Being from the same place, we knew our wedding would be one of two things: a traditional small town Texas wedding, complete with lots of family and friend, lots of BBQ, and lots of dancing, or somewhere far, far away.  We decided on a local wedding, and are so happy we did!  The day was truly a perfect reflection of us – a celebration of the people and places that have made us who we are.

From there, all the details just fell into place.  We’re blessed to know a lot of incredibly creative people, and knew that we wanted to feature their talents in any way we could.  We also knew we wanted to get married in my childhood church, which is the same church my parents were married in and where I was confirmed.  It was so special to celebrate another joyous occasion there, in the presence of our family and friends! We chose to have our reception at the historic La Bahia Turn Verein, a German athletic club turned dancehall/events venue.  The rustic, coziness of the hall coupled with its Germany history made it the perfect back drop for our casual style and German heritage. We didn’t want to over-shadow the character and charm of the building (or break the bank!), so we decided to keep our décor simple.  Since our wedding was in early spring (arguably the most beautiful time of year in Texas), we decided to use lot of fresh herbs and flowers.  I am a sucker for a cute little pot of herbs, and loved the idea that our guests could take them home and enjoy them long after the wedding!  For our flowers, we enlisted the talent of my childhood neighbor and friend, Megan Rudloff, who did a fabulous job capturing the essence of the season in her arrangements.  I especially loved the sprigs of rosemary that she worked into them to mimic the herbs on the tables!

I don’t know that we had any concrete expectations going into the day, but any we did have were far exceeded.  I never even thought about it until one of my friends made the comment at our reception, “I feel like I’m in the dance scene from Hope Floats!”  Thinking back on it, the comfort, excitement and sweetness expressed in that scene of the movie is exactly what we were hoping to convey – it represents us, and our special day, perfectly!

Wedding Photography: InTandem / Floral Design: Megan Rudloff / Bride’s Shoes: DSW + Handpainted by Disco Toes /  Wedding Dress: Morilee / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Ceremony Location: St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church / Reception Location: La Bahia Turn Verein / Cupcakes: MMM…Cupcake / DJ: Silver Wings Ballroom / Caterer: Herbert Schovajsa / Invitations + Paper Goods: Paper Source + Paper Presentation

The cuteness meter is spinning off the charts with this downhome, homemade, good ol’ Texas affair by dearcharli photography.  The adorable bride, who hand-crafted much of the decor and design, has more style in her little pinky than most of us do in our whole bodies!  I’m in love with her sweet tea length dress, strings of pearls and precious tulle veil.  Those creative juices definitely flowed into the rest of the decor too which is playful, pretty and perfect!  Check out the rest of this Texas Old Town occasion in the full gallery!

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From dearcharli photography… Cowboy boots for him and blue shoes for her really set the tone for Beth & Travis’ wedding: traditionally Texan but with some homemade attitude.  While Beth is an Etsy fan, you can find plenty of thought out family touches in her details.  She set up a lemonade stand by the outdoor ceremony seating so the guests could sip while they waited.  On this stand they set out little nicknacks from their time together along with a scrabble board that spelled out special sentiments.  Since Travis’ grandma was no longer with them, it was important to the couple to represent her Japanese heritage by serving sushi as appetizers.  Beth’s dad hand cut all the wood table decorations from gathered fallen tree branches; this fatherly touch held the table numbers and supported the flower arrangements and wedding cake.  Their dance floor had removable decals of images from their engagement session and Beth’s bridals.  Overall, the wedding has a real warm feeling from the wood paneling of the venue to the golden paper lanterns hanging over the dance floor to the many sunny bridesmaids’ dresses!

Venue: Texas Old Town / Wedding Coordinator: BZ Events / Photo Booth: Max Photography / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Floral Design: Petal Pushers / Wedding Photography: dearcharli photography

We’ve got quite the treat for all you vintage loving brides-to-be out there! Thanks to the unique vision of Maria Hibbs Photography, we have this super sweet and charming photo shoot to share with you this morning. So if you’re like me and love anything vintage, you’re gonna die in about 3.5 seconds when you scroll down and see the gorgeous gown and details that are waiting just for you. See even more in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Maria Hibbs Photography…I have day-dreamed about shooting this whimsical, romantic & timeless session many times and finally last week all bits and pieces fell into place – I had found a beautiful model, a gorgeous vintage gown and an amazing location.

Model: Chelsea Nath / Make-up + Hair: LaDonna Stein / Photography: Maria Hibbs Photography

Get ready for a wedding that is just DIY gone darling. Captured by the talents of Studio 563, this affair is full of all that fabulous down home rustic Texas style we can’t get enough of, and mixed with some fashion forward shoes. It’s a fabulous juxtaposition if you ask little ol’ me. The couple collected antique wooden chairs to add to the down home flair of their reception decor and home made apple pie pops for their guests. Y’all if that’s not darling I just don’t know what is! Click here for even more!

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From the Bride…As wedding planning goes, ours came together quite easily as we wanted our guests to experience much of what defines us as a couple. A large part of the wedding was DIY — from the invitations to designing and making the wedding dress, baking desserts, canning homemade favors and much more. It was definitely time consuming, but these items were the first and last impressions people had of our wedding. We were aiming for a very specific look (we wanted a casual, rustic/vintage-style affair) and guest experience. We never really chose “wedding colors,” but rather a palette of vintage and nature inspired hues. We planned and put together our wedding in four months!

We started early collecting wooden chairs for the head table and old bottles for our centerpiece flowers, not to mention searching in many antique stores for the right decor for our wedding. We also had the good fortune to find a venue perfectly suited to our event, complete with all the “down home” charm we were hoping for.  The greatest aspect  of the wedding was the fact that our friends and family worked so hard to help put everything together. All in all, the planning and wedding was an amazing experience. We wanted to spend one of the biggest days of our lives with friends and family, just hanging out and having great food! So we played games outside, drank out of mason jars and ate southern comfort food. Perfect. Our guests still rave about what a great time they had and that’s just the response we wanted.

Wedding Photography: Studio 563 / Flowers: Austin Flower Company + Bridesmaids / Event Design + Planning: DIY / Location:  Antebellum Oaks Venue / Wedding Invitations: DIY / Bride’s Shoes: Nine West / Wedding Dress:  Mother of the Bride

I absolutely love when a bride walks down the same aisle as her mother did long ago. Or when the first twirl of the first dance happens just steps away from where her grandparents took their first spin as husband and wife around the dance floor. It doesn’t get more romantic than that. So when Sprout sent a Texas wedding just like that our way, let’s just say, we were a little excited. The personal touches and soft romance were apparent throughout the entire wedding, captured by La Dolce Vita Photography. When you’re ready for more, click here for the gallery!

Fredericksburg has always held a special part of my heart and I have always loved spending time at our family place just outside of town.  Choosing the location was the easiest decision of the whole wedding process as I have always hoped to get married at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church where my grandparents, parents, and aunt were married. Our reception was at the Nimitz Museum where my grandparents held their reception in the ballroom almost 60 years before.

In the courtyard of the Nimitz, a cocktail hour of Shiner Bock Beer started the reception with music performed by the Polkamatics.  We served the beer in custom mugs to pay homage to the German roots of Fredericksburg.  Then the party followed us as we arrived into the tented portion of the reception. Sprout did an amazing job with the gorgeous flower arrangements throughout the ceremony and reception and Ilios Lighting set the mood by giving the tent a golden glow.Our band, All Funk Radio Show, was so fun and had everyone on the dance floor all night.

Elizabeth Harris, resident party planner extraordinaire, did an incredible job bringing everything together. Throughout the wedding process, my mom and I were coming up with many different crafty projects that we worked on together.  We especially had a great time putting together our welcome bags as well as the ribbon wands used as Andrew and I left the reception party. I am known by my family and friends for my sketches and handmade cards that I usually give as gifts for celebrations and holidays. It only seemed fitting that I create and design our own Save the Dates as well.

Without even really planning it, Andrew and I ended up getting married exactly six years from our first date: The UT vs. OU football game in 2004. Having been together so long, our friends and families have known each other for years and are all close which made the wedding weekend so much fun.  It was truly amazing to be surrounded by all of our favorite people in my favorite place, Fredericksburg. A special thanks to Alina Prax of La Dolce Vita for capturing the entire weekend beautifully and we couldn’t be happier with the photographs and memories of the weekend.

Wedding Photography: Alina Prax of La Dolce Vita Photography / Flowers: Sprout / Event Design: Elizabeth Harris Event Design / Wedding Ceremony Location: Holy Ghost Lutheran Church / Wedding Reception Location: Admiral Nimitz Museum / Caterer: Sterling Affairs / Wedding Cake: Sophie’s Choice Bakery / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Tent & Event Rentals: Marquis Tents / Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza via Serendipity Bridal / Groom’s Cowboy Boots: Custom by RJ Boots / Reception Music: All Funk Radio Show / Wedding Logo: Palm Papers Stationery Studio

These gorgeous Dallas nuptials by Shipra Panosian can only be described as classic, timeless, elegant… and downright fabulous.  With an uber-chic pink and blue color scheme and a groom rockin’ a bow tie, it’s about as perfect a wedding as one can be.  Not to mention that the reception was held at the stunning bride’s family home à la Father of the Bride and my 7th grade self is literally squealing with delight.  AND the entire family pitched in on every last amazing detail.  Yes, I do believe you have some serious competition, Annie Banks, because this wedding is awesome.  Join me in the gallery for all of the pretty!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… I was inspired by anything and everything with garden colors and a shabby chic, vintage feel.  Our colors were variations of pinks, greens, ivory, gold, and robins egg blue.  We chose Perkins Chapel in Dallas because of it’s clean white color palette and classic design elements.  Hosting the reception at our family home was absolutely wonderful and a labor of love, to say the least.  We had searched all around Dallas looking for a perfect venue, and knew without a doubt that we wanted to stay away from the atypical ballroom-at-your-local-hotel, and finally decided that doing the reception at my family’s home was more “us” than any other place we came across.  We were particularly fond of the fact that we could set up several weeks in advance, choose our own caterers, band, DJ, set up however we wanted, and stay as many hours into the night as desired without restriction, unlike many venues.  It was different, and it perfectly depicted who we are.  Now with the wedding three months behind us, still one of our favorite past-times is to get a bottle of wine and sit on the back porch overlooking the backyard where our reception took place and talk about memories from that magical evening.

I chose “Dallas” by Watters for my bridal gown because of it’s gorgeous lace details and floral appliques.  My now-husband was insistent that I not get a strapless ball gown dress, so it all worked out with Dallas.  My shoes were a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choo d’Orsay glitter pumps.  One of my great girlfriends and bridesmaid made my hair flower.  And my jewelry was kept simple with a pair of my Mom’s earrings.  Ramon wore khaki slacks and a navy country club blazer from Jos. A. Banks, with a navy, white, and pink bowtie.  We purchased all of the ties for our groomsmen from The Tie Bar.

Most of the wedding was a DIY.  Some of my favorites were the photobooth, which was designed and constructed by my Dad, brothers, and now-husband.  It turned out great and was a fun time for guests.  We did all of the flower arrangements for the tables by ordering flowers in bulk through the market and having many helpful hands.  The cigar booth we designed after handpicking all the different cigars and placing them in jars and cigar boxes.  I hand picked out all of the candy for the candy bar at a local candy shop and tried to match the candy colors to our wedding color scheme.  We picked out all of the fabric and had little bags sewn for the favor bags which we filled with homemade biscotti and tea.

We decided on a buffet, and I was pleased to see that two weeks later the Queen’s Reception for the Royal couple also had a buffet at Buckingham palace.  We decided on two reds, two whites, and two bubbly’s for wine, as well as refreshing sangrias. In one area of the house we had a vodka bar as well.

Wedding Photography: Shipra Panosian / Hair: Sonia Trevino / Makeup: Mayra Rams-Sanabria / Band: The Vendetta Big Band / DJ: DJ Polar + J. Christian Oliver / Catering: The Kitchen at Preston Trail / Wedding Ceremony Flowers: Bella Flora / Wedding Reception Flowers: DIY by Mother of the Bride / Wedding Dress: Watters (Dallas) via Stardust Celebrations / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo via Saks Fifth Avenue / Bridesmaid Dresses: Cynthia Rowley (Style # 8005 in Blush) via Lulu’s Bridal / Flower Girl Dress: Mon Cheri / Men’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank / Ties & Bow Ties: The Tie Bar / Ring Bearer Outfit: Dapper Lads / Garter: Florrie Mitton (Goddess Beaded Garter) / Veil: International Veiling via Circle Park Bridal Boutique / Hair Flower: Custom by Jenna Hotz (jennahotz@gmail.com) / Rentals: Big D Party Rentals / Lace Table Runners: DIY, Mother of the Bride + The Bride / Photobooth: DIY, Father of Bride + Brother of Bride + Groom / Cigar Area Details: DIY, Mother of the Bride + The Bride / Candy Buffet: DIY, The Bride / Guest Favors: DIY, Mother of the Bride + The Bride + Jeulet Noyes, Friend of the Bride / Wedding Cake & Groom’s Cake: The Kitchen at Preston Trail / Limousine: CrossMark Transportation / Valet: John Bailey of All-Ways Valet / Wedding Ceremony Venue: Perkins Chapel – SMU / Wedding Reception Venue: Private Residence / Preparation Venue: The Uptown Women’s Center / Sparklers: Sparkle / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: Jennifer Vaughn of Memento Designs / Wishing Tree Rental: Jennifer Vaughn of Memento Designs / Wishing Tree Tags: Paper Box Studio (Tea Stained Vintage Tags) / Wedding Rings: Custom, Bailey Banks & Biddle

We’ve made it to another weekend, LBBers. Here’s to hoping it’s filled with successful planning, parties, love, kisses, and sunshine (among other lovely things). Before we leave for the weekend, however, we have a very romantic engagement session from Jennifer Lindberg Weddings to share. This lovely, rainy Texas day could have had the couple calling for a raincheck, but with a fantastic pair of green boots and a couple of umbrellas, they were totally down for some serious romance! See you Monday morning! xoxo

Click here for more of this rainy engagement!

A week of wonderful weddings, in case you missed any:

a little amoré from Florida’s Carillon Beach
a gorgeous Pennsylvania affair with the most amazing colors
a fantastically white wedding in Australia
a very sweet Arizona affair
a Sonoma vineyard wedding with the most beautiful bride
a preppy chic Charlottesville summer soiree
a über cool and classic affair in Palm Springs
a Canadian castle wedding fit for a princess
a romantic pink and purple fête in Austin
a homespun New Jersey farm wedding

Some pretty links from around the world wide web:

a bit of unique wedding cakes from Martha Stewart
a summer sea food boil from Once Wed
a industrial-pretty flower shop makeover from Design*Sponge

A great Texas shindig really gets the heart a pumping. They have mastered the formula of lovely design + Southern charm + rockin good party and the result is nothing short of fabulous each and every time. No wonder you all have a blog dedicated solely to the fabulousness of the Texas Wedding. Katherine O’Brien Photography shot this newest addition to the block and it’s pink, fifties inspired perfection held at The Old School. Fitting name, no? Coordinated by Sweet Sunday Events with a whole line up of  pretty cakes by Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop and lots and lots of peonies crafted by Rosehip Flora, this is definitely worth a whole afternoon of perusing in the full wedding gallery. See it all here!

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From the Bride…Brian and I met in 2005 while we were both living in Athens, GA. We briefly dated but then realized that the time wasn’t right as we both had big moves on the horizon.  We kept in touch and formed a very strong friendship over the years and then in 2009 decided to try to make a long distance relationship work. He moved to Austin from Brooklyn in September of 2009 to be with me and the rest is history.

We wanted our wedding to have that classic beauty of a wedding from the 1950’s. We both enjoy spending free time digging through vintage stores and antique malls so we had a great time putting everything together for our big day. We chose to use the different shades of pink and cream for the wedding based on the different shades of peonies and we thought that grey was the perfect compliment to these colors. To make our vision into a reality we had tons of peonies in all shades of pink, bleached peacock and ostrich feathers, milk glass vases and cake stands, tons of tulle, paper lanterns, and charcoal grey linens. The Old School was the perfect venue for our theme. The house was built in the late 1800’s and still has the original wood floors and antiques throughout. We got the inspiration for the cake table from a photograph we saw of a window of a cake shop in the 50’s. Luckily, we live in a town that has amazing vendors that totally understood our vision and brought it to life!

The day of the wedding was a very unseasonal day in Texas. It was about 50 degrees with 30 mph wind gusts and a likely threat of thunderstorms and hail! Unfortunately, this caused us to have to scratch a lot of the exterior decorating plans, but thanks to our amazing vendors and day of coordinators it all went off without a hitch. In the end, it truly was a perfect day. One piece of advance for future brides, make sure you get a day of coordinator!

Wedding Photography: Katherine O’Brien Photography / Venue: The Old School / Coordinator + Rentals: Sweet Sunday Events / Catering: Cote Catering / Wedding Cake: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop / Florist: Rosehip Flora / DJ: Look No Further Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Jason Alexander Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Hey Lady / Rings: Deanna Jewelers + Silver Beyond Ordinary / Photobooth: Max Photo Studio / Hair: Linda Matthews-Cooey of Frenchy’s Beauty Parlor / Make-up: Makeup Art by Jacqueline

Just for a minute, let’s imagine we’re spending today working from this wedding, at The Mansion at Judge’s Hill in Texas. I think we’d all have the most beautiful day ever. Christina Carroll Photography captured all the amazing details from BZ Events – the gorgeous chandeliers, the pretty in pink and purple florals, the beyond in love couple – and we’re swooning over here at the LBB offices. Starting with the amazing stationery from The Inviting Pear, the guests knew to expect something fabulous, and that was just what was waiting for them. And waiting for us – I’ll meet you under the killer chandelier with the full image gallery!

We met three and a half years ago. Alex had just moved from San Francisco, where he was working, to San Marcos to attend grad school. I was studying for my nutrition degree. We met online, but didn’t actually meet in person for several months, despite almost crossing paths several times at school. When we finally did meet up, it turned out we practically lived on the same street! Our first date was at a coffee shop, even though Alex doesn’t like coffee – he played along and got a smoothie. We hit it off right away and didn’t want the night to end, so from there we went to get pancakes, even though I should’ve been studying for a big test the next day. Since then we’ve been inseparable, sharing a passion for food, music, and video games.

On a Friday afternoon while looking at wedding venues he suggested that we head to a nearby look-out point called Mt. Bonnell. I found it rather suspicious but didn’t think too much into it because we had ring shopped together and I knew when my engagement ring would be shipped in. Sitting over the cliff we talked about our future, details for the wedding, growing old together and while I wasn’t paying attention, he bent down on one knee while trying his hardest to not fall over the ledge. I said “yes” and the rest is history!

My Latin heritage and our love for food had a lot to do with the inspiration of our wedding. Spending a lot of time in Mexico you are surrounded by colors, culture, food, and most of all family, and I really wanted that feel to represent our wedding. I would describe to our vendors that our inspiration was a Spanish garden party with a modern chic vibe. I finally decided on eggplant and fuchsia with pops of marigold. I wanted it to be formal but not stuffy.

With Alex’s family from central Texas and mine from Mexico we wanted to go with a venue where there would be as little driving as possible, that also offered an outdoor space for the ceremony and a gorgeous indoor ballroom for the reception. Once we toured the Mansion at Judges’ Hill, I immediately pictured us tying the knot under the pergola in the garden courtyard and celebrating a lavish affair upstairs in the elegant ballroom; it was perfect!

We continued our Spanish/southwest theme with a special menu. During cocktail hour a lively 9-piece mariachi band started the fiesta while guests sipped colorful watermelon and pineapple agua frescas and snacked on miniature quesadillas and empanadas. Celebrating his birthday two days prior I really wanted to go all out on a special groom’s cake for my tech-savy hubby. I surprised him with a six foot iPhone cake constructed of his favorite cake balls with special apps that had meaning to him such Star Wars, Yelp and even the game he designed himself in his favorite flavors.

Custom Invitations & Reception Stationery: Shannon Ferguson, The Inviting Pear / Event Planning & Design: BZ Events and Kerry Duggan/ Venue: Mansion at Judges’ Hill / Photography: Christina Carroll Photography / Videographer: PopBoom / Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Rentals: Marquee Rents / Officiant: Mike Rinehart / Ceremony Music: The Arundel Ensemble / DJ: Groove Labs / Jazz Band: Trio David Sierra / Florist: Merveille Event Design / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Childcare: Grandparents Unlimited / Groom’s Cake Ball Cake: Objects of Confection / Hair & Make-up: Gerardo Esperquieta & Rae Cosmetics / Aqua Frescas: Zocalo / Mariachis: Mariachi Tamazula

Each and every wedding I see at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is so beyond gorgeous that it makes me yearn for late night dancing on that incredible stone patio with cafe lights and paper lanterns. So totally romantic. And when the wedding just so happens to be planned by the talents over at 36th Street Events with flowers from Posey Floral and Event Design? Well that just makes me one giddy blogger! Lucky for us Shannon Cunningham Photography was there to capture all the stunning details and there’s so much more in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Shannon Cunningham Photography…This is an elegant spring wedding at The Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The couple, Chris and Erica are getting their PhDs at Texas A&M University and had guests coming in from all over the country. They wanted to show southern hospitality at their wedding in a relaxed and effortless way. They decorated the Wildflower Center with succulents and soft flowers, including anemones (with a matching flower in Erica’s Hair) and had a pop of color with lovely purple/raspberry linens and their signature drink. Lighting and paper lanterns completed the sophisticated garden party look.

From the Bride…Austin is our home away from home in Texas. It was the first city in Texas we really explored together and we’ve been going there every few weekends for several years now. Most of our guests were from out of town and we figured it would be a fun destination for everyone. Our wedding theme was simple and classic garden dinner party. We really wanted a wedding with the intimate feel of a dinner party that was elegant without feeling remotely stuffy.

Wedding Photography: Shannon Cunningham Photography / Catering: Primizie Catering / Event Planner: 36th Street Events / Favors + Gifts: Delish / Floral Design: Posey Floral and Event Design / Reception Venue: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Invitations: The Inviting Pear

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I think I found my favorite wedding venue of all time in the white-washed, stained glass window filled Mercury Hall in Austin. Oh-my-goodness it is the sweetest little building I’ve ever seen and reminds me of a place I almost booked for my own wedding last year, but because we couldn’t have amplified music, we had to switch venues and I’ll admit, my heart was a tad bit broken. But in steps this gorgeous, flower filled fete by Sledd Weddings with the most delicious cake by Blue Note Bakery and my heart (and sweet tooth!) are now mended. See even more of this adorable DIY wedding here!

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From the Bride…My (now) husband and I moved to Austin two years ago from Kentucky. We wanted our wedding to showcase what we love about the city: its hip, yet casual and rustic elegance, laid-back vibe, great live music, creative culture, and delicious food. We got engaged while backpacking in Big Bend National Park.

Our venue, Mercury Hall, set the tone for the simple elegance of the wedding. Mercury Hall was built in 1904 as a church in Mercury, Texas. In the late 90s it was moved to Austin and turned into an events space. It’s clean white washed walls, smooth, worn hard wood floors and multi colored stained glass windows set the tone for a clean, colorful rustic elegance. Inspired by the succulent plants of the West Texas desert, I decided to make century plants and succulents a motif throughout the wedding.  Century plants were originally thought to bloom only once every 100 years (hence the name), and I thought they made a nice metaphor to the preciousness of love, not to mention a striking, unique silhouette.

I designed and printed the entire wedding invitation suite by hand at Baltimore Print Studios, a shop run by an old friend of mine from college, Kyle Van Horn.  I had painted a watercolor of a century plant stalk which we made into a polymer plate, and I letter pressed it both on the invitations and the reply card. I set the text for the invitation, invitation’s return address, reply card, and reply card address all by hand and then printed them on one of the shop’s Vandercook presses. We also made a polymer plate for the event map and I letter-pressed it as well.   I loved the font of the invitation suite, Apricot, so much that I ended up later buying a digital version online, and I used it for all the text on the escort cards, table numbers, programs and even wedding favors.

The color scheme for the wedding, blues, green, yellow and pink were taken from the colors in the stained glass of Mercury Hall.  These colors were picked up in the bouquets and centerpieces. I wanted them to look organic, as if you can just walked through a backyard garden and filled your arms with all the flowers in bloom. In keeping with the rustic vibe, we collected old mason jars to use as vases, and also used a few copper pots my husband bought in the Middle East as vases and the container for the programs.

Event Planning: Three Apples Events / Wedding Photography: Sledd Weddings / Floral Design: The Nouveau Romantics / Wedding Cake: Blue Note Bakery / Catering: 2 Dine 4 / Printmaking: Carolyn Kimball / Venue: Mercury Hall

It’s official. I’ve finally laid my eyes on the most perfect bridesmaid dress ever! It’s the most beautiful shade of green, light and airy so you won’t get too hot under that Texas sun, and it has the most perfect vintage feel that compliments this Three Points Ranch wedding oh-so-perfectly. Then there’s the bride with her gorgeous dress and hair and her perfectly disheveled bouquet. Ah-maz-ing! Captured by the talented Nadine Photography, this wedding is a big ol’ slice of Texas wedding heaven. See the entire gallery here.

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From Nadine Photography…There’s something amazing about being present for two people declaring and committing their love for each other. As a photographer, I go to a lot of weddings where I barely know the bride and groom. Then I spend a day with them; a very intense and emotional day. After which I spend several weeks editing and looking at images of their faces, their family and friends. Everyday while editing these photos, I fell more and more in love with this couple and their wedding. The Texas sunset was beautiful, and Three Points Ranch is a perfect venue. It was clear that a lot of work and effort went into every detail of this wedding. And to top it all off, Cyndi and Shawn are really awesome and nice.

Venue: Three Points Ranch / Catering: Pok-e-jos / Wedding Dress: Unbridaled / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Pies: Upper Crust Bakery / Wedding Photography: Nadine Photography

I’m such a sucker for a wedding with yellow touches. It surprises me that more brides don’t choose this happy, sweet color more often. It’s bright, beautiful and oh-so-perfect for your big day. And this bride did it just right. Filled with simple but effective DIY projects, this wedding captured by Rebel with a Camera with petals by Verbena Floral Design is sure to put a big ol’ Texas smile on your face! See even more here.

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From the Bride…Brian and I are high school sweethearts who have been together for over eight years. It would be an understatement to say that our families and friends have been supportive throughout our long distance, moves across Texas and growth into the couple we are today. We wanted our wedding to be a reflection of this love that we have been shown by our parents and our fondness for the city we call home, Austin.

Brian relocated his job to Austin to be near me after over 4 years of living in separate cities for college. It is here that we fell in love again with each other and with Texas. After getting engaged at Mount Bonnell, we decided that the only place we wanted to be married was in the Texas Hill Country. My vision for our wedding included Southern elements  (Brian’s family being from Alabama and mine from Texas), easy, flowing styles and flowers to represent the laid back feel of Austin, and a touch of handmade love. My mom and I found La Paloma and knew right away that it’s outdoor gardens and southern-style home were perfect for what we were looking for!

We wanted our day to be focused around the people we love and the things that make us, “Us”. Kristen at Royal Fig did an amazing job running our day and infusing our style into the reception with “family-style” servings at the table so guests could chat, and serving our favorite foods, including fancy guacamole! My dad spent many hours in his workshop crafting our table numbers and signs from wood used to build our home. My paternal grandmother sewed my garter with materials picked out from my mom and aunts closets, and I tied the engagement ring of my maternal grandmother on my bouquet as a way to remember her that day. I designed and made all of our programs, stationery and menu cards with the help of my mother. A lot of hours and love went into making all of these elements come together, and the finished product was more than I could have dreamed. Brian and I are so lucky to have not only found each other, but also so many wonderful people who bring joy to our lives every single day. Our wedding was definitely the best day of our life!

Wedding Photography: Rebel with a Camera / Floral Design: Verbena Floral Design / Event Planning + Catering: Royal Fig / Location: La Paloma / Bride’s Shoes: Nina + Etsy / Wedding Dress: Simone Carvalli / Belt: Custom Made / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bari Jay / Hair + Make-up: Erica Gray / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Guitarist: Ryan Waguespack / DJ: Greenbelt DJ

I love when a bride is truly herself on a wedding day especially when this means wearing her glasses. It is just the cutest and makes for an undeniably gorgeous Bride. Now enter Star Hill Ranch in Austin with photography by The Nichols and an adorable Super 8 film to follow by Nostalgia Film and we have the makings of a grand celebration. Click here for the FULL day of pretty!

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And the perfect accompaniment to this Austin wedding is the fabulous film of the day shot by Nostalgia Film…

From Nostalgia Film…We were so thrilled that we got to capture Super 8 film and HD video of Liisa and Matt’s wedding.  Such a sweet and fun couple, they hail from Chicago, Illinois, and had their wedding at the gorgeous Star Hill Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. This wedding was full of love and happiness and had such a comfortable and creative vibe. Liisa even letterpressed her own stunning invitations!

As if I didn’t like this couple enough already, during the toasts, I found out Liisa and I share a favorite holiday–Halloween. The couple met at a Halloween party. In the same spirit of fun, the groom and his groomsmen enacted a classic movie scene with me, that you’ll see for yourself above. And this is the only wedding I’ve been to where someone broke out the worm the dance floor!

Liisa and Matt, we feel so lucky to have been a part of your wedding, and we wish you a lifetime of fun and happiness together!

Venue: Star Hill Ranch / Wedding Film + Videography: Nostalgia Film / DJ: Byrne Rock / Wedding Photography: The Nichols / Wedding Invitations: The Bride / Floral Design: Fabian Salcedo / Wedding Coordinator: Suzanne Court Events / Wedding Cake: Jennifer Suarez / Wedding Dress: Alice Padrul / Hair: Carlye Jayne / Make-Up: Mandy Morrison