A Wedding in the Hill Country

The first weekend we were back in Texas, we had my cousin Heather's Hill Country Wedding right outside of Austin and it was GORGEOUS!!! Perfect weather & the perfect setting.  It was held at Texas Old Town in the most beautiful garden area.  Heather and Jeff got married with a bubbling brooks, crickets, and little frogs singing in the background.  It was cozy, intimate, and very romantic.  














As you can see, the reception hall was dripping in sparkly lights and looked incredible! They had a fun photo booth outside, catered BBQ, and a great DJ to top off the fun evening.  





Stella-bug did GREAT!!! We have learned quickly that she doesn't mind crowds as long as she's not the center of attention.  We sat in the back at the wedding and I was able to stand up and bounce her when she got unsettled but other than that, not a peep! She was an angel and Heather was the most stunning bride! It was such a sweet way to introduce Stella to all the extended family at once and celebrate a very special occasion at the same time.  I am so glad we were back in time to make it to the wedding! 

NOW do you see WHY this is the place Logan and I hope to end up someday? Outside of Austin in the Hill Country to us seems like the best of both worlds... Close enough to the city life that I am accustomed to, but still far enough away for pretty views and a slower pace of life.  Someday we will get there.... a girl can dream right? 

Wedding Tips: Cutting Costs Part 2

This is the last feature I have for the "Wedding Tips" series.  Please let me know if you have any other ideas or questions and I will be happy to answer them!

Below is the 2nd half of my cost cutting advice! You can read Part 1 HERE.

1. I had a graphic designer friend design our Save the Dates + she was able to use her wholesale printing connections.  If you have friends in the industry, this is a great way to shave off costs and give them some publicity and a portfolio builder :) 
2. No letterpress.  I am not a paper snob so I was okay going with printing on a thick card stock paper.  Although I love and appreciate weddings with the beautiful letterpress details, they often times go unnoticed and unappreciated.
3. My wonderful mother learned the art of calligraphy years ago so she hand addressed all of our invitations. I was very lucky! This can be as much as $4 - $5 per envelope x # of guests = outrageous! If you don't have a friend that knows calligraphy, think about getting your envelopes printed in a pretty calligraphy font.  No one will know the difference and those literally go into the trash, they don't even make it on the fridge!
4. I am designing my own wedding album using BLURB. I am a perfectionist so its taking awhile, but since I was given a DVD with all my images, our album is going to cost under $100 instead of thousands! 
5. Look for local aspiring photographers to take engagement photos. I hit the jackpot with our engagements. Katie Norris was just starting her business and needed to shoot some clients before launching her website so she agreed to do ours for basically nothing with several different settings and outfit changes because she needed the practice and images for her site. Its a risk worth taking since the cost is minimal and there is time to re-do them if you are not satisfied.
6. Being a member at the church saves you a ton of money when getting married in their chapel! So thank you David Evans for being a member at one of the most beautiful churches in town, Park Cities Baptist.
7. We got married on a Friday instead of a Saturday. Its silly how much the prices drop. If you are REALLY on a budget, they drop even lower on Sunday but its harder to find churches that will hold weddings on Sundays.  If you are having a local wedding, the wedding party only has to take 1 day off of work which is the same amount of time you usually take off for an out of town wedding, plus in our case, it helped us avoid Halloween as our wedding anniversary :)
8. DIY Wedding invitations.  Becky Wade was so helpful in getting ours printed at a discount and we went to Paper Source to get supplies to "fancy" them up.  We then had a glue stick party at my moms and my girlfriends helped us assemble, glue, and stuff them! I got SO many compliments on how they pulled together :)
9. Grooms Cake.  Is it necessary? Some substitute this for pies or cookies which I think is a great idea! I have also heard of other people purchasing a sheet cake from Sams Club or a grocery store and then purchasing chocolate covered strawberries to put on top! Who would ever know the difference? :) We got such a good deal with our lady, we were able to afford both cakes for less than the price of one at the local bakery. 
10. No videographer.  This in my opinion is a nice to have, not a must have. From what I was told, no one ever watches their video and as long as you have a beautiful photo album, you are golden. Instead, I had a friend videotape our ceremony and my stepbrother video our first dances, toast, and cake cutting.  It was all that I really needed and to be honest. we haven't watched it once! But its nice to know we have it, just in case we feel like reminiscing. 

PHEW! That was a lot to read ....but hopefully you found a few ways to help cut cost without sacrificing your dream wedding.  In my case, it was well worth it :)

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Wedding Tips: Cutting Costs Part 1

Logan and I were on a really tight budget for our wedding. Just because your wedding can't be expensive, doesn't mean it can't look it :)   I wear our budget as a badge of honor knowing that we were able to pull it off for less than the average cost of a wedding these days! It took a lot of hard work (and tears) cutting some of the corners, but it saved my parents and us some serious cash and I am happy that we were able to help them out. It is, after all, ONE DAY. 

Below are a few ideas to help your wedding be more budget-friendly. I had SO many, I am dividing these into 2 posts.

1. My dress was purchased at this ADORABLE Bridal Boutique called Circle Park Bridal in Addison.  They offer "cash & carry" dresses that you buy right off the rack.  The owner, Andrea, is a sweetheart and used to be in the wedding industry in NYC until she got fed up with people taking advantage of brides.  So after she got married, she decided to open her own, more affordable bridal boutique without the unfair markups.  She said she is shopping at the same bridal markets where the pricier boutiques in town are shopping so the quality is just the same.  She offers a variety of beautiful dresses for under $1,000! Be sure to call ahead and make an appointment.  The place is adorable- white, black, and hot pink and all of the women are sweet as can be and make it a priority for you to have a meaningful and special experience.
2. Alterations were done by a mutual friend of my moms out of her home.  Unfortunately, bridal boutiques can sometimes require you to use their alterations services and they definitely take advantage of that opportunity.  Lucky for us, we could shop around to find the best prices and it turns out Honey Prestage was! (My alterations- and we had a lot of them - were under $150!)
3. We found a woman who did our wedding cake out of her home as a side business/ hobby.  We dodged the massive mark-ups that most bakeries are guilty of and found a woman who took her time preparing our cake individually with love. 
4. We chose to bypass the wedding favors.  I had a ton of cute "French themed" ideas, but at the end of the day those go unnoticed or in the trash. 
5. We went with a DJ over a live band.  I wanted a dance party and although the energy is not the same as you would have with a live band, if you have fun friends (which I do) then this can shave off thousands (literally) of dollars!
6. Nixed group transportation. Oh my goodness, this was a hard one for me to give up because I really wanted the wedding party to ride from the church to the reception together, but at the end of the day it wasn't in the budget. Instead, we had the Houston's borrow their parents nice Lexus, and chauffeur us from PCBC to Delaney.  It was a peaceful and relaxing break from the chaos to reflect and chat before the whirlwind evening began. 
7. VENUE VENUE VENUE!!! Find a unique venue that doesn't need a lot of decorating, lighting adjustments, etc.  If you find a pretty backdrop, you don't have to spend lots of money making the room "come together."
8. Location: By going outside of Dallas (although we were still in the DFW area), the prices dropped pretty substantially.  People are willing to make the drive from the ceremony to the reception because you are worth it and that's where the fun begins!
9. We had family and friends officiate and do the music in our ceremony. We are blessed with ordained ministers and musicians on the Misegades side, so that was lucky.
10. We used 1 big flower arrangement at the front of the church that was transported to the buffet table at the reception.  Kill 2 birds with one stone and it looked amazing. 
11. We bought all our own centerpieces from Hobby Lobby and just paid for flowers instead of renting decorations.  This could be a more expensive option depending on where you got the center pieces, but Hobby Lobby was a great deal! Plus, now my mom and I have cute and meaningful decorations for our home. CANTON is another GREAT place to find cheap and adorable decorations and hostess gifts.
12. We opted for no wedding planner. (At times when I was going crazy balancing a full time job and the stress of calling vendors and setting up appointments, this was really hard but we made it through and my mom was a huge help!) We did, however, have a wedding planner included at the church.  Most venues include one for the "day of" in your pricing package.

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Wedding Tips: What I am SO glad I did

Here is a list of a few things that I am so glad that I did. They worked well for me, so take it for what it's worth!

Invest slowly in hostess gifts. This is usually my first tidbit of advice for brides-to-be! You need gifts for everything and everyone... bridesmaids, hostesses for showers, groomsmen, flower girls/ ring bearers, anyone that pitches in to help with your wedding - the singers, the officiators, the readers, the mom's friend who agrees to set everything up, etc. You get my drift...  While you are out shopping around (even if you don't know who will be throwing what yet) invest in cute notepads, necklaces, tote bags, etc. that you could gift to anyone. These little expenses add up quickly so it helps to purchase them slowly as you go.


My bridemaids got Michael Kors watches (hooray for Fossil perks!)



Date night the night before the Rehearsal Dinner. I cannot stress to you how needed this evening was. My SIL Erin started the Date Night tradition when she got married and I will be passing this one down for generations. The wedding week is stressful. You have company coming in town and vying for your attention, family members who don't read and keep calling you asking you questions and directions, and a To Do list a mile long. Set aside the night before the Rehearsal Dinner (or any night the week of the wedding) with your groom-to-be. No exceptions. Make this a well known fact to your family and friends and do not turn on that cell phone! Spend some low stress, quality time together. This was the night we exchanged gifts as well, which was very relaxed instead of rushed on the wedding day. PLUS, I wanted to be in the room when I gave him his gift rather than having my sister deliver it to him on the actual wedding day. We ate at a nice restaurant, drank a few glasses of wine, and I finally was able to settle my nerves and relax. It really put the whole weekend into perspective.

BONUS: Erin also suggested that I surprise Logan and walk him into Victoria's Secret after dinner to pick out a honeymoon outfit. This clearly was his favorite part of the evening. It really set the tone and made both of us excited about not only the wedding, but the honeymoon too! :)


I loved watching Logan's reaction when I gave him his wedding gift, a John Lennon epiphone guitar.



Keep the day spaced out and low key with PLENTY of extra built in time for last minute delays such as: missing wedding shoes, traffic at 3pm, and in impromptu football game in the front yard of the church :)  I have to admit, most of my stress and tears were wedding planning-related, but the day of I was in no rush, relaxed, and little things didn't phase me! I knew we had plenty of time built in to accomodate anything that could pop up.

Our Private and Personal Last Dance: I surprised Logan for our last dance and had the entire room emptied out while the DJ put on "Shelter" by Ray LaMontagne... everyone else was outside getting ready for our exit and we had 3 minutes of uninterrupted time together to reflect on our evening, unwind, soak it in, kiss slowly, and spend our first quiet moments together (just us 2) since we had become husband and wife. This was by far my favorite moment of the reception and one of the few moments that is not a blur. Just the 2 of us, reflecting on what just took place. 

Wedding Journal: I gifted Logan this wedding journal that I had been keeping since 2004 on our wedding night. Prayers, song lyrics, pictures, wishes for my future husband.  Once I met Logan (I am talking within 5 days), my entries shifted into our relationship and charted it from the night we met, to our engagement, to our wedding day.  I wrote my last entry the morning of October 30th, in the hair salon tucked away in the silence of an empty room. We read entries throughout the honeymoon and still haven't finished reading it together :) So happy we have a record of that first year of falling in love and all the emotions that came along with it.

We took AS MANY pictures as we could before the ceremony. Although we didn't opt to do "first glance" pictures, we took all of our wedding party pictures in the sunlight before the ceremony. This cut our post-ceremony pictures in half so we had longer to enjoy our reception :)

Got married in a church & waited to see Logan until the wedding.  I don't know if you are like me, but something about the build up of being with my dad, hearing the organ music, saying "Dad, this feels like a movie" and him not wanting me to talk to him b/c he was about to lose it still gives me that tight feeling in my throat.   The beautiful traditional organ music blaring the same tunes I hummed to myself as a little girl and two of Logan's best friends telling me I looked beautiful before opening those big heavy doors as I walked down the aisle, watching Logan bawl his little eyes out when he saw me for the first time... there is nothing like it. It is exactly how I envisioned it yet so much more than I could have imagined. It is a moment I will cherish forever. My heart overflowing with gratitude for God and His grace and bringing me to this moment in my life with a man I surely don't deserve. An out of body experience I surely would not trade for anything.

Okay, okay now bear with me as I play devil's advocate...  there are many pros to consider with outdoor weddings and first glance pictures.  At most churches, the photographer is very limited in what and where they can shoot. Since its a "worship service," most churches do not want it to be distracting. Therefore you often don't get the zoomed in, up close and personal, forward facing photos that an alternative venue can allow for.  We also (since we got married in the fall) had rushed couple shots directly after the wedding was over 1. Because we were fighting daylight literally and 2. Because we were on a tight time table to get the group pictures taken so people could head over to the reception in a timely manner.  When you take first glace pictures, you do still get raw emotion, you have some QT precious moments with your groom on an otherwise fast-paced day, and you get to take your time, use the sunlight, and take as many pictures as necessary to get those perfect shots.  So you first glance/ funky venue people- I salute you and totally support your decision as well!

Splurged on a worry-free photographer. Those memories will last us a lifetime and the day is SUCH a blur, I am happy to look back and remember who all was there to celebrate with me. I also (not once) had to request for Sarah Kate to take a picture of this or that...she was just there, present...the entire day, documenting it on my behalf so I could re-live it a thousand times until I am old and gray and fantasize about fitting into that gown again.

Sign in "Guestbook" frame.  I loved this because it is now displayed in our home instead of collecting dust on a bookshelf or coffee table somewhere. I love to look at it and read a comment as I pass by it every once in awhile. It makes me feel so loved to look at how many people made time in their schedule to see us on our big day.

 

Dance in entrances of Wedding Party. I think this trending pretty big right now, but it set a really fun tone for our evening and everyone got to see the Wedding Party and their fun personalities.

All Inclusive Honeymoon - No penny pinching, fruity drink OR steak limit, and zero bank account checking... We walked into our honeymoon knowing exactly what we would be spending.  We also chose Playa del Carmen because it was a resort within a city. We had a blast venturing into town and not feeling "stuck" on the resort in the middle of nowhere... we got to shop around and rub elbows with the locals. WORD TO THE WISE: We used Trip Advisor like it was the Bible.  We ruled out a TON of resorts by reading customer reviews from this site. I highly encourage you to do the same! We decided on The Royal and it was everything and more than we were expecting. I want to go back again someday for a special anniversary :)

I hope you found these helpful.  Again, these are just written from my personal perspective and experience as little nuggets of wisdom to consider.  The great thing about YOUR wedding day, is you make the rules, break the rules, ignore the rules... Do what works with you and your personality.

Wedding Tips: What I wish I had known

Source: ruffledblog.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Here are a few things that perhaps didn't go as smoothly as I would have loved... all in all, that fact that there are only 5 is pretty good! :)

1. Take a sleeping aid the night before the wedding.  

Now I am not telling you to pop pills if you don't need to, but if you have ever had trouble sleeping in these scenarios: the night before a big interview, the night before your first day of school, the night before a huge competition or game.  YEAH... I am talking to YOU... Why would your wedding day- AKA the biggest day of your life to date-  be any different? The stress, the butterflies, the anxiety, the excitement... I wasn't able to fall asleep until after 3am and had to be up at 7am the next morning to shower for my big day.  (I called Logan bawling the morning of our wedding b/c I was so dang tired. Poor thing freaked out that I was having cold feet at first haha!)

*Note: Do a practice run on that sleeping aid. I am a freak show and "Nyquil" actually does the opposite and wires me.

2. Pre-made, typed out "shots" that you want your photographer to take. (Specifically the group & family shots directly after the ceremony and any key details that you really put thought behind.) 

Being put on the spot and trying to remember is impossible and risky... Although I had my typed out list, I had 3 that I missed and don't want you to forget, so learn from me:

• Logan and I ALONE at the front of the church
• Me w/ the flower girls only
• Shots of our buffet table at the reception (that one is random, but we put so much thought into our All American and French cuisine to fuse the two cultures, I wanted it captured. Photographers typically don't shoot the food, just the cake so if it is important to you make sure to request it!)

3. This goes for a DJ or band... GO LISTEN to a wedding or event where they are performing before booking them.  

I give you full permission to be a wedding crasher for a night! My DJ was only $500 and came recommended from a coworker so I thought- hey the price is right and she has good taste so we are good to go! Now I doubt anyone noticed or cared because a dance party is a dance party, but I gave our DJ a playlist and he did not stick to it.  I had key songs I wanted him to play and he definitely strayed off the path playing things like JOURNEY (cringe) that I had told him beforehand to stay away from. Basically, I felt like he put on a generic wedding playlist that he probably had used at many of his weddings and pushed play. It didn't feel personal to me after I had put so much thought into my recommendations. So make sure to have open communication and clear expectations. 

Also- make sure he/she knows and sticks to the schedule.  (Maybe get your MOH to monitor this) I noticed people were starting to leave because it was getting late, and we still had yet to do our bouquet and garter toss.  Me (the bride) had to go ask the DJ to please do it... NOW.  He did not stick to my schedule. Again, probably no one noticed, but that is not something the bride should be stressing over.

4. A tid bit: No one goes to a wedding expecting to hang out with the bride and groom.  

On our honeymoon I was going through a list of names feeling guilty for not talking very long (in some cases at all) to some of our guests, especially those who came in from out of town. Just know that you will not have time to catch up on life and have a meaningful conversation with each guest. Its tempting to want to though, considering this is the one day in your life where literally all of your favorite people are together in the same room.  

I now see the beauty in a Bride/ Groom receiving line or walking table to table during dinner and just saying a quick 1-2 minute hello to everyone. That way you make the rounds, speak to every single guest, and don't have to keep getting dragged off the dance floor to catch up with people :) Call me selfish, but I love to dance! Plus you can avoid the post-wedding "I didn't talk to XYZ and I feel bad" honeymoon guilt.

5. Make a point to stand facing your husband and watch him and his mom in the spotlight. 

This is a shout out to Logan and an apology. I had my back turned almost his entire Mother/ Son dance because people were trying to talk to me and I was so excited to see them and catch up.  I still feel bad about this. Luckily its on film, but I remember severely hurting his feelings and hate that! This is honestly the only point in the evening where all eyes are off you and focused on the groom. Give him his moment to shine :) Logan- I have re-done this a zillion times in my head and I apologize again and I love you!

 

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Wedding Tips: Unique Venues

When searching for a wedding venue, I wanted something a little different.  By the time I got married, I felt like I had been to a wedding at almost at every venue in town.  It was important to me that mine stood out and didn't blend in with the rest, which brings me to Delaney Vineyards.

My mom had been to a wedding 5 years before I got hitched at Delaney Vineyards. She strategically put the venue in her back pocket until I met Logan and then whipped out the idea as an undiscovered jewel in Grapevine.  I was so thrilled because I had never heard of it, much less been to a wedding there.  The fact that Logan and I got engaged in Napa, made a winery/ barrel room very appropriate.  (They even state on their website that the Delaney building is modeled after a French chateau, but my French family highly disagreed with that assessment haha! Oh well, still gorgeous.) 

Delaney Vineyards

Below are some other venues where I would have LOVED to hold my reception.  They are all in the DFW area and honestly, they are on the more affordable side of things which is ALWAYS a bonus! 

Cotton Mill in McKinney
I had my bridal portraits here and once I walked inside, I had one of those "oh shoot I should have had my wedding here" moments.  The ambiance is very rustic with a TON of really cool backdrops for gorgeous photos.  Lots of windows, huge open rooms, wood floors, and great lighting.  My stepbrother is getting married there this summer and I cannot wait!

Hickory Street Annex 
I have never attended a wedding at Hickory Street, but have seen a ton of really cool photos of weddings thrown here! The only drawback is you are working with an open room so decorations are a must.  That being said, you can dress up and down this area to match your personal taste and style.  I LOVE the weddings here that are filled with the glow of paper lanterns. Magical :)

Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake  
This venue has the space, the view, and everything in between.  Similar to Hickory Street Annex, it is pretty bare bones so its up to you and your creativity to make the space yours.  You can have an elegant wedding here, or a very simple, casual wedding. Guests can venture out onto the porch that overlooks the lake and forget that they are in the DFW Metroplex for the night. 

The Filter Building at White Rock Lake
Another rustic building with a GREAT view of White Rock Lake.  This venue has character and only needs simple decorations (in my opinion) because you are working with such a unique room aesthetic.  It is perfect for a smaller, more intimate wedding and has great photo opps outside by the lake! 

 

Marie Gabrielle  

Sigh.... It doesn't get much prettier than the garden at Marie Gabrielle.  You get married under a canopy of trees and have a pond right next door for cocktail hour and to-die-for pictures.  The only stressful part, is hitting good weather in the unpredictable state of Texas. There is no real "Plan B" with this venue.  The food here is OUTSTANDING (Marie Gabrielle is a restaurant, so they do the catering), and I love the dark moody lighting of the interior.  Every wedding I have attended here has been breathtaking.

I love all of these venues so much. I wish I could have had 10 different weddings with 10 different vibes! Each one sparks so much creativity and personality.  Happy Thursday :)

all images were found via google images