The past year has been overwhelming at times, but its challenges have inspired true and beautiful creativity in the wedding world. I was so very lucky to work with Melissa and Michael on their intimate at-home wedding in Houston, on December 2020. Although they were originally set to tie the knot in Lake Como, their plans shifted due to COVID. The result was an absolutely stunning gathering of 45 of their loving friends and family at the bride’s parents’ residence. I think you’ll see what I mean about the incredible creativity that the change in venue inspired. This is truly one of the most gorgeous events I’ve had the pleasure of attending in recent months.

A platform was created to cover the entire area from the driveway all the way back over the pool. This allowed two tents to be built – one for the ceremony and one for the reception. To keep things cozy, heating lamps were placed on the path that connected the two tents. Ingenious! Keeping the safety of their loved ones in mind, the couple asked that all guests have a COVID test done before the event. The musicians, in elegant black-tie attire, stayed masked as they played.

There were so many expressive touches – from the bespoke artwork on the invitations, to the kippahs stamped on the inside (in gold!) with the couple’s name and the date. Both families are Jewish, so traditions were observed in very unique ways. Beautifully laid-out booklets listing Jewish wedding traditions were printed, and the chuppah was incredibly lush, with cascading blossoms and greenery. One of the most amazing touches was the floral wall – a lovely spot for portraits! And everyone came so graciously attired! Melissa wore a jaw-dropping Ines Di Santo gown and cathedral-length veil, and her bridesmaids were in mis-matched dresses (which I love!). Melissa is all about creating the perfect trail mix, so when Michael surprised her by giving trail mix to the guests as favors, she was absolutely delighted – a truly special touch that reflected their personalities to a T.

As the sun dipped down, the reception tent came alive with dancing and music and thousands of tiny golden lights reflecting on the ceiling. I looked around, realizing that an intimate, at-home wedding may just be the best kind – especially in Houston! A huge thanks to Gina with The Whitt Experience, what a joy to work with her on this incredible wedding. The perfect design and planning!

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Design and planning The Whitt Experience / Entertainment Elan Artists / Gown Ines Di Santo / Florist Botanica Number 9 / Video Crescent Films / Catering, Tent, Lighting, Baker Swift + Company / Specialty decor Blooming Gallery / Hair Siyan Scott / Makeup Tonya Riner / Linens BBJ Linen

Tucked away in Austin’s verdant Hill County is the gracious Omni Barton Creek Resort, the site of Brittany and Scott’s elegant Fall 2020 wedding. This celebration felt like it was taking place on top of the world! The ceremony location boasted beautiful views of the rolling green hills all around. So pretty! To complete the picture, Brittany and Scott are an incredibly good-looking couple, and all of their guests were clearly delighted to be celebrating them – so every moment behind the lens was a pleasure.

The Omni Barton Creek makes an excellent wedding venue for so many reasons, but I was particularly impressed with the number and variation of their spaces. From formal ballrooms to their rustic “rock house”, the Omni Barton Creek has a reception room to suit every taste. Brittany and Scott’s ceremony took place on the green outside the graciously modern Hill Country Pavilion, with cocktails on the terrace and dinner and dancing inside as the sun went down. The Pavilion lent itself perfectly to the unique lighting scheme and custom monogram projections by Megan Bronner of Pearl Events Austin. It was my first time working with Megan and I was so impressed! This was a flawless day! Even the weather cooperated with a gentle Fall-in-Texas breeze.

You know I love family-oriented weddings, so the way Brittany and Scott included their adorable nieces as flower girls was very touching. This couples’ close connection with their loved ones was evident throughout the whole day. And Brittany was absolutely glowing in her Sareh Nouri gown! If you’re not familiar with the designer, Sareh draws a lot of inspiration from timeless icons like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall – and it shows in her elegant designs. To complement the simple dress, the bride wore her hair down – I absolutely love relaxed hairstyles!

Truly a wonderful day with a wonderful, loving family. I hope you enjoy this peek into Brittany and Scott’s Omni Barton Creek wedding! A huge thanks to Megan Bronner with Pearl Events, what a delight to work with her, it was a flawless wedding day.

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Vendor:

Design and Planning: Megan with Pearl Events / Venue and catering: Omni Barton Creek / Dress: Sareh Nouri / H&M: Makenzi Laine / Flowers: Bouquet of Austin / Rentals: Premiere Events / Cake: The Cake Plate / Video: ILC Films /⁠ Band: The Match Maker / Stationery: Pink Champagne Designs / Lighting: Filo Productions ⁠⠀
Cigar roller: Ruiz Cigars and Rollers⁠⠀ ⁠⠀

Last fall I had the opportunity to work on an editorial shoot with some wonderful Austin vendors, and I’m very excited to share the details here now. A shoot like this is an opportunity for creatives in the wedding industry to stretch their wings and let their imaginations fly! Watching it come together behind the lens was a true treat – from the unique gown, to the vibrant, seasonal flowers, to the art nouveau name cards at the elegant place settings. And then there was the location – a stunning Austin wedding venue called the Commodore Perry.

The Commodore Perry estate was built in 1928 by Austin mogul Edgar Howard “Commodore” Perry and his wife Lutie. The mansion and its 10 surrounding acres and outbuildings epitomized the luxury and style of the Great Gatsby era, with a bowling alley, a six-car garage, and even a “sunken” garden with a mirror pool! In 2017, the Commodore Perry was developed into the luxury boutique hotel it is now, with lots of attention to its history and renovation of the original details. This venue offers so much for the couple who want their loved ones to experience a taste of historic Texas charm. There are 53 guest rooms (each with its own unique design and layout), incredible chefs on site, and almost infinite possibilities of configuring the different ceremony and reception spaces. Perhaps the most unique offerings are the bespoke Commodore Perry “Experiences” – from palm readings to wine tastings to the opportunity to hear vintage records on an actual Victrola! I could go on and on, but I recommend a trip to their beautifully laid-out website.

The other wonderful thing about this shoot were the women at the helm. Wild Sky Events, which did the planning and design, is led by Kate Goddard. Wild Sky’s design and execution were absolutely flawless! Everything turned out so beautifully.

Finally, there was the whimsical, tiered gown by Unbridaled – another female owned and led company. Their collection runs the gamut from on-trend, to timeless fairy tale elegance. If you’re looking for something a little different in a gown – but still want a laid-back experience – definitely check out Unbridaled.

I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking. I hope they inspire you in the search for your own Austin wedding venue and vendors!

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Design and Planning: Wild Sky Events / Venue: The Commodore Perry Estate / Video: ML Photo & Films⠀/ Dress and veil: Unbridaled / H&M: Erica Grey Beauty/ Florals: Botanical No. 9 / Cake: Feathers and Frosting / Tableware: Table Manners / Linens: Nuage Design Inc

Weddings come in all shapes and sizes. Of course I love the large ones, but the close-knit celebrations I’ve been lucky enough to attend recently have been so lovely. Annie and Bailey’s intimate wedding in Austin took place at Annie’s parents’ home in September 2020, with just their immediate family. And while the guest list was trim, there was nothing scaled down about the outpouring of love!

This was a truly sweet and meaningful celebration from beginning to end. Unique personal touches were evident in all the details: both Annie’s engagement ring and wedding band were custom-made by Hallie Swope, a close family friend and the creative force behind Diamond Aupair. She also wore a ring that belonged to her grandmother, a striking compliment to her Romona Keveza gown (which later bustled in the back, for the reception). After getting dressed, Annie hopped on a Zoom call with her best friends – a wonderful way to include those who couldn’t be present in person. During the ceremony a fresh flower curtain made for a gorgeous background, with the blooms seeming to float in mid-air. And last but not least, the bride and groom’s adorable dog Murphy made a special appearance as the cake topper!

I must mention what a pleasure it was to work with Barbara Shorts of Verve Event Planning. This amazing company is also a design firm, so Barbara is able to bring her incredible creativity and fresh, timeless style to everything she does. I have several more events with Verve coming up, and I’m looking forward to all of them.

Annie and Bailey are planning a larger reception/vow renewal for September 2021, but until then I hope they look back on these pictures with all the joy that attended their intimate Austin wedding. Love always finds a way!

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Vendors:

Design and Planning: Verve Event Planning / Florist: Westbank Flower Market / Cake: Polkadots Bakery / Hair: Carolyn Holden / Makeup: Donna Bruns Makeup / Wedding Dress and Veil: Romona Keveza