Tell us a little about yourselves!
Jason and I met a just over nine years ago, in the first week of our freshman year of college. We started dating at the end of our first semester and have been inseparable since. After graduating, we moved to New York for two years, but warm weather and family beckoned us back to Texas. We have been living in Austin for almost 4 years and love it! I work at Bumble, which I like to think makes me a professional match maker - and Jason works in commercial real estate development. Our favorite pastime is going on long walks together.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We got married at a dreamy sculpture garden called Laguna Gloria - it is one of the most magical spots in town and is located on a little peninsula on Lake Austin and covered by a canopy of live oak trees. We got married during golden hour in late September; the later summer sun filtered through the live oaks and the cicadas sang during our vows. The ceremony felt and looked exactly like what we had hope for. We bought our first home this year and are a quick walk to Laguna Gloria. It feels so special that we can revisit the spot we got married anytime we want! Our reception dinner was at our favorite restaurant in town, Jeffrey’s. We go to Jeffrey’s for all of our special occasion and celebration dinners, so we figured it would be the perfect spot for our wedding dinner. We used to live a few blocks from Jeffrey’s and have spent countless evenings walking around the neighborhood, so it really holds a special place in our hearts and is the spot of many great memories.
How many guests did you have?
We had 8 guests! Our parents and siblings.
Tell us about your outfits.
I wore an ivory silk slip gown by Galvan London with a two tiered ivory veil I found on Etsy by Allure Wedding Jewelry. Our wedding was simple and elegant and I wanted my bridal look to be the same. I had originally planned to wear a flowy ivory dress with pink floral embroidery by Paco Rabbane, but a few weeks before the wedding my mom and sister said they loved the dress but did not think it was right for the occasion. I was strapped for time and panicked that I would not find something new before the ceremony, but my mom ordered a dozen dresses (excessive, I know) to my house for me to try on at home. I knew as soon as I tried on my dress that it was the one – it fit like a glove, and I felt beautiful in it. The veil was fingertip-length with a blusher. I wanted the veil to have a little poof to it to give a fun 90s vibe. I tied the look together with a pair of simple satin strappy heels and dangly pearly earrings that I found in my mom’s jewelry box. Jason wore a black tux by J.Crew and black dress shoes by Allen Edmonds. He had debated wearing a more casual suit, but I insisted on the tux because he looked so handsome in it and it was our wedding day after all! He also wore cuff links that belonged to his late grandfather.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We both wanted to have an intimate ceremony where we could share our own vows in front of our immediate families. My husband is pretty private, so the idea of bearing his sole in front of a large crowd was a non-starter. Apart from loving the intimacy of a small event, neither of us were interested in the time commitment that comes with planning a large wedding. It was important to us that we were not stressed leading up to our wedding day and enjoyed every moment of the day we got married. By keeping the size small and plans simple, we did just that. We got married in the evening, so we were able to spend the morning before our ceremony together, shared a wonderful breakfast, went on a long walk together, and then parted ways to get ready with our families before the ceremony. It was a perfect and truly joy-filled day.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
The most important aspect of the ceremony was writing our own vows and sharing them in front of our families. It was very special to share our vows to each other in front the people we love most. We wanted someone close to us to officiate the ceremony, so we asked my brother to be our officiant. He is a pretty goofy guy, but he really stepped up to the occasion and conducted a beautiful ceremony. We also wanted our parents to play a role in our wedding, so we asked that they share advice, a toast, or a piece of writing during the ceremony or the dinner that followed. A fun element that we incorporated into wedding planning was creating our own wedding invitations together. I painted some of our favorite native-Texas flowers found at Laguna Gloria: magnolias, crepe myrtles, and lantanas, and Jason digitized the paintings and designed a beautiful invitation with the painted elements. We had the invitations printed and sent to our families. It felt special that we got to collaborate on that.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?
Pandemic or not, make your wedding day what you want. I think so many couples feel the pressure to meet a certain expectation of what a wedding should look like or include. Do not think about what anyone else thinks of your wedding day – it should be all about you and your partner and what makes y’all feel happy, be it a private elopement or a massive gathering!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Neither Jason nor I love being in front of a camera, in fact I would say we are both pretty camera shy, but Amber Vickery did and incredible job of makings us feel comfortable and at ease, and I love how the photos from our day came out. Her work truly captured how Jason and I felt on our wedding day as well as the beauty of our wedding venue and reception spot. My wedding band was designed by Hine Fine Jewelry. I enjoyed working with them to design the perfect eternity band, which I love and wear every day!
Photographer : Amber Vickery @ambervickeryphotography | Ceremony Location : The Austin Contemporary - Laguna Gloria @contemporaryatx | Reception Location : Jeffrey’s @jeffreysofaustin | Ceremony Location : The Temple of Love (at Laguna Gloria) | Flora : Floral Department at Central Market @central_market | Hair : Blow-dry on day of wedding by Kristen at Bella Salon @bellasalonatx | Cake : Bird Bakery @birdbakery | Avva’s Dress : Galvan London @galvanlondon | Jason’s Tux : J.Crew @jcrew | Avva’s Veil : Allure Wedding Jewelry @allureweddingjewelry via Etsy | Avva’s Wedding Band : Hine Fine Jewelry @hine.nyc | Jason’s Wedding Band : The Ring Austin @theringaustin | Jason's Shoes : Allen Edmonds @allenedmonds | Jason’s Cufflinks : belonged to groom’s late grandfather