This wedding just feels cozy.  Cozy in that way that instantly warms your heart and fills your entire being with happy… the kind of happiness that can only come from the sweet simplicity of a Hill Country affair paired with elegant details planned to perfection by Country Sugar Events.  From the beautiful DIY florals to the stunning Amsale gown to the gallery of pretty snapped up perfectly by Loft Photographie, this is a day that deserves your full and undivided attention.  See it all here.

 

From Loft Photographie… Lela and Charlie created a relaxed Texas wedding with understated elegance & romantic details. From a beautiful venue offering the perfect backdrop for friends & family to gather to the best band we’ve heard in a long time, every aspect reflected their kind and intentional personalities. This pair cares for people, and warmly welcomed all of their guests to an evening of dinner, drinks and dancing.

Wedding Photography: Loft Photographie | Wedding Venue: The Heritage House in Dripping Springs, Texas | Event Planning: Country Sugar Events | Floral Design: Family Friend | Catering: Picnikins Patio Cafe | Cake: Wild Flour Cakery | Band: Sour Bridges | Vintage Dishes + Furniture: Loot Vintage Rentals | Wedding Dress: Amsale via Mia Bridal Couture | Bridesmaid Attire: David’s Bridal | Hair + Makeup: North Street Studio

Country Sugar Events is a member of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

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You know what is seriously fantastic?  A bride who says she “absolutely loves to throw a party” and dives into crafting the day of her dreams like it’s no ones business.  I love brides like that.  So, this stunning Austin Mrs.?  I happen to adore her.  Because, together with a talented team of vendors and her handsome Mr., she put together a day that was all kinds of crazy gorgeous with a stunning Mercury Hall setting, to-die-for blooms from Central Market and a gallery of non-stop pretty captured by Katherine O’Brien Photography.  Join me there for sooo much more.

 

From the Bride… As soon as we saw Mercury Hall, it solidified our vision because it was a little bit of charm tucked right smack dab in the middle of central Austin with a beautifully simple interior and gorgeous live oak grove outside. We selected a color palette of plum, eggplant, green, ivory, and gold that picked up on the natural landscape surrounding the venue, the stained glass windows of the hall itself, and the cozy feel we wanted to capture.

Once we settled on a location, the rest quickly fell into place. As someone who absolutely loves to throw a party, I stepped into high gear with all sorts of DIY projects. Several friends pitched in too by lending their beautiful handwriting to our menus and origami talent to whip up scads of paper roses to mark each place setting. We tried to be mindful about overspending by getting married on a Friday night, having a very small bridal party, choosing two signature cocktails over a full bar, buying our own beer, wine and liquor, having our favorite neighborhood bakery provide cupcakes and working with our florist to use seasonal flowers.

We spent a great deal of time thinking through our ceremony because we knew that it was truly what the day was about. As a weepy gal and a more introverted guy, the idea of reciting personal vows felt like too much. Instead, we chose to exchange letters with our private vows while we were getting ready. Amazingly, we gave each other the exact same card! We also made the non-traditional choice of walking into the ceremony arm-in-arm as a symbol of entering into our marriage together. We asked my brother and two of our friends to read poems that resonated with us. And, we wanted to involve all of our guests by passing out blessing stones as they arrived and asking them to imbue them with their well wishes, prayers, and hopes for us.

Our goal was to wrap-up all wedding-related details ahead of time, so that we could enjoy our wedding week – and we did! The days leading up to our nuptials could not have been more relaxed. We felt totally present in the moment and supremely grateful for the love we have for each other and for our community of family and friends. It was so cool to see people from different points in our life connect with one another, explore Austin en masse, and develop friendships over multiple days of festivities. We were fortunate to have vendors who came through for us in every way to hold a meaningful ceremony, throw a heck of a dinner and dance party, and capture all of it for posterity via film and video. My husband and I could not stop grinning. Every time we reflect back on our wedding, Michael and I can’t help but smile.

Wedding Photography: Katherine O’Brien Photography | Wedding Venue: Mercury Hall in Austin, Texas | Officiant: Nancy McCranie | Wedding Cinematography: Crooked Tie Studios | Wedding Coordination: Stefanie Yandell from Your Wedding, Your Way | Floral Design: Donna Foster from Central Market | Catering: Austin Catering | Wedding Cake: Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop | Cake Banner: Ready Go | Favors: Love Puppies Brownies | DJ: Byrne Rock | Tent + Lighting: Premiere Party Central | Wedding Invitations + Programs: Minted | Wedding Stationery: Paper Source | Monogram: Loft Life Press via Wedding Chicks | Pashminas: Morpheus Boutique | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Bride’s Shrug: Jessica Howard | Bride’s Clutch: Paulownias | Bride’s Earrings: Family Heirlooms | Bride’s Bracelet: The Red Magnolia | Bride’s Hairpiece: Anna Panik | Bride’s Sash: Something Ivory | Bride’s Shoes: Vigotti “Artie” via Zappos | Bridesmaid’s Attire + Shoes: David’s Bridal | Bridesmaid’s Bracelet: Savoy Bracelet via Jewelmint | Bridesmaid’s Clutch: Mod Dot Textiles | Flower Girl’s Necklace: hotmixcold | Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse | Groom’s Cufflinks: Cuff-Daddy | Groom’s Shoes: Nordstrom | Groomsman + Ring Bearer’s Ties: Solid Color Neckties | Hair + Makeup: BeautyMark Agency

Austin Catering and Minted are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

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These two sweeties really know how to craft a wedding.  I’m talking mason jar candles, fab paper goods, burlap, lace and all kinds of crazy awesome DIYing, people.  They (+ their amazing friends and family) are as talented as they come.  And not only do they know how to create a fabulous wedding, they also happen to know how to throw a fantastic party.  One with yummy BBQ, Elvis (!) and dancing ’till dawn. See every last fun-filled moment captured by Carlea J Photography right here… and prepare to get your pretty on.

 

From Carlea J Photography… Kristi and Aaron’s wedding was, without a doubt, one of the most creative/fun/beautiful weddings I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of. To say it was a production would be quite the understatement, as it took a crew of family/friends/wedding party members several months of prep and hours of setup the day of the event to pull it off. But the end result was sooo worth it! Every detail was handmade- from the wood burned signs to the hand-melted and scented mason jar candles, wrapped in lace and burlap, right down to the branches of seat assignment cards, and hand-painted mason jar drinking glasses at the head table, it was truly a labor of love.

The Tejas Hall at Texas Ole Town might as well have been made for Kristi and Aaron. It was the perfect backdrop for their rustic country wedding. The ceremony took place outdoors and was a showcase for Kristi’s five flower girls as well as one handsome ring bearer. Kristi made their headbands, and their rustic baskets were collected from different thrift shops throughout Texas. Kristi decorated them herself, and they were filled with peach and pink rose petals. Kristi and Aaron’s all-time favorite movie is the western, Lonesome Dove, so naturally the Lonesome Dove main theme song played first. Guests also enjoyed the instrumental versions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.”

The officiant was Kristi’s childhood pastor, John Lockhart, from First Baptist Richmond. His message held several personal references to Kristi and Aaron’s relationship, including their love of nature and Kristi’s dad’s love of fishing. Kristi and Aaron sealed their love with a vow, a ring, and a kiss, and as they turned to walk down the aisle, The Monkees “I’m a Believer” blared out across the congregation!

After the ceremony, Kristi and her bridesmaids switched into cowboy boots for a true Texas reception, full of homemade barbecue, and all the Texas traditions, including the Aggie War Hymn. The Grand March, a traditional European wedding dance, enjoyed at weddings by past generations from both Kristi and Aaron’s sides of the family, was also a highlight of the reception. All guests paired up and followed in line to the beat of “under the double eagle” ultimately making their way through the long tunnel of people. They even had a surprise visit from Elvis! The bride’s cake was covered in a cascade of real pink and peach colored flowers and the grooms cake was a giant Lone Star beer cap, complete with a riddle on the underside. Personalized camouflage koozies and gold flip flops which acted as “dancin’ shoes” were also on hand. Close to 500 guests two stepped the night away before sending the happy couple off to Mexico!

Wedding Photography: Carlea Wilson from Carlea J Photography | Reception Venue: Texas Old Town in Austin, Texas | Floral Design: Wimberley Flower Shop + WOW Factor Design | Bar Service: Texas Ritas Bartending Service | Wedding Cake: Irene Soechting (830.625.1351) | Groom’s Cake: Debra Vahalik (361.741.6700) | Wedding Cinematography: James Leist Video (361.293.5686) | DJ: Bryan Binder | Metal Decor Rentals: Mancino Iron | Wedding Dress: Celebrations | Flower Girls’ Attire: Pink Princess | Groom’s + Groomsmen Attire: Al’s Formal Wear Retail | Groom’s + Groomsmen Shirts + Ties: JCPenney | Hair: Nuance Salon & Spa | Makeup: Adrienne Pitkin from  Makeup By Adrienne