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Real Wedding | Bella + Roger






Tell us a little about yourselves!



Roger and I have been together for almost 6 years. We met in Phoenix, where we’re both from, and moved to Austin together. We share a tiny dog named Pancake Breakfast. I’m a ceramicist, illustrator, amateur acrobat and avid home cook who works in social media for a living. Roger is a talented mixologist and rock climber who works in logistics. We’re generally relied upon to recommend all the best restaurants and host the best dinner parties. To us, love is splitting a burger, fries and a giant salad on the weekend and getting excited as hell to do it again every weekend for the rest of your life.



Why did you decide to get married where you did?



We went with Woodbine Mansion just outside of Austin because it’s close to home and because we think it’s incredibly beautiful here. We chose an old mansion with a big lawn and lots of flora because we always envisioned an outdoor wedding, and because the building itself offered a beauty and charm that required little extra decorating. Beyond that, we thought there was something really chic and fun about eating pizza and taking trashy disposable camera photos in this grandiose setting.



How many guests did you have?



Around 55.



What was your budget?



We were aiming for 20K with a max of 25K.



Tell us about your outfits.



Roger wore an Italian-made chocolate brown suit with a wide lapel and bootcut pants. Brown and baby blue were really in this Spring, which turned out to be a total coincidence after I selected our color palette nearly a year in advance. He wanted a suit with a boxier fit and interesting details that set it apart from something more run-of-the-mill. He knew he wanted a statement shoe, and I had pony hair or cowhide in my head from the beginning. He wasn’t sold at first, but after a few failed eBay bids, I found these chunky cowhide Camper boots on Poshmark for him just a few weeks before the wedding.

My outfit started out as a bit of a tragedy. I was working with an independent designer for the better part of a year, but he kept stringing me along until it got down to the wire, and I ended up having to buy a dress off the rack, 3 weeks before the wedding. I wanted something slinky and backless, and I had my eye on this dress from Mirror Palais for a long time. However, by the time I needed a dress, it was sold out on the site. On a desperate whim, I sent them an email explaining the situation. I had insane luck, they checked in with their production and had one dress in my size - they sent it out the next day. It didn’t even need tailoring! The shoes were lucky as well. They were always my first choice for a wedding shoe, but Cult Gaia doesn’t make them anymore, so they’re not easy to find, much less when you’re barely able to start shopping for accessories until a few weeks before your wedding. I came across a pair in my size on Poshmark, and paired them with silver and organic pearl jewelry. The heels look like big drops of dew.


We had these touches of nature throughout the decor - a little butterfly pavilion at the ceremony, butter heaped on seashells at dinner - so we wanted to tie in those organic details with our accessories.



What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?



Roger and I wanted our wedding to feel like a big romantic dinner party. That just felt the most like us, so it was really important to us that the food and drinks were exceptional. Roger created all the cocktails himself and named them after Texas wildflowers, I made our wedding cake and overnighted our favorite gelato all the way from Pizzicletta in Flagstaff, Arizona (it’s out favorite dessert in the world, so I did it as a surprise for Roger), and we went through quite a few loopholes to get my friend Kelsey to be able to cater (pizza pop-ups weren’t exactly on the preferred catering list). We also hate the usual cookie-cutter wedding style - the warm-toned DSLR portraits, the floral arches, the pampas grass, etc. so we really took our time to find cool independent vendors like our photographer LeeAnn B. Stephan, who shot through rolls and rolls of film for us, and our florist Samantha of Nice Stems Design, who sourced the most insane checkered flowers.



Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?



Our dog! We had to find a pet-friendly venue so Pancake Breakfast could be our ring bearer. My mom and I made her dress ourselves and tied the rings to it with a satin ribbon. We had a friend drop her at the back of the aisle so I could call her to me. I fucking love that dog. She always comes when I call.




Any tips for couples getting married?



If you’re doing a lot of planning yourself, try not to hit a lull. Keep a slow and steady pace so you don’t get overwhelmed at the end. And don’t worry about what a wedding is “supposed” to look like. It’s your wedding, and no one really knows the rules anyway.



Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?



All our vendors were really special. Our DJ was also my man-of-honor and one of our best friends. Our caterer Small’s Pizza was another dear friend I met through work. Not only did he take all the frivolous food styling I requested in stride, but he and his stunning wife actually catered it on their own anniversary. Now it’s a lucky day for all of us.















































Photographer : LeeAnn B. Stephan @leeannbstephan | Ceremony + Reception Location : Woodbine Mansion @woodbinemansion | Celebrant : Nancy Woods @ipronounceyou.today | Entertainment : DJ Sueno @djsueno | Planner : ATX Wedding Planners @atxweddingplanner | Hire : Premiere Events | Flora : Nice Stems Design @nicestemsdesign | HMUA : Ilaina Ruth @ilaina.hair | Catering : Small’s Pizza @smallspizza | Drinks : by the Groom | Cake : by the Bride | Gelato : Pizzicletta @pizzicletta | Bella's Dress : Mirror Palais @mirrorpalais | Roger's Suit : Second/Layer @secondlayer_us | Rings : Seb Brown @sebbrown | Bella's Shoes : Cult Gaia (Bride) @cultgaia | Roger's Shoes : Camper @camper | Bella’s Necklace : Nadia Ridiandries @nadia.ridiandries | Wedding Party Attire : Bridesmaids: Custom, thrifted, misc. + Groomsman: Rented



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