Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

As promised, we’re sending you into the weekend with this amazing (and tear-inducing) film by Hardeman Films!  Enjoy!

From Forever Photography Studio… These two are so much fun to be around!! I knew from the instant I met them, that their wedding was going to be over the top and full of fun! Julie had the best smile, she is always laughing and we love that. We worked with so many awesome vendors at this wedding. The amazing and fabulous Aimee Villa from Lizzie Bell Events, put together and coordinated the whole event, and did an amazing job I might add! Julie and Loy, we are so glad we got to be a part of something so special, we wish you both the very best and cannot wait to see you soon for another session!

Wedding Photography: Forever Photography Studio / Day of Coordination: Aimee of Lizze Belle Event Management / Ceremony + Reception: The Driskill Hotel / Groom’s Attire: Michael Andrews Bespoke + Le Noeud Papillon (Bow Tie) / Wedding Gown: Mikaella / Make-up: Maris Malone Calderon / Entertainment: Texas Pro DJ, Miles / Flowers: Cherry Lane Floral, Jean Gabbay / Table Numbers + Escort Cards (Retired New York Yankees Uniform Numbers): Brightly Designed, Courtney Scowby / Lighting: D & H Stage Lighting / Strings: Ayren Huslig / Wedding Film: Hardeman Films / Custom Bobbleheads: Whoopass Enterprises / Hand-Rolled Cigar Service: Bobalu Cigar Company / Photo Booth: Magnolia Photo Booth Company / Getaway Car: Antique Limousines of Austin

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Antique Limousines of Austin, Austin, Avern Huslig, Bobalu Cigar Company, Brightly Designed, Cherry Lane Florist, D & H Stage Lighting, Forever Photography Studio, Hardeman Films, Le Noeud Papillon, Lizze Belle Event Management, Magnolia Photo Booth Co., Maris Malone Calderon, Michael Andrews Bespoke, Mikaella, Orange, Pink, Texas Pro DJ, Texas Weddings, The Driskill Hotel, Traditional Elegance, Whoopass Enterprises
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance

from Christina …

Todd and I met in Houston, Texas, at a restaurant. On our first date (the next night) I looked at Todd and said, “I think I will marry you!”…not a great first date line, but exactly a year later he was my husband!

Though we live in New York City, we have roots in Texas so we wanted to be married there. I had seen pictures of weddings at the Four Seasons in Austin and thought it would be a beautiful destination wedding.

Our wedding colors were inspired by a gray suit Todd spotted in December before we were engaged. I wanted to incorporate my favorite color, pink, in a way that was respectful to a man’s taste. We made gray the basic color and pink the accent: suits and dresses gray, accessories and flowers pink. The bridesmaids wore beautiful silver and stone bracelets and long pearl necklaces made by one of the bridesmaids.

Wendee from Petal Pushers pulled everything together with flower design: chandeliers of peonies, lanterns, mirrored boxes of arrangements, crystals, and twinkling votive candles. Mint julep glasses in the floral arrangements complemented our signature drink. And the bouquets… HOLY PEONIES, they were beyond beautiful!

We wanted our guests to experience the greatest in food and drink. The Four Seasons did not disappoint anyone! We feasted at several stations: sushi to Mexican to beef tenderloin. Late night snacks included cookies, tomato basil soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

We celebrated Todd’s parents’ 40th anniversary that night with a special cake and an anniversary dance. Also, instead of throwing the bouquet to my already married girlfriends, I gave it to my mother.

I cherish every memory and thank Stella and Leon Alesi for capturing our special weekend on film to remember for a lifetime.

See all of Christina and Todd’s photos in their SMP Gallery

Photography: stella alesi/photography ~ SMP Portfolio
Flowers: Petal Pushers ~ SMP Portfolio
Event Planning: Aimee Villa of Lizze Belle Events
Ceremony & Reception: Four Seasons Austin - Lawn
Dress: Monique Lhuillier ~ SMP Portfolio

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Austin, Four Seasons Hotel, Lizze Belle Event Management, Monique Lhuillier, Petal Pushers, Texas Weddings
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Destination, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography

{Be sure to check out the gallery for more loveliness from this happy, happy day}

We wanted to create an atmosphere that highlights what is rustic and natural about the ranch and its hill country surroundings without having it look produced. No glitz – just the nostalgic, old school country thing like a saloon or if Waylon Jennings and Woody Allen traded stories on Frida Kahlo’s back porch. Our officiant (an artist cousin from New York) summed up our vision in the ceremony when he said: The two great strands and strains for Americans are always rugged individuals and community spirit. How fitting that Amanda and Jamie chose Texas for their wedding, living as they do in New York – the beating heart of all things communitarian – and returning to the Lone Star State – the fierce core of rugged individualism. We did not want a DJ or a “wedding band.” We wanted the real thing. Austin country greaser Jesse Dayton and his band played their own gems, as well as The Cars (our first dance), The Pogues (our second dance), and a downright twangy rendition of Hava Nagila.

And here are some other details:

Attire-wise, Amanda was against wearing white or ivory from the beginning. She had a dress custom made in a dusty rose stretch satin georgette. And how about that hair?! When in doubt, go pompadour.

Jamie looked devilishly handsome in a dark blue suit by Paul Smith (and matching bow tie for that dapper, old-tyme charm).

For the ceremony music, Jamie’s father bagpiped us in and out.

Our two specialty drinks were Prickly Pear Margaritas (Amanda) & Manhattans (Jamie), and In lieu of a champagne toast, we opted for the Tequila shot.

The centerpieces were a mish-mash of apothecary bottles, old jars, and tin cans – reflecting our love for oddities and found objects.

The dinner was colorful Mexican fare served family-style by Royal Fig.

No traditional cake. For dessert we had a late night ice cream and cupcake bar, with Jamie’s favorite Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream (served out of the carton) and Amanda’s choice of mini cupcakes from Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop in Austin.

The typeface of the escort cards was reminiscent of an old telegram. They were hung on a clothesline. Instead of “table numbers” we had “table people,” utilizing iconic images of people that inspire the two of us. From Steve McQueen and J.D. Salinger to Edith Head and Pele.

The full list of table people: Waylon Jennings, J.D. Salinger, Edith Head, Pele, Thelonious Monk, Modigliani, Mark Twain, Hemingway, Mark Messier, Thurman Munson, Willie Nelson, John Cleese, Woody Allen, Frida Kahlo, Joe Strummer, Steve McQueen, Jon McEnroe, Woody Guthrie.

Photography: The Nichols / Venue: Vista West Ranch / Coordinator: Lizze Belle Event Management / Catering: Royal Fig / Florals: Petal Pushers / Cupcakes: Sugar Mama Bakeshop / Makeup: Mandy Morrison / Band: Jesse Dayton

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 43 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jesse Dayton, Lizze Belle Event Management, Mandy Morrison, Petal Pushers, Royal Fig, Sugar Mama Bakeshop, Texas Weddings, The Nichols, Vista West Ranch
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Real Weddings, Texas Weddings, The Blog, Vintage Chic

And Amy and Matt’s wedding, sent to us by lunaphoto is one that anyone would love, filled with a simply elegant style and sweet but utterly sophisticated details.

From Amy…Both my husband and I have two sets of parents and we really wanted them to feel included, so we decided to have a moment during the ceremony were they all came up and made a circle around us and vowed to continue to love and support us as we join our families together. This became especially important to us since 10 days after our wedding my husband’s step-dad passed away. We are so thankful that we were able to have such a special and intimate moment with him before he passed.

For our wedding favors we decided to give different types of trees for our guests to plant. Instead of having a guest book my mom had a great idea of making us a quilt, so we had a table where guests wrote little messages to us on squares of cloth to be sewn into the quilt. It will be something that we can keep forever and as my mom put it “feel surround by love”.

From Amy…

Our caterer (Primizie) and baker (Coco Paloma) are small companies that we found locally in Austin; and the best part is that they both only use the freshest most natural and/or organic ingredients! We saved a ton of money by doing a dessert table instead of a big wedding cake; we had a small 8 inch cake, different sized cupcakes, cookies, 2 pies and a big bowl of fresh fruit. Our invitations (made by Viola from Chewing the Cud, who I found on SMP!) were made using all environmentally friendly products, and we had a local artist do the calligraphy on the envelopes.

We chose to not do the traditional cake-cutting, flower and garter tossing, etc so that we could have more time to spend with our family and friends, particularly because most of them flew in from all over the United States and even Singapore! There is so much that I could write about our wedding; everything went so well and since we were planning everything long distance we hired Aimee Villa with Lizze Belle Event Management to help us bring everything together, she did such a wonderful job of helping make our wedding magical for us. Along with hiring Aimee, one of the most important things that we did was hire amazingly talented photographers; Mike and Paula Luna of lunaphoto were a joy to work with and did such an incredible job of capturing such a special time in our lives.

* * *

Thank you so much to Amy and Matt for sharing their day with us!! We have a pretty awesome giveaway coming up next and later, find out who won the Sarah Darcy Giveaway!

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