GSS Featured Session :: Mark & Amanda’s Day After in a Vinyard :: Jonathon Ivy Photography

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Samantha with Jonathan Ivy Photography in Dallas read my request on Facebook for some gorgeous wedding submissions. Of course they never disappoint us with trends and inspiration with the fabulous weddings, portraits, and other things they send over for us to feature. They sent us Mark and Amanda’s Day-After session. They call them Mr and Mrs Sessions. Here are some words from JIP ::

We absolutely LOVE Mr & Mrs Sessions!  With a post wedding session like this we are able to go out and do all the things we did not do the day of.  Here Amanda and Mark met us back out at their ceremony and reception site where they had their winery wedding at Delaney Vineyards for a little fun in the sun.  Aren’t they an adorable couple!  We had so many wonderful photos that I wish I could put them all on here, but I think Jonathan would kill me, so here are just a few of my favorite photos from their winery inspired Mr and Mrs Session.

Mark and Amanda’s wedding day was stunning as well. You should definitely take a few moments to sneak a peek at it. Please let Jonathan and Samantha know we sent you, it would make their day!

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GSS Featured Wedding :: Kristen & Frank’s 11.11.11 Antique Wedding :: Tara Swain Photography

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Today’s fabulous featured wedding comes from Tara Swain of Tara Swain Photography.  Tara Swain is an East Texas and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas based wedding photographer.  Tara has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with her on this feature.

Kristen and Frank were married on November 11, 2011 at the Hickory Street Annex in Dallas, Texas.  How cool is that date (11.11.11)?!  (Frank wanted that date so he would always remember their anniversary!)  Kristen was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and Frank meet? We met through mutual friends at a bar called “The Flying Saucer“.  It’s amazing really that we didn’t meet until we did because we’ve had a lot of the same friends a couple years before we actually met. Which means we happened to miss each other at parties and strangely enough at the “saucer”.   And I won’t make it too long, its been a long running joke that was brought up many times at the wedding, my nana told me for years while I was living with them that I would never meet a nice boy at a bar.

Side Note:  Did you notice that the design on Frank’s wedding band is a fingerprint???  Here’s the story behind that: Frank’s ring is my finger print. It’s actually my entire first finger, I wish we had gotten a better picture of what I call the “top” to his ring with the swirls of my fingerprint. But the thought is that my finger is wrapped around his. It was actually a surprise, he didn’t get to see his ring until our “first look” pictures before the ceremony.  LOVE!!!

How long have you been together? We have been together going on 4 years now :)

We LOVE these signs!  They are absolutely TO. DIE. FOR.  Where did you get them?  Our beautiful signs were made by my uncle and myself.  I’d say for the most part, that since a lot of work went into them, it was a family effort. But the two of us did most of the work on them . As I said before, with my grandparents owning the Uncommon Market, they actually had the frames that I painted and then we turned them into chalkboards. They gave us one of the frames for a gift so we can always have it in our home :)

How did Frank propose? I am not an easy one to surprise, I will tell you that.   He wanted so badly to surprise me.  Every Wednesday (whether we were together or not, so for the past 5 years or so) we go to the saucer for “glass night”.  When you go, they have a beer of the night and you get to keep your glass.  A group of us go every Wednesday and we collect glasses and it’s a time we can all hang out.  On random Wednesday, September 1 to be exact, we did our usual thing and went to the saucer. I never thought anything of it, just because that’s what we always did on Wednesday. Well, when they brought our glasses out, turns out mine was just a bit different :) Frank had a glass made that said marry me. Took me a while to realize that my glass was different, he had already started talking when I realized what exactly was going on.  And the rest is history :)

What sold you on your wedding venue? My grandparents own a big antique store in the design district of Dallas called The Uncommon Market. So my entire life, I’ve grown up around unique items and things that are generally just “old”. So we knew we wanted something different, and Hickory Street Annex was perfect for us. The building itself I feel could stand alone without much decoration, which was very important for us.

 

 

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”? Everyone who knows me, knows that I am not a “dress girl”. I still don’t even wear make up. So I was terrified of the dress process. I happened to find my dress online and wanted to go try it on. It really was the only one that I felt was really “me” in looking online and through magazines.  It was a Melissa Sweet Fern dress and we got it at Priscilla of Boston that sadly is closing its doors after more than 60 years :( It was the first one I tried on and the only dress I’ve worn that I didn’t want to take off.

 

 

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”? My nana has a gold coin that she wore in her shoe during her wedding and every girl in our family has had in in their’s, this served as my something old and borrowed.  My something new and blue was my garter which was an amazing Etsy find.

 

 

How did you choose your wedding color palette? As you probaby saw in some of the pictures, my sister and Grandad found an amazing sign in Europe that they gave to us for a Christmas present. It is an old pub sign that amazingly enough says “the Flying Saucer”. We took colors from the sign and used it as inspiration for our palatte.

 

Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process? Don’t be afraid to go against the norm. I was told time and time again that I wasn’t a “traditional bride”.  I hated to hear that because other than our decor, maybe we were very traditional.  But do what makes you happy. We had a very comfortable wedding, it wasn’t super structured at all.  I used to bartend at Southfork Ranch during weddings and I learned what made guests happy and what made guests bored. We have had tons of compliments on how “easy going” our wedding was for everyone.

 

What song did you dance to for your first dance? We had Ricki Derek and the Vegas Six as our band. I have some serious love for the old crooners. I’ve been a Sinatra fan since before I can remember which is exactly who they are. I’ve heard Ricki Derek be called the Frank Sinatra of Dallas. Loving so many of his songs it was hard for us to choose. Our “real” song he actually didn’t have on his playlist which is “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by the Platters (which I will tell you we snuck a dance to while we were getting ready for the reception when it was playing on the ipod) but for our official first dance with guests we danced to “It Had to Be You” we found it very fitting for the both of us.

 

What was your favorite part of your big day? It is so hard to nail down a favorite part.  But our entire reception was just perfect.  Every toast that was done, ALL the dancing, our amazing band.  Our goal was to have a celebration of bringing two families together and to celebrate our love for each other…and thats exactly what we had.  A big party of family and friends with good drinks, fabulous food, and amazing music.

Vendors:

Venue: Hickory Street Annex 

Dress: Melissa Sweet “Fern“

Cake: All desserts were made by friends and family

Floral: Brianne Denton with Blue Lotus

Linens: BBJ Linens

Catering: Glory House Catering

DJ/Band: Ricki Derek and the Vegas Six

Videographer: sadly none :(

Wedding Favors: My father and I made all the jam you saw in the pictures. Which it took a long time to make 144 jars of jam, but by far my favorite party favor!

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: Bella Figura

Event Planner: The Bride herself (Along with her amazing family!)

Thank you so much, Tara, for sharing this amazing wedding with us!  Please stop by her website and blog and show her some love!  And thank you, Kristen, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We wish you and Frank a lifetime FULL of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: Bella Figura

Event Planner: The Bride herself (along with her amazing family)

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GSS Featured Wedding :: Holly and Jake’s Military Wedding :: Courtney Ellis Photography

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We were thrilled to see Holly and Jake’s Military wedding via Two Bright Lights from Courtney Ellis. The Church is beyond stunning and it looks like a dream setting for their Roman Catholic Nuptials. Courtney shared a few words about the coupe and the wedding..

Holly and her husband Jake (a captain in the USMC) were the most adorable couple ever! Their beautiful October military wedding was in the gorgeous and historic Saint James Catholic Church (You have got to see the pictures of this church!), followed by portraits in downtown Louisville, KY. The reception was at the Louisville Science Center, Louisville’s very awesome science museum.

Seriously….can you believe this Church?? Its amazing. The couple looked as though they had a fantastic time and we adored this wedding! Thanks for sharing Courtney!

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GSS Featured Wedding :: Jennifer & Brian’s California Vineyard Wedding :: Three Nails Photography

November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!!  Today’s featured wedding comes from Hunter and Brittney Leone of Three Nails Photography.  They are a Shreveport, Louisiana based husband and wife wedding photography team.  Hunter and Brittney have been more than accommodating to GSS on this feature.  Thank you!  Jennifer and Brian were married at Lago Giuseppe Winery in Templeton, California on June 11, 2011.  Jennifer was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and your  husband meet?  At business school.

How long have you been together?  5 years

How did Brian propose?  Brian proposed on a rainy day on the pier at Nick’s Cove– an adorable oyster shack on the coast near San Francisco. 

What sold you on your wedding venue?  When we visited Lago Giuseppe, we knew it was the place for us. We love the central coast of California and the venue is simply beautiful, with wispy oak trees and a private lake.  We also loved the fact that the venue is family owned and run. Joe and his family were warm, accommodating, and extremely easy to work with. They didn’t have strict, limiting rules like most wineries in Napa or Sonoma. They allowed us to make our wedding into what we wanted and not something that had to fit in a package.

Your dresses are gorgeous, where did you get them and how did you know they were “the ones”?  My wedding dress is from Vera Wang. I loved the layers and the romantic feel to the dress. It was also not your typical wedding dress.  My 2nd dress is from BHLDN. I loved it because it was fun, comfortable, a bit bohemian, and it still looked like a wedding dress.

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”?  I actually didn’t follow this tradition.

How did you choose your wedding color palette? I wanted something soft, a bit rustic, and something that complemented the outdoor setting.

Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process?

1.Unless you have unlimited time on your hands, try to limit the DIY projects to just a few things that you’d like to really personalize.  With all the amazing DIY weddings you see online nowadays, it’s easy to let your creative juices run wild. But there’s only so much time for everything.

2. Set realistic expectations on the level of your fiancé’s involvement — some guys will want to have a say in everything and some will want to just show up on the day of the wedding. If the former, let him have a say. It’s his wedding as much as yours.  Perhaps decide what’s most important for each of you and let each have ownership of those things.  If the latter, know who you’re marrying and accept that. This will save a lot of fighting, disappointment and resentful feelings. Having full carte blanche isn’t necessarily the worst thing. It could even make the deciding process easier. Just make sure to get enough support from others so you’re not taking the full burden of managing everything.

3. Try to get everything done a week before the wedding so that you’re not completely stressed out or sleep deprived the days leading up to your wedding day. You could end up getting sick, breaking out, or just simply exhausted and grumpy.

What song did you dance to for your first dance?  Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Frank Sinatra.

What was your favorite part of your big day?  My favorite moment of the wedding was when Brian gave his speech at the reception.  He secretly planned to give his speech to my mom in Korean, as my mother doesn’t speak English very well.  Reaching out to one of my Korean friends to have it translated, he had planned to surprise the both of us. Though I unfortunately found the translation on the dining room table two days before the wedding, the thought and effort he put into it will never be forgotten.  His mispronunciations made the moment that much more adorable and the look on my mom’s face told me that this gesture meant the world to her. 

 

Vendors: 

Venue: Lago Giuseppe

Dress: Vera Wang and BHLDN

Wedding Cake: Sarah Lagrotteria of Apples and Onions; Other cakes and desserts: Madonna Inn, Lette Macarons

Floral: April Flowers (bouquets and boutonnieres), Skyline Flowers (DIY)

Linens:  Elite Events Party Rentals

Catering: La Donna Dolce

DJ/Band: We played our own playlist

Videographer: Chad Clough

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: (all DIY) Re Jin Lee and Me

Event Design & Styling: Re Jin Lee and Me

Thank you so much, Hunter & Brittney, for sharing this amazing wedding with us!  Please stop by Three Nails Photography’s website and show them some love!  And thank you, Jennifer, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We wish you and Brian a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

 

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GSS Featured Session :: Cassie & Travis’ Jackson County Fair Session :: Chelsea Brown Photography

November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mad Men inspired session at the fair? Yes, please!!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US…Happy Thanksgiving to all of our wonderful readers. Give thanks, hugs and lots of love. Today’s feature comes to us via Two Bright Lights from Chelsea Brown Photography. Chelsea held a contest for an engagement session and the winners were nothing short of awesome! We just love these fun-filled engagement portraits and are so thrilled to share it with you. Cassie and Travis you are adorable!

:: A little from Chelsea ::

I sent out a request through my business Facebook for a couple that would be interested in an engagement session at the county fair. I had a couple requests for styling, but I pretty much left it up to Cassie and Travis. Cassie came up with the look herself and I couldn’t be more pleased! We decided it was “Mad Men” inspired with some modern twists.

Thank you so much, Chelsea for sending us such great portraits to share with our readers. Cassie and Travis, we wish you a lifetime full of love and laughter and may each day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

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GSS Featured Wedding :: Liz & Nathan’s Botanical Garden Wedding :: Gabriel Harber Photography

November 16, 2011 By 1 Comment

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!!  Today’s featured wedding comes from Gabriel of Gabriel Harber Photography. He is a Oakland/San Fransisco, California based wedding photographer.  Gabriel has been more than accommodating to GSS on this feature.  Thank you!  Liz and Nathan were married at University of California Botanical Garden at Berkley, California on July 31, 2011.  Liz was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:  (Side Note:  I have to say that Liz has some of the most touching, sincere and wise answers to our questions.  Please make sure that you take the time to reader her answers and not just skip past them while looking at their beautiful images.  They are so worthwhile and insightful!)

How did you and Nathan meet? The old-fashioned way… in a bar on the dance floor! 

How long have you been together? Couple years?  5 maybe? 

How did Nathan propose? On one knee, after making me a perfect cup of coffee and homemade heart-shaped waffles.  He said all sorts of beautiful sweet things that I wish I recorded because I honestly can’t remember them… but there were some happy tears and a loud yes.  And a stunning ring.  I call it my free range rock, since it is a conflict-free diamond from Brilliant Earth.  Hopefully our marriage will be equally conflict-free and we will continue to make choices together that support happiness and health for all people. 

What sold you on your wedding venue? Nathan loves redwoods, and Mather Grove just has this really sacred feel.  We had the ceremony there and the reception at the Claremont Hotel.  We went from rustic nature to old world glamor, but it felt very local and special to us… and was simple for our guests. 

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”?  The dress is Nicole Miller and it is from an awesome boutique on Park Street called ZOE Couture.  I knew it was the one when it fit and the salesgirl told me it was included in the half off sale!   

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”? I didn’t really do this – I wore my Nana’s crystal necklace – that was old and reminded me of her, which reminds me of love.  But the borrowed item did not fit, and the blue item just did not happen… although I guess my bridesmaids wore blue… I think this was one tradition I just skipped.  I also skipped the bouquet toss – trust me ladies, your single friends really hate that event. 

How did you choose your wedding color palette?  Navy looks good on everyone, and green is fun.  

If you love Liz’s Navy and Green wedding color palette, be sure to check out our Navy and Apple Green Inspiration board!

Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process? Talk to each other about what is important.  This is an expensive event, even if you try to be frugal, and so you want to spend on what matters. For us, we spent money on the photography and the food.  We saved by having it on a Sunday and going with a hotel for the reception… and we saved a lot on flowers and decorations.  I made the favors.  Instead of a rehearsal dinner, we had a street party with a taco truck caterer. Instead of having 150 people, we had around 75 and were able to afford the event we wanted.  I know everyone says this is your day and so do what you want, and that is true, but I also think that you do want to consider the needs and comfort of your guests.  Don’t read too many wedding magazines. You can get some great ideas, but you can also set some unrealistic expectations if you are not careful and start buying wacky stuff. Cute as they are, your guests really don’t need coordinating parasols and flip flops.  They are there to celebrate you!  Feed them well and make sure they have drinks and lots of fun. 

What song did you dance to for your first dance? “Home” by OK Sweetheart, a Texas band.  We saw them live a few years ago at an after show at Austin City Limits and we loved them.  The lyrics are spot on… “where ever you go, I’ll go, knowing one day I’ll be calling it home.”  I moved a lot when I was younger, and I didn’t realize until I fell in love with Nathan that I have not felt “home” for a long, long time.  I have this overwhelming sense of belonging where I am when I am with him. We now have a beautiful home together…and I know we always will, no matter where we go!  

What was your favorite part of your big day? Every single moment was incredible.  Seeing how happy my husband was and how much fun he had was awesome. The toasts by our family and friends were so touching, and everything was just right. 

Venue:  Mather Grove , UC Botanical Garden (ceremony) and The Claremont (reception) 

Dress: Nicole Miller 

Cake: Katrina Rozelle in Oakland, plus a grooms cake from FeelGood Bakery 

Floral: Sarai from the Berkeley Farmer’s Market 

Linens:  The Claremont

Catering: The Claremont 

DJ/Band: The best!!!  DJ Jeremy 

Videographer: No thanks!  Pictures are plenty. 

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: Made my own, bought paper at Target, bought custom stamps from Etsy 

Event Planner: Me!

Photographer: The best!  Gabriel Harber 

Thank you so much, Gabriel, for sharing this amazing wedding with us!  Please stop by Gabriel Harber Photography’s website and show him some love!  And thank you, Liz, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We wish you and Nathan a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

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GSS Featured Engagement Session :: Salpy & Anto’s Sweet Music :: Randi Marie Photography

November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This is not the typical guy meets gal story. Well, it is if you watch the romantic comedies from Hollywood. Randi Marie sent us this gorgeous engagement session via Two Bright Lights and we couldn’t resist. The images played on our heart-strings and we just had to share it with you!

Randi Marie, the photographer shares….

These two met with music notes surrounding them… In an upcoming band, he the guitarist and she, the singer. Well, what can I say? They fell madly in love. Their style is city meets vintage so they wanted the perfect engagement shoot! Incorporating music and their personality, we found a quant little spot just outside Griffith Park in the Los Angeles area that fit them perfectly. How did he pop the question? He surprised her and took her on their very first date all over again, riding the train and all, where he popped the question. She said yes and the two could not be happier!

Thanks so  much, Randi Marie for sending us the engagement session of these two lovebirds. We are thrilled to share with our readers. Salpy and Anto, we wish you a lifetime full of love and laughter and SWEET MUSIC….may each day be better than the last.

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

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GSS Featured Wedding Portraits :: Fall and PUMPKINS! :: Bobbi Ryan Photography

November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

fall wedding portraits with pumpkins (9)

Happy Thursday Lovelies!! This week was Halloween week…. but some of us are still sneaking treats out of kiddos buckets from trick or treating (myself included). With fall in the air we are seeing pumpkins everywhere. We saw these fun portraits from a wedding submitted to us on Two Bright Lights from Bobbi Ryan Photography and wanted to share the fall inspiration with you. This session incorporated pumpkins and we definitely know what time of year the portraits were taken. That makes them special and unique to the couple. The wedding day portraits are fun and most couples will set aside time on the wedding day to accomplish these wedding day portraits. If your timeline allows, you should definitely consider at least half an hour for pictures just with you and your bridal party. We did and we will never regret it.

Bobbi shares a bit about the couple on her blog :: “Cody and Allisha had a perfect day for their wedding which was such a huge success. There was so much love from family and friends all around. I was so happy to be involved in the entire wedding planning process and was able to share this fantastic day with two very fantastic people and the ones they love! To top it off they are such beautiful people inside and out! I hope everyone enjoys the pictures as much as I do!”

Enjoy these fun portraits and we hope you all have a fantastic week!

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fall wedding portraits with pumpkins (7)

fall wedding portraits with pumpkins (6)

fall wedding portraits with pumpkins (5)

fall wedding portraits with pumpkins (4)

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fall wedding portraits with pumpkins (1)

Wishing Allisha & Cody a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last! And thank you Bobbi Ryan for sending us these fun portraits!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

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GSS Featured Wedding :: Melanie & Wes’s Texas Ranch Wedding :: Ashgene Photography

November 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!!  Today’s featured wedding comes from Ashley of Ashgene Photography. She is a Texas based wedding photographer.  Ashley has been so accommodating to GSS on this feature.  Thank you!  Melanie and Wes were married at Melanie’s family’s ranch in Seguin, Texas on April 23, 2011.  Melanie was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and Wes meet?  Wes & I went to Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas together.  We met & became fast friends within the first days of starting school freshman year and by Senior Year of High School we were doing everything together.   We both went to University of Texas for college, but we never interested in dating each other – we were each other’s support & best friend. 

How long have you been together?  Oh goodness, it feels like,…. when were we not?  But, literally, we have been best friends for almost ten years… dating for 6 of those years & engaged for a little less than one year & married for 6 months!

How did Wes propose?  After almost five years of dating and ten years of sharing a best friendship, Wes surprised me with pink champagne & long stemmed pink roses on the rooftop of our NYC apartment!  While the Empire State Building watched from above, Wes got down on one knee & popped the question.  We enjoyed our first moments of our engagement on top of the world as the sun slipped away behind the Hudson River.  What a miraculous sight!  Once the sun had said its last goodbye, we went to feast on our favorite meal- Paella and Sangria from our favorite NYC Spanish food restaurant, of course! “Cheers-ing” to many years of happiness and adventure ahead, we could not have been more blissful.

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”?  Well, now that’s a funny story.   Being from the fashion industry & educated in fashion, I have been sketching wedding dresses my whole life.  I knew what I wanted & knew I wasn’t going to find it.  I didn’t want strapless, I wanted layers & layers of organza on the skirt.  While in NYC, I bought a white double-faced satin strapless dress as a base so I wouldn’t have to spend time doing the boning & I was going to build my dress on top of that.  As life goes, my dress wasn’t touched until about a month before the wedding.  My parents were very concerned, so we went to all the Austin wedding boutiques. I remembered one boutique that carried Vera Wang.  In the back of my head, I always knew the Diana dress by Vera Wang was the most similar to the dress I had envisioned as my perfect dress.

To make a long story short, we found the dream dress. I took it directly to my tailor, Elsie, to change it a little bit to my liking – raising the hip line, taking in the side seams a bit & redoing the heart shape to better suit me.  I altered the Wang.  Elsie had it completed in a week – I tried my altered dress on for the first time the Wednesday before my Saturday wedding!  I knew it was the “one & only” the second I put it on.  I think I can say everything happens for a reason after that – I love my dress more than anything.  In the end, I decided not to put straps on it.  It just seemed too perfect the way it was.

Oh, I did squeeze in time to making my poofy Priscilla Presley-inspired veil & the Bridesmaids’/Flower Girls Organza Flower belts & corsages with the helpful skills of a friend from fashion school coming to Austin early!

What sold you on your wedding venue?  Well, I’m from Austin, but as I say, I grew up on my Ranch.  The one place I dreamed of having my wedding in Austin was Laguna Gloria.  Clara’s old villa & the beautiful grounds overlooking Lake Austin in itself is perfect.  It also had a lot of sentimental value in my life as the place I cultivated my passion for design & in Wes’s family too.  His parents were married there in the 80′s!  However, my dream place to get married was my family’s ranch, The Runnin R Ranch in Gonzales County.  More precisely, I wanted to get married in the barn!  However, having a classy affair on a working horse ranch was every overwhelming & my dad would reply with a chuckle, “That old smelly thing!” 

I was engaged on June 11, 2010.  When this inevitable day came & we started planning for the big day – my first choice was the Runnin R, of course! And without missing a beat, my dad’s reply was the same.  I went with my second choice of Laguna Gloria. Luckily, they had April 23rd available!  We booked it in July & vigorously started planning, but I didn’t let the ranch go.   Through the summer, autumn & winter, my mom, sister & I planned, planned, planned!  Save the Dates were sent right after the New Year.  Little by little, my parents started to understand that my heart wasn’t fully in Laguna Gloria & as much as I loved it & wanted to make it work, it wasn’t where I was meant to get married & have our special day.  Plus, our guest list was much bigger than LG was really available to accommodate.  At the beginning of February, less than three months before our wedding date, & after much (much) convincing, my parents finally agreed & committed to changing the venue to the Ranch.  However, our ranch is a lot different than a hundred-year-old Italian Villa in Austin.  We threw everything out the window & started the planning from scratch three months before the wedding!  On top of that, we needed to seriously update the place including roads, barns, etc in order to accommodate the 250 guests.  Through a lot of overwhelmingly hard work & many people laboring day after day on little things like gardening to huge projects like renovating the tack room to be a fun photo booth, building a full functioning bar with pull up window in another room, having a neon Runnin R sign made for the new bar, hanging chandeliers & moving hay, we created an oasis in the middle of the country.  With no professional wedding planner wanted (my family are creative party throwing people), my dad, mom & I took this project on full time with help from my sister, brother-in-law, fiancé & many friends of our Ranch community – We created the Ranch Wedding Sanctuary I had imagined.  All out guests from Austin were brought out there by charter buses on April 23rd & the rest was magic.

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”?

- My something old was my cake topper.  It is my maternal grandparents from 1950 whom celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in June.

- My something new was my teardrop diamond necklace my parents gave me as a wedding present.  I had mentioned I would love to wear my mom’s necklace down the isle as my something borrowed, and they surprised me with my own.

- My something borrowed was my maternal great grandmother’s 100 year old Bible that was used in our ceremony.

- My something blue was a white ribbon sewn into in my dress with my maiden name embroidered in blue.

How did you choose your wedding color palette? Well being Easter weekend, I thought pastels. I am a pink lady, so I always knew soft pinks.  I also love all white crisp weddings & monochromatic anything.  So, we did white & ivory, light pink & slightly deeper but still soft peony pink against the rustic brown & gray barn, green trees & blue sky.

Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process?   Ha!  Yes, don’t change your mind weeks before the wedding and maybe get a wedding planner!  This is a day to be happy & only that!  So, once the day comes, let all the planning & details slip away, breath & soak it all in.  Brides focus on what matters & thoroughly enjoy you & your husband’s day – it’s the only wedding day y’all will get!

 

What song did you dance to for your first dance?  We wanted our wedding to feel like an NYC Chic Party had been dropped onto the Runnin R Ranch.  Both adoring true oldies of music & film, we picked Swing so we could dance to Frank Sinatra, the best performer of all time & a New York legend.  We love the fun upbeat vibe & words to ‘Cheek to Cheek’, as well as it has meaning that we will dance through life ‘cheek to cheek’ & the title is engraved in Wes’s wedding ring.

What was your favorite part of your big day?  The most memorable part was when the ancient transformer exploded about mid-reception, (leaving us in the dark for a while), a huge cheer went up from the crowd & we impromptu cut the cake by candlelight.  Also, hugging my parents at the end of the aisle during the ceremony was super special & joining the reception by dancing with my husband to Cheek to Cheek – all of which really set the tone for the whole experience of the wedding!

Vendors:

Venue: The Radford’s Runnin R Ranch (Yes, there is no g and no apostrophe)

Dress: Vera Wang

Hair:  Jessika Cottle  owner of Jco Salon and Spa of Austin

Cake: A wonderful local lady named Oralia Avalos who owns Austin Sweet Delights.

Floral: My sister, Glenna K Bruun designed & created all the floral from the centerpieces to boutique to boutonnières. My mom did my bouquet.  My mom & I picked the flowers we wanted to use (mostly tulips, peonies, lilies & ranunculus for Easter & then carnations because they are symbolic for our sorority Chi Omega.) at Austin Flower Company & purchased them in bulk.

Linens: We bought bolts of burlap & muslin from Hobby Lobby – my aunt, mom & sister created them!

Catering: Whole Foods Market on Lamar Blvd, in Austin, Headquarters

Tents and rentals:  Premiere Party Central of Austin

Take Away Restroom:  A Royal Flush, Inc

Lighting:  FILO Designs

Transportation: Star Shuttle and Golf Cars of Austin

Bartenders: Austin’s Elite

Hotel:  Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel,  Austin, TX

String Quartet:  Pricilla Arasaki (pricilla.aransaki@gmail.com)

Day of Wedding Planner:  Sarah Staats

DJ/Band: Hotcakes (hotcakesentertainment.com)

Photographer:  Ashley Roberts of Ashgene Photography

Videographer:  Ashley Wedding DVD and Video (RexAshley.com)

Invitations/Wedding Stationery:  I did it!  I designed them on Photoshop, bought an industrial printer & sat at home for three weeks printing every part of every one – when I say they were, “made with love” I mean it.  I did the save-the-dates, programs & other paper goods the same way, except when we finally got around to printing the programs the week before the wedding I sent them to a small printing company to do the job for me!

Thank you so much, Ashley, for sharing this amazing wedding with us!  Please stop by Ashgene Photography’s website and show her some love!  And thank you, Melanie, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We wish you and Wes a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

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