Music and food.  Two ingredients guaranteed to liven up any wedding.  So, when this adorable duo made the decision to build their day around those oh-so-wonderful components, they knew just what they were doing.  Together with the help of Royal Fig Catering and three (yes, THREE!) amazing bands, they crafted a wedding that was chock-full of good eats, yummy cocktails and a whole lot of don’t stop ’til you drop dancing.  What a fabulous way to celebrate.  Check out every gorgeous moment captured by Geoff Duncan in the full gallery.

 

From the Bride… Grant and I wanted our wedding to be inclusive of our far-flung friends and families but also very personal. We chose the Hill Country outside of Austin, our former home, as the destination for our guests to gather and celebrate our marriage. We were hoping for a sophisticated but subtle Mexican feel as a nod to my roots and a focus on two things: Music and Food.

For the food, our friends at Royal Fig Catering served a fantastic family-style menu with refined but comforting dishes like porchetta-style pork loin with gorgonzola roasted mushrooms. As cocktail enthusiasts, they allowed us to create some original cocktails and contributed a few new recipes of their own (hello Guavaritas!) to the cocktail menu.

The music came in three acts: A string quartet which played contemporary hits during a pre-ceremony champagne hour and during the ceremony, a mariachi band which played during the traditional cocktail hour, and a country/variety band for the reception. We are very grateful that we could include so much music during the event! I especially love the contrast between the traditional instruments of the string band and their playful contemporary arrangements, like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” the unique celebratory charm of mariachi, and the excitement of a live band at a reception.

Our first dance was to “Bless the Broken Road,” and on that theme, we named each table after a street or place that was connected in some way to its occupants or to our eight year history together. All of our place cards and paper goods were done in a talavera (Mexican tile) style. The events hall was styled by our event planner and Ilios lighting to feel like a “romantic candle-lit dinner in a hacienda,” creating such a warm environment in which to be with our loved ones. We could not have been happier with the evening.

Wedding Photography: Geoff Duncan / Wedding Venue: Camp Lucy in Dripping Springs, Texas / Wedding Planning: Weddings by Kennedy / Catering: Royal Fig Catering / Pie: Royers Round Top Cafe / Lighting: Ilios Lighting / String Band: Strings Attached / Mariachi Band: Mariachi Tamazula / Reception Band: Texas Unlimited Band / Paper Goods: Lizzy B Loves / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs / Bride’s + Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: Kendra Scott / Bridesmaids’ Attire: Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique / Bridesmaids’ Sashes: BHLDN / Men’s Attire: Indochino / Groom’s Tie: Paul Smith / Makeup: Kandy Glass from FaceKandy

Kendra Scott Jewelry is a member of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

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This DIY-inspired, budget-friendly + totally sustainable fête is oh so up my alley. The incredibly creative bride scoured SMP for ideas and inspiration that would highlight the gorgeous Vista West Ranch and would work with her quirky, eclectic vibe. Captured perfectly by Heather Curiel and Nostalgia Film, the vintage stunner will have you swooning all afternoon! See the full gallery right here, and don’t miss the beautiful 8mm film!

 

from the bride...I decided I was going to do all the decor myself. As I was planning, we thought about all the waste that comes from putting on just a single wedding. We were not going to have a wedding with flowers that get thrown away, decor that get’s thrown away. What was the point? Why not get almost everything from Thrift Stores and antique stores that can be used again in our home. The same with the floral decor. Potted succulents and plants became a huge part of our wedding. Andy, being a lover of plants agreed. I must of spent months in total time looking at the SMP wedding blogs for budget friendly DIY ideas and i sure found a lot of them that would fit in with the style we wanted. I then came to the realization that I could not be the wedding planner, bride and the florist. We decided to find a florist that could help with the decor and provide a sustainable approach that fit with our style. I had so much fun over that year scouring vintage antique stores and thrift stores!

They say that we wouldn’t notice the details the day of the wedding but they are so wrong! When we walked down the aisle and saw the vintage chandelier hanging from the trellis or the DIY reserved signs I made for the chairs, I smiled so big inside and knew that we influenced all of this. The beer garden decor thanks to our amazing florist and stylist was over the top Austin quirky with the moss balls, succulent terrariums and beer bottle lights. We could not have been happier to have our guests hanging in this laid back area! When we walked in our reception and saw the gorgeous details that we worked on so hard over the previous year it just took our breath away! The vintage wood cheese box that the groom’s cake sat on, the lucky horseshoes we gave away as favors. Each element of the wedding we created had its own set of memories that came with it as we made those items as a couple and worked together to do so.
Our favorite moments of the wedding were the times we had alone with each other during our first dance, our first look photos and portrait time and lastly around the campfire at the end of the night reflecting on the most beautiful day we had together.

Our advice to any couple is to simply have fun planning your wedding. Make the day a true reflection of your personalities and beliefs. If sustainability is important to you why not have planted succulents and repurposed decor! How fun will it be a year later to have a garden of plants and succulents that were from your wedding?! Have fun in the planning process and cherish the memories that are made from planning your special day! Make sure to have your day captured on video. We decided to use a videographer that shoots with 8mm film. How cool is that? Don’t worry if something does not go correctly, because every wedding has “thing” that happens at it. Nobody will notice it at all. Work with vendors who are in sync with your vision and will work with you as a part of your team to make your day perfect.

Wedding Photography: Heather Curiel / Wedding Venue: Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas / Floral Design: EcoChic Floral / Wedding Cinematography: Nostalgia Film / Wedding Cake: Classic Cakes by Lori / DJ: Complete Music / Rentals: Petal Pushers Rentals / Banners: Amy & Amy from A Butterfly Above / Wedding Guest Book: Shabby Scrap / Wrist Corsages: Frayed & fancy / Wedding Invitations: Days Gone Design / Wedding Dress: Jasmine Bridal Couture / Groom’s Attire: Calvin Klein / Makeup + Hair: Danielle Elaine

Vista West Ranch and Nostalgia Film are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

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Without a doubt in my mind, the most beautiful weddings are those crafted with handmade details, DIY-inspired touches and lots of help from family + friends. This backyard Waxahachie wedding from Jamie Harper Photography hits all of those notes, and then some. From the venue (a home of a close friend) to the sweet-as-can-be flower girl attire, it was all created with love by those close to the bride + groom…and the result? Pure perfection. See it all right here! 

 

From the Bride… My dear friend Julie & her husband Corey built a beautiful rustic home on several hundred acres of land right outside Waxahachie, TX. She was there the night Jeff & I got engaged. As she and I immediately started planning the wedding in the freezing cold by an outdoor fire place, I told her of my worries about the cost of my dream wedding. It was as if she’d already been planning this for months, she instantly offered their home for our wedding location and began helping me get it all in order the very next week. 

My handmade, vintage lace tiered dress was my very first wedding purchase and it was purchased by my bridesmaid/ boss/ wonderful friend of mine, Jenny. It was a little out of my price range, but she couldn’t stand to see me not have it, so she insisted on paying for it and that I order it right away. (In case you haven’t noticed yet, I have AMAZING friends!) I had found the dress on Etsy at a shop called KT Jean months before we got engaged and I fell in love. It was my favorite part of our wedding and the inspiration for the theme and décor of the entire thing. I was however taking a huge risk by purchasing it over the internet having never seen it in person or trying it on. The same went for the bridesmaid dresses from Armour sans Anguish. All my girls were built so differently and yet the dresses fit them all so perfectly! 

Next came the brooch shower for my vintage brooch bouquet. I knew I wanted a brooch bouquet, but I didn’t want the same thing that everyone else had. I wanted mine to be different and I found just what I was looking for on Autumn Bridal & Grace’s Etsy shop. Beautiful fabric & lace rosettes with many of the gorgeous brooches given to me. It was simple, gorgeous, and the best part was that I would get to have a piece of my friends and family with me as I walked down the aisle. When I opened that package and saw it, I cried. It was gorgeous and the first brooch I saw was my grandmother’s. It meant the world to me to have it displayed so beautifully .

All of my friends are incredibly crafty and were willing to pitch in however they could. The only décor that was not handmade by bridesmaids or closest girlfriends, were the signs from Sophia’s Sign Boutique. Everything from the flowers, to the table runners, to picture frames, to the flower girl dresses were all made with love by friends. As the planning went on, I realized I was a very lucky girl to not only be marrying the man of my dreams, but also to be surrounded by wonderful people.

The best thing about a group effort DIY wedding, is that you can look at each little piece of decoration and remember who made it & the story behind it. All those handmade mason jars and picture frames now decorate our home. My brooch bouquet will be on display forever and will never wilt, just like our love.

Wedding Photography: Jamie Harper Photography / Wedding Venue: A Private Residence in Waxahachie, Texas / Cake: Cretia’s / Buffet Setup + Desserts: Sweet & Savory by Tabby Ashmore (tbyashmore@gmail.com) / Decor: DIY by the Bride and Friends / Bride + Bridesmaids’ Bouquets + Corsages + Boutonnieres: Autumn and Grace Bridal / Cake Topper: Crafty Frills / Cake Stands: Hunnicut Road Designs / DJ: Gus Garza from Your DJ / Wood Signs: Sophia’s Sign Boutique / Wedding Dress: Katie Jean / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Attire: Armour sans Anguish / Flower Girl Dresses +  Head Pieces + Flip Flops + Shirts:  Kutie Patootie Couture / Ringer Bearer Pillow: Wendy Herrin & Kutie Patootie Couture