Texas Weddings

I have a confession. After four years and over 5,000 real weddings, I am officially a color convert. Don’t get me wrong…I’d still saturate my world in white if I didn’t have two very messy little kids. But when it comes to weddings, especially those that glisten in the gorgeous Texas sun, I kind of love me some color. Bright pops of gorgeous color. Especially when it’s photographed by the crazy talented duo The Nichols. And this wedding just happens to be the perfect, color-rific, drop dead gorgeous, Nichol’s masterpiece. Perfect for seeing us into a holiday weekend. Click here to see even more.

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Our story began with a blind date.  Although they typically never work out… Benton and I soon discovered that we were the exception.  A mutual friend set us up and in no time we were talking about spending the rest of our lives together. Everything seemed so natural and easy from day one, and then the fun began.  He proposed on beautiful summer day out at my family ranch and the planning started immediately.

Already familiar with the event industry in Austin, I had already narrowed it down to three venues before I ever had a ring on my finger. When Benton and I toured Camp Lucy, we immediately fell in love with the chapel, which dates back to the mid 1800’s and was recently shipped to Dripping Springs from Vietnam.   A well known Austin antique dealer, Whit Hanks, was traveling through Vietnam when he learned someone was auctioning off old French Colonial Catholic Chapels, so of course he bought two, had them taken apart, shipped back to Texas and put up on his family ranch.  We loved the old wooden carved ceiling in the chapel, the large wooden doors and tall dark beams.

The other chapel was turned into an open air pavilion overlooking the Texas Hill Country with a large patio and a gorgeous manicured lawn adjacent.  Due to its size we ended up needing to have the ceremony on the Chapel steps, which ended up being perfect.  We loved the venue and wanted a spring wedding that was classic, relaxed, colorful and just plain fun. What a heavenly day it was; we had the most beautiful weather anyone could dream of.

I walked down the aisle holding my bouquet with my grandmother’s broach attached.  I have had it for quite a few years and have always known that it would inspire my wedding colors; coral, aqua, and orange.  Our florist really pulled together my vision;  incorporating my colors while using vintage cheese boxes filled with kumquats, moss, succulents and tons of bright flowers down the center of the long banquet tables.  My loving mother agreed to find all of the vintage cheese boxes and aqua mason jars and had antique dealers scouring the state of Texas for more.  It was a little tricky making sure we had enough, but thanks to Rosehip Flora everything came together perfectly.  I loved everything about the day – the parasols, the umbrella shaded tables, the lawn games, the DIY menu chalkboards, the wonderful food, and the list goes on.  Every single one of our vendors was amazing.  I can’t thank them enough!

It was a magical night, full of laughing, dancing, eating, and most importantly celebrating my new marriage with my best friend. We wouldn’t change a thing….except maybe freeze the day so that time would stand still and we could relive it again today.

Wedding Photography: The Nichols / Wedding Venue: Camp Lucy / Floral Design: Rosehip Flora / Wedding Coordination: Lizze Belle Event Planning / Catering: Word of Mouth Catering / Cakes: Michelle’s Patisserie / Band: Duck Soup / Groom’s Attire: Brooks Brothers / Wedding Gown & Belt: Tara Keely + Enzoani / Bride’s Earrings: Kendra Scott / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew

What do you get when the designer of the TOMS Wedding Collection (and brother of the TOMS founder) marries a could not be more gorgeous bride? Why you get this one of a kind wedding. And may I just say, after seeing the little flower girl in kiddie TOMS, my little heart melted into wedding loving mush. Adorbs. That is just the beginning my friends, Sara Donaldson was there to see it all go down and filled the gallery full of fabulous images.

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From Sara Donaldson… Designer of the new TOMS wedding shoe line and brother of Blake Mycoskie (TOMS shoes founder) married his beautiful bride, March 5, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas at the sweet little TCU chapel. Photographing this wedding was such a joy… watching the groom get teary just thinking about his bride. Such sweet love!

The wedding party debuted the new TOMS wedding collection; the men sporting fantastic velvet toms, the women, a sparkling cream. The bride selected purple details in full TCU spirit, with the ceremony at the TCU Robert Carr Chapel. The reception was held at the beautiful Ashton Depot downtown, fit with restored stained glass windows and fantastic high ceilings. The reception had a surprise visit from the TCU Horned Frog, who presented the bride a rose {Rose Bowl Champions!} and partied with the guests until departure. Go Frogs!  And who could forget: the bride was quite thoughtful… she gave her groom a limited edition Rolex watch!

Wedding Photography: Sara Donaldson / Event Coordination: Lagniappe Weddings / Bridal Party Shoes: TOMS Wedding Collection / Floral Design: leFleur Couture / Wedding Ceremony Location: Robert Carr Chapel, TCU / Wedding Reception Location: The Ashton Depot / Makeup: Adina Wright

We’ve seen all sorts of wedding themes here at SMP, but I think this couple hit the nail on the head when they honed in on what they wanted their day and theme to scream – “Us.”  Zeroing in on meaningful details, their laid back style and love of their families made for a completely gush-able affair. Add the gorgeous images of Jennefer Wilson Photography, and y’all, I think we have a SMP Texas worthy wedding (and you all know that’s saying something with all the pretty Texas weddings out there)! Click here for even more!

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From Jennefer Wilson Photography… Going into planning, Krissy and Kyle sat down and decided on very few things from the start. One, they knew that the wedding needed to be a laid back, relaxed Austin wedding that focused on details with meaning. They both consider their family to be the most important thing in life and they wanted to find a way to honor their past, enjoy the present, and celebrate the future.

To accomplish doing all 3 of those things, they started with their past – their families. First the date (April 1) was picked, because that was Krissy’s late grandmother’s birthday. Then they brought in elements from both families into their centerpieces which consisted of books, handmade croqueted doilies & handkerchiefs, gloves, jewelry boxes, etc. They also surrounded the reception site with photos honoring their family members that had passed away. They wanted to make sure they enjoyed the entire day so they made sure to include all of their favorite Texas “eats” – BBQ, cupcakes, cookies, and S’MORES! The S’Mores also were a flashback to their days of being campers/counselors at camp together!

Overall, the “theme” of the wedding was just “US,” Krissy and Kyle. Being able to bring in the little details like Kyle’s handmade pottery for communion glasses, their love of the outdoors, and just having FUN was extremely important to them and this idea and theme was certainly accomplished!

Wedding Photography: Jennefer Wilson Photography / Wedding Venue: Texas Old Town / Tandem Bike: Austin Bike Tours & Rentals / Catering: Pok-e-Jo’s Smokehouse / Floral Design: WOW Factor Design / Invitations: Cari Ritchie Sury / Cupcakes: Bride’s Aunt / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee Design from Ventura’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: TOM’s / Groomsmen Suits: Al’s Formal Wear / Groomsmen Shoes: Converse All-Stars

Here at the Little Black Book Blog, it’s no secret that we love our LBB Vendors. They’re handpicked for their talent and attention to detail, so we love featuring weddings like this Austin Wedding at The Allan House. The list of LBB Vendors is never ending. The whole affair was planned and designed wonderfully by BZ Events. The florals, from Verbena Floral Design, were perfect. The guest’s rumbling stomachs were taken care of by Word of Mouth. And all the wedding stationery was designed by the best, The Inviting Pear. ALL the magnificent vendors worked hard to create this drop dead gorgeous wedding. And aren’t you happy they did? Click here for more!

Photography courtesy of Wendi Poole of Thompson Poole Photography.

I started out as a bride who thought she could plan it all on her own. I went on a whirlwind tour of every website, blog, and magazine devoted to weddings. Not so great when you are a full-time grad student, working 30 hours a week and trying to stay sane.

I did have some ideas about what I wanted for a wedding and the top criteria was to have an elegant, but fun party. The first two details were pretty easy to put in place – the venue and the photographer. The Allan House, a historic home in downtown Austin, was perfect. The beautiful outdoor space was a combination of all the things I wanted – a romantic, soft feel that would work with a fall color palette and still have plenty of room for all our guests. A photographer friend had recommended Wendi Poole of Thompson Poole Photography, to me. After meeting with her and seeing her portfolio I was excited to work with her.

At this point, I realized I needed an expert. That’s where Cortney of BZ events stepped in and I could not have been happier. She had an attention to detail that I could only dream of having. Her recommendations for catering, music and décor were top notch – it was like she was reading my mind.

Another one of my favorite things about the planning was the invitation from The Inviting Pear. First some background — I am working on a second graduate degree, I’m never without a book and it’s been rumored that my Kindle is permanently attached to my hand. So we went with a book theme for the invites and other aspects of the reception. Some of my vintage books became centerpieces for the cocktail tables, our signature beverage was called “The Bookworm” (a mojito in disguise), and instead of table numbers we used book titles.

The day of the wedding was perfect. The ceremony went beautifully and when we got to The Allan House, we were absolutely amazed at how it was transformed into something so incredibly stunning. The lighting from Ilios, flowers from Verbena and all the small touches that were added to make it ours were just right.

Event Design & Planning: BZ events / Photographer: Thompson Poole / Florist: Verbena Floral Design / Catering & Cakes: Word of Mouth / Rentals: Marquee Rents / Venue: The Allan House / Invitations & Stationery: The Inviting Pear / Entertainment: The Matt Wilson Band / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Hair & Makeup: Rae Cosmetics / Transportation: Transportation Consultants / Ceremony: Covenant Presbyterian Church / Ceremony Music: Austin Handbell Choir

This laid back bride hit the wedding planning jack pot with her sweet as can be sister (who submitted the wedding) and darling mom. They helped to bring her vision of a DIY family affair to full on gorgeous reality. Each detail was carefully planned and executed by family and friends, and the result was downright darling. I’ve said it once, I’ll definitely say it again – there is just something special about a Texas wedding, and thanks to Nicole Chatham Photography there is a full gallery of images proving that fact for you to gawk over.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Sister of the Bride… Spicewood Vineyards has a wonderful mix of rustic charm.  The limestone exterior, wrap around porch, wood beam ceiling, and hand carved exterior barall create a welcoming feeling true to Texas.  Plus the Live Oak trees and background of grape vines isn’t too bad either!

We decided to play up the rustic feel of the venue by incorporating elements like old repurposed barn wood and burlap table overlays.  We also wanted a few polished elements (to soften the rustic), like potted boxwoods to line the aisle in the ceremony area and mercury glass votives.  The flowers were a perfect mixture of rustic and polished, as they incorporated feathers and vines, but also had heirloom and spray roses, hydrangea, peonies, and tulips.

As the decor began to come together, we decided to work in some vintage elements.  We scoured ebay, looking for anything from old Ball mason jars, used horseshoes, old wooden crates and boxes, old books, and old tobacco cans. These became unique alternatives to floral arrangements!

We wanted the event’s charm to come through in the details.  When guests first checked in at their hotels for the weekend, they were greeted with a welcome bag – a burlap wine bag hand painted with a blue bonnet containing a welcome letter from Jaye and Charles, an itinerary/timeline for the weekend, a wine trail for local wineries, and a corkscrew from Spicewood Vineyards. At the venue, we created a wish tree where people could leave their wishes for the newlyweds.  Tags had an imprint of a horseshoe, which had become a theme of the event.  We also had flatware packets that said things like “Chow Down,” “Dee-lish,” and “Good Grub” – perfect for BBQ!  There was a photo screen containing images of Jaye and Charles growing up – and of them together.  And even their monogram D was spotlighted on a main wall for all to see.  For late night live music, we put up twinkle lights across the ceiling of the patio, creating charming lighting any dance hall would be proud of.

Throughout everything, we wanted the couple’s fun spirit to come through, so we chose s’mores packets, pinwheels, custom M&Ms, and twined blue bonnet seed packets for their favors.  We had late night ice cream sandwiches wheeled around the event in a vintage Radio Flyer wagon.  For the ceremony, the couple selected non-traditional music – oldies, country, and classic favorites everyone could recognize. And guests were provided with transportation on a trolley to and from the venue!

Finally, staying local was extremely important to us.  We chose to have Cuvee french press coffee from a roaster located right there in Spicewood. We also had live music from a favorite Austin band – Christy Hays and Her Sunday Best.  The venue’s close proximity to Austin, Spicewood, and Marble Falls allowed us to use the perfect combination of vendors from all places, creating a true hill country wedding!

This was truly a DIY wedding from start to finish.  We had around six months to plan this wedding. My mom, Shella, and I would come up with fun ideas, run them by our laid back bride, and then work hard to make them a reality. Weddings often bring families together, but we were unique in that planning this wedding really brought the Bycura family together long before the wedding day itself.

Wedding Photography: Nicole Chatham Photography / Wedding Venue: Spicewood Vineyards / Rentals & Spotlight: Out Back Party Rentals / Catering: Opie’s BBQ / Cupcakes: Hill Country Cupcake / Coffee Service: Hallowed Grounds / Floral Design: Audrey of The Flower House / DJ: Keith Harris of A-Town DJ / Band: Christy Hays and Her Sunday Best / Trolley & Antique Limo Service: Antique Limousines of Austin / Event Coordination: Annie Berg and Megan Kenney / Makeup: Rae Cosmetics / Hair: Virginia Bell / Bride’s Attire: J.Crew + Alterations & Veils by Beatrice / Bridesmaid Attire: J.Crew + Emici Bridal / Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear / Event Decor: Mike, Shella & Katie Bycura

I can almost smell the sweet lilacs of this equally sweet Austin wedding by Sweet Caroline Photo. That’s a lot of sweetness, and there is so much more to devour in this soirée because all the understated touches make for a practically perfect party. There is so much more to fawn over in the full gallery of images, so be sure to set aside some time today to cozy up with all the sweetness.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Our overall goal was to make the wedding personal by sharing things we love with our guests and ensure they were well fed and had a good time.  Special touches we added to our day included Clara, Ben’s cousin, reading a piece that summarized marriage to Ben and I.  It meant a lot to us to hear the reading from her. Also, we designed a chuppah, which my brother-in-law built for us. The chuppah was designed so that, though there were “four-posts,” they did not obstruct the view of anyone, and the lace used was the same piece my sister had used in her wedding. We really enjoyed working together to design and create the chuppah, and my brother-in-law made our vision come true by assembling and hanging it for us.

I gave each of my bridesmaids and the reader pressed flower stained-glass pendants from Glass Works Waters Edge.  Each was unique, so I was able to choose a specific pendant for each. At Madre de Olivia I found a beautiful jade necklace for my mom to match the jade ring my father gave her when I was born.  The earrings I wore were my Grams’ pearls.  She passed away about 10 years ago- she was a very strong women and had a beautiful marriage. I wore a necklace which I found when browsing with my sister (matron of honor) on South Congress at the Turquoise Door, and Ben wore the watch his Uncle, a very important figure in his life, left Ben when he passed away.

For flowers, Lilacs are my favorite since my parents house growing up had lilac bushes, and they always remind me of home. We also chose peonies (an omen of a happy marriage), delphiniums for some blue for Ben, and wax flowers, hardy yet dainty little flowers.

The photo of our first dance is one of our favorites.  It was a special moment for us, to feel united and be surrounded by those who love us and support us. We are not usually affectionate in public, and the photo really captures the intimacy and true joy of that moment.  My biggest piece of advice to brides would be to try to make room in your budget to hire a great photographer and wedding day-of coordinator, they are both worth it!

The best moment of our day was being pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Choi.  We walked out seeing people so important to us smile and cheer, then once we got outside, we turned to each other and said “you’re my husband/wife” and smiled and kissed.

Wedding Photography: Sweet Caroline Photo / Wedding Venue: House on the Hill / Event Coordination: Beth Walker of 36th Street Events / Floral Design: Abby Daigle of STEMS Floral Design / Wedding Dress: Paloma Blanca via Brickhouse Bridal / Dress Alterations: Linda’s Couture / Bride’s Shoes: BP. / Bride’s Earrings: Vintage / Bride’s Necklace: The Turquoise Door / Groom’s Watch: Vintage / Hair: Shannon Briggs-Hack of Path Salon / Makeup: Sister of the Groom / Groom’s Attire: Calvin Klein / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Catering: Salt Lick Bar-B-Que / Wedding Cake Balls: Austin Cake Balls / Rentals: Austin’s World of Rentals

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Purple tulle…How can you not love a wedding when a bride wears purple tulle under her gorgeous gown?! I do not think it’s possible. The pretty purple hue is ever prevalent in this party captured by She-N-He Photography and Design, and the pretty just gets prettier with the seriously gorgeous flowers from Petal Pushers. It’s Hill Country chic at its finest and there is even more in the full gallery!

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From the Bride… When Jim and I first met, we knew that we would one day marry each other. Once we were engaged, we couldn’t wait to get the planning started! We knew we didn’t want a super long engagement, so we couldn’t waste any time, and we jumped right in. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves overwhelmed with options, and thinking, “How is this ever going to happen in just 9 short months?” That’s when I came across a quote that I will never forget: “You only need 5 things to get married: A bride, a groom, a marriage license, an officiant and a witness. The rest is just fluff!” After seeing this, we decided to stay true to ourselves and try to stay focused on the real reason for our marriage. We wanted to be united together before God and our family and friends, and everything else was just fluff! Our first priority was to sign up for marriage preparation classes at our church, and ask our Pastor if he would lead our wedding. Once we were able to plan the most important part of our wedding day, we began adding the fluff!

Though we live in Houston, we wanted to have a wedding in the Hill Country and decided on The Duchman Family Winery for our venue. We wanted something very romantic and whimsical, rustic and natural, but sophisticated at the same time. I called it, “Hill Country Chic!”  The entire staff at the winery was especially helpful for helping us carefully carry out every detail, and we are so grateful to have worked with them.

My favorite color is purple, and I am blessed that Jim was completely on board! Our colors were black and white to be accented with wisteria, eggplant and sangria. We met with Stacey, the owner of Petal Pushers, and she was wonderful! She took a lot of time to sit down with me and take bits and pieces of the things I loved in so many arrangements, and put them all into one for me. My bridesmaids wore simple black dresses from White House Black Market that I purchased on sale for $31, and we brought all the color in through their flowers and it was better than I hoped for. The flowers couldn’t have been more perfect, and it really set the tone for the entire evening!

I collect apothecary type jars, and we set up a full candy station, with velum bags that we embossed by hand as an additional favor of the night. The jars sat on old wine crates leveled at different heights, and made the table look magical! I bought a simple bird cage and added ribbon, flowers and paper butterflies for our cards, and had a friend design and print our place settings and table numbers. My mom and a few friends helped me create, print, cut, and assemble our wedding programs and I loved them- though they were a lot of work!

Our sign in table was very special to us. We had pictures of our parents’, grandparents’, and great grandparents’ weddings set out for everyone to see. Though I requested for our parents to provide the pictures, it brought me to tears when I saw it for the first time set up all together next to our engagement photo. What a blessing to have such beautiful examples of true love surrounding us! To make everything even more special, my “something old” was my great grandmother’s engagement ring what I wore on my right hand.

Last, but certainly not least, we needed a photographer! If we were going to have all of this “fluff”, we needed someone who would capture every detail of our day. We had spoken with a few photographers, by phone, but no one really gave us the warm and fuzzy feelings inside! Just as I was beginning to think that I would have to get over it, I found Melanie. I was searching online, sent an information request in (secretly thinking I might hear back within a day or two), and not three minutes later, my phone rang! Within a few minutes of speaking with Melanie, I fell in love! She was exactly what we were looking for, cared about our vision, and took her time getting to know us! We booked her for our engagement photos, rehearsal dinner and wedding day! Every detail was captured beautifully, and I WILL be using her again in the future for our family photos as well! We have had people who were unable to make it to the wedding comment on our photography, and say how they feel like they were there because every detail was captured! At the end of the day, the pictures are what we have to relive our wedding day.

After our rehearsal dinner, Jim and I exchanged love letters to each other and promised one another that we wouldn’t read them until the next morning. When I read Jim’s letter to me, I cried and cried. I knew then, more than I had ever known, that I was marrying my soul mate. Any nerves that I had when I woke up were immediately gone once I read his letter, and so began our perfect day. Our wedding flew by, and we were on our honeymoon before we knew it! Our wedding day wouldn’t have been the same without our family and friends. We are so blessed to have so many great people in our lives to have traveled from near and far to celebrate with us on our very special day.

Wedding Photography: She-N-He Photography and Design / Wedding Venue: Duchman Family Winery / Floral Design: Petal Pushers / DJ: Altared Wedding Productions / Ceremony Music: Serenade String Quartet / Photo Booth: Max Photography / Wedding Cakes: Stardust Pastry / Catering: Trattoria Lisina / Candy Bar: Nuts in Bulk / Guest Transportation: R&R Transportation / Bridal Party Transportation: Hill Country Excursions / Getaway Car: Antique Limousines of Austin / Rehearsal Dinner: The Salt Lick / Wedding Rings: Shafftel Diamonds / Wedding Dress & Hair Piece: David’s Bridal / Flower Girl Dresses: David’s Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: White House | Black Market / Bride & Bridal Party Shoes: Nina / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Good Morning SMPers and welcome back to another wonderful week full of gorgeous weddings and boatloads of inspiration! Kicking off the week is this sweet, Texas beauty of a wedding. It’s the perfect blend of modern, traditional, and whimsical. I personally love their all white sweetheart table…so gorgeous! Photographed brilliantly by Ivy Weddings, this wedding is just waiting to be devoured, so go ahead and see it all here in the gallery! And for even more Texas wedding inspiration, go local.

See entire image gallery here!

From Ivy Weddings: Mihi and Simon are adorable! We met them last year, and knew they were going to be a fabulous couple to photograph. They were married on a gorgeous day, at the Museum of Biblical Art, in Dallas. Mihi partnered with some of Dallas’ most acclaimed vendors, to create a modern wedding with a softer vintage feel. She combined the elegance of the soft floral designs, and a butterfly laced wedding cake, with the timeless art pieces of the museum.
After a day of celebrating, the bride and groom ended their evening by sharing a final dance surrounded by their friends and family. Everyone gathered in a circle, and recited a poem of well wishes and happiness to the couple while they danced. It was a beautiful ending to a fabulous day!

Photographer: Ivy Weddings / Venue: Museum of Biblical Art / Bride’s Dress: Watters / Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden / Bride’s Hair and Makeup: Julie Park / Groom’s Suit: Sarar / DJ: Lindsay Walters / Florals: DiFiori / Cake: Panini Cakes / Officiant: Bon Woong Koo / Catering: Gil’s Elegant Catering

I just don’t even know where to start on this one. This modern meets traditional meets fabulous meets wedding branding at its best Austin wedding by Jennifer Lindberg Weddings is to die for. I think I shall start at the monogrammed ghost chairs for the bride and groom – seriously to die for. Or how about the monograms that popped up on pillows, windows, the cake, napkins, beverages tags, etc? To die for. Or the adorable escort/table number idea – see where I am going here? It’s all amazing and the gallery is packed full of all the branding goodness.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Our wedding was sort of Anthropologie meets Jonathan Adler. Antique charming pieces mixed with a modern pattern and punches of color.  It started with a cocktail reception in the garden with the music of “Bob Willis and His Texas Playboys” playing in the background, which created an old-timey 40’s kind of feel. In a way I wanted the reception to feel like you stepped back in time. A little Texan, a little modern, a little old-southern, a little Italian, but all very charming.

Since I’m a designer, I did the invitations myself. It was convenient that both of our initials are “J” so I started there. Being a visual person, I wanted to tell our story in pictures. Each “J” is made up of icons that represent each of us and then the theme was carried out throughout the wedding. They were printed at a local shop that I regularly work with on an antique letterpress.

During the cocktail hour, the guest picked up little escort cards/boxes, which matched the picture of the table they were at. Continuing the theme from the invitations, we chose 12 icons (one for each table) that represented us as a couple and labeled the tables this way. Each card on the table stanchion told a bit of a story on the back of why that picture was significant. In lieu of the new trend of wedding slide shows, we did a photo wall of old family photos, and photos of Jack and I traveling (and some from our engagement session with Jenn). The photos were all black and white in antique white frames.

Our first dance was to Nellie McKay’s “I Wanna Get Married,” which, again, is very 40’s in style and the message of the song is very housewife-ey. I’m not very wife-ly, so I loved the irony of this, but the song is still just pretty. My dad and I danced to Ben Folds’ “Gracie.”  When I heard the line “didn’t really want to make you be anything you didn’t want to be,” I knew it was the right song.  We’re not very traditional people so what was important to us were those more unique touches.

One of the most important things to us was getting our dog down the aisle. She’s our baby, but she’s terrified of large crowds and public spaces. We did a lot of training ahead of time including multiple visits, so she could get used to the scents of the space. In the end, she was still the wild card, but she did surprisingly very well.

The last personal element was the vows. I didn’t want to recite anything, so it was important to me that we write our own. I’m nervous in front of a crowd, so I was regretting this choice once the day actually came. The morning of the wedding, I was still fine-tuning what I was going to say. Ultimately, my whole message came together in the dressing room with my bridesmaid friends helping me right before the ceremony.

The most memorable part of our ceremony was unplanned.  I walk down the aisle, I look at Jack and he’s crying.  I hug my mom, and she’s crying. I was about to lose it altogether, when Scott the officiant starts… “We’re all here to celebrate the relationship of Jack and Jeanine.”  Right at that moment, a car in the distance slammed on its breaks letting out a very large screech. Everyone laughed and it broke the tension.

I knew I wanted Jenn to photograph my wedding long before I ever thought I’d have a wedding. She’s known my business partner/graphic designer Trina for a long time. One day I was on a plane with Trina while she was working on Jenn’s website. This was the first time I saw her images and I was stunned. I never considered anyone else from that moment on.

Wedding Photography: Jennifer Lindberg Weddings / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Mercury Hall / Floral Design: Flora & Fauna / Wedding Coordination: Mariska Nicholson (mariskamn@mac.com) / Wedding Cake: Coco Paloma Desserts / Rentals: Austin’s World of Rentals / DJ: Todd Meador, Friend of the Bride & Groom / Ceremony Music: Julia Cory / Wedding Dress: Manuel Mota via Balina Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Veil: Balina Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor / Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Paper Goods: Jeanine Donofrio of State & Madison Design Co. / Catering: 34th Street Cafe

I am a BIG advocate for wedding cinematography. HUGE. Why might you ask? Because I was one of those people that was super close to not having our day captured on video, and that would have been a BIG mistake. HUGE. Because I literally watch our video multiple times a week. Do I cry every.single.time? Why yes I do. Don’t judge. Anywho, Elite Video Productions sent over yet another example of why it’s so important – they captured this sweet San Antonio soirée to such perfection I could almost feel the warm Texas sunshine. And please don’t miss this couple’s fabulous first kiss at 1:41 – now that’s how it’s done people. Before I ramble off into the sunset, get cozy and let’s soak up some wedding video goodness…

Darin & Kellye from elitevp on Vimeo.

And now that we are all crying together, let’s take a look at some of the gorgeous images from Anne Marie Photography. From the five flower girls and five ring bearers to carefully thought out details, everything was wrapped up in one pretty little photography bow and there is even more in the full gallery.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We always envisioned our wedding day as very intimate feeling, with a strong emphasis on “merriment” (a word used throughout our invites, signs, and program).  Also, FAMILY!  We had 10 little ones (everyone told us we were crazy), 5 flowergirls and 5 ringbearers.

When choosing a site we wanted a place where we could do both ceremony and reception.  The Southwest School of Art and Craft proved to be the best of both worlds. We wanted an outdoor ceremony (another reason people told us we were crazy; given the January date and unpredictable Texas weather) and with the forecast calling for rain, we didn’t know until hours before what the call would be. It turned out to be perfect weather and the ceremony was better than we dreamt it could be. One of the most special moments of the day, certainly the thing we’ve gotten the most comments about, were the vows we wrote ourselves.

Our style was updated classic/ traditional with a twist. Our ceremony was held outside in front of a gazebo flanked by the San Antonio Riverwalk, 100-year-old oak trees, and a lush garden. Our reception was held inside the former Ursuline Convent Chapel, a beautiful 150-year-old chapel with stone walls, stained glass windows, and original wooden details.  The main focus of the reception décor was the flowers and candlelight, everything else was kept clean and simple in order to bring the emphasis to the three different styles of red floral centerpieces.

Special touches we infused into our day were the champagne pass to welcome guests before the ceremony, sister harpists during the ceremony, the pashminas & bells on guests seats at the ceremony, the bride & groom cookies placed at each guests plate at the reception and the grooms cake was a brownie served with a cold milk shooter.

Wedding Photography: Anne Marie Photography / Cinematography: Elite Video Productions / Wedding Venue: Southwest School of Art and Craft / Event Design & Coordination: Fresh Horizons / Floral Design: Statue of Design / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm via The Bridal Salon of San Antonio / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Reception Dress: Carmen Marc Valvo via Saks Fifth Ave / Bride’s Earrings: Borrowed / Wedding Invitations: Anne’s Stationery Studio / Wedding Cake & Brownies: Cakes by Cathy Young / Groom’s Attire: Banana Republic / Groom’s Tie: Custom / Custom Bride & Groom Cookies: Lily’s Cookies / Wedding Rings: Moses Jewelers / Pashminas for Guests: Fashion Anything / Bells: Bells Online / Flowergirl Dresses: Best Friends / Ring Bearer Attire: J.Crew + Chuck Taylor / Ring Bearer Ties: Custom / Custom Ring Pillow: Giggle Room / Reception Music: Russell Boyd

There is so much to love about this Houston wedding by Stefano Choi Photography. Personally I just want to walk around in that amazing dress. Even just around my house – a dress like that will make any mundane chore seem glamorous. But I digress, this wedding was a family affair in all respects – that amazing dress was a gift, the bride hand letter pressed (true story) her save the dates, the groom’s grandfather was the officiant and the list goes on and on. So on top of it being perfectly pretty, it’s perfectly personal too. Click here for even more!

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From the Bride… For our wedding, I wanted to make the day personal, something of myself that I could recreate and share with my guests. From pain-staking hours spent trying to letterpress our own save-the-date bookmarks (with many a reject) to designing and creating pocket-fold invitations from scratch to my very first experience with creating floral centerpieces – it was all worth it for the end product. All of these so-called do it yourself touches made me feel the satisfaction something akin to baking the perfect cake.

We were extremely lucky to have great family and friends who helped make our visions a reality. For instance, the wedding gown was a gift from my extended family’s very own business. My mother coordinated the rehearsal dinner and the day-after brunch so well that all went without a hitch and we all left with our stomachs full and grins on our faces. The bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages were beautifully created by a good-hearted friend from work (Thank you, Robyn!) I could not have pulled off the other floral decorations – ceremony centerpieces, arch decorations, and pomanders without the help of Nidhi (bridesmaid) and Linda (good friend), all of which were made the day before and the day of the wedding. Flower pins on the bridesmaid dresses and the belt on the maid of honor dress were all hand made by my wonderfully talented maid of honor, Christine.

We had discussed a first-look with our photographers, Stefano and Jen Choi, and after some convincing Andrew was game! It provided us an opportunity for a moment alone to soak in all that was to occur. The tears started here and continued sporadically through the night. (Yeah for tears of joy!) We were so happy with the decision to go ahead with the first-look as the pictures are more than we could have hoped for.

We wanted a venue for our ceremony and reception that combined comfort with elegance. Formal, yet inviting, Ouisie’s Table provided the perfect backdrop for this, not to mention we loved their food. We joined this understated elegance with our own contemporary tastes.

We wanted to tie in family traditions and two very different cultural backgrounds to make it a more personal and intimate experience for all involved. From the ceremony being officiated by Andrew’s 83-year-old grandfather from Ohio, carrying on the family tradition, to the Chinese tea ceremony, led by my family hailing from Taiwan and Vietnam. This served as a means to connect the two families on our wedding day. Whilst the tea ceremony was occurring, other guests enjoyed a contemporary mix of music played by Amp’d String quartet of Divisi Strings, feasted on hors d’oeuvres and sipped on cocktails.

The night’s festivities continued with music, laughter, a newlywed game, and plenty of dancing and culminated with a sparkler exit. The actual day of the wedding was hectic and really just flew by so much so that at the end of the night I was left asking Andrew, “It’s over already?” Our wedding day was a whole lot of fun, mixed with sincere emotions and family and friends that made it all the more special to us.

Wedding Photography: Stefano Choi Photography / Hair & Makeup: Katelyn & Anna Lisa of Adorne Artistry / Wedding Gown: Impression Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dress Floral Pins: Christine Fung, Maid of Honor / Groom’s Attire: Milano Exchange / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Ouisie’s Table / Catering & Wedding Cake: Ouisie’s Table / Floral Design: The Bride + Robyn Horton, Friend of the Bride + Linda Kong, Friend of the Bride + Nidhi Puri, Bridesmaid / Wedding Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: AMP’D Quartet of Divisi Strings / DJ: Marc Dufour of MJDJ / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: The Bride

A little bit of whimsy, a dash of glitter and loads of personality sums this wedding by Rachel Ledbetter Photography up nicely. And of course those red shoes grabbed my shoe-loving heart immediately. It’s the kind of wedding you just know was a rockin’ good time, and every guest probably left saying “that wedding was SO them!” And who doesn’t want that? Click here for even more!

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From the Bride… Our wedding was a fairy tale.  It was a medley of family and laughter and, of course, love.  We hoped that the culmination of all of the planning and prayers would present an adequate illustration of the merging of two very smitten people.  It was a bit wild, certainly whimsical and, when possible, glittery.  And, all in all, it was decadently sweet just in the simple fact that at the end of the day we walked heart to heart and hand in hand into a little taste of happily ever after.

Wedding Photography: Rachel Ledbetter Photography / Cinematography: Fellowship Church / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Event 1013 / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero via Bridal Boutique / Cupcakes: Tom Thumb / DJ: DJ Vow / Catering: Culinary Art Catering / Bride’s Shoes: Sam Edelman / Wedding Invitations: Isaac Esquibel of Creative Coma / Flowers: Friend of the Bride & Groom

When you’re lucky enough to have an amazing venue for your wedding, you don’t need to fuss over too many design elements to make your big day beautiful. Sometimes, a simple black and white check tablecloth, a bowl of fruit, and some colorful soda bottles are all you need to take your wedding to that next stage of fabulousness. Add on top of that the amazingly talented eye of Jen Huang Photography and beautiful blooms by Sprout, and you have yourself one playfully sweet wedding. See the full gallery here!

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From Jen Huang Photography: Elizabeth and Delio wanted their wedding celebration to be like family and friends gathering for a long, relaxed holiday weekend, when everyone gets to spend time together catching up with one another and creating new memories.

Haven River Inn in the Texas Hill Country was the perfect place for games, a picnic, swimming, porch rocking, and sunset watching.  Everyone brought their tennis shoes to participate in a round of basketball games which is a favorite of the bride and groom.

For the outside wedding ceremony, Elizabeth chose a formal wedding gown but added a green necklace and green shoes for a playful touch and Delio wore a green tie.

The wedding took place in a grove of pecan trees down the hill from the Inn. Everyone gathered on the porch to watch Elizabeth and Delio as they walked down first and, then, the guests went down the hill for the ceremony under the arching trees.

Dinner followed on the inside porch while food was served on the outside porch. The menu was designed to include Texas bar-be-que and Dominican sides. Tables were dressed in black and white checked cloths and set with antique green books, square white glass vases with green spider mums, a white hydrangea and green pods plus bowls of limes and green apples, homemade cakes on cake stands, bottles of Jarritos and mercury glass candle holders. Napkin rings were Elizabeth and Delio’s wedding invitations that they created themselves. They used photos of the inn’s setting and had them printed by Overnight Prints.

Elizabeth offered her advice to brides. “Plan ahead so that you can enjoy the wedding itself. It all goes by quickly and you want to be present in the moment. This wedding was a very relaxed one and everyone there pitched in to help which was great.”

Wedding Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Wedding Venue: The Haven River Inn / Catering: Hill Country Catering / Wedding Cakes: Sophie’s Choice Bakery / Floral Design: Sprout / Wedding Invitations: The Bride & Groom (DIY) + Overnight Prints (Printing) / Film Work: Richard Photo

We might be a week past the Kentucky Derby, but this photo shoot captured by Greg Blomberg Photography and designed by Bows and Arrows is just too cute not to share! And I say why not throw a Preakness or Belmont Party instead? Any excuse to host a stylish soriée is a good excuse in my book – mostly when it looks this darn cute. I am particularly in love with the ribbon escort cards handmade by Missing Q Press complete with gorgeous calligraphy by The Left Handed Calligrapher – such a fun touch! As a horse lover and a certified lover of parties, I am having a hay day with this one, and you’ll most definitely want to trot on over to the full gallery for even more!

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From Bows and Arrows…Whether spending a day at the races or a day at the stables, horses evoke a striking natural beauty that impacts the atmosphere, and brings back memories from childhood. We chose to set up a wedding atmosphere in the stables that was casual, rustic, intimate, heartfelt and yet, over-the-top! We broke the barrier vintage rustic chic by using super lush garden flowers, vintage letterpressed paper products, a precious assortment of cakes, fancy intricate hand calligraphy, a couture gown, and quirky luxe gold accents! Every detail was mastered artfully!

The dinner table scape included gold trophy vases packed with blooms in shades of reds and pinks, including garden roses, peony, amaryllis, tulips, anemone, and jasmine. Letterpressed menus were regal, with a pale pink wreath encircling a golden horse and horseshoe. The gold was further enhanced by the gold flatware and gold horse at the place setting. Vintage championship horse prints were used as the table number which paired nicely with the vintage award ribbons accenting the floral arrangements. Place cards were eclectic free standing flags in a mix of papers paired with different calligraphy ink color, making everyone’s place setting unique.

The escort card table held miniature handmade paper award ribbons with the guests’ name and table number scrolled in calligraphy, which were displayed on a lush bed of red carnations.

The cake table was made up of a decadent assortment of single tier cakes embellished with award-winning sugar ribbons, frilly butter cream flowers, and detailed trimming set upon vintage milk glass pedestals surrounding a colossal trophy packed with fresh blooms in the horse arena.  A feast for the eyes, indeed.

Our bride and groom looked equally stunning to the details in couture Carolina Herrera from Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village.  The slim fit and sparkle kept the elegance of derby attire.

Photography: Greg Blomberg Photography / Floral Design: Bows and Arrows / Stationery: Missing Q Press / Desserts: Sugar Bee Sweets / Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher / Stylist: Cowboys and Indians Styling / Hair: James DeFrange of Pura Vida Salon / Makeup: Carolyn Logan / Location: Rocking M Stables / Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera via Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village

We’re back with more J. Cogliandro Photography. If you haven’t fallen head over heels for Joe’s work yet, which I find hard to imagine, just you wait. This traditional Houston wedding features a bride so lovely, you can’t help but be over-the-moon happy for her. Joe did a fabulous job capturing the emotion of the day. The nerves, the excitement, and the beautiful love. So spend some time this afternoon falling in love with J. Cogliandro, like we did so long ago. And when you need more, pop over to Joe’s blog for more of his amazing work.

Check out that gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown!

Visit the gallery for more of this lovely wedding.

The inspiration for our wedding came from my engagement ring. I love blue and my engagement ring is a three stone ring, a diamond center-stone surrounded by sapphires. We chose to use sapphire blue as the accent color and a softer baby blue and shades of white for our flowers and decor. I’m drawn to the early art deco, jazz band period and wanted to capture those characteristics for the decor at the reception.

There are many special memories from that day. Chris and I didn’t see each other until the ceremony, but we wrote letters for the other to read in the morning. Reading his letter was so special and helped me stay calm and relaxed during the rush and excitement of the busy day.

My last moments alone with my father, before he walked me down the isle, were special. I had dreamed about that moment with him and I will always cherish it.

At the reception, sitting down and enjoying our meal together with the head table was so nice. The menu was well-planned and executed. It was important to me enjoy the dinner, which I had always heard the bride and groom never get to do. Then we danced the night away. And poof, the night was over before I knew it.

Our photographer, Joe Cogliandro, was amazing! He has the unique ability to capture scenes when you don’t know he’s there. The result is magic. We have many “in the moment” shots and I relive the day every time I see our photos. Joe has such a creative eye. Our engagement and wedding pictures are pieces of art to us.

Photographer: J. Cogliandro Photography / Floral Designer: Darryl & Co. / Event Design & Planning: Darryl & Co. / Ceremony: Chapelwood United Methodist Church / Reception: Hotel ZaZa / Invitation Designer: Ann Werme Stationers / Cake & Desserts: Edible Designs by Jessie / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier, from Casa de Novia / Shoes: Oscar de la Renta / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Vera Wang and Amsale

Okay two things: 1. The colors in this photo shoot by The Life You Love Photography are enough to make this Friday on Style Me Pretty Texas just fabulous, and 2. This is such a fun idea for those of you out there looking to do something a bit different for your engagement shoot. While we are on the topic of engagement shoots, have I voiced my opinion on how awesome I think they are? Not only is it a fab excuse to get a few extra photos of you and your hubby/wife to be, it’s also a grrrrreat time to get to know your photographer. Now that I got my little ol’ opinion out of the way, care to join me in the full gallery of carnival fun?

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From The Life You Love Photography… Our goal for this photo shoot was to capture the fun and light hearted spirit of the carnival and our models, Erin and Matt. The whimsical nature of the fair combined with the bright colors and pretty lights of the event made the carnival a perfect location for the shoot. Erin’s southern-chic lady like style fit in perfectly with our vision and Matt’s look was a great compliment that tied everything together. We spent time walking the fair grounds, playing games, and ended the night as the sun set in a grassy field by the ferris wheel.

Photography: The Life You Love Photography / Hair & Makeup: Lovely Day Hair & Makeup / Location: Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo / Dress: Lilly Pulitzer

One reason we absolutely adore J. Cogliandro – his photographs are always so vibrant, so lively, and so beautiful, you almost forget that they are just images. You feel like you are there, experiencing it all with the bride and groom. That is why we have dubbed today a Joe Cogliandro day on the LBB Blog. (Cue excitement!) First up, we have an Indian wedding extraordinaire in the great state of Texas. You may remember this gorgeous couple from their engagement shoot, which we featured last February. If you think back to what I just said about Joe’s vibrant photography, you’ll see that this fête is the perfect match for his style – bright colors, happy faces, and pure emotion flow through this wedding. Check out our gallery for more of this affair, and then come back this afternoon – we’ve got more J. Cogliandro Photography!

Get your J. Cogliandro on in the gallery while you wait for more!

From the groom … I proposed on a mundane Wednesday when I knew no one would be expecting it. Aarti thought I was still at work but I had decorated her place with candles and pictures of us over the last eight years. When she walked in I was already down on one knee. Of course, she thought I was a robber! After I convinced her to come inside I asked her to marry me and she said yes. We sat down and had some champagne. She was completely shocked and confused. “Why today?  What’s going on?  I have to work tomorrow!” Little did she know, I had arranged the next few days off for her, as well as a dinner and night out on the town.

From the bride … Planning for an Indian Wedding is not easy!  Multiple events, large guest counts, lots of traditions, and as we found out – lots of opinions! After many, lets call them “spirited”, debates we finally made it happen. People would tell me not to stress about picking a wedding venue. They would say when you saw the right place you would just know.  That is exactly how I felt about Lakeway Resort and Villa del Lago. I knew the minute we saw both of these places that this is where I wanted to get married.

Purav and I wanted to keep our wedding simple and elegant while still incorporating our Indian heritage in a modern way. On Friday evening we had our Sangeet. This is a very festive, traditional event full with color and energy. To emphasize this we used a very vibrant swatch of colors and textures for the linens and bathed the ceiling in colorful saris and inverted parasols. This was the perfect casual night before the big day!

The wedding was perfect. I constantly stressed about the weather – it was supposed to rain. I had been so anxious for so long. But on the day, everything was different. I had pictured my wedding day and I always thought that I would be full of emotion and nerves as I walked down the aisle. But as we were driving to the ceremony site, I was the calmest I have ever been. I remember looking around just thinking that everything felt so right. I was trying to let the moment soak in – this was the day I was getting married!

Our photographer, Joe, captured the wedding perfectly. I felt like I was reliving the excitement when I saw our pictures. We had so much fun celebrating with all our friends and family.  I smile just thinking about it!  It was the perfect ending to the most amazing weekend of my life.

Photography: J. Cogliandro Photography / Cinematography: A n A Video Productions / Floral:  Amy Bodle of Merveille Events, LLC / Event Design & Planning: Gina Whittington of CLINK / Event Design, Sangeet: Saman Ansari – Saffron Affairs / Location: Lakeway Resort and Spa / Ceremony Location: Villa Del Lago / Catering: Claypit Restaurant and Catering / Stationery: Jayesh Shah / Hair and Makeup: Saman Ansari of Studio Sila / Sangeet and Reception Dress: Shehnaai Couture / Wedding Dress: Maharani Fashions, NJ / Cake: Austin Cake Balls / Live Cigar Roller: Bobalou Cigar Co.

As a little girl The Secret Garden was one of my all time favorite stories. How can you go wrong with a story about little girl, wandering in around an English manor, finding a magical garden and then bringing it all to life? Such my cup of tea. So you better believe the little girl in me was all sorts of excited when this beauty from McGowan Images and megBdesign graced my post-writing presence. It’s so naturally styled and fabulous inspiration for you backyard brides looking to add a vintage feel. Click here for even more!

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From McGowan Images… It is of the utmost importance for me as a wedding photographer to continue shooting for MYSELF. I love the work I do for our clients, and every wedding is a new set of challenges. But there’s a special kind of giddy high that comes from designing and executing a shoot, simply because I wanted to bring a creative vision to life.

With this shoot, I pulled from all my childhood dreams of “Secret Garden”, and memories of when I’d play in my grandmother’s roses, pretending to be Mary Lennox, and hoping for buried keys and hidden doors. I reached out to my favorite designer with a few key words, knowing that I could trust her to pull it together. I simply said, “Secret Garden. A bride, playing alone, without her groom. A garland of old keys. Broken china and glassware. Fat, bright flowers.” It’s such a relief to know that I can trust someone to go from there! The day of the shoot didn’t even really feel like work. A gorgeous model, a cool spring day, and a beautiful set. Shoots like these remind me of why I do what I do for a living… I love taking beautiful pictures of beautiful things!

From megBdesign… As a lover of literature, I was on board for this shoot immediately. Chelsea sent me a message with a few brief, but very exact descriptions: Secret Garden. A bride, playing alone, without her groom. A garland of old keys. Broken china and glassware. Fat, bright flowers. As a designer/stylist, it’s my job to make these ideas come to life. To fill in the spaces, and create a holistic design that is a clear representation of the photographer’s wishes.

To be completely honest, this shoot almost felt like cheating, it came so naturally. I spent a day with my eighty-year-old grandparents, sifting through the antiques in their home and barn. I managed to finagle a few gorgeous pieces from the family collection; a pair of china bowls from Bavaria, a porcelain pitcher that belonged to my great aunt, two place settings of heirloom silver.  My Papaw also let me dig through his assortment of skeleton keys and locks. I found most everything else for the table at local thrift stores (because it’s generally unacceptable to break the family china for a photoshoot!). A few of the other details were last minute additions – the rose-colored ruffle garland, a little ivory elephant, beige taper candles. Overall, I tried my best to come across this design organically. I didn’t want it to feel overly planned, or overdone. I think I ended up using about 75% of the elements I brought with me to the shoot.

I’m learning that sometimes, the best outcome involves a little spontaneity. For the bride’s styling, we kept her look soft, romantic, with a childlike characteristic. A simple dress, and a gorgeous sash. Barefoot. A casual braid. Beautiful, but also innocent. My favorite flower market had a great selection of flowers to choose from: garden roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and spray roses. The one thing they didn’t have much of, was greenery. I was a little stressed out about the bouquet and table arrangements, until I arrived at our location. The little area we scouted out was covered in beautiful, twisting vines, and wild onion flowers. I immediately began to work on bringing some of the vines up onto the table, and into my design scheme. The bouquet was also reworked on-site, to accommodate our lucky break in foliage.

After working with McGowan Images a few times, I feel like this styled shoot was a little victory in my personal experience with shoot styling. We’re getting in the hang of things. I’m becoming a better packer. My confidence is building, and I’m learning to be flexible, and keep an open mind.

Photography: Chelsea McGowan of McGowan Images / Set Design & Styling: Meagan Bechtel of megBdesign / Location: Trinity River Park, Fort Worth, TX / Wedding Dress: Galina by David’s Bridal / Flowers: Central Market

This next wedding is so effortlessly cool, kinda like the congregation of Airstream trailers on the Texas ranch where this adorable couple got hitched. Captured beautifully by Matthew Moore Photography, this intimate, super-duper budget friendly wedding proves that with a little creativity and effort, you can have a gorgeous wedding with tons of style. See it all here in the gallery!

See entire image gallery here!

Nathan and I wanted a small, intimate wedding with our closest friends and family. We wanted it to be fun and relaxing, and we didn’t want to worry later that we hadn’t had a chance to talk to everyone at our wedding. We settled on a morning brunch wedding. After looking at countless venues, we found Three Points Ranch, about 45 minutes outside of Austin in the Hill Country. It’s a cattle ranch that also hosts weddings on the weekends. The ranch is comprised of several airstream trailers, a barn with an antique kitchen inside, and an East African-inspired pavilion.

We had a small budget to work with ($5000), and we were really honest with our vendors about that. Having a morning wedding helped keep costs down. Our photographer, Matthew Moore, gave us a great deal in exchange for being able to use us in his portfolio. Sally from Three Points Ranch gave us a discount for having a morning wedding. Erin from Rosehip Flora created the bouquets and bud vase arrangements with vases I provided, but I made the centerpieces myself. Our caterer worked with us to create a menu that would be both delicious and cost-effective (waffles, omelettes, and mimosas). Nathan’s father, who is a minister, performed the ceremony. My father, who was once a jeweler, made our wedding bands. Instead of having a stacked cake, I chose individual cakes, which are less expensive, and set them on vintage cake stands. The morning of the wedding, we topped them with wildflowers. My mother, who is Brazilian, made some wonderful Brazilian sweets as well. I wore a flowy organza dress that I got on sale at JCrew and golden kitten heels (also on sale). The pearls and bracelet were my mother’s. My awesome hairstylist, Katie, was also the wife of my photographer.

Despite having an October wedding, I chose coral and tangerine as my color scheme. It’s Texas, so you never get to see autumn anyway, and I wanted bright colors. I made many of the decorations myself. To create paper garlands,  I punched out circles from double-sided paper (by Smock) and sewed them together. I planted succulents in old sewing machine drawers from various flea markets, and used these as my centerpieces.  I also made paper medallions that hung in various parts of the ranch. For favors, I designed post-cards in coral and blue with quotes on the front, and wrote a thank-you note on the back to each guest for attending. I also filled small, white boxes with home-made Brazilian truffles and stamped them with an airstream stamp from the Paper Source. I did purchase the chevron-patterned placemats from The Stationary Studio online.  For the most part, the ranch was so beautiful that it really didn’t need too much.

Photography: Matthew Moore Photography / Flowers: Rosehip Flora / Reception and Ceremony Location: Three Points Ranch / Invitations: Bride / Shoes and Dress: J.Crew / Caterer: Traveling Bistro / Cakes: Upper Crust Bakery

Welcome to a stunning San Antonio swoonfest by Perez Photography. From the engagement story (a must read) to the big day – every bit is as romantic and pretty as can be. And I haven’t even told you about the cakes yet, each table had a different cake of the homemade variety free for the tasting. You could just walk around all of this prettiness eating cake! Now that’s having your cake and eating it too if you ask me. Click here for even more!

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From the Bride… Colin and I met in Brownsville, Texas in February 2009. We were in medical school, doing a special rotation focused on public health issues along the US-Mexico border. He asked me out for our first date on the day after Valentine’s Day and we’ve been together ever since!  I did my internship in Portland while he was at UTHSCSA, so we spent thousands of cell phone minutes and racked up lots of miles traveling back and forth between the two cities for a year.  Then, in February 2010, Colin surprised me with a weekend trip just for fun. I was post-call (meaning I hadn’t slept in 30 hours) and had no idea where we were going until the limo service dropped us off at the airport and we checked in for our flight to NYC! We flew first class to the city where another limo service picked us up and chauffeured us to our beautiful hotel – the Mandarin Oriental. We had a gorgeous suite overlooking freshly snow-covered Central Park. As soon as we set our bags down, Colin opened a bottle of champagne and put on some music (“Make You Feel My Love” – became our wedding song). He then got down on one knee and proposed! I was so surprised and happy!  We then got to work planning the wedding of our dreams.

I wanted it to have a vintage family garden party feel — like a special dinner in Grandma’s backyard. There were lots of vintage touches and the meal was served family style. My favorite part though were the cakes. The idea was to put a different cake (mostly made by family friends) on a vintage cake stand at every table. People then walked around and tried different cakes and talked with each other! It worked perfectly! Now we are in beautiful Paris, spending a week at a boutique hotel and enjoying all great food and wine we can find!

Wedding Photography: Perez Photography / Wedding Venue: The Witte Museum / Wedding Coordination & Floral Design: Tracy French of The French Connection / Paper Goods: Tracy French of The French Connection / Catering: Page Barteau Catering / Photo Booth: Boothography / Dinner Music: Monte Vista Strings and Jazz / Linens: BBJ Linen / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka