Texas Weddings

What a pretty, pretty week it’s been here on SMP Texas weddings! We’ve seen a little bit of everything from glamour to rustic and I just loved them all so much that it’s pretty much impossible to pick a favorite! Before we leave you for another beautiful summer weekend we wanted to share this adorable rodeo engagement session by Carlea J Photography. If this doesn’t just scream Texas romance, I”m not sure what does!

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From Carlea J Photography: The groom is a bullrider and competes locally in Georgetown, Texas where the couple is getting married. The bride, Heather, thought it would be fun to incorporate the western theme into their engagement session since bullriding is something that is a big part of both of their lives. Chris competes and Heather cheers him on at rodeos. We shot the session at the public rodeo arena in Georgetown, Texas. Chris brought along his chaps and bullriding vest, as well as his rope, spurs, and cowboy hat. It was too dangerous to shoot with the actual bulls but we did get a few shots with Heather riding a horse bareback! I love the bright colors of Chris’ uniform. I also love how genuine the shoot was. They didnt dress up to play a part. These are the actual clothes he wears to ride bulls. And if you’ve ever met a girl from Texas, you know that we LOVE our cowboy boots and are convinced they go with pretty much any outfit we could put on. Heather and Chris are getting married this October at Angel Springs Event Center.

Photography: Carlea J Photography / Location: Georgetown, TX Rodeo Arena / Bride: Heather Boatright / Groom: Chris Townsend / Wedding Date: October 22, 2011

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a sweet-as-can-be Austin wedding
a Ralph Lauren inspired fête
a traditional take on purple Austin wedding
a gorgeously dramatic orchid filled Dallas wedding

Some fabulous links from around the web:

The greenest and cutest little totes for gifts for your wedding party via The Ritzy Bee.
Simple and sweet DIY seashell napkin rings via DesignSponge.
A Malibu wedding with steal worthy ideas via 100LayerCake.

Have the prettiest weekend ever! See you back here bright and early on Monday morning! xoxo

Just one look at these glamorous Houston nuptials by J. Cogliandro Photography and, I swear, I have never loved another more.  With all of the amazing details crafted by Keely Thorne Events and gorgeous florals by Bergner & Johnson Design, I am in wedding heaven.  Not to mention that the stunning bride (who also happens to be the invitation designer behind Atheneum Creative) is seriously rocking one of my favorite gowns… EVER.  Yes, I do believe I adore this wedding.  Join me for even more to love in the gallery!

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From the Bride…Keely Thorne Events guided us through the entire planning process. It was so much fun with her direction. She took us to several different venues, but our hearts were immediately set on the beautiful Corinthian. We wanted a very traditional, elegant wedding, but it had to be not stuffy and plenty of fun!  Keely accomplished our goals and we were so thrilled with the results.

As a partner at Atheneum Creative (stationery boutique) it was without question that I would design the print materials for our wedding. The design was inspired by the texture and ornate details of the architecture inside the Corinthian. Each piece in the set was uniquely designed using only black ink and texture. The beauty of this design was all in the details, simple and elegant.

We married at the same church where Blake’s grandparents had married 50 years earlier. His mom had given us a picture of her parents just as they were leaving the ceremony through the beautiful doors of the church that are still there!  We wanted the exact same picture, so our photographer, Joe Cogliandro, was able to accomplish just that! The reception was perfectly orchestrated to begin with a low-keyed cocktail hour, then slowly rise to the peak of the evening where everyone was on the dance floor. The night started to wind down with the presentation of bite-sized grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries, gourmet style! What a fabulous evening! The entire evening was so special, so magical, and very meaningful to us and our families. All of our closest friends and family members were there.

Wedding Photography: J. Cogliandro Photography / Wedding Cinematography: 31 Films / Floral Design: Bergner & Johnson Design / Event Planning: Keely Thorne Events / Ceremony Location: St. Paul’s United Methodist / Reception Location: The Corinthian / Catering: Jackson Hicks / Cake + Desserts: Susie’s Cakes & Confections / Entertainment: David Caceres and Sauce + Puppet Pizazz / Lighting + Sound: Pro/Sound / Wedding Gown: Amsale / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Kim Couture / Hair + Make-up: Kristin Daniell + David Ellis of Solutions / Wedding Invitations: Atheneum Creative (The Bride)

There are wedding flowers, and then there are WEDDING FLOWERS. Like the all caps worthy wedding flowers by Bella Flora of Dallas in this delicious affair. Have you ever seen a such a decadent outdoor display?  Orchids just seem to be oozing from every crevasse, and you just can’t go wrong when that happens. It’s elegant, it’s gorgeous and there is so much more in the full gallery of images!

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From Bella Flora of Dallas...A modern styled fete was created for Kristen Scheble and Steve Flory on April 16, 2011 with a simple ceremony at a private residence and The Nasher Sculpture Gardens.  The color palette was in all whites, grays and dashes of pink/lavender.  Everything about this wedding was carefully coordinated by this super stylish bride who wore a custom tailored lace gown.  Flowers used in the wedding ranged from stark white phaeleonopsis orchids, Dutch jumbo white hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, dendrobium orchids and oh so sweet fragrant lilac.  Mercury glass vessels of varying shapes decked two long tables along with a glorious presentation of glass orbs housing LED lights and single stemmed orchid blooms.  A most memorable wedding for sure.

Wedding Photography: Andrea Polito Photography / Event + Floral Design: Bella Flora of Dallas / Ceremony Location: Private Residence / Reception Location: The Nasher Sculpture Gardens / Wedding Invitations: Bell’Invito / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Lighting: Beyond

Butterflies, pretty shades of pink and perfectly styled bridesmaids, that’s what this darling wedding by SixFourteen Photography is made of. I do believe this pretty as can be, pink loving bride got the wedding of her dreams, and we are lucky enough to have the pleasure of fawning over all the fabulous details. Brides looking for a good flat shoe – how adorable are her pearl-topped Kate Spades? Love. There is so much more to love in the full gallery of images, so be sure to stop on by!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From SixFourteen Photography…This was an amazing outdoor wedding at the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park. Bonnie loves the color pink and loves butterflies, so nearly everything had some kind of pink worked in at least somewhere with butterflies all over the place. Everything about this wedding was awesome. During the ceremony, the bands Poison and Motley Crue were sound checking next door. Most people would find that obnoxious, but they embraced it and thought it was awesome. The groom even gave them credit in his speech, stating “There is one group of people I would love to thank for all of their hard work, and that is Motley Crue! They have still got it.” All of the hard work that went into this wedding really shows through the photos.

Venue: Texas Discovery Gardens / Wedding Coordinator: Bride Associates / Wedding Photography: SixFourteen Photography / Floral Design: McShan Florist / Wedding Cakes: Jackie Spratt Cakes / Ceremony + Reception Music: Melodies & Memories / Catering: Black Eyed Pea / Photobooth: Premier Photobooth / Reception Coordinator: Carron Short, Texas Discovery Gardens / Rental Company: TLC Rentals

I have a bit of a crush on these Austin nuptials by Jessica Monnich Photography.  A doodle “Austin Wedding” in my notebook all day long kind of crush.  Oh yes, I most definitely heart this wedding.  But, who could blame me?  The purple color palette is all sorts of awesome, the florals created by Posey Floral and Event Design are beyond dreamy and all of the details so expertly crafted by 36th Street Events are absolute perfection.  Plus, late night pizza!  It’s a crush-worthy soiree and then some.  So, get out your notebook and join me in the gallery for all of the beautiful details!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…From the moment Clay proposed to me at my parents’ house in front of both our families we knew that we wanted our wedding to really reflect who we were as a couple and we wanted it to be fun. Choosing our wedding party was one of the first things we decided on. All of our siblings, their spouses and children were included in our bridal party along with a few cousins and very close childhood friends from all over Texas and New Mexico.

We chose our venue, The Texas Federation of Women’s Club Mansion, because we knew we had to find an indoor venue to combat this Texas heat and a large enough space to host our family and friends. Our ceremony was held in the same ballroom our reception was in so we wanted to keep our ceremony fairly simple and sweet. We chose cylinder vases in various heights with floating candles to line the aisle. Our guests were seated to traditional violin music played by my cousin. We kept the lighting to a minimum and used the natural light from the large windows in the ballroom to complete our simple look.

When guests were invited back into the ballroom for dinner, they saw a very different ballroom then what was there for the ceremony. We added dark purple lights, long tables with purple taffeta linens and all white flowers with candles mixed in for our centerpieces. After dinner, a speech from my parents, and the traditional first dances, we danced the night away with our family and friends. Our guest enjoyed Roppolo’s Pizza from 6th Street for our late night snack including a heart shaped pizza for Clay and I. We truly had the best day of our lives and feel incredibly blessed to have been able to share it with so many people.

Wedding Photography: Jessica Monnich Photography / Wedding Videography: El Castillo Media / Floral Design: Posey Floral and Event Design / Event Design & Planning: 36th Street Events / Location: Texas Federation of Women Club’s Mansion / Lighting: ILIOS Lighting / Wedding Dress: Serendipity Bridal / Cake: Simon Lee Bakery / Late Night Snack: Roppolo’s Pizzeria / Linens + Rentals: Marquee Event Group / DJ: Byrne Rock / Bride’s Hair & Makeup: Jennifer Curttright

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Inspired by the Ralph Lauren Home Collection (how fabulous is that!) this drop-dead gorgeous (and incredibly sweet) bride pictured a wedding where chandeliers and leather joined design forces together in perfect harmony.  With the help of Darryl & Co., her vision became a reality, and to top it all off – she got to marry the man on her dreams. It all seems pretty perfect to me, and when you add all the images from Brittany Dawson Photography, well folks – you get a full gallery of lovely.

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From the Bride…I would say that I decided and then changed my mind on wedding inspiration and color at least 10 times in the first few months.  My problem was not finding a style I liked, as much as choosing JUST one style.  I felt like a different bride everyday, wanting Hollywood Regency one day, preppy/traditional the next, and rustic/shabby chic after that!  How could I possibly settle on just one when all three make up my style and personality?  I found my solution in the Ralph Lauren Home collections.  It was here that I saw how beautiful satin, crystal, and chandeliers could sit perfectly next to rustic plaids and leather, while being accented with just the right amount of leopard print.

I knew that I wanted to incorporate a great deal of lounge seating and furniture rentals, so choosing Darryl & Co. to handle my decor was an easy choice.  Not only did they have an outstanding selection of furniture, (including those amazing dome chairs, rugs, and fireplace) their company also handles linen rentals and floral design as well.  (It’s basically wedding decor one-stop shopping.)  I met with Scott from Darryl & Co. and knew instantly that I was in good hands.  I explained my inspiration and told him I wanted the reception to look more like a furniture showroom or comfortable living room than a typical reception and Scott not only understood what I was going for, he also got excited about doing something a little different.  I told Scott I didn’t want assigned seating, or a room full of identical round tables because I wanted our guests to be relaxed and comfortable,  but I did not specify colors, or flowers, but instead decided to give Scott creative freedom and see what he could come up with.  This ended up being the best wedding decision I made!  (Besides the groom that is…) The Courtyard on St. James was the perfect venue for the “living room feel”  and I really loved that they offered both indoor and outdoor space.

Picking just one theme was hard enough, but trying to settle on just one dress was impossible.  I have experience buying and selling gowns at both the retail and wholesale level and felt like I had seen just about everything which was making it hard to find something that stood out.  Rather than going with the latest trend, I decided to look to the past for classic and timeless inspiration and Grace Kelly seemed the obvious choice.  (I just have to add that this was before a certain princess chose a similar inspiration.)  My Novia d’Art gown was everything I wanted in a ceremony gown, but I was having a hard time picturing myself boogieing on the dance floor in my classy, Grace Kelly dress so I ended up purchasing a Sottero and Midgley at the last minute to serve as my reception dress.

Wedding Photography: Brittany Dawson Photography / Floral Design, Event Design + Planning: Darryl & Co. / Ceremony Location: Memorial Drive Methodist Church / Reception Location: The Courtyard on St. James Place / Bride’s Shoes: Valentino + Christian Louboutin / Wedding Dresses: Novia d’Art + Sottero and Midgley / Wedding Cake: Susie’s Cakes and Confections / Bride’s Make-up: The Perfect Face / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Sung / Bagpiper: Lars Sloan of American Bagpipes

To say we love the local blogs would be the understatement of the year! We love, love, love them – so much so we just may be adding a few more in the oh so near future (stay tuned!). While you are pondering which pretty state might be next to grace the pages of SMP, we thought we would give a little love to the blogs that started it all. The pioneers one might say. New York, California, Florida, Destination, and Texas – oh my! They have been filling our lives with so much lovely local inspiration I just don’t know what we did without them! Let’s take a little looksee at what they are up to today – starting with this STUNNER of a wedding and wedding dress on the New York blog captured by Elisabeth Millay Photography. I haven’t stopped oohing and ahhing since the moment I laid my eyes on this stylish bride.

And now let’s take a little trip on over to the California Blog for this stylishly steampunk-inspired wedding shot by Brandon Kidd Photography and Modern 8 Films. How uniquely fun is this invite the bride and groom designed?! Very, very fun is the correct answer.

And now onto the Florida Blog – the land of sunshine and oranges and apparently completely adorable weddings! Case and point – this gorgeous Gainesville wedding by Julie Cate Photography.

The pretty doesn’t stop there – oh no – we are moving onto the land of pretty otherwise known as the Destination Blog. Every single day is like a vacation and I often find myself daydreaming of beautiful travel destinations thanks to this little ol’ local blog. Need an example? How about today’s Puerto Vallarta wedding by Tara Swain Photography. Just gorg.

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about Texas. Oh how we love the weddings from that ginormous state. It just never fails that they are fabulous and stylish and traditionally elegant all at the same time. And today’s wedding by Diana M. Lott Photography is the perfect example of southern style at it’s very finest. Love, love, love.

And there you have it – the Pioneers of pretty aka our local blogs! Stay tuned to see where we are launching next and feel free to leave your vote on where you want to see  SMP next in the comments below!

I have a little confession to make.  There is a serious crush brewing for this fun-loving couple ’round these parts.  Their adorable Austin wedding is full of personality, love and lots of laughter.  Plus a bunch of darling details that will be sure to send you into severe puppy love mode for these two cuties too.  I mean who wouldn’t swoon over a bride pulling up to the ceremony on a sweet motorcycle and a groom who can rock the seersucker suit like no other!?  Just try to keep from grinning ear to ear after seeing these sweet photos from Diana M. Lott Photography.  Check them all out in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…We have known each other for over 10 years. We met in Dallas, Texas and hung with the same group of friends. We kept in loose touch when I moved to Durango, CO and then Austin, TX..then in December 2009 we were at the same baby shower. The timing was right 10 years later , we both looked at each other differently. I immediately invited him down to Austin for a weekend birthday celebration in a cabin with friends. Our official first date was Valentine’s Day 2010 and we dated exclusively right after that. I moved up to Dallas for a job, but mostly to be near Aaron.

Aaron’s parents moved to Wimberley 3 years ago, and Aaron and I both loved the area. It seemed like the perfect, quaint town to host my “rustic meets vintage wedding”. The venue, Cypress Falls Event Center, is a magical, scenic, special 22 acre piece of heaven.

I hired Design by Sage for the month-of-coordination and I could never have done it with out them. I basically just needed help with executing my vision. I had a lot of moving parts of my wedding…and it was amazing, they helped me make it so special.

Wedding Photography: Diana M. Lott Photography / Venue: Cypress Falls Event Center / Wedding Coordination: Design by Sage / Bridesmaid Dresses: Donna Morgan / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: JoS. A. Bank / Wedding Cake: A Bride’s Table

Hello Texas! A very happy Friday to you all! Hopefully your week has as wonderful as weeks can be. To make sure your weekend gets off to an on so fabulous start, Garmendia Photography sent us this darling day after session to feast our pretty eyes on as we glide on into the weekend. I am a huge fan of day after sessions and a huge fan of weekends, so I say this is most certainly a win-win situation. For even more fabulous on this Friday be sure to visit the full gallery of images! Have a great weekend!

click here for the full gallery of images!

From the Bride…This session all began as a bridal shoot but somehow the idea just didn’t seem right to me.  As much as any girl likes photos of herself (and especially when decked out in the most important dress of your life), this period of time was important for both my fiance and I, a time when our two lives were becoming one so this soon became a pre-wedding bride and groom session.  Now Noe had expressed the same attitude throughout  our engagement of “Whether we have flowers or not, photography or not, a good cake or not, as long as you and I are married by the end of the day, I’ll be happy”, so I was really surprised when he said he was definitely NOT up for breaking the tradition of seeing his bride before the walk down the aisle.  I did my best to convince him that photos were more important than this tradition but he insisted he wanted to cherish the moment his bride walked out to meet him at the altar on our wedding day as our first look, so…. we came to a compromise of sorts.  He would join me for the session in full groom attire BUT he’d wear my old biology lab goggles blacked out to prevent him seeing me.  Being the easygoing sweetheart that he is he was up for it !!! The day of leading him around and seating him nearby while we took my pictures and then bringing him to for a pose where he would not be seeing me definitely made for good memories and good pictures all while keeping tradition intact.  The moment I’d seen The Inn at Chachalaca Bend I knew that some part of our engagement/wedding would have to take place here.  My inspirations were medleys of rustic, classic elegance and vintage romantic femininity and the lodge with its romantic wallpapered honeymoon suite and the fields were perfect.

Photography: Garmendia Photography / Cinematography: GO FILMS with Gerardo Garmendia / Flowers: Marylu’s Flowers & Gifts / Photo Session Location: Inn at Chachalaca Bend / Hair & Makeup: Bernard’s / Earrings & Bracelet: Karla’s / Dress: Carolina’s Bridals / Groom’s Attire: James & James Formalwear

In case you missed them, here are the pretty posts from SMP Texas this week:

a very festive Fourth of July photo shoot
an elegant & sweet affair at the Allan House
a Becker Vineyard’s wedding with pretty pops of color
a pretty as can be, peony-filled City Cafe wedding

A few pretty things we found around the web…

could not be cuter cake toppers via Emmaline Bride
a crafty crepe DIY garland via Hip Hip Hooray!
a guide to tea sandwiches via The Sweetest Occasion

Have a very pretty weekend everyone! Meet you back here bright eyed and bushy tailed on Monday! xoxo, A.Blaire

Yellow and Turquoise. If I could marry that combo I would. It’s just so fresh and joyful and quite possibly the best medley of wedding colors on the planet. And the proof is in the Texas pudding with this Austin Ranch wedding captured by La Dolce Vita Photography. The photographs alone are completely stunning but add to that succulent and feather infused florals by Posey Events and it’s enough to knock this wedding blogger out cold from sheer visual delight. Care to join me? You can find the full fête in the gallery.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Most of the significant events involving Henson and me as a couple revolve around a lake! We met on Lake LBJ Memorial Day Weekend of 2008, and Henson proposed about three years later minutes before leaving to spend a weekend with friends at my family’s lake-house on Lake Travis. We knew instantly that we wanted to get married on or near the lake, so we chose Spicewood Vineyards, a gorgeous and laid back winery that my family has been visiting for years.

Many of our vendors are our friends, and we feel so blessed to know such creative and talented people! We wanted an intimate yet festive celebration that incorporated family heirlooms into the rustic central Texas setting. Bonni Taylor of Posey Events is one of my best friends and was a bridesmaid as well as our floral designer. Together she and I came up with the look and feel for the reception, but she left some elements to surprise. When I walked into the reception for the first time, I was blown away at how my Mom’s love bird painting was so perfectly displayed on the mantle behind a group of glimmering candles, and how well the burlap runners contrasted with the bright yellows and turquoises of the flowers and vases (thanks Madeleine!).

During the ceremony, we stood on top of a bright yellow quilt that belonged to my Great Great Grandmother on my Dad’s side. The chandelier belonged to Henson’s Mom’s parents, and after some scrubbing and re-wiring, it sparkled like new against the shade trees. Thanks to our wonderful family and friends, our wedding weekend was such a blast. The band kept us wanting more all night as most guests rarely left the dance floor, and the wine was flowing! It was quite the celebration, and I now get to spend the rest of my life with my wonderful husband, celebrating our love.

Floral Design: Posey Events / Wedding Photographer: La Dolce Vita Photography / Caterer: Pink Avocado / Cupcakes: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau at Unbridaled / Wedding Invitations: Katie Maennle / Venue: Spicewood Vineyards / Linens: Outback Party Rentals / Band: Alterego / Bridesmaid Dresses: Ciarla Bride / Chandelier: Groom’s Grandparents / Boots: A&C

This bride doesn’t know it yet, but she’s my new best friend.  Yes, any bride who rocks a pair of fab.u.lous Jimmy Choos AND cowboy boots on her big day is most definitely my new hero.  And, if that weren’t enough, she enlisted the uber-amazing talents of Sprout and Elizabeth Harris to create some of the most incredible florals and event design I have ever seen.  Hello anemone, crystals and antlers!  All captured in stunning images by SMS Photography, these nuptials are a Hill Country dream come true.  I plan to swoon over these photos all day long.  So, you know where I’ll be…  In the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Sprout… Natalie and Allen chose to get married near her parents’ home in Fredericksburg, Texas.  As it was February, Natalie wanted the decor to be warm and inviting for her guests who would be traveling in winter weather. The rehearsal dinner was held in the beautifully contemporary dining room of August E’s restaurant with table settings playing off of Allen’s love of hunting and Natalie’s fondness for pink. Deer antlers, lush white flowers and pink glass votives playfully encircled silver candelabras on tablecloths of gunmetal gray. Handmade place cards with pink stitching finished off the place settings.

The next evening carried on the theme of candlelight and metallic accents with a beautifully lighted tent and floral arrangements of white hydrangeas, orchids, roses and tulips incorporating mercury glass, handprinted gold leaf paper, silver trumpet vases, vintage crystals and hanging votives.

From the Bride…It was at Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, Louisiana that Allen and I first met, but our relationship was nothing more than attending the same school and occasionally running in a similar crowd. Three years later our paths crossed again at the University of Texas, where we became great friends and eventually years after that, fell in love. Allen proposed two years after we began dating on the field at Darrell K. Royal stadium during the University of Texas v. Wyoming game at our cheerleader alumni weekend…and I of course said yes!

Our wedding weekend was inspired by a combination of our Louisiana roots, our love for Texas, and the charm of the Texas Hill Country. The wedding was held in February in the midst of the great ice storm that had just blown through the country, but our big day was somehow beautiful and dry. A winter white wedding that incorporated white flowers, warm metallic tones and lots of candles was exactly what I was hoping for, and was executed beautifully by Elizabeth and Michelle. Our ceremony was held at my grandparents’ small church, Saint Barnabas Episcopal, where the aisle was lined with pillar candles and the altar was filled with a variety of white candles that created a completely romantic glow throughout the church. Allen and I met beforehand in the small chapel in front of the church, which to us symbolized that we were going through the process together and that as long as we had each other, everything else would fall into place.

The reception was held in the garden at the Nimitz Museum in a large tent and Elizabeth and Michelle had decorated it with the intimacy that we desired and the elegance that I always dreamed of. A variety of white flowers were spread around the room with creative centerpieces incorporating romantic branches, hanging votive candles, vintage crystals and large silver vases. The tables were dressed in a soft golden fabric and the ceiling was lit with a decorative lighting effect Elizabeth had chosen to achieve the atmosphere and feeling we were looking for, topped off with crystal lined chandeliers.  One of the most important aspects to us was the overall feel of a fun party.  We spent a great deal of time picking out the perfect band that would keep our guests dancing all night, and All Funk Radio Show was just that.  Surrounded by our family and closest friends was truly a wonderful beginning to our life as husband and wife. We loved every detail of our wedding and thank our parents and all the vendors involved for making it so perfect!

Wedding Photography: Stacy Sodolak of SMS Photography / Floral Design: Sprout / Event Design: Elizabeth Harris Event Design / Ceremony Location: St. Barnabas Church / Reception Location: Admiral Nimitz Museum / Catering: Sterling Affairs / Wedding Cake: Sophie’s Choice Bakery / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Tent: Marquis Tents / Event Rentals: Illusions Rentals and Design / Reception Music: All Funk Radio Show

I’m totally in love with this sweet Dallas wedding. It’s low key, elegant, intimate, and full of love…and pink peonies and what girl doesn’t just love those big, fluffy blooms? Captured beautifully by Anna Routh, this wedding proves that it’s really all about the love between the couple…and pretty flowers! Click here to see all the darling details.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Anna Routh Photography: Emily and Wright had a beautiful Dallas wedding this Spring. After photographing the two at Wright’s family ranch earlier in the spring I had the pleasure of photographing their lovely, low-key nuptials at one of Dallas’s most beautiful churches. The enormous sanctuary echoed with the sounds of their vows repeated back in front of a very small crowd that included the couple’s families. Emily and Wright wanted to keep their ceremony small and the dinner that followed very laid back, so they chose this quaint neighborhood favorite for their families to come together and celebrate their union. Emily’s effortless style showed through in all the details – her simple J Crew dress that fit her like a glove, her JCrew-adorned flower girl (sparkly flats an all!), elegant bouquets complete with the most delicious smelling peonies and the arrangements along the dinner tables using family heirlooms for vases. There was so much love in the room as Emily & Wright tied the knot that is was hard not to be all smiles all day long.

Ceremony Location: Highland Park Methodist Church / Reception Location: City Cafe / Bride’s Dress: JCrew / Flower Girl Dress + Shoes: JCrew / Floral Design: Garden Gate Floral Design / Bride’s Hair: Kirsten Mitchell at Osgood O’Neil Salon / Bride’s Make-up: Lindsay Hartley / Wedding Cake: Romano’s Bakery / Wedding Photography: Anna Routh Photography

Texas Hill Country is fast becoming one of my favorite places ever, even though I’ve never actually visited.  But, with weddings like this one, how can it not be everything I’ve dreamt it to be?  Captured by the ah-mazing CMI Photography, these gorgeous nuptials are rustic chic perfection.  Not a one single detail was overlooked… And I guarantee that you’ll be as smitten as me once you see what’s in store. A vintage typewriter, burlap-wrapped bouquets, lawn games and oak trees… Yes, I could literally spend all day explaining my love for this wedding.  It sounds like a good plan to me!  So, join me in the gallery for even more Hill Country goodness!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Weddings were not a new concept to me. I spent five years overseas in Prague, Czech Republic as a wedding planner and was fortunate enough to help the dreams come true of countless brides.  I was always the planner, never the bride, until one day after moving back to Austin, Texas I completely unexpectedly met my Mason on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Austin.  One year later he asked me to marry him, and on April 29, 2011 we celebrated our very own “un”royal wedding!  I must admit it was fun getting the countdown on TV everyday to our wedding, and very special the morning of to watch the royal wedding as we prepared for our own special day!

We knew right away we wanted a very sweet, romantic, and casual wedding – just like the two of us and our courtship and relationship.  We tokened our theme as a ‘casual, cute, country wedding’ and knew immediately we wanted to host it Becker Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country.  We love their wines, the atmosphere of the winery and had spent our first vacation there together in 2009.

We had a defined budget so many of the items that we could do ourselves, we did.  The biggest DIY project was the flowers. My maid of honor’s mother ordered all the flowers wholesale and somehow loaded them in her car and created the most gorgeous centerpieces and bouquets!  We were able to save loads of money here, but it was quite time consuming and not an easy task for her and all of my girlfriends who helped, but I sure did appreciate it.  My aunt even brought down a very special flower to my family – the lily of the valley – from my grandfather’s garden in Delaware who passed away in 2009 to incorporate into my bouquet. It was very sentimental and I believe a little gift from my Pop Pop to me!  We also wrapped the base of my bridal bouquet with lace from my mother’s wedding veil which was just another extra special touch.

My mom is an artist and her and my father together did all the signs – they turned out adorable.  I loved the idea of all the distance locations and it was a big hit with the guests.  My mom also shabby chic’ed all the chalkboards that I had bought from Hobby Lobby.  She simply painted and distressed them to give them that country feel, which was a small task that made a big difference I think.

For the centerpieces I knew I simply wanted ‘messy spring flowers’ in different bottles. I spent the months prior to the wedding picking up old vintage looking bottles and cases at discount stores and garage sales.  I also bought some hard back vintage style books at Goodwill for some extra depth to add to the centerpieces.   My maid of honor is as crafty as they get and created all the hanging signs with fabrics and hemp as well as hand wrote all the pie labels. (Which were a delicious touch to our country wedding!)

Wedding Photography: CMI Photography / Florals: DIY by Friend of the Bride / Ceremony + Reception Location: Becker Vineyards / Wedding Invitations: Minted / Wedding Dress: Moonlight via Blush Bridal / Bride’s Hair + Make-Up: Kelli Toal of Keeping Austin Gorgeous / Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal / Groomsmen Attires: JoS A Bank / Photobooth: Booth66 / Catering: Cartewheels / DJ: Complete Music / Band: Trio Old Country Band (Jerry Hagin, Howard Raines, Ethan Azarian) / Pies: Fredericksburg Pie Company / Wood Initials: The Back Porch Shoppe

Rise and shine, Texas!  I hope y’all are recovering from your 4th of July festivities.  We’ll make the adjustment into the work week a little easier with this sweet little ditty.  A gorgeous dress, a pair of fantastic Badgley Mischkas and precious French-inspired details that will surely make you swoon.  After gushing over the collection of dreamy images by Kristi Wright Photography I don’t mind ending the holiday weekend one bit.  Hurry into the full gallery to see the rest!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Kristi Wright Photography…Jamie and I hit it off instantly! She was inspired by french gardens and used beautiful roses in her decor along with touches of gold and pink. Jamie and Patrick married at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, followed by a reception at The Allan House.

Wedding Photography: Kristi Wright Photography / Floral Design: Wild Bunches Floral / Event Design + Planning: The Bride / Wedding Caterer: Royal Fig Catering / Wedding Invitations: Catbird Paper / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: La Sposa / Ceremony Location: Hyde Park Baptist Church / Reception Location: The Allan House

Happy Birthday, America!  And a lovely day to you, SMPers!  It’s the 4th of July and I am sure your day is booked with BBQ’s, sunshine, friends and fireworks galore!  Well, brace yourself.  Your holiday is about to get a whole lot prettier.  This gorgeous photo shoot courtesy of the crazy-talented team of La Belle Fleur Wedding Designs & Events, Artistic Confections, Dressy Designs and Bellafotografica is a 4th of July themed wedding done so very, very right.  It’s Coca-Cola meets mason jars meets red, white and blue.  And all with a vintage vibe.  Yes, no matter your wedding date, you’ll be saving detail after detail of this whimsical affair in your inspiration folders.  Guaranteed.  So, join me in the gallery for even more Americana! And Happy 4th of July!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From La Belle Fleur Wedding Designs & Events…While wearing a navy blue dress with white polka dots and a red belt wrapped around my waist, I thought to myself how patriotic I looked.  I quickly thought about how fun it would be to create a photo shoot around a Fourth of July wedding in Southeast Texas.  I contacted a photographer, an invitation company, make-up artist, hair stylist, baker and salons for wedding attire for our models.  Within one week of contacting these vendors, we managed to create a casual, yet elegant backyard Fourth of July wedding.

Allen Ayres of Bellafotografica provided his talents in capturing the images of the shoot for us.  Glenda Little of Dressy Designs and I quickly decided that her backyard was the perfect location for our shoot. Once we made the decision where the photo shoot would take place, all the vendors worked their magic to bring the vision we had together.

The overall look that I was going for was an all-American casual Fourth of July look that was classy, elegant and not too gimmicky with a twist of vintage.  I asked the make-up artist (Erica Strazz) and hair stylist (Ashley Smart) to create a look that was reminiscence of old Hollywood glamour/50’s pin-up for our models.  We even carried the theme of celebrating America in the selection of our models.  These girls truly represent what America is all about; beautiful, full of life and full of cultural differences.

When I set out to do this shoot, I also had in mind of showing brides an alternative style to the same theme (from casual elegance to formal sophistication).  The main shoot was based on an outdoor wedding that was casual yet elegant.  By changing up certain things, we were able to transform the setting to a more upscale and sophisticated setting.

Floral & Event Design: La Belle Fleur Wedding Designs & Events / Invitations & Paper Goods: Dressy Designs / Photography: Bellafotografica / Cake & Cupcakes: Artistic Confections / Makeup Artist: Erica Strazz / Hair Stylist: Ashley Smart of Beautique Salon & Spa / Wedding Gown: Mori Lee Blue Collection via Marcy Messer of The Classy Peacock / Shoes & Veil: Marcy Messer of The Classy Peacock / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anna Tran of Mommy Dearest + Dillards / Bridesmaid Hair Accessories: Melynda Tran of Love, Chloe Boutique / Location: Private Residence

Wow! How the time flies when staring at pretty, pretty weddings all week long! We’ve seen so many gorgeous weddings this week from DIY woodsy to glamourous and we are loving each and every one. To send you off properly for the holiday weekend, we thought we’d share this adorable americana themed photo shoot by Allison Davis Photography. Each and every detail is just so sweet and I don’t know about you, but I kinda wanna dive into that plate full of strawberries! Have a pretty weekend! See you Monday. xoxo

Click here to see entire image gallery!

From Allison Davis Photography: In honor of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, we wanted to design a vintage inspired americana bridal shoot complete with beautiful and fun dinner, desert and drink tables. Table top decor included touches of burlap and twine, custom graphic design pieces, fun and playful pinwheels, and vintage red and blue touches. Jessica wore a vintage fun and flirty  Enzoani wedding gown and with her styling she looked like she stepped out of a scene in the 1950s. The historic colonial Milestone in Denton provided a perfect backdrop for our Americana theme.

Styling and Design: Meredith Commender at Significant Events of Texas / Photography: Allison Davis Photography / Venue: The Milestone / Wedding Dress and Veil: Circle Park Bridal Boutique / Wedding Dress: Enzoani / Floral Design: Out of the Garden / Graphic Design: Simply Personal / Bakery items: Sweet Art Bakery /Hair and Make up: Angie Williams at AW Wedding Hair / Other items provided by: Ducky Bob’s Event and Party Rental

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a Dallas Cowboy gets married in Midland
an intimate outdoor affair at The San Gabriel House
a downhome, whimsical Austin wedding
a country-chic vineyard wedding

Some fabulous links from around the web:

The cutest 4th of July printables via The Sweetest Occasion.
Red, white, and blue margaritas via Borrowed & Bleu.
Delicious mini pies via One Lovely Day.

Have the prettiest weekend ever! See you Monday morning. Xoxo

These Austin nuptials are overflowing with gorgeousness and I, for one, can barely wrap my head around all of the pretty.  Just take one look at these dazzling images captured by Forever Photography Studio and you’ll understand why.  The bride is beyond stunning (that gown has left me speechless) and the purple color palette is all kinds of beautiful.  Not to mention the getaway car of my dreams, vintage suitcase included.  It’s Texas garden party meets vintage chic, with just a touch of modern.  And all together it equals one amazing day.  See even more in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Forever Photography Studio… It all started one day at work. Every Month at their workplace they celebrated everyone’s birthday with cake, that is where Jason ended up seeing beautiful Megan for the first time, and that is all it took! After getting up the courage, he walked over to Megan’s office and introduced himself and asked her out. I mean seriously who can say “no” to Wicked tickets!

Things obviously went well because here we are today posting their beautiful wedding which was at Hamilton Twelve. Every detail was unique and one of a kind. I really loved the colors Megan chose for the bridesmaids dresses and all the little details that she brought that were sentimental. They made all the signs and table numbers themselves, they had hot spiced wine that was a special recipe from Jason and then used a family bible and love seat for photos afterwards that has been in their family since the 1800s! How awesome is that! We really had an awesome time photographing this wedding, Megan and Jason we wish you both the best and all the happiness in the world! Congrats.

Wedding Photography: Forever Photography Studio / Floral Design: Park Crest Floral Design / Wedding Cake: Amazing Kakes / Bride’s Makeup: Maris Malone Calderon / Bride’s Hair: Two Wild Sisters’ Hair Salon / Photo Booth: Say Cheese Photo Booths / Transportation: Antique Limousines of Austin / Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse / Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal / Venue & Catering: Hamilton Twelve / Wine: Grapecreek Vineyards / Mugs: Discount Mugs / Stationary: Hello!Lucky / Officiant: Father of the Bride

Oh be still my country loving heart! This wedding is going down in the books as one of the cutest vintage chic Vista West Ranch weddings ever! Christina Carroll Photography was there to capture all the details and DIY touches that make this wedding over the top adorable. I’m loving all the simple and rustic displays of flowers from Petal Pushers, the rustic pergola strung with lanterns, the Tex-Mix favors, I could literally go on and on, but I’ll turn it over to all of you now! Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…From the moment we got engaged, J.B. and I knew we wanted to have a Texas Hill Country Wedding. I’ve always loved the idea of a country style wedding where guests could feel relaxed and enjoy nature. Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs provided a picturesque setting for our celebration. The underlying theme of our wedding was Vintage-Chic DIY. I wanted to create as much as I could (with the help of family and friends) to make our wedding special and unique to us. My mom made the flower girl buckets, and personalized each one with the girls’ names on the front. My grandmother and father are great artists and helped with designing the party favor ‘Tex-Mix’ jars and ‘thumbprint tree’ that guests signed as they entered the reception.

In keeping with the country feel, I crafted simple, wooden signs to direct our guests. In place of a program, I found an old windowpane and wrote the names of those in the bridal party on glass. The window was hung between two trees, and was visible as guests entered the ceremony. It was inexpensive and guests loved it! Stacey from Petal Pushers arranged a beautiful collection of flowers to give a natural “pop” to the decorations. The bouquets included succulents and Billy Bobs (my favorite!), and tied with raffia and lace in keeping with the theme. Our photographer, Christina Carroll did an amazing job of capturing our day. I love her attention to detail. I don’t know how she did it, but Christina managed to capture every emotion and treasured moment throughout our entire wedding day. It was the wedding of my dreams and I am so thankful for family and friends who helped create a memorable day.

Event Coordinator: Your Wedding, Your Way / Wedding Cake: Rolling in Thyme and Dough / Floral Design: Petal Pushers / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Venue: Vista West Ranch / Wedding Photography: Christina Carroll Photography

Country chic, whimsical and super lovely – this wedding by Jonathan Ivy Photography is the most darling DIY affair. Brides out there, you ladies are constantly amazing me with your craftiness! Case and point – this bride, her family and friends all joined forces to gather all the decor, arrange the flowers and bake the pies (and so much more!). Anyone that can bake a cake that adorable is good in my book! Believe you me, you’ll need to take more than a few minutes to take on all the lovely, so two step on over to the full gallery of images for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Jonathan Ivy Photography…This beautiful country chic wedding can actually be described as a DIY wedding.  The bride, Ali, spent months collecting and designing this beautiful event.  Everything from the mason jars, to the china, to the dress she wore down the aisle was created by the bride.  Ali’s gown was sketched and created by her and her designer Classy Concepts in Mansfield, TX.  They drew out the gown and Classy Concepts custom made it for her including the short hem and fixed bow to accommodate her outdoor ceremony.  Ali then spent months along with her mom collecting random pieces of china and mason jars to create her place settings and decor.  The flowers, done by her friend Cameron, are a mix of wildflowers and roses placed on pedestals and jars collected by the bride.  The signs that led her guests throughout the event were built by her dad and painted by Ali.  She had them throughout the ceremony and reception.  All the pies and cakes on her dessert table were baked by her and the ladies in her family.

Ali implemented all her dream elements as well including having a chandelier in the tree above where she was married, having her wedding on the grounds of an old winery, Lone Oak Winery.  After pulling all of the details together she ran then by her coordinator to ensure the practicality behind them, after getting a thumbs up from Rachel with Rachel Events, they tag teamed implementing all her elements. The old car they departed in has a cute background…the groom’s brother was walking through a drug store when he saw the car out the window.  He went out and found the owners there.  He asked them if they would allow his brother and future wife to drive away in their beautiful 54′ Cadillac at the end of their reception and the couple said Yes!  Great ending to this chic setting. Her dream was to bring together a country whimsical wedding and I do believe she accomplished this.

Wedding Photography: Jonathan Ivy Photography / Photo Booth: Jonathan Ivy Photography / Flowers: Friend of the Bride / Event Design + Planning: Rachel Events / Location: Lone Oak Winery / Wedding Invitations: The Bride / Dress: Classy Concepts

This charming little ditty is sure to make your inner cowgirl holler an enthusiastic yeehaw!  Full of darling DIY details with that unique, whimsical edge that makes us fall in love with Austin every single time.  Each and every tea-dyed tag, mismatched vase and hay bale seating was created, crafted and styled by the adorable Southern bride and event planner.  The down-home dreaminess captured by Tyler Metcalfe Photography and Greenleaf Images fits the style and tone and captures that sweet Texas light so perfectly.  Gallop on over to the full gallery to spend some more time in this woodsy DIY wonderland.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Our wedding was a DIY, very budgeted, full-of-love event.  There were so many personal and intimate details, made even more personal and intimate by the fact that my husband Tim & I, along with our families, created everything ourselves.  We were really so thankful for the support of our families and friends who contributed to our wedding day.  It took a community to make it happen!  I fell in love with weddings on our journey, decided I wanted to make every bride as happy as I was, and started my own event design/planning business.  Haven’t regretted it yet.

I always wanted a fall or winter wedding.  I barely managed a winter one, choosing March 20, the Spring Equinox and last day of winter.  I knew I didn’t want a strict theme or color coordination, but I did want the wedding to seem cohesive.  I had a lot of trouble getting people on board with my “vision” since I also had trouble putting it in to words.  But Tim was always right there supporting me and he was so game for all the unusual things I wanted to do.  Guests arrived to a woodsy wonderland and a little “outdoor chapel” that we created using antique furniture and windows.  That need to draw people in and engage them probably comes from my theatre background and work as an actor, but Tim agreed wholeheartedly regardless of the reasoning and was very involved in all of the planning.  We wanted every individual to feel like a key player and actively participate in our ceremony and our day.  It helped that our “community” of guests was very small, with about 55 guests attending including bridal party and family.  It was the perfect size for the atmosphere we were creating, which was – of course – intimate and personal.  Our guest book was a mock marriage certificate which everyone signed as a “witness” and we also had the guests take a congregational vow to support and love us, at the end of our ceremony.  Because our guest list was so small we had time to visit with each one of them, which was a high priority for us in our planning.

The wedding was held at my parent’s home in the Texas Hill Country, near Austin, TX.  We planned the whole wedding start to finish in less than 3 months and for about $4,500.  Much of that time was spent landscaping and readying the property.  Tim put in many hours clearing & graveling paths, trimming trees, laying rock.  However, while it was a lot of effort on everyone’s part, it was so much more meaningful to invest that time and money into a property we both had so many happy memories about.  I grew up playing in those woods, and they have also become very special to Tim.  We knew that it was worth the investment, and one that would keep on giving, rather than renting a venue with little or no sentimental value to us.

Event Design + Planning: Laurel White Design / Wedding Photography: Tyler Metcalfe Photography + Greenleaf Images / Videographer: Your Wedding Video Sucks / Florals: Sister of the Bride / Wood Cake Plates: Sunday Hatch / Location: Private Property / Wedding Dress: Family Heirloom / Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles / Bride’s Belt + Groom’s Attire: J.Crew