This wedding has spunk. It’s vintage, Southern with a smidge of DIY, yes, but the overall feel is a lovely spunk. The way the bright blooms pop against the classic burlap and lace. The sweet “First Look” with a blindfolded groom. The bride and her sweet, sweet words. It’s a wedding with spunk – which is a wedding we can love with ease. Forever Photography was behind the camera for the day which has provided a gorgeous gallery (with all sorts of spunk) to spend hours and hours getting lost in!
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Matt and I first met through friends on a blind date on Valentine’s Day! I was immediately captivated by his sweet, southern charm, and his sense of humor! Once I got to know him on a deeper level, his selflessness and tender heart made me fall in love with him. I knew he was a keeper from the very beginning! We dated for about a year and half before he popped the question. During that year and a half, our favorite spot to go take walks was near a pond behind the campus library. That place held some of our most cherished memories. So on October 7th, I got in my best friend’s car to go on a road trip. Needless to say, I was a little confused when she started driving towards the library. Matt had some of his friends meet me at the car, pray over my relationship with Matt and the new steps we were about to take, and walk me to the gazebo where my beloved was waiting for me. He got down on one knee, and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him! Once I said YES, he whisked me away to an engagement party where my family and friends were waiting for us. I was so touched by his thoughtful planning and hard work to make this a special surprise for me.
Matt is a true southern boy. He grew up in the small Texas town of Waco, wears cowboy boots whenever he can, and has a typical easy going, “no fuss” attitude that is typical in the south. I wanted to capture this quality about him in our wedding. So we decided to get married at Vista West Ranch. It is a beautiful little ranch located in the Texas Hill Country right outside my hometown of Austin. It’s rustic and elegant charm drew me in. The ceremony was outside overlooking the rolling hills of Texas, and the reception was inside a charming barn with twinkle lights dotting the ceiling. I knew it was the perfect venue for us.
The inspiration for our wedding was the first thing that attracted me to Matt – his southern charm and outgoing nature. We wanted our wedding to reflect that. So after deciding on a ranch in the hills as our venue, I tried to bring in other artistic touches that reflected the breathtaking Texas hill country. Instead of traditionally picking out one or two main colors for the wedding, we decided on a backdrop of burlap and lace. That gave me freedom to pick many different colors for flowers and decorations, that all “popped” against the simplicity of the burlap and lace. My bridesmaids’ dresses were a deep purple, which made for an excellent backdrop for their bright and colorful wildflower bouquets. My wedding dress was a light gold lace, with a gold ribbon around the waist. I always knew I wanted a lace dress, because I thought it was so elegant and romantic. We added many ‘vintage/rustic’ decorations (in keeping with the look at Vista West) to introduce our wedding party and family to our guests.
Our ceremony was very unique to us. I had my maid of honor, who happens to be my best friend and older sister, sing a worship song with Matt’s best friend, who was the best man. Their voices blended beautifully, and it was a very special to share those moments together. Matt also wanted to take the time during the ceremony to wash my feet, for symbolic reasons. I loved that moment. During our reception, there were many personal touches that we worked hard to incorporate. There was a display honoring the marriages in our family history, and a display explaining each relationship we had with our bridesmaids and groomsmen. I wanted our wedding guests to fully understand the amount of love and prayers from our family and friends that were supporting our new marriage. The guests also had the opportunity to write down some marriage advice on some vintage postcards, and take “extra” pictures with disposable cameras that were placed on all the tables. There were some great shots and we treasure the personal notes! A tradition we continued that began at my sister’s wedding last summer was a lively, choreographed ‘father/daughter’ dance. I think the guests enjoyed it as much as we did. We used my grandma’s old linens on every table, which I absolutely loved.
One of my favorite memories from the wedding was before the ceremony. Matt didn’t want to do a “first look”, because he wanted the first look to be when I was walking down the aisle. So we decided on some blindfold pictures. He was the one blindfolded, and I walked out to him and got to hug him and talk to him. We were both so nervous, and it was great to be able to be together and talk before the big ceremony. The pictures from those few moments are really adorable. Obviously, another favorite moment for me was walking down the aisle and seeing Matt waiting for me under the altar. It was very surreal. I also have very precious memories made with my sweet friends and family. We had so much fun laughing and getting ready, taking goofy pictures after the ceremony, and dancing the night away on the dance floor! I loved every moment of our special day.
Photographer: Forever Photography / Videographer: Capital Wedding Video / Floral Designer: Petal Pushers / Event Design & Planning: Linda Dryden, lkdryden@aol.com / Venue: Vista West Ranch / Invitation Designer: Courtney Bliss / Cake & Desserts: Cupcake Bar & Tiny Pies / Wedding Gown Designer: Maggie Sottero, Karena / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: B2 by Jasmine, B2078 in Bordeaux / Earrings: J.Crew