Southern Weddings

Bride Kate shares her wintery Austin wedding!

Friends, I’m delighted to introduce you to today’s bride, Kate! Reading through her interview, it seems like a lot of things fell into place effortlessly for her wintery Austin wedding to Damon — she found her dress after visiting one store, and they fell in love with their venue the minute they walked in the door. Makes sense for a couple whose relationship seems equally easy (“We are two native Austinites who found each other and were instantly inseparable,” she says when asked about their love story!)

But Kate is also clear about the value her vendors, especially her wedding planner, brought to the table: “I did not think I was going to enjoy wedding planning at all. Thankfully, I had the most wonderful planner, Emily Leach, who made me feel at ease about every decision and was so helpful throughout the entire process. I could not have done it without her!” Together, these two created something truly beautiful. (And not without help from Damon, who built the arch they were married under – keep reading for more!)

Thanks to Sophie Epton for these lovely photos!

Tell us your love story in one sentence. We are two native Austinites who found each other and were instantly inseparable.
Tell us all about the proposal! Damon took me out to Hamilton Pool at the crack of dawn when no one else was there. I thought we were just going for a hike and then he got down on one knee!
When did y’all get married? January 14, 2017.
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150.

Tell us the highlights of finding your wedding dress. I only went to one store, and when I tried the dress on I instantly knew it was the right one. The ladies from Linyage just happened to be at Unbridaled and overheard me talking about what I wanted. They had the top just for me! They pulled it out of their car, and I tried it on and fell in love.
Did you decide to do a first look? Damon is very traditional and wanted his first time seeing me to be walking down the aisle.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? We fell in love with the feel of The Union on Eighth the minute we walked in. It had a warm feel while still being a bit industrial. It is just a short walk away from the Georgetown town square which is so charming as well.
What were some of the most meaningful or special parts of your ceremony? My best friend’s father is a judge and was able to marry us. It was very nice to have someone who knew us to be able to do that.
What was your favorite detail from your wedding? My favorite detail about the wedding was our arch. Damon didn’t want to have any run-of-the-mill arch for us to get married under, so he built one. It came out better than I could have ever imagined, and Clementine Floral just made it over the top with the incredible flowers.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I had always wanted to walk down the aisle to “That Dress Looks Nice on You” by Sufjan Stevens. I had thought, though, that this wouldn’t be possible because we hired a fiddler and guitar player for our ceremony, and they didn’t know the song. As I started walking down the aisle, I heard the song playing. Damon had gotten the guys to learn the song! It was such a special part of the ceremony to me, and I will always remember it.

What was Southern about your wedding? Our wedding was Southern in that it was a family affair. We wanted all of our big families to be there celebrating with us. The farm tables allowed everyone to sit as a family and enjoy the night.
What was the hardest part about planning your wedding? The budget was the hardest part, even when you think you have a high enough budget it still seems to need to be more.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000

What did you serve for your wedding cake or dessert? We had a traditional bridal cake, but Damon doesn’t really like cake and his favorite dessert is root beer floats. So we had a root beer float bar! The peached tortilla worked with Amy’s Ice Cream and it was so fun and delicious.

What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We used Paperless Post for our invitations and just used Boarding School Collective for our day-of paper products. It saved us a quite a bit on invitations. And, we still loved the invitations we got from Paperless Post!
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day? It is hard to pick just one moment. We left, and in the car we just looked at each other and said that it was the most fun night of our lives. Our venders just put the night over the top for us. We had so much fun taking pictures with Sophie and Jordan. Emily and her team made everything so easy for us that we didn’t have to worry about a thing. The Peached Tortilla gave us INCREDIBLE food. And all we had to do was dance the night away with our family and friends.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning a wedding? My biggest advice would be get a wedding planner if you can fit it into the budget. I would have never made it through without Emily. It was the best money we spent on the wedding.

Photographer: Sophie Epton | Planner: Emily Leach with Bird Dog Wedding | Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Union on Eighth | Florist: Clementine | Wedding Cake: Green Lily Bakery Caterer: The Peached Tortilla | Rentals: Loot Vintage and Marquee Rentals | DJ: Bradley with Live Oak DJ | Ceremony Musician: Andy Lentz | Paper Products: Boarding School Collective | Bride’s Gown: Unbridaled | Bridal Overlay: Linyage | Hair Stylist: Katie Scott | Makeup Artist: Shannon Nicole | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids |