Texas Weddings

Okay everyone, by now I’m sure you’ve checked out our fabulous local blogs and know all about the gorgeousness that is happening over there on the daily. And just in case you haven’t been in a while, we figured we’d give you a glimpse into each one. Right here, right now. So get ready for a cross country trip, no $4.00 a gallon gas required!

First up is this beyond beautiful Cooperstown wedding on SMP New York Weddings by Orchard Cove Photography.

Check out this adorable week long island party on SMP Florida Weddings by Robert Rios Photography!

Totally dying over this gorgeous Italian wedding by Jacqueline Schmitz Campbell on SMP Destination Weddings.

Who doesn’t just love this happy, vibrant wedding by Sweet Caroline Photo on SMP Texas Weddings?

A good ol’ fashioned ranch wedding on SMP California Weddings by Melisa Munding Photography.

So there you have it! A glimpse into the wonderful wedding world that is our local blogs! I hope you’ve enjoyed the trip!

I am a BIG fan of the color orange, it is just an all around happy color. I mean really, when was the last time you looked at an orange-filled affair and didn’t feel giddy? Well get ready for the giddiness because this lovely wedding by Sweet Caroline Photo at the Allan House is just full of images to fill your day full of happy. Lovely florals, gorgeous stationery, a to die for cake – Monday isn’t looking so bad after all, wouldn’t you say? Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We wanted our wedding to feel like a party we would throw – not a production…and it was so great to hear that our friends did pick up on the details! From the brand of gin to the pork tacos at the end of the evening, we kept it personal. Laid-back, but classy.

My dress was a combo of two Alvina Valenta Dresses. I was going for romantic/preppy — the pleated hem was an addition. My shoes were orange ballet flats with satin bows from Sundance Catalog.  My earrings were costume jewelry I bought to wear on our first date and the bracelet my sister wore for her wedding.

A special addition to our ceremony that made it unique was the minister, who was Jacob’s teacher in Jr. High and has remained a mentor over the years.  For a DIY project, we collected family wedding photos to place on the fireplace mantle in coordinating silver frames.

The best moment of our wedding day was dancing towards the end of the night under the twinkle lights…we were having an incredible time and it was clear that our friends and family were, too. “We totally nailed this wedding,” as Jacob put it.

My biggest piece of advice for brides and grooms planning their wedding today is don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the decision-making process. Go with your gut and move on…enjoy your engagment, don’t stress or second guess yourself!

Wedding Photography: Sweet Caroline Photo / Wedding Venue: Allan House / Event Coordination: Kerry Duggan of BZ events / Floral Design: Posey Floral and Event Design / Hair: Kristen of Lather Salon / Makeup: Christy Edlin Makeup / Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss / Groomsmen Ties: LulaKate / Bridesmaid Dresses: LulaKate / Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta / Bride’s Hair Piece: Lo Boheme / Bride’s Shoes: Sundance / Wedding Invitations: Rhonda Warren of Color Box Design & Letterpress / Catering: 2 Dine 4 Fine Catering / Wedding Cake: Blue Note Bakery / Linens: Marquee / Lighting: Ilios Lighting

Happy Friday Texas! We are knee deep in summer and hopefully y’all have weekend plans that involve cooling off in some way shape or form. Margaritas totally count by the way, and I fully intend on indulging in one or two over the little SMP hiatus which other people call the weekend. Whether you are sipping on ritas or lemonade this lovely weekend here is a little sneak peak of a wedding from Sweet Caroline Photo coming your way on Monday that is cool as can be.

Photography: Sweet Caroline Photo

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

a perfectly purple Arlington wedding
a fiesta-inspired Austin wedding
a fabulous, floral-filled Austin fête
a beautiful Brownsville engagement party
a ranch wedding that will send your heart a flutter

A few pretty things we found around the web…

a bookmarkable post on how to get your wedding published via Backstage SMP
Summer meals are my fave via You are My Fave
three ways to wear a romper via Paper Garland

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

It’s darling, it’s southern and it’s ranch-wedding style at its finest – this wedding by Ryan Price Photography is just as sweet as the pie they served! It’s 100% full-on adorable with it’s purple hues and vintage southern style, and there is just something about a wedding where the trees twinkle at night that makes my heart all a flutter. There is a lot of heart fluttering going on, and there is even more to be had in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… I have always wanted to get married on our family’s land in the tiny community of Weches, TX. I wanted it to be in a place where I had a strong emotional and sentimental connection. Our family has had the ranch for five generations, and no matter where I lived, my heart has always been there. Growing up through elementary school, I spent most of my weekends and summers there, and my family moved there full-time when I was in seventh grade. When my fiance, Randy, and I got together, he came to visit the ranch and immediately fell in love with it, so that just sealed the deal for me when it came time to pick a venue for our wedding.

Once I committed to having the wedding on the ranch, I knew it would be a big event as far as the guest list was concerned, so I liked the idea of a progressive event. I have always liked giving the guests something to do instead of just standing around waiting on pictures to be taken. So I decided I would have a social hour in the front of my parents’ house between the time of the ceremony and reception. Once I laid out the general schedule, the search for decorations began. I knew with the given location, Randy and I’s personalities, and the size of the guest list, I wanted the wedding to be Southern Vintage themed.

For the ceremony, I envisioned a big oak tree in a field of green grass, old vintage church pews underneath the tree, and white rose petals strewn down the aisle. The pews at the ceremony were collected from our church and others, and the flowers and rose petals turned out exactly as I had hoped.

When considering how to decorate the social hour, I wanted lots of vintage furniture strategically scattered around the yard with groupings of seating areas comprised of vintage chairs, rocking chairs, tables, trunks, etc. My favorite piece was my great-great Aunt Myrtle’s berry-colored velvet couch with wood detailing on the front. Most of the decorations at the social hour were comprised of antique store finds and friends and family donating or loaning decor and furniture.

For the reception, I wanted mismatched china patterns on gold chargers, delicious comfort food, sunset, candlelight, and enjoying the beauty of the natural decoration with which God has so richly blessed East Texas. The mismatched china we used was all borrowed from family and friends, and the pies and pecan tassies around each cake table were homemade by family and friends. I used the gold chargers to tie all the mismatched china together. Dinner, made up of BBQ-glazed chicken breast, roast beef, homemade mashed potatoes, bacon-braised green beans, and corn casserole, was served as the sun was going down.

Our biggest challenge with the reception was trying to find lighting without having any trees in the back yard from which to hang lights. We ended up bringing in a lighting company to set lights on stands at each corner of the yard, and we cut down a few sapling trees and “planted” them at each corner of the yard to hide the lighting stands. From the sapling limbs, we hung mason jars with candles in them. We also rented five pre-lit trees in decorative wooden boxes that were set throughout the yard to provide additional lighting. In addition, there were candle-lit lanterns on every table.

I am one of the blessed brides whose day turned out exactly like I hoped it would be. All the decorations, food, apparel, and weather were perfect. We were married at my favorite time of day, surrounded by all our friends and family in the place I love the most.

Wedding Photography: Ryan Price Photography / Flowers & Decor: Edie Jones of Alto Florist / Wedding Coordination: Rosemary Spring and JoBeth Perkins / Bride & Groom Cakes: Katelyn Lenderman of Kate’s Cakes / Wedding Dress: Jasmine Haute Couture / Bride’s Veil: Bel-Aire Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Jessica Simpson / Bride’s Earrings: J.Crew / Bridesmaids’ Shoes: Steve Madden / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm Occasions / Tuxes: Calvin Klein / Catering: Pie in the Sky Catering / Rentals: A-1 Party Rentals / Lighting: Pro Sound / Band: Sam Moore / Wedding Invitations & Programs: Story-Wright Printing / Thumbprint Tree: Dawn Carney, Cousin of the Bride

There is something oh-so-sweet about this Houston wedding. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It could be the adorable, little flower girl, peeking at the bride. Or maybe the bride herself, stunning in her Melissa Sweet gown. Perhaps it is the warm and romantic ambiance, courtesy of all the candles. Or the green palette, so fresh and floral. You know what? The more I think about it, the more I realize it is ALL of these things – and so much more. It’s the whole wedding, seen through the lens of cameron + kelly studios. You can just see the love and the affection, and that makes the whole affair glow. It’s a little magical. Cameron and Kelly have even more of the magic on their blog, so click here to jump over there!

Don’t forget about the gallery for more!

Ben and I met March of 2009.  I will never forget that day; we were at a crawfish boil in Houston.He proposed a year and half later.  We were going out to dinner for date night so I thought nothing about it.  I went over to his house before because Ben, as usual, wanted to have a cocktail.  We were sitting in his “man” chairs sipping on mint julips (our favorite), when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  We went to Ouisie’s Table that night, which is where we had our rehearsal dinner later – so special.  After dinner, we went over to my parent’s house and surprised them with the great news.  The rest of the night was spent drinking champagne and looking forward to marrying my Ben.

Planning my wedding was such a fun experience.  I have always known I would get married at my church, Second Baptist and have the reception at the Houston Country Club.  Being from Houston, many other brides have done the same thing.  With that said, I wanted the feel of mine to be different! And that is where my awesome and very talented wedding coordinator, Mary Beth Events, came in. She helped turn my wedding into something so unique and beautiful and what I would call a magical night!

Photography: cameron + kelly studios / Event Planning & Decor: Mary Beth Events / Hair: Trey Gillen / Makeup: Paul DePadua / Bridal Gown: Melissa Sweet | Pricilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Kim Couture / Ceremony Venue: Second Baptist Church / Reception Venue & Catering: Houston Country Club / Floral: Susie Miller / Tuxedos: Al’s Formal Wear

Everything is bigger in Texas for sure and this gorgeous engagement party by Anahi Navarro Photography is as big as it is beautiful. Gorgeous florals seem to be in every nook and cranny, their backyard is what dreams are made of and the trees all seemed to twinkle at night. The Lone Star state doesn’t mess around on anything, including engagement parties apparently! Oh Texas, you get me every time. See even more here!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Anahi Navarro Photography… Lauren and Paul’s engagement party had a casual elegant feel.  The attention to details literally shined through the hundreds of candles draping from the trees lighting the dinner tables.  The colors highlighted by the beautiful floral art pieces completed the look perfectly.  The evening highlight were the parents toast which expressed the nights emotions.  The party was capped off with great cigars out by the backyard lake.

Photography: Anahi Navarro Photography + Marcin from AGAiMAGES / Linens: Susana of All Party Rentals / Caterer: Nena Siller / Mini Cakes: Cynthia’s Cakes / Music: Blue Rio Band / Floral Design: Rene Salinas / Dress: Aidan Mattox

Where to begin, where to begin. Let me start off by saying that the florals in this fabulously festive affair by Bouquets of Austin are just be-yond. It’s bouquet perfection for this Austin soiree if you ask me, and even if you don’t ask me – I think/know you’ll agree. Ku Photography snapped all of the fabulous shots, and each and every one made me completely fall in love with this pretty, pretty party. I am just completely smitten, and you can see all the reasons why in the full gallery of images.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… The official story is that Stan and I met through friends while he was in med school and I was in business school.  The more interesting story is that we met during one fateful, crazy night on 6th Street in Austin.  Our romance was long-distance for the first couple of years, but we both came to the quick realization that it was truly something special, and Stan proposed almost 3.5 years after that first night on the town.

We planned our wedding over the course of 12 months.  It was important to us that the day be incredibly personal, colorful and natural while drawing upon key elements of our shared Chinese backgrounds.  Most of all, we wanted everyone to have fun!  We have both always been drawn to blue hues, and red is very symbolic in the Chinese culture, so royal blue, turquoise and red became an obvious palette for us.

When we visited the Wild Onion Ranch, we immediately knew that the property, with its sprawling grounds, huge oak trees, outdoor dance floor and eclectic yard art, was perfectly suited to what we hoped would be a largely outdoor celebration.  To seal the deal, they even had longhorn cattle roaming the front pasture!

As guests arrived prior to the ceremony, they were greeted with St. Germain champagne cocktails to help set the mood and kick off the festivities.  The brief ceremony was held at sunset atop a picturesque hill under a semi-circle of giant oak trees.  We walked down the aisle to contemporary string music selections and read our own vows to each other.  Homemade ceremony programs were also provided in the form of scalloped fans, which we hoped would help cool our guests in the unseasonably warm April heat.

It was important to us that the members of our wedding party be able to reflect their own personalities.  The bridesmaids created their own style using royal blue convertible dresses and each held different bouquets of red flowers and succulents, while the groomsmen each wore a turquoise tie with a unique royal blue screen print specially chosen by the groom.

We incorporated a variety of personal touches throughout the evening.  Chinese elements included lanterns adorning both the ceremony and reception areas, illuminated water lilies in the pool and custom-made mandarin duck cake toppers (a symbol of wedded bliss and relationship longevity).  Our florist delivered on our request for bright and natural centerpieces by using different combinations of wheatgrass, wildflowers and citrus fruits.  Stan brewed two types of craft beers for the occasion and we even made our own hand-picked blueberry “sloe” gin to give out as favors!  Stan was also able to share his love of sweets with a blue-themed candy bar that was placed by the exit toward the end of the night.  Finally, to help keep the party going we had a hilarious flip book booth, glow sticks that were distributed on the dance floor during our requested techno song and post-wedding transportation on buses with dance poles!

Perhaps the most memorable part of the evening was at the very end, when guests were invited to light huge white (100% biodegradable) wish lanterns as a send-off.  Unfortunately, high winds prevented many of the lanterns from being lit, but the effect was just as picturesque and serene with the few that flew up into the night.  It was the perfect way to cap off the most amazing day of our lives.

Photography: Ku Photography / Floral Design: Bouquets of Austin / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Wild Onion Ranch / Wedding Coordination: Barbara Hearne & Kristi Treadwell of Barbara’s Brides / Wedding Cake: Blue Note Bakery / Catering: 2 Dine 4 Fine Catering / Rentals: Premiere Party Central / Hair & Makeup: method.hair / Wedding Dress: Stardust Celebrations / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: Restoration Threads / Cake Topper: County Squirrels-R-Us / Flower Girl Basket: Fleur Detaillee / Flower Girl Sash & Hair Accessories: Project U / Bride’s Hair Piece: ivoryONwhite / Custom Groom & Groomsmen Ties: Cyberoptix Tie Lab / Flip Books: On The Flipside / Officiant: Michael Boles / Save the Dates: Paperless Post / Wedding Invitations: The Paper Kutt / DJ: Mr. Thrill DJ & Bands / Ceremony Music: String Music / Shuttle Bus: Bongo Bus

This Austin wedding fiesta, brought to us so nicely by Ashley Garmon Photographers, has serious attitude. And of course I mean attitude in the best possible way – the strut your stuff and make everyone have a good time type of attitude. Add a little down home Texas hospitality mix in a little Mexican-inspired flair, and folks, we have a seriously good wedding on our hands. Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… There were three things I knew for sure when I got engaged: I wanted a quick and sweet engagement, an AMAZING band at the reception, and BRIGHT RED chiviari chairs.  Those were the initial thoughts that came to mind when we started planning in the Summer of 2010. Mexico was where we ultimately wanted to be wed but Austin is where we live and keep it weird. Since we weren’t able to tie the knot abroad, I decided I would use the bright textiles and the festive attitude of the Mexican culture as part of our wedding design inspiration.

So the work began. As I dusted off and referenced various old wedding magazine copies and scoured numerous blogs, and design sites, that’s when I realized I was going to need to dig deep on this one. Like all brides I wanted the day to be different, eclectic but unique to anything else our guests had ever experienced. We wanted the day to reflect our personalities, vision, creativity, and above of all have our friends and family enjoy every detail of our BIG day. Travis handled ordering the appropriate Scotch and securing the band and I took the reigns in the decor department. I drew on whatever inspiration I could find to make this a true FIESTA within a budget.  Travis is from the Texas Hill Country and I hail from the desert of West Texas so having that down home flare was also imperative.

Unique elements of the event included bright Mexican themed textiles paired with clean and crisp succulents and spring florals, Mariachis who serenaded everyone while enjoying Frito pie hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour, tie-dyed wedding cake at the reception, flower children with monogrammed guayberas (Mexican Wedding Shirts) and along hundreds of prayer candles created a festive informal lighting scheme on a perfectly moon-lit March evening in Austin, Texas.

Our vendors executed the event seamlessly and did I mention it helps to have a dear talented friends as your photographers? Our guests are still talking about the details and we are still suffering from postpartum wedding blues.

Wedding Photography: Ashley Garmon & Emily Joyce of Ashley Garmon Photographers / Concept & Event Design: Cara Carney / Floral Design: Cherry Lane Floral / Event Planning: Lizzie Belle Event Planning / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Mercury Hall / Catering: Pink Avocado / Wedding Invitations & Custom Signage: Paper Place / Custom Papel Picados: Cut-It-Out / Ceremony Music: Barton Strings / Reception Band: The Gourds / Wedding Dress: Rivini / Hair & Makeup: Mariana Meredith of Mirror Mirror Hair Salon

Although we’ve recently been on the hunt for perfect indoor wedding, exquisite ballroom affairs and super chic modern soiree’s…we simply couldn’t resist posting this straight-from-the-heavens vintage style celebration. It was, after all, photographed by The Nichols, who we seriously love here at SMP and it did happen to have a bride that DIY-ed the wedding from the save the dates up. So all in all, we thought it fit right in on the pages of SMP. Plus it’s crazy gorgeous so we knew you’d love it too. Click here to see even more.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

Throughout our wedding planning process, we chose to think of our wedding as a reflection of ourselves and a gift to our loved ones.  We wanted it to be comfortable, relaxed, elegant and, most of all, personal.

The DIY-ing started with our save the dates (we made a wall-sized painting, cut it into pieces, and sent them out with a web address so guests could see their piece as part of the whole–they also found a silly video of us running towards each other in a field).  Next, we designed our invitations with a painting of our hands amongst the wildflowers and addressed the envelopes by hand.  We also made the place cards, seating chart, and favors.  Since we collect minerals, we decided to give our guests two stones, a citrine and a quartz crystal, symbolic of the two of us.

Phil and I wrote our vows separately and our ceremony together with my oldest brother Casey, our officiant. My other brother was my “man of honor” and dutifully held my bouquet during the ceremony.  Phil’s best man was also our ceremony musician and our bridal party was all sisters.  Our five sweet flower girls played musical instruments instead of throwing petals.  They totally stole the show!

Phil wore his everyday scuffed up boots, his Grandfather’s blue socks, and a custom-made tooled leather belt complete with his last name and our two pets (a gift from me).  I wore my Grandmother’s 70+ year old diamond re-set engagement ring and her gorgeous blue topaz and diamond ring (something old, borrowed and blue!).

I am fortunate to work at a florist here in Austin where we planned the flowers together and collected lots of vintage bottles and jars.  We mixed Texas wildflowers with some of my favorites like poppies, ranunculus, daisies and garden roses.  Our décor organically came together as a sort of Texas-Latin fiesta with papel picado flags, burlap table runners, lots of candlelight, and an outstanding Southwestern inspired menu from Kurant Events. They are truly first class caterers and everyone raved about the menu.  All of our wedding vendors were amazing.  Thank you, thank you!!  We also had the best time at our rehearsal dinner eating BBQ and singing karaoke on a boat.  Big thanks to Lonestar and our dear friend Keith at Kreuz Market.

My favorite part of our wedding day was seeing Phil before the ceremony while taking some photos out in the fields. In no way did it take away from that special moment of seeing each other down the aisle.  We were so grateful to have that hour of peace and reflection before the celebrating began.

Wedding Photography: The Nichols / Wedding Venue: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center / Wedding Coordinator: The Simplifiers / Floral Design: La Fleur Vintage / DJ: Ryan Williams / Catering: Kurant Events / Bride’s Shoes: Pour La Victoire / Wedding Bands: Bario-Neal & Tiffany & Co. / Hair & Makeup: Rae Cosmetics / Rentals: Premiere Party Central / Favors: The Bride & Groom + Nature’s Treasures / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: The Bride & Groom

I know we showcase tons of real weddings and inspiration shoots filled with steal-worthy details for your upcoming nuptials. But, so few and far between do we feature a bachelorette inspired shoot. And not every hen party is created equal. This particular fête has left me wishing all get-togethers could be this pretty. Crafted by Camille Styles with seriously gorgeous florals by Kristen Caissie, this just might be the loveliest pairing of all – your best girlfriends, loads of scrumptious cheese and really great wine. Does it get any better? We think not! Catch more of this bachelorette bash in the full gallery as well as some great pairing tips from Camille below.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Camille Styles… The concept is a summertime get-together with great rose wine and cheese pairings, girly flowers and a simple, organic vibe for the table.  From the floral designer Kristen Caissie: “Summer holds in its warmth some of the simplest delights, and there’s no better way to celebrate the bride-to-be than with an al fresco get-together…with loads of pink wine, of course!”

A beautiful wood farm table was the canvas for the crisp white linens and a cheesecloth runner. Vases were filled with coral peonies, David Austin garden roses, viburnum, and astilbe. The summer blooms in shades of blush paired perfectly with the pinks of the wines.  Each bottle of Rose was also paired with a summer inspired appetizer.  The lovely ladies enjoyed the afternoon around the table tasting wines, sampling the summer bounties, and chatting about all the details for the upcoming wedding!

We thought it would be fun to ditch traditional bachelorette “games” in favor of a slightly more sophisticated rosé wine tasting. Why rosé, you ask? Because it’s the prettiest and girliest of libations, of course! Don’t be intimidated if you’re not a wine expert; we headed to the wine department at Whole Foods for a mini lesson in what wines to serve, and were able to pick up all the cheese and accompaniments in one place, too!

To set up the tasting, create cute labels that identify each wine and offer some suggestions on what flavors might make delicious pairings. Don’t forget to provide plenty of glassware for each guest to try multiple wines! Of course, the cheeses and other nibbles play starring roles as well, so provide a delicious variety of sweets and savories. When putting together a cheese tray, I try to follow these rules of thumb: Serve one to two ounces of cheese per person, include a mix of fresh, aged, soft and hard cheeses. and arrange – and sample – the cheeses starting with the freshest and lightest, ending with the ripest and most intense.

The biggest rule of all? Have fun! It is a bachelorette party after all, and the giggles, gossip and sharing of memories will be the special moments that the bride-to-be will carry with her long after the big day!

You can also view an adorable behind-the-scenes video of the shoot here!

Photography: Michael Bullock / Coordination & Styling: Camille Styles / Floral & Event Design: Kristen Caissie / Furniture: Liv By Design + Austin’s World of Rentals / Calligraphy: Pretty Pen Jen

When I think of SMP’s new local wedding blogs, I can’t help but think of my best friend’s mom’s bumper sticker back when I was in high school that read, “Think Globally, Act Locally” because that’s exactly what we’re doing here at SMP. We’re bringing the wedding wonderfulness right to your own back yard! So whether you’re interested in California weddings, Texas weddings, New York weddings, Florida weddings, or Destination weddings, SMP has got you covered. So go ahead, Act Locally, my high school best friend’s mom will love you for it! And for all you visual peeps out there, here’s a peek at what’s going on in Florida from the fabulous Kat Braman. Click here for even more!

Don’t fret if you don’t see your hometown in our local lineup yet! We’re working hard to cover each corner of the country, so stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled, because SMP is coming to a state near you really, really soon!

We have just the wedding to help get your Monday off to a pretty start! After you scroll through this, I am sure you will agree – It’s just pretty as can be and perfectly purple. Allison Davis Photography was there to capture all of the darling details that made this wedding one of a kind, including the seriously gorgeous florals that seemed to be around every corner by The Blooming Bride. So go ahead and get aquatinted with the full gallery of images this Monday morning, your week will thank you.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Allison Davis Photography… Kaitlin and Sam did an amazing job designing their spring wedding decor. They had two beautiful white tents and strung white, purple and orange lanterns from the tents. I loved the purple table linens with the peach chair linens. Their florist did an amazing job with the unique floral design and I loved how each table was just a little bit different. They also created fun games for their guests to play throughout the night including a Wedding Mad Lib and a Word Search. I loved watching the guests play the games and laugh throughout the night.

I loved being a part of Kaitlin & Sam’s wedding day. They are such sweet and amazing people. I’m so happy for their marriage and all of the joy they’ll share together throughout the years ahead. They had a sweet ceremony that expressed their passion and joy for marriage. I had two favorite parts of their wedding day: they had been worried about crying before the ceremony during their first look, but they held everything together. They held in their tears and emotion until just after the ceremony when they exited. They both turned toward each other and sweet tears of joy they burst from them both. My second favorite part of their wedding day was hearing the speeches from their best man and maid of honor. The maid of honor’s speech was very touching because she also vowed to support and encourage their marriage in any way. It’s encouraging to see friendships like that in the world and it was a blessing to be a part of their celebration.

Photography: Allison Davis Photography / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: The Sanford House Inn & Spa / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Lasting Bridal Couture of Addison / Accessories: Etsy / Floral Design: The Blooming Bride / Wedding Cake: Crème de la Crème Cake Company / Groom’s Cake: The Sanford House Inn & Spa / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / DJ: Chad Alan Events

Y’all, we did it again. Another week jam-packed with prettiness! And although you’ll have two whole days without any SMP Texas Weddings gracing your computer screen, we’ll be back and beautiful on Monday have no fear. In the meantime, here is an a-dor-a-ble day after shoot from K & S Photography that is not only fabulous, but it also has me craving a good burger and fries in the worst possible way! Please tell me I am not the only one! Hope your weekend is full of fabulous (and maybe a french fry or two!) xoxo!

click here for the full image gallery!

From K & S Photography…I met up with Josh and Meredith for a Day After Session at Steak and Shake. It was a super fun session and gave us lots of laughs.  We love the 50’s diner feel with the checkered floors and the bar where you could order a milkshake.  I love Day After Sessions because they allow you to get fun, relaxed pictures of the bride and groom. This has to be my favorite one to date.

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

a fabulously eclectic Austin wedding
a vintage-inspired Katy wedding with an island feel
a wedding full of fabulous details at Stone Oak Ranch
a Dallas wedding bursting with color
Scotland meets Texas in this Fredericksburg wedding

A few pretty things we found around the web…

a fun bow tie roundup via The Wedding Chicks
a super, fun and colorful chandelier via Oh Happy Day!
an exciting announcement – Paloma’s Nest is opening a flagship store in Austin!

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

What do you get when Scotland meets Texas? Well according to this wedding at the Hoffman Haus, you get  a downright fabulous combination! Not only is this pretty as can be Texas bride and her handsome Scottish hubby super adorable, but the combo of cultures also makes for a darling wedding as well! Crystal Littrell Photography was there to capture all the little details for this darling duo, and you can click here to see even more!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Crystal Littrell Photography… Aly Myers and David Fitzpatrick had a quaint ceremony and reception at the beautiful Hoffman Haus in Fredericksburg, Texas. They really wanted the wedding weekend to be focused on those closest to their heart, so the entire property was rented out for attendees.

David and Aly live in Houston, but David is originally from Scotland!  His entire family came from overseas to share in the event and instead of a tux David was wearing a traditional Scottish Kilt. The Kilt had so many adornments and a ton of detail on each of them.  I think this is probably the only wedding I’ve shot where the groom had more details to worry about than the bride. Aly was wearing a Maggie Sottero gown with a personal touch.  The cap sleeves were were created from excess lace on the train of her gown by “Weddings by Debbie” in Houston, TX.

The ceremony was held in the garden of the Hoffman Haus and was very emotional.  It is Scottish tradition that a young girl from the groom’s family give the bride a horseshoe for good luck.

The reception was gorgeous…Aly and her coordinator Elizabeth had every detail covered. The place settings were a beautiful combination of red and gold, and each place setting was atop a red pear. Aly’s brother Rob was the chef for the evening.

After dinner and a few speeches everyone went to The Great Hall for a night of dancing where Aly and the Texas crew showed David’s family a few classic Texas dances like the “Two Step” and “Cotton Eyed Joe.”  Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without including some traditional Scottish folk dances. The remainder of the night was spent getting in some serious quality time with family and friends just like they had planned.

Photography: Crystal Littrell Photography / Floral Design: Sprout / Event Design & Planning: Elizabeth Harris / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Hoffman Haus / Wedding Invitations: Heather of Twine & Twig / Catering: Dave Myers, Brother of the Bride / Desserts: Rather Sweet Bakery / Wedding Reception Band: All Funk Radio Show / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero

I love color. It makes my heart happy, and this Dallas wedding by Ben Q. Photography gave my heart it’s daily dose of color-loving joy. I mean, seriously, how much do you love the seemingly million of lanterns and the orange chairs? How can you not be giddy looking at that fabulousness? I, for one, cannot be, and I have a sneaking suspicion you might have a smile on your face too. Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… When we began planning our wedding, I can honestly say we had no idea what we wanted to do.  I’m not the kind of girl who has had her wedding planned out since she was twelve; in all honesty, I had only the vaguest idea of what direction to head in.  We began brainstorming and scouring websites for ideas, and still we weren’t quite sure in what direction we wanted to head -something more traditional, or something modern and fun.  We discovered Hickory Street Annex and thought it would be an awesome place to have the reception, but we couldn’t decide on whether or not to have a formal church wedding. Without checking a calendar, we made our decision unwittingly -we chose March 12, which is right at the beginning of Lent, and we couldn’t get married in our church.  But it all worked out well, because we had a lot of guests coming in from out of town, and we liked the idea of having the wedding and the reception in one place to minimize travel, etc for our guests.

After that decision was made, things started to fall into place rather quickly.  My sister, who is a wonderful seamstress, offered to make our centerpieces (all hand-sewn), and I began collecting aqua mason jars, hunting them down on Ebay and at flea markets.  Ideas really began to flow when we settled on our invitations.  We chose a design that we found on Etsy that we absolutely adored, because it was FUN, and at the end of the day, we just wanted to throw a good party for our friends and family! The best part was that we were able to use Jamie, the graphic designer, to make our programs as well, so we were able to keep the theme going.  We even ended up asking her to design a guestbook poster for everyone to sign, and it turned out beautifully.  My sister, who was my matron of honor, was so helpful not only in designing the centerpieces, but also in helping me put together our wedding favors.  We own a coffee shop, and we decided to do chocolate-covered espresso beans as favors.  She spent quite a few hours on the Thursday before the wedding packaging them all up and tying 140 ribbons while I stamped the tags and hand wrote thank-yous on each of them.

Our photographers did an amazing job corralling my very large family, and in capturing all of the tiny details that made our wedding special, from our vintage typewriter and radio set, to our exquisite flowers, to the magic of our meeting before the ceremony.  I’m very glad we took a few moments to see and be with each other before the ceremony started, because it certainly was a whirlwind after that.

Our cupcakes were magnificent (pecan pie with salted caramel filling was just ONE of the flavors!) and in general, I can’t say enough about what a great job our vendors did.  April did a magnificentjob with the flowers.  I knew I wanted Gerber daisies, my favorite flower, but I wasn’t sure if they would be elegant enough on their own.  Her idea to add circus roses and dahlias gave just enough class to the bouquets to dress them up, but she maintained the carefree and colorful look that I wanted. All of our vendors (especially our wedding planner) were flexible enough to work with us as our ideas developed, and part of what made all of this so fun was that we were both excited and energetic about bringing ideas to life once they occurred to us. For example – we’re both musicians, and we loved the idea of a very relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, but we weren’t sure how to create it until my fiance (who used to do theater) had the wonderful idea of designing a “set” or backdrop for our altar area. Since we were getting married in a very open-modern-loft space, we wanted to bring some character on board that would help decorate it in a homey way. On the day of the wedding, my fiance and his best man (plus some other wonderful friends) transferred most of our living room – the rug, the chairs, a desk, and some other furniture – out of our house and up the Annex. They hung curtains and completely outdid themselves, transforming the room into a warm, inviting, and familiar space- it really was as though we were getting married in our house with 120 of our closest friends and family present.

Even more wonderful was that we had our brother-in-law (my sister’s husband) as our officiant.  He gave an absolutely lovely homily that incorporated touching stories about watching us grow together as a couple, stories about how I was the matchmaker between him and my sister, and a wonderful interpretation of our favorite Bible verses, as well as the wedding vows from the Book of Common Prayer.   It was one of the sweetest ceremonies I have ever heard, and I am so glad it was ours.

Wedding Photography: Ben Q. Photography / Wedding Planning: Jennifer Ashford of Altar Ego / Hair & Makeup: Tiffany Petry of Paper Dolls Makeup / Flowers: April McNosky of AprilMayJune Designs / Cupcakes: Le Gateau Cakery / Wedding Venue: Hickory Street Annex / Music: Serenata Strings / Wedding Invitations, Programs & Poster: Jamie Konet of JK Design / Wedding Dress: Casablanca via Mockingbird Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Jewelry: Dillard’s / Bridesmaid Hair Bands: J.Crew / Bride’s Hair Accessories: Etsy / Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear / Groom’s Attire: Nordstrom / Ties: The Tie Bar / Bride’s Shoes: Isotoner

Sometimes when things look less “put together” they end up coming together beautifully, and that is most certainly the case with this Texas Wedding by Allen Arrick Photography. So many little details joined forces to make this one fabulous fête. From the chandelier-filled barn to the sweet as can be memory tree, you’ll need to take some serious time in the full gallery of images to take it all in!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… This wedding has been a whirlwind from the beginning. With only 5 1/2 months to plan it ourselves, my mom and I really had to go to work. My vision started out when I bought my dress. I knew that I wanted something untraditional, different, and jaw dropping. Maggie Sottero not only had the perfect dress for me, but it was offered in a wonderful, nontraditional color (light gold/champagne). It was a no brainer for me. The vision of my wedding revolved around my dress. I wanted to incorporate my favorite color, plum, into it somehow and found some great shoes by Jessica Simpson that did the trick.

I wanted the majority of the wedding and reception to be homemade and vintage. We spent months going to antique shops looking for tons of vintage lace, jewelry, brooches, and ideas. We also got much of our inspiration from wedding blogs and websites. ETSY also offered many ideas, from the vintage letters, to the flower girl buckets, to the vintage hankies.

I wanted my guests to walk in and have lots of stuff to look at and do when they entered the reception. We decided to make a memory tree that also incorporated stories from guests and pictures of Chad and I growing up. This was a big hit. Making the trees was tricky, but it turned out beautifully. We also wanted some way for guests to leave us some advice. We found a 100 year old door and decorated it with random, vintage hooks that we found. We then rented lots of old keys and had guests write their advice on a gift tage and attach it to the keys and hang it on the door for us. The room was sprinkled with old bird cages, whimsical birds, pearls, and old fabrics. I did not want each table to match. I wanted it to look less “put together” and more shabby.

One of my favorite projects was the lavander bags. Mom and I found lots of old fabrics and sewed our own satchels for each guest. We ordered lots of lavender seeds and filled the bags with them. The guests used these satchels full of seeds to toss at us as we left the venue. Not only was it different, but it smelled so wonderful! We wanted our guests to feel at home while at the reception. We found some antique quilts that guests could use as they sat on the patio. We also wanted the men to be able to relax and smoke cigars if they wanted. We found several old lighters and lots of funky matchbooks for them to use.

Best advice for brides: Don’t get caught up in the details. Trust other people to help make your vision come to life. It makes it so much less stressful!

Wedding Photography: Allen Arrick Photography / Flowers: Brosang’s Flowers / Event Design & Planning: The Bride / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Stone Oak Ranch / Wedding Cake: Designs by D’Anne / Bride’s Shoes: Jessica Simpson / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero / Vintage Letters, Hankies & Flower Girl Buckets: Etsy

Maybe you’ve been out of town or your dog ate your ethernet cable but, whatever the excuse, if you haven’t been to our Texas blog you are seriously missing out. First of all, who wouldn’t want to spend each and every weekday with Miss A. Blaire and her enthusiastic love for all things pretty?   Second, you are missing phen.om.e.nal weddings just like the stunning Fort Worth nuptials of TOMS Wedding Collection designer by Sara Donaldson.  Heart melting, gush-worthy weddings like this are a must-see event so you better know where to find them!  There is even more local-lovin’ going on at our four other regional blogs – California, New York, Florida, and Destination.  So get your local on…I promise you will not be sorry!

Don’t see your hometown?  Don’t worry!  We are gearing up to drive the Style Me Pretty express to even more towns, neighborhoods and cities.  So keep an eye out and, who knows, yours might be the next state to join our awesome line-up!

This couple knew they wanted a island feel to their vintage-inspired wedding without having to deal with leaving their beloved Texas, and I think they got just what they were looking for. With its tropical color palette and laid-back vibe, this wedding by Carlea J Photography almost feels like it belongs on the Destination Blog! Have no fear, it’s 100% Texas and there is even more to see in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Derick and I met at work- we were both teaching adults with disabilities at the time. We pretty much knew we were meant to be together from the first day we met, but dated for 3 years anyway before getting married. Derick proposed to me on the beach on a windy, rainy day in April- the weather was terrible that day and I didn’t want to go to the beach, but he had already planned everything out, so he insisted that we go anyway- I had no clue what was going on, I just thought he was crazy for wanting to go fishing… It was a great surprise when he knelt down in the sand and asked me to be with him forever- the weather didn’t matter after that.

Overall, our goal for the wedding was to have a “custom vintage island” feel- we wanted everything to feel relaxed like we were at a destination wedding, but with a lot of simple handmade touches. We had almost a year to plan and before we picked anything, I went to Archivers (scrapbooking store) and looked through all of their different colors of paper- it took me about an hour of trying color combination, but I finally found 3 colors that I thought looked really good together and fit our theme- I bought several sheets of each color and gave them to bridesmaids, my mom, my mother in law and even Derick and kept a set in my purse to give to vendors- every time any of us purchased something for the wedding or planned part of it, we were able to make sure that everything coordinated. I think it really helped to pull the whole thing together.

My maid of honor and I made Derick’s groom’s cake using 4 cases of oreos from Sams Club and a ton of royal icing and we made all of the place cards, paper accessories etc. with supplies from Archivers. Our guest book was untraditional- instead of using a typical “guest book” we found a pretty address book and had all of our guests fill in their own addresses along with a little message to us- now every time we mail a card to friends and family we get to look back at what they wrote- its a great way to actually use our guest book instead of just packing it away after the wedding!

I had so many favorite parts of the day I can’t pick anything in particular- it really couldn’t have been any better! It was really special for me when Derick surprised me with the jar of lady bugs for us to take pictures with and release in honor of a friend of mine who is no longer with us…the steel drum band was pretty great too!

Wedding Photography: Carlea J Photography / Floral Design: Carmen Foteh of Carmen’s Floral Designs / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Agave Road / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals (Style #826) via Weddings By Debbie / Wedding Cake: Jessie Lopez of Edible Designs by Jessie / Groom & Groomsmen Shoes: Converse / Bride’s Shoes: DSW / Bride’s Purse, Veil, Hair Piece & Garter: Rita’s Vintage (ritasvintageweddingcreations@gmail.com) / Bridesmaid Dresses & Shoes: T.J.Maxx / Groom’s Suit: Hart Schaffner Marx via Dillard’s / Groom’s Shirt: Ike Behar via DXL / Groom’s Tie: Burma Bibas / Groom’s Tie Clip: Vintage / Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear / Engagement Ring: Custom by Amber’s Designs / Wedding Bands: Zales + Tiffany & Co. / Hair & Makeup: The Bride / Catering: Spring Creek BBQ / Transportation: Wash Unique Antique Limousines / DJ: Daniel Pawlowski of Pro Sound Co. / Steel Drum Band: Patrice Perry of Steel Vibrations / Paper Goods: The Bride + Archiver’s (Supplies) / Necklace: Borrowed from Mother of the Bride

I hope y’all are having a fabulous long weekend! Hopefully its been full of sunshine, BBQs and friends and family. Even if you do have to work on this day of Memorial – this fabulously electric, Austin wedding by Katherine O’Brien Photography will make it that much easier to get through the day. I could easily list all the things I love, like how much I am obsessed with bride’s gorgeous accessories or how seriously cool this couple’s details are, but I think you want to get to scrolling and see for yourself. Am I right, or am I right?

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We envisioned a wedding that was uniquely us.  We didn’t want a theme.  We are eclectic people who like to mix and match and wanted our wedding to reflect that.  Color was really important to us.  Originally, we really wanted to do an Indian tent but found that was going to be way out of our budget.  We started searching the internet for Indian table cloths, to achieve a similar look and feel, and ended up finding very affordable Indian bedspreads that could act as table cloths. This was the beginning and centerpiece of our wedding aesthetic.

A few other touches, instead of having the regular table numbers, we hand painted animal silhouettes.  We collect a lot of animal art at home, so we wanted to reflect that in our wedding.  For gifts, we made everyone pickles months in advance because we love pickles and had a fun time with friends helping us get those done.

Additionally, David, my husband, made two specialty cocktails that reflected our personalities. The Groom’s Cocktail included smoked bourbon (made at home using an aquarium pump to bubble smoke into the bourbon), home-made grenadine, and black pepper. The Bride’s cocktail included Prosecco, blood orange juice, and basil-infused vodka.

As for my wedding attire, I knew that I wanted a very simple dress and for the accessories to stand out.  This is generally the way I like to dress.  My mom has an antique jewelry business, so I knew I had many beautiful pieces to pick from – I knew I wanted color in my jewelry.  I felt stuck about what kind of shoes I wanted for a long time, but found these beautiful Anya Hindmarch gold shoes at a discount stores and I just knew.

An old friend of mine from around town was in this awesome Brazilian band we had heard a few times before, and we just knew that their sound was right for our wedding.  Celebratory, colorful, and vibrant.

In terms of flowers, I collaborated with the florist wanting a lot of greens of various shades and textures with pops of different color – no pastels and mix and match.  The insides of the glass rounds were lined with moss – I loved them.

One of the most important features of our wedding was our photographer.  Katherine’s style really fit with what we were going for – she does beautiful work.  She really understands color and captures the intimacy and celebratory nature of the wedding.

Our wedding was awesome.  The style of our wedding and the warmth of having all of our family and friends there made it a success.  It was intimate, stylish, and vibrant.

Wedding Photography: Katherine O’Brien Photography / Venue: French Legation Museum / Wedding Coordination: Jessica Caplan of Novel Concepts Events / Floral Design: Janine’s Florals / Catering: Pink Avocado / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Music: James Filon + Seu Jacinto / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Anya Hindmarch / Jewelry: Lynne Brody Antiques / Hair: Rachel at Frenchy’s Beauty Parlor / Groom’s Cufflinks: Vintage, Oleg Cassini / Bride’s Wedding Ring: St. Kilda Jewelry / Bride’s Engagement Ring & Groom’s Wedding Ring: Custom by Steve Kriechbaum

Can you believe SMP Texas has been around for an entire month? So fab. We have loved every minute of it and thought it just made sense to wrap up each pretty week Texas style. So each Friday evening, before you sign off for the weekend, we’ll send you off SMP Texas style. And really, is there a better way to ride off into the weekend? Today we are riding off in an airstream trailer via this succulent-filled shoot shot by NBarrett Photography. We’ll see you back here on Monday, but until do yourself a favor and spend some time in the full gallery of images. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

click here for the full gallery of images!

From Bows and Arrows… This shoot is very eclectic yet cohesive. a few words to describe this shoot would be hippy, trailer park, organic, woodsy, native american. We shot in front of my 1966 international aristream trailer. The hippy can be seen in this laid back couple with a free spirit attitude. organic and local elements were used to create the florals, plants which are not cut or dead and renewable resources. native american elements are brought in through turquoise jewelry, feathers, moccasins, and indian chief head planters. we used a very earthy and woodsy color pallette of greens and browns with pops of turquoise and mustard.

Photography: NBarrett Photography / Design: Bows and Arrows / Florals: Bows and Arrows / Paper: Southern Fried Paper / Fashion stylist: Theresa Klein / Models: Tamara Coleman and William Binnie / Hair: Pura Vida Salon / Makeup: Something You / Location: Main Frame Art Services

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

a perfectly purple Hill Country wedding 
a lilac infused Austin wedding
a darling DIY wedding at Spicewood Vineyards
a wedding in Austin worthy of some serious gushing
a terrific TOMS-filled Fort Worth wedding

A few pretty things we found around the web…

a big Texas welcome to Peppermint Bliss (she just moved from Chicago this week!)
a delicious Memorial Day menu via Design*Sponge
a patriotic themed party perfect for this festive weekend via Pizzazzerie

Have SUCH a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend everyone! We’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo, A.Blaire