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From Anna of Anna Routh Photography… Carla and Sean’s French and Marie Antoinette-themed affair was ALL about the details. Every inch of this beautiful event was draped in pale pink and light blue with gold and pearl accents. Every centerpiece was unique and chock-full of items that had been collected throughout the couple’s engagement. Sean, an Army Captain, beamed when he saw his bride coming down the aisle in her stunning gown that was covered from top to bottom with tiny floral appliques. After a heartfelt ceremony rich with tradition and love from their friends and family, Carla and Sean’s guests enjoyed the most amazing dessert and hot chocolate bar I’ve ever seen — macaroons, cake, chocolate, custard and cookies galore! Yum! After plenty of dancing and even an impromptu hip-hop performance by the groom, the lovebirds were swept away in a beautiful vintage auto. Carla’s keen sense of style and both of their kind hearts showed through in all aspects of this intimate and personal evening.

Wedding Photography: Anna Routh Photography / Event Design + Coordination: April Orr of Leave the Details To Me / Wedding Venue: Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs Mansion / Flowers: Flowers Flowers / Invitations, Stationery + Signage: Blue Eye Brown Eye / Rentals: Premiere Party Central + Marquee Rents / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Catering: Southern’s Fine Dining / Desserts: Bake Sale Austin / Attendents’ Feather Fans: DIY by the Bride / Makeup: Beauty on the Go / Chairs: Chiavari Chairs of Austin / Bartending: Utopian Bartending / DJ: Kyle Clark / Stickers + Couple Animation: Charlotte Wuthrich / Wedding Gown: Alfred Angelo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bari Jay

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Anna Routh Photography, April Orr, Austin, Bake Sale Austin, Bari Jay, Beauty on the Go, Blue, Blue Eye Brown eye, Charlotte Wuthrich, Chiavari Chairs of Austin, Flowers Flowers, French-Themed, Gold, Kyle Clark, Leave the Details to Me, Marquee Rents, Michelle's Patisserie, Pale Pink, Premiere Party Rental, Southern's Fine Dining, Texas, Texas Federation of Women's Clubs Mansion, Utopian Bartending
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the bride… We wanted to have an intimate wedding full of personal touches. My husband and I are both in the field of architecture, so design is very important to us. Although this often means having expensive taste, we both believe in living within our means, and budgeting is also important to us. Our wedding was no exception — we were driven to use everyday materials in thoughtful and clever ways that would not only save us money, but also showcase our personality. We live in New Orleans, and unfortunately there is no glass recycling. I had been collecting a few jars before our engagement because I didn’t want them ending up in a landfill. The wedding was the perfect opportunity to put them to use. I also enlisted a few friends and family to fill out my collection. We grouped the various sizes and shapes and added candles to make simple, and surprisingly beautiful, centerpieces. No two tables were alike! I also hate seeing flowers thrown away after weddings, so rather than use floral arrangements, we opted for individual plants that guests could take home as favors. Getting married at the Wildflower Center meant that we couldn’t compete with the natural beauty of the flowers already there, so we went with succulent plants. They are unusual and relate to the Southwest, so I thought it added nice, rustic charm. We put the succulents in simple silver buckets so that the candle light from the jars would reflect off of them in interesting ways. We designed our own save-the-date cards and printed them from home. My husband has a huge extended family so I figured putting our faces on the cards might help the recipients recognize us! I also made our cake topper out of wooden balls from a craft store and a peanut can.

My husband’s family is from Louisiana, while I was raised in Texas and am also of Taiwanese heritage. We met during college in Austin, so the city has always had a special place in our hearts. We wanted to express this to our guests and had the opportunity to do so with our appetizers. Called “His, Hers, and Ours,” we featured meat-filled pockets (which seems to be a universal food typology) done in three ways. “His” were crawfish beignets (representing Louisiana); “Hers” were asian dumplings (representing my heritage); and “Ours” were pork empanadas (signifying Austin). I found a lady who made handmade lollipops, and she had a Texas-shaped mold — this made the perfect homage to the place we love.

If I could give any advice to brides, it would be to focus on a couple of areas that you really care about, and let everything else go. There isn’t enough time (or money) to worry about every little item, and in the end, people will only remember the things you spent time and energy to make spectacular. Focus on injecting personal touches — it really makes for a memorable experience.

Wedding Photography: Jennifer Lindberg Weddings / Wedding Ceremony: St. Paul Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas / Wedding Reception: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas / Caterer: Austin Catering / DJ: Greenbelt DJ / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Central Market / Lollipop Favors: Ju-C Suckers / Potted Succulent Favors: IKEA / Wedding Dress: Jasmine Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Target / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Priscilla of Boston “Vineyard Collection” / Bridesmaids’ Shoes: Shoe-Nami in New Orleans, Louisiana (504-895-1717) / Bridesmaids’ Bracelets: Anthropologie / Groom’s Suit: JoS. A. Bank

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Post tags: Anthropologie, Austin, Austin Catering, Black, Central Market, Green, Greenbelt DJ, Ikea, Jasmine Bridal, Jennifer Lindberg Weddings, Jos A Bank, Ju-C Suckers, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Michelle's Patisserie, Orange, Priscilla of Boston, Shoe-Nami, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Target, Texas, Vineyard Collection, Yellow
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Whimsical

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From the bride… Reese and I met in college at Trinity University. During my first week on campus, my car battery died and he and his good friend Bryan came to my rescue.  I quickly fell hard for Reese’s sweet Kansas charm!

Growing up, both Reese and I enjoyed annual family vacations at the lake. Reese’s family has been going to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and my family has been going to Lake Titus in New York every summer for as far back as we can remember. We both have amazing memories of from these family vacations and we wanted to recreate that feeling with our wedding!  Because our families are not spread out, we initially struggled with our wedding location. Luckily, once we started searching for the right venue, we quickly found The Retreat at Balcones Springs just up 281 North in the Texas Hill Country.  It was absolutely everything we were looking for — it is located on the lake and had enough space for our guests to stay onsite. Once we had our wedding weekend venue, everything else fell into place. I found Kristin Light through my good friend. I checked out her website and knew she was exactly what we were looking for in style. As soon as we spoke on the phone, she quickly sealed the deal with her friendly and fun attitude! We found the perfect church in Horseshoe Bay that has beautiful huge windows that overlook the lake below.

Our main inspiration was our annual lake trips but we tried to incorporate other important parts of our lives as well. We used Reese’s grandpa’s 1968 Ford Galaxie as our “wedding weekend” car. (We couldn’t save it for just the get-away because we were too excited about it!) We also incorporated Reese’s Kansan roots by having the flower girls carry sunflowers (the Kansas state flower). We brought in a touch of the Adirondacks with our Adirondack chair guest book. I wore the pearls my grandmother, mother and aunt wore at their weddings. So many of the other touches at our wedding were made possible by our friends and family – from the apple pies to the cocktail straws. Throughout our wedding process, I was constantly reminded that we are very lucky to have such amazing friends and family – there was an outpouring of love & support. We had a blast and we’ll remember our wedding weekend fondly for years to come!

Wedding Photography: Kristin Light Photographie / Ceremony: St. Paul’s Apostle Church / Reception: The Retreat at Balcones Springs in Marble Falls, Texas / Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza via Serendipity Bridal / Bridesmaid + Flower Girl Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Suit: Reiss / Flowers: White Magnolia / Shoes: BHLDN + TOMS / Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Bridal Party Gifts: J.Crew Shirts + Anthropologie Tea Cups / Wedding Invitation Suite, Save the Dates + Paper Goods: The Bride +  Papier Lapin / Wedding Sign: True Connection / Twine M’s: ELDetail / Dog Collars: Silly Buddy / Garter: Lollie Couture / “Love is Sweet” Banner: Mirtillo / Mr. & Mrs. Pillows: Homemade Gems / Straw Tags, Burlap Wine Table Numbers: Kate Skelley Wilson, Friend of the Bride / Apple Pies: Mother of the Bride / “e & r” pillows: Aunt of the Bride / I SPY Game: Martha Stewart Weddings

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Post tags: Anthropologie, BHLDN, Blue, ELDetail, Gray, Homemade Gems, J. Crew, Kate Skelley Wilson, Kristin Light Photography, Lollie Couture, Marble Falls, Michelle's Patisserie, Mirtillo, Navy Blue, Papier Lapin, Reiss, Romona Keveza, Serendipity Bridal, Silly Buddy, St. Paul's Apostle Church, Texas, The Retreat at Balcones Springs, TOMs, True Connection, White Magnolia, Yellow
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

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From Naomi of April Skinner Photography… After Mark proposed to Ann and she blissfully accepted, the two decided this small vineyard just outside of the charming German town of Fredericksburg, Texas, was the perfect place to showcase their love in a beautiful October wedding. The rustic nature of the on-site Texas style dance hall and the ambiance of the country vineyard setting were key reasons why the couple chose to have their special day at the Woodrose Winery. It was then that Mark knew that he wanted April Skinner, his hair stylist for more than 14 years and upcoming photographer for more than six years to handle all of the most intimate details of his big day. The couple froze their engagement moment in time with a stylized photo shoot at the winery. To enhance the shoot, Vintique Rentals provided various antique items to bring a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the engagement photos. Items included antique couches and chairs as well as tables and lamp shades.

The wedding would serendipitously take place during Fredericksburg’s annual Food and Wine Festival, a detail that only served to enhance the appeal of the timing and location of the big event. It began with a rehearsal dinner at the Lady Bird Johnson Muncipal Park, where a local Fredericksburg family catered a traditional German-style bar-b-que. From there, the wedding party stayed the night at a quaint bed and breakfast. The bridal party awoke to a team of stylists and make-up artists from April Skinner’s Almost Impatient Productions team. Head make-up artist Jordan Webb selected a combination of natural bronze and brown colors for a “smokey” eye while April Skinner opted for loose beach waves for both the bride’s and bridesmaids’ hair. The bride adorned her do with a vintage broach. The traditional ceremony took place the following morning at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, a historical landmark in downtown Fredericksburg built in 1906. The church was adorned with a combination of circus roses, orchids, succulents and submersibles provided by Visual Lyrics Floral Artistry of Cedar Park, Texas. The circus roses were chosen since they were the flower of choice given by the groom to the bride on their anniversaries as a couple.

Guests were invited to attend the reception at the Woodrose Winery’s rustic, Texas-style dance hall at the vineyard just outside of Fredericksburg. The winery and dancehall are owned and operated by Mike Guilette, who treats all of his guests like family. To bring the flavor of the annual Food and Wine Festival to the reception, Catering with a Twist, offered “wine tasting plates” on each table complete with a variety of wine flavors and cheeses. Other hors d’oevres included “cupcakes” made of meatloaf with mashed potatoes as the “icing.”  Guests enjoyed a plated meal with a choice of salmon or beef steaks and served just as they would have in an upscale restaurant. Visual Lyrics Floral Artistry mimicked the floral arrangements seen in the ceremony – a combination of circus roses, orchids, succulents and submersibles – at the reception.

Photography: April Skinner Photography (512-517-6180) / Hair: April Skinner of Salon Keriz’ma / Makeup: Jordan Webb, Head Make-Up Artist of Almost Impatient Productions / Catering: Catering with a Twist / Flowers: Visual Lyrics Floral Artistry / Rentals: Vintique Rentals / Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / DJ: DJs Unlimited / Venue: Woodrose Winery

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Post tags: Almost Impatient Productions, April Skinner, April Skinner Photography, Catering with a Twist, DJs Unlimited, Jordan Webb, Michelle's Patisserie, Salon Keriz'ma, Stonewall, Texas, Vintique Rentals, Visual Lyrics Floral Artistry, Woodrose Winery
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

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From the Bride…Reid and I were introduced by my cousin who also happened to work with Reid. Within a week of meeting we had our first date and first kiss. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before I knew he was the one. After a year and a half of dating we bought a house, moved in together and got engaged. I was never one of those girls who had been planning their wedding since they were young. I was starting from square one and had to figure out a direction, quickly. I knew my dress and the venue would be two major pieces of the puzzle in defining the feel of our wedding. It was only after I found “the” dress, a strapless embroidered lace gown, and “the” place, a historic home-built in the 1800’s, that I was able to move forward in planning the elegant garden-like atmosphere I began to envision.

Since I am an interior designer I was excited to get creative and plan every detail of our wedding! With a name like Mansion at Judges’ Hill the venue could easily conjure up thoughts of stuffy formality but once I stepped on the grounds I knew it was the place for us. The cobblestone courtyard was small and intimate, shaded by blooming crepe myrtles. The reception ballroom had high ceilings and crystal chandeliers so it was important for me to balance that sophistication by adding homemade touches and casual details. We are not over the top, fancy people and I wanted our wedding to reflect that without becoming too casual.

The color palette was subtle with soft coral and ivory and small pops of deeper pinks.  I wanted our wedding to have an elegant romantic feel, from the design of the invitation to the bridesmaid’s dresses. I used vintage glass cakes stands and my grandmother’s glass candy dish for the cake and petite fours. The Eiffel Tower decorative picks were a nod to my husband’s time spent in France.  The favors were organic chocolate truffles boxed and tied with a hand-dyed silk ribbon and tea stained tag that I stamped with “Merci”. The place cards were brown kraft bags I cut at the top with scalloped scissors, stamped and glittered with each guest’s name. The ivory card inside hid the table number and was also tied with the silk ribbon. I requested the flowers be freeform with lots of movement, a mixture of garden roses, peonies and greenery.  At the end of the day I wanted our wedding to be a beautiful relaxing party for everybody and I was proud to have achieved just that.  Not to mention I got to marry the love of my life!

Ceremony + Reception Location: Mansion at Judges’ Hill / Wedding Photography: Studio 563 / Wedding Dress: Mori Lee / Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor / Cake + Petit Fours: Michelle’s Patisserie / Florist: Westbank Flower Market / Bracelet: Etsy / Hair + Make-up: Sheila Staehley at Aura Veni Salon / Invitations: Sloane Ware / String Quartet: Allandale String Quartet

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Post tags: Allandale String Quartet, Ann Taylor, Aura Veni Salon, Austin, Etsy, Mansion at Judges' Hill, Michelle's Patisserie, Mori Lee, Sloane Ware, Studio 563, Texas Weddings, Westbank Flower Market
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… For our wedding, we decided to come down from Chicago and give Austin a “test drive,” as we are looking to make the move down there in a year or so. London, San Diego, Virginia, St. Louis, Chicago – we had friends and family from all over…except Austin! Needless to say, everyone was very excited to have an excuse to visit the Texas Capital. We had over 95 guests join us, all from out of town.

We tried to add a personal touch to everything that went into the wedding. Johnny’s cousin Daphne performed the ceremony, and we designed and printed our own save the dates, invites and programs. We chose green, coral and yellow as our colors, to play off all the natural greenery at the Allan House and create a “backyard wedding” feel. We had Chinese lanterns hanging in the trees, candles and flowers in mason jars, and customized “koozies” for each of our guests. At around 10:00 we had a root beer float bar, and then after a few hours of dancing, Chicago hot dogs on the bus ride back to the hotel.

It was truly a special night, and gave us nothing but good more good vibes about our probable future home!

Wedding Photography: Ivy Weddings / Wedding Coordinator: Gray Allen of BZ Events / Reception Venue: The Allan House / Wedding Dress: Marisa / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Hair: Celeste Biller of Austin Hair and Make-up / Makeup: Susan Hood Evans of Makeup by S.H.E. / Jewelry: The Bride’s / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Groom’s Suit: Tommy Hilfiger / DJ: Penguin Entertainment / Floral Design: Wild Poppy / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Caterer: Crave Catering / Officiant: Daphne DeMaris / Rentals: Marquee / Customized Cake Toppers: Tipsy Topsy / Customized Stickers for Gift Bags: 76th Street Ink / Customized Hand Rolled Sendoff Streamers: Extravagant Exits

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Post tags: Austin, Austin Hair and Make-up, Badgley Mischka, BZ Events, Crave Catering, Daphne DeMaris, Ivy Weddings, Jenny Yoo, Marisa, Marquee Rentals, Michelle's Patisserie, Penguin Entertainment, Susan Hood Make-up, Texas Wedding, The Allan House, Tommy Hilfiger, Wild Poppy
Post categories: Austin Weddings, Casual Elegance, Texas Weddings

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From dearcharli photography… Cowboy boots for him and blue shoes for her really set the tone for Beth & Travis’ wedding: traditionally Texan but with some homemade attitude.  While Beth is an Etsy fan, you can find plenty of thought out family touches in her details.  She set up a lemonade stand by the outdoor ceremony seating so the guests could sip while they waited.  On this stand they set out little nicknacks from their time together along with a scrabble board that spelled out special sentiments.  Since Travis’ grandma was no longer with them, it was important to the couple to represent her Japanese heritage by serving sushi as appetizers.  Beth’s dad hand cut all the wood table decorations from gathered fallen tree branches; this fatherly touch held the table numbers and supported the flower arrangements and wedding cake.  Their dance floor had removable decals of images from their engagement session and Beth’s bridals.  Overall, the wedding has a real warm feeling from the wood paneling of the venue to the golden paper lanterns hanging over the dance floor to the many sunny bridesmaids’ dresses!

Venue: Texas Old Town / Wedding Coordinator: BZ Events / Photo Booth: Max Photography / Wedding Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Floral Design: Petal Pushers / Wedding Photography: dearcharli photography

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Post tags: BZ Events, Casual Elegance, dearcharlie photography, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Max Photography, Michelle's Patisserie, Petal Pushers, Texas Old Town
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Texas Weddings

We met three and a half years ago. Alex had just moved from San Francisco, where he was working, to San Marcos to attend grad school. I was studying for my nutrition degree. We met online, but didn’t actually meet in person for several months, despite almost crossing paths several times at school. When we finally did meet up, it turned out we practically lived on the same street! Our first date was at a coffee shop, even though Alex doesn’t like coffee – he played along and got a smoothie. We hit it off right away and didn’t want the night to end, so from there we went to get pancakes, even though I should’ve been studying for a big test the next day. Since then we’ve been inseparable, sharing a passion for food, music, and video games.

On a Friday afternoon while looking at wedding venues he suggested that we head to a nearby look-out point called Mt. Bonnell. I found it rather suspicious but didn’t think too much into it because we had ring shopped together and I knew when my engagement ring would be shipped in. Sitting over the cliff we talked about our future, details for the wedding, growing old together and while I wasn’t paying attention, he bent down on one knee while trying his hardest to not fall over the ledge. I said “yes” and the rest is history!

My Latin heritage and our love for food had a lot to do with the inspiration of our wedding. Spending a lot of time in Mexico you are surrounded by colors, culture, food, and most of all family, and I really wanted that feel to represent our wedding. I would describe to our vendors that our inspiration was a Spanish garden party with a modern chic vibe. I finally decided on eggplant and fuchsia with pops of marigold. I wanted it to be formal but not stuffy.

With Alex’s family from central Texas and mine from Mexico we wanted to go with a venue where there would be as little driving as possible, that also offered an outdoor space for the ceremony and a gorgeous indoor ballroom for the reception. Once we toured the Mansion at Judges’ Hill, I immediately pictured us tying the knot under the pergola in the garden courtyard and celebrating a lavish affair upstairs in the elegant ballroom; it was perfect!

We continued our Spanish/southwest theme with a special menu. During cocktail hour a lively 9-piece mariachi band started the fiesta while guests sipped colorful watermelon and pineapple agua frescas and snacked on miniature quesadillas and empanadas. Celebrating his birthday two days prior I really wanted to go all out on a special groom’s cake for my tech-savy hubby. I surprised him with a six foot iPhone cake constructed of his favorite cake balls with special apps that had meaning to him such Star Wars, Yelp and even the game he designed himself in his favorite flavors.

Custom Invitations & Reception Stationery: Shannon Ferguson, The Inviting Pear / Event Planning & Design: BZ Events and Kerry Duggan/ Venue: Mansion at Judges’ Hill / Photography: Christina Carroll Photography / Videographer: PopBoom / Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie / Rentals: Marquee Rents / Officiant: Mike Rinehart / Ceremony Music: The Arundel Ensemble / DJ: Groove Labs / Jazz Band: Trio David Sierra / Florist: Merveille Event Design / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / Childcare: Grandparents Unlimited / Groom’s Cake Ball Cake: Objects of Confection / Hair & Make-up: Gerardo Esperquieta & Rae Cosmetics / Aqua Frescas: Zocalo / Mariachis: Mariachi Tamazula

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Post tags: Austin, BZ Events, Chandelier, Christina Carroll Photography, Color Palette Pink Purple, Groove Labs, Ilios LIghting, Latin, Mansion at Judges' Hill, Mariachi Tamazula, Marquee Rents, Merveille Event Desgin, Mexican, Michelle's Patisserie, Mike Rinehart, popboom, Rae Cosmetics, Romance, romantic, Spanish, Texas, The Arundel Ensemble, The Inviting Pear, Trio David Sierra, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planners & Desingers, Zocalo
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Invitations & Stationery