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From Forever Photography Studio…This wedding was so classic and chic! I really loved the black and soft cream colors and mixed with an amazing room, it made for beautiful pictures. Lara and Garson were so wonderful to be around. You can really feel the love between them, and we are so happy for the newlyweds! We hope you all enjoy their classy wedding at the Texas Federation of Women’s Club’s Mansion!

Wedding Photography: Forever Photography Studio / Wedding Cake: Stardust Pastry / Band: Matchmaker Band + TX Pro DJ / Floral Design: Bouquets of Austin / Caterer: Royal Fig Catering / Wedding Dress: The Princess Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Dolce Vita / Jewelry: Tiffany’s & Co. + Kristin Morris / Venue: The Mansion / Hair & Makeup: Maris Malone Calderon

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Post tags: Austin, Bouquets of Austin, Dolce Vita, Forever Photography Studio, Kristin Morris, Matchmaker Band, Royal Fig Catering, Stardust Pastry, Texas Weddings, The Princess Bridal, Tiffany's & Co., TX Pro DJ
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… We got married on at the beautiful Austin Museum of Art Laguna Gloria in Austin, Texas on what was supposed to be a warm and sunny day.  I am a reporter at a local news station and all week (actually all month) long I was nagging our meteorologists to find out the exact forecast for that day.  Sunny and temperatures in the 70′s.  That’s what they all said.  When I woke up on that morning and heard rain, my heart sank.  I quickly checked the forecast: rain and a high of 56 degrees.  I had planned a mostly outdoor wedding on a lawn that overlooks Lake Austin.  My husband and I spend a lot of time on the lake so we wanted to incorporate that into our wedding.  The Italian-style villa on the property was supposed to be the backdrop.  When we realized it would be raining, my amazing wedding planner, Bethany Childress from 36th Street Events, acted quickly and put our “Plan B” into action.  Tents were put up over the back patios where the ceremony and dancing would now take place; cocktails and dinner were moved inside the villa.

I have to say that all day long, the weather really put a damper on my mood.  I had spent nearly a year and a half planning a wedding that was now going to be very different.  But once I arrived at Laguna Gloria and was surrounded by my mom and bridesmaids, I knew that it was still going to be a great wedding.  The minute I saw Justin I started crying out of complete happiness and realized I was not going to let the weather ruin this day.  We saw each other and took our pictures before the ceremony which really helped cheer me up and put me at ease before everything got started.  I didn’t shed more than two tears the rest of the night and I don’t think the smile left my face.  It was a beautiful, fun, and a bit soggy wedding.

My photographers, Austin Imagery, did an amazing job of capturing the details. I would say our wedding was mostly sweet & charming, with a little DIY and budget friendly mixed in. Our colors were green, pink and white.  One of my favorite things that day were my shoes–hot pink!  The groomsmen all had great shoes too–black Converse Chuck Taylors.  These are the shoes Justin wears almost on a daily basis.  On my bouquet we had the florist tie in a handkerchief that belonged to my grandmother as my “something old.” I bought a bunch of little emerald-green bud vases of different sizes and designs on eBay for the cocktail tables.  My sister-in-law, who used to be a florist, filled them with different white blooms.  For my bridesmaids, I ordered earrings from Etsy in different shades of green.  Another one of my favorite things were the white and green round lanterns hanging from the tents (these were supposed to hang from the trees in the non-rain plan).  On our sign-in table, my mom got this giant birdcage for guests to put cards and small gifts in.  We used sign-in cards in a little wooden box that looked like a recipe box in lieu of a sign-in book.

During cocktail hour we served a signature drink: Sweet-o-Titos made with Sweet Leaf Tea and Titos Vodka, both made in Austin.  We served cupcakes from my favorite Austin bakery in three flavors: Key Lime, Guinness and Vanilla.

Wedding Photography: Austin Imagery / Wedding Venue: Austin Museum of Art Laguna Gloria / Wedding Planning: 36th Street Events / Caterer: Crave / Florist: Bouquets of Austin (Groom’s Sister) / Band: The Argyles / Cupcakes: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop / Lighting: Ilios / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Guest Book Box: Cut the Cake Designs

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Post tags: 36th Street Events, Austin, Austin Imagery, Austin Museum of Art Laguna Gloria, Black, Bouquets of Austin, Crave, Green, J. Crew, Monique Lhuillier, Pink, Sugar Mama's Bakery, Texas Weddings, The Argyles
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

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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

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Post tags: 2 Dine 4 Fine Catering, Austin, Barbara's Brides, Blue, Blue Note Bakery, Bongo Bus, Bouquets of Austin, Cyberoptix Tie Lab, Etsy, Grey, Kate Spade, Ku Photography, method.hair, Michael Boles, Mr. Thrill DJ & Bands, On The Flip Side, Outdoor Wedding, Paper Lanterns, Paperless Post, Premier Party Central, Red, Stardust Celebrations, String Music, Texas, The Paper Kutt, The Wild Onion Ranch, TX, Yellow
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

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Our wedding was amazing!  We put a lot of time and effort into every detail and were blown away by how it all came together.  We made all the centerpieces, programs, menus, table numbers, and placecards by hand.  We splurged on a few items that were really important to us:  invitations, the venue, food, alcohol, chairs, and lighting. We started the day with a traditional Vietnamese ceremony at Daniel’s Uncle’s home.  It was probably the most emotional part of the day but we managed to lighten it up with some Street Fighter moves

Afterwards it was a whirlwind of getting hair/makeup done and getting dressed!  I got each of my bridesmaids a personalized hanger that made for some cute pictures   Daniel got me a beautiful bracelet for a wedding gift and I gave him a watch as well as a notebook I started writing for my future husband 10 years ago.  It made him cry   He did a fabulous job personalizing his own outfit as well!  He ordered his shoes online and designed them himself – they are embroidered with our wedding date.  I don’t think a lot of guys can pull sneakers off with a suit but he did it well!! I think our photographer did an amazing job with our first look!  He snapped photos from outside a window while his assistant was inside taking up-close pictures.  One of my favorite series of the day, it was a nice intimate moment.

Our ceremony was short & sweet.  One of my friends timed it – 17 minutes from the moment all the processionals started to when the last bridesmaid/groomsman walked down the aisle.  Our goal was to make it pretty but fun.  Rachel (our day of coordinator) and our florist did an amazing job putting some simple details into the ceremony decor – we didn’t spend a lot here because we knew it would be so short.  But the aisle decorations and backdrop looked expensive to me!  They did an amazing job!  We had a DJ for the music and chose contemporary music performed by the Vitamin String Quartet.  It really gave the ceremony a light and fun feel – the groomsmen walked/danced in to a string version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”, the bridesmaids (and our beloved dog Ralphie) walked in to the string version of Jackson 5′s “I’ll be There”, the bride walked with both her parents to the string version of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, and the recessional music was a string version Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”.

We made our own placecards with cards purchased from the Michael’s Dollar spot and had personalized napkins in our wedding colors for the cocktail reception.  I don’t have pictures of it – but we had 3 beverage containers on the balcony with themed drinks.  One was a simple water with lemons, another was lemonade, and the third was “Joanne’s Special Drink”… a mix of sprite and pineapple juice (named after the bride’s sister’s specialty drink from childhood).

Our reception was special because of all the details we put into it.  We carefully chose the buffet menu to satisfy our Asian families – we knew the seafood station would be a huge hit with them!  We made all the table numbers by painting frames from Ikea with scrapbook paper backing and painted address numbers from Walmart.  All our centerpieces were created by us – we spent a few weekends perfecting the trees with crystals!  Lighting was also important to us – we had simple white uplights to highlight the concrete columns and had the lighting company hang crystal candle votives that we purchased ourselves.

I surprised Daniel by purchasing a Houston Rocket’s garter… it’s his favorite team (as evidenced by his groom’s cake) and I wanted to do something special for him   He topped that by surprising me with a serenade, backed by his groomsmen!  Then he was iced by my boss… haha. Our DJ did a great job reading the crowd – the dance floor was PACKED all night.  One of my co-workers challenged Daniel to a mini-dance off where they “walked it out”.  haha.

Once the dancing was done, we exited to sparklers and left in a golf cart…. then we came back.  Lakeway Resort has an AMAZING pool and we had joked about how fun it would be to jump in after the reception.  We made a last minute decision to do it – take a look at the pictures, I think it was totally worth it   The best part was that some of our friends jumped in with us!  The girls were fully clothed in their nice wedding attire but took the leap with us… it was incredible! Our wonderful day-of-coordinator, Rachel, helped us pull everything together.  Our goal was to have a beautiful and FUN wedding that wouldn’t cost us an arm & a leg… it was a lot of work but I think we pulled it off nicely!

Photography: Table4Photography / Cakes: Simon Lee Bakery / Vases: DFW Vases / Flowers: Bouquets of Austin / Event Planning: Buon Affare Events / Ceremony Location: Lakeway Resort & Spa / Reception Location: Lakeway Resort & Spa / Lighting: D&H Lighting / DJ: Greenbelt DJ / Invitations: The Pink Tulip / Dress: White One

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Post tags: Austin, Bouquets of Austin, Buon Affare Events, D&H Lighting, DFW Vases, Greenbelt DJ, Lakeway Resort & Spa, Simon Lee Bakery, Table4Photography, Texas Weddings, The Pink Tulip
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings

The second I laid eyes on these photos by The Nichols (husband/wife partners in amazing photo crime), I was struck by not only the killer style of this wedding, but the clear “joie de vivre” that this couple has. Which in my books is oh-so-important on your wedding day. We all love a few high fashion wedding pictures here and there but I LOVE seeing couples clearly being themselves in photos. Laughing, hamming it up, jumping for joy…I just eat that stuff up.

I’ll let the bride, Baovy, tell the rest of the story about her amazing day:

The inspiration for the style of the wedding was “modern-vintage-eco-chic.” It may be a mouthful, but I wanted to have a day of simple elegance meets modern details, with an eco-friendly approach. Our color scheme, yellow and gray, were our favorite colors and helped to create a chic vibe. Vu and I incorporated a bicycle theme into the wedding because we both discovered our love of biking together. We incorporated our tandem bicycle in our engagement pictures, wedding portraits and even in our exit as a “green” mode of transportation!

Phew!  There’s a whole lot of inspiring ideas from this wedding, right?  More to come from the couple’s amazing reception!

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Post tags: Austin, Bouquets of Austin, Chantale Montgomery, Complete Music, La Belle Bride, Lauren Allen, Mandy Hernandez, Michelle's Patisserie, San Patrick, Texas Weddings, The Nichols, velvet owl, Vintage Villas, Wedding Paper Divas
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Ahh…I can just breathe a sigh of pure happiness when I look at these photographs. They were shot by Luna Photography and do an absolutely brilliant job at conveying the soft, pretty elegance of the day. Here are a few more details from Amy…

We recycled everything that we could and along with having some yummy micro brewed beers we chose to get a keg of my husband’s favorite organic beer to cut back on the waste (and cost). For a year we collected glass mason and milk jars, some vintage and some spaghetti sauce jars to use as vases and candle holders. All of our candles were hand made by a local man who only uses soy and chemical free products. We wanted our flowers to have a “hand-picked” feel and we brought down a bunch of potted herbs that we planted ourselves. This was a big money saver for us and now the herbs are growing in our garden and in some of our family and friend’s gardens too! The day after our wedding was Mother’s Day so we decided to take our left-over flowers to a retirement home so that the flowers could be enjoyed by the mothers there. We hated the idea of just throwing them away!

All flowers were done by Bouquets of Austin and event planning was done by Aimee of Liz Belle. More on the way!

Oh and here’s a hint about the upcoming giveaway…we are officially calling June, Green Wedding Month, so think super chic, super green, unbelievably awesome.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allen House, Amy and Matt, Austin, Bouquets of Austin, budget, Liz Belle, Luna Photography, Texas Weddings
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Casual Elegance