Sarah and Matt planned a sweet wedding in Texas Hill Country featuring navy and cool white hues. They incorporated several personal details like a southwestern inspired menu with green chile mac ‘n cheese, and and Italian creme groom’s cake in honor of Matt’s heritage. The gorgeous bride Sarah shared tons more details with us that we know you’ll love reading! Very special thanks to The Nichols for sharing their gorgeous images with us.
What made the wedding special and unique?
We’re both from Texas but have been living in California for the past 3 years. We knew we wanted to have our wedding in the Lone Star State and since about half of our guests had never been to Texas, we also wanted to give them a memorable experience. We chose Austin to showcase the charming, fun-loving hospitality of our Texas roots as well as the beautiful, rustic scenery of the Texas Hill Country. For the rehearsal dinner, we bused our guests out to the famous Salt Lick BBQ where we had a live country band and a longhorn for guests to take pictures with. For the main event, we chose a venue whose very existence celebrates the Texas outdoors – the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. To complete the Texas experience, we selected flower arrangements that were both rustic yet refined, our caterers created a Southwestern-inspired menu with delicious green chile mac ‘n cheese, and we topped it off with blood orange margaritas and retro blue-striped swizzle straws. We ended the evening in a baby blue 1961 Cadillac convertible as our getaway car that drove us from the venue back to our hotel downtown.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
One of Matt’s cousins is a Catholic priest whom we asked to preside over our ceremony. He’s a wonderful speaker and did a great job of making the nuptials more personal. We also had an Italian creme groom’s cake in the shape of the famous Notre Dame golden dome to showcase Matt’s Italian heritage and his alma matter. Lastly, we chose my favorite band from college, a soul band called Top Choice, to make sure we had some amazing tunes to dance the night away.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of the day was our first dance. We took lessons and practiced everyday for literally 4 weeks. At the very last minute we ditched our routine and just danced. And even though we didn’t follow our routine, the lessons definitely paid off. We absolutely killed it and we had a ton of fun!
Tell us how you met/proposed!
We met while both living in Dallas. I’m a food editor for Brit + Co. and would have people over to my place on Sunday nights for a feast of food and wine. Matt and I caught each other’s eye at one of these dinner parties, and we started dating less than a year later.
Our proposal took place on a beach just south of Carmel, CA near the Big Sur. Towards the end of a long hike, we took a lunch break on a deserted beach. I went to dip my feet in the ocean, and as I made my way back up the beach, Matt kneeled and pulled a ring from his pocket. I said yes, and that was the beginning of our life together.
Vendors: Photography: The Nichols // Venue: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center // Floral Design: Rosehip Flora // Catering: Kurant Events // Cake: Simon Lee Bakery // Car: Vintage Rides of Austin // Ceremony Musicians: Hill Country Strings // Invitations: Studio Slomo