The Wedding of Julie and Charlie

October 3, 2009

The Terrace Club

The rain never let up, but it was all smiles for Julie and Charlie! Though the ceremony was moved inside, it was sheer romance with candlelight and the soft sounds of rain on the roof. Julie was breathtaking as she made her way down the aisle holding a hand-tied bouquet of green cymbidium orchids, magenta dahlias, lavender, green fuji mums and purple carnations.

Guests made their way upstairs to a room full of purples and blues, custom linens (made by Julie’s mom!), and centerpieces with floating purple carnations and green fuji mums. Fresh jalapeno bites and lime cilantro shrimp were passed as guests dined on herbed beef, cornbread stuffed chicken, smokey cheesy macaroni, and sauteed green beans.

The show stopper was the groom’s cake- a replica of Astros field with a Nascar track- two of Charlie’s favorite things!

My favorite moments was watching Julie and Charlie holding hands during the ceremony, the look on Charlie’s face when he first saw his groom’s cake (which was a surprise from Julie!), the custom runners and patchwork overlay made by Julie’s mom, the heartfelt toasts, and the look in Julie’s eye during their first dance.

The exit was CRAZY with silver streamer bombs, entrapping the bride and groom in a tangled web of fun!!!

Julie and Charlie- it was such fun working with you and I can’t WAIT to hear all about your honeymoon in Hawaii! Aloha!

Photos courtesy of Andy Peterson of Studio 563

The Wedding of Amber and Justin

October 23, 2009

Laguna Gloria

Under normal circumstances, a Frisbee might not seem like a great idea for a table centerpiece. But this was no ordinary Frisbee! This Frisbee was customized with those magic words: Will you marry me? (Is this guy a keeper or what?!) It took Amber about 20 minutes of tossing that special Frisbee to notice the message that changed her life. The guests absolutely loved their sneak peak into Justin’s unique marriage proposal. This was just one example of how truly unique and personal this wedding was.

Amber’s vintage dress set the tone for a modern Great Gatsby inspired fête. Bridesmaids and groomsmen had alternating monochromatic boutonnières and bouquets comprised of green spider mums, fuchsia mokara orchids, and eggplant carnations. The groom’s boutonnière was wrapped with the friendship bracelet Amber made for him years ago when they first started dating – adorable!

The oversized program was matted and set in a gorgeous antique frame . . . not only an eco-friendly solution, but a gorgeous and unique focal point leading into the ceremony The teal and citron color scheme transformed Laguna Gloria into a modern dream. The teal satin linens on the cocktail tables were "banded" with citron satin sashes to enhance the look. The mix of centerpieces included candlescapes that were anchored with teal sea glass and illuminated the night as well as unique and textural floral arrangements.

Guests dined on great Austin comfort foods including mini corn dogs, pulled pork tacos, fried pickles and gourmet mac and cheese. The dessert and cigar bar was a work of art! On the dessert bar were bite-sized mini cupcakes in three flavors and fruit tarts displayed on varying tiers of cake stands. In the middle on an antique glass stand was the mini wedding cake decorated with sugar daisies (the groom’s favorite flower) and topped with a mini air stream trailer! Guests danced the night away off to the fabulous live band and the photo booth with unqiue props was the talk of the night!

Thank you – Amber and Justin – for letting us be a part of this unique and unforgettable evening!

Photos courtesy of Eclectic Images

The Wedding of Angela and Jeff

October 31, 2009

Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church

Four Seasons Hotel

I knew when I met Angela and Jeff a year ago that this “Vintage Chic” wedding was going to be visually stunning. Pastor Jack Haberer, who has known Angela since she was 14 years old, flew in to co-officiate. He personalized the Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church ceremony so much that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. He is what I call . . . good peeps!

Guests then headed to the Four Seasons Hotel for cocktail hour where mariachis and margaritas had everyone in festive spirits. Angela and Jeff got to spend about 15 minutes alone watching the sunset and the bats fly out- which they had never seen - and then were serenaded by the mariachis whilst sipping champagne . . . unbelievably romantic, right ?!

The dance floor was PACKED the entire night due to the amazingly talented DJ we selected. The first dance by Nick Drake set the tone, but the dancing highlight came when my groom Jeff took the dance floor with his ushers to dance to “their song” Coconut (as in “you put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up”) which is hard to explain, but I will try. All the guys stomped, ran laps around each other, did high knees and performed some moves that I can only describe as monkey-ish ;) I WISH I HAD VIDEO!!!! And then add in Jeff’s brothers and Dad who have some outstanding moves . . . needless to say, we were all thoroughly entertained!

And the décor, oh the décor!!! You will often hear my motto: linens and lighting make the event. This event was no exception! We worked with the venue and chose a color palette of spearmint/teal, champagne and gold that made the Halloween wedding timelessly elegant. Our escort card display was a show stopper! Suspended gold manzanita branches hung in front of a huge window overlooking the beautiful view from the Four Seasons. Peacock-colored silk dupioni ribbon hung from the branches and with the color coordinated escort cards hanging from the ribbon. BEAUTIFUL!

Inside the ballroom, the spearmint and teal linens had a to-die-for dahlia pattern in corals and yellows which was fabulously complemented by mercury glass containers full of a LUSH creamy ivory mix of tons of garden roses accented with hydrangea, sweet peas, velvet leaves and stock. I love mercury glass because it is truly timeless and instantly adds an elegant vintage look.

Another WOW piece - the groom’s cake. It was a stacked chocolate cake with a 180-degree New York City skyline surrounding each layer. Very cool!!!

HUGE PROPS to Megan, Angela’s bridesmaid, who designed and printed all of her printed collateral. It not only fit the theme perfectly it was GORGEOUS!

Thanks guys, for allowing CLINK to be there with you every step of the way, and for letting me run with the design that was based off that perfect inspiration page we found so long ago. And Austin wants you when you are done with NYC!!!!

Photography courtesy of Photography by Blanca

The Wedding of Cara and Travis

October 3, 2009

Laguna Gloria

CAN YOU STAND THE RAIN!

WHATEVER, the rain couldn’t stop this amazing event! Cara and Travis had jet streams, noreasters and hurricanes all in their wedding day forecast. The downpours didn’t spoil a thing. The raindrops provided a romantic, rhythmic background for this candlelit ceremony. The floral décor included unique and delightful textures and colors with hues of chocolate, deep reds, and rich sunset oranges. Cara’s vintage inspired beaded gown was stunning – she had a matching vintage inspired bouquet with ivory, camel, and taupe colored flowers sealed with her grandmother’s broach. The bride gave each of her bridesmaids the same Kendra Scott earrings – (all a different color – red, orange, yellow, bronze, etc) that the girls wore on the wedding day. What a nice touch!

When the bride and groom arrived, the rain stopped – and there was a beautiful mist hovering over Lake Austin – it looked like something out of a movie! The party continued with a live band to celebrate the couple’s love of music and tapping into the groom’s past band life. The father of the bride had a blast as he celebrated in our fabulous “Cordials Lounge” where we had a full cordials bar and a cigar roller on site. The cigars were sealed with a custom designed label with the bride and groom’s logo affixed.

What would a party be without ice cream? Amy’s ice cream was served to the guests throughout the night to satisfy the sweet tooth…And finally, after a full night of dancing and drinking – the guests take off with a “doggy bag” with a little slider burger for the road. What a night and what an unforgettable experience!

Photos courtesy of Red Fly Photography

The Wedding of Marla and Mark

Umlauf Sculpture Garden

October 24, 2009

Marla and Mark had been together for eight years when they came to CLINK to plan their much anticipated nuptials. Even though they live in Chicago, they chose Austin for the relaxed and eclectic vibe and knew all of their out of town guests would LOVE it! Austin did not disappoint, the weather could not have been more ideal and is why October is one of the most popular months for couples to wed!

Marla and Mark wanted a fall look that was “upscale Austin picnic.” The food could not have fit the bill more perfectly! The guests were greeted with a sweet tea and lemonade bar before the ceremony. Southern hors d’oeuvres like Chicken Fried Steak Sliders, Deviled Eggs topped with Praline Bacon and Fried Green Tomatoes were passed for cocktail hour. Guests were seated at two long tables for family style dining and instead of a traditional wedding cake they served homemade blackberry and apple cobblers topped with homemade vanilla bean and caramel rum ice creams!

The décor added to the perfect fall ambiance with amber uplighting of the tree canopies and the beautiful Charles Umlauf sculptures. Tree bases under the candlescapes and rich fall floral that was so unique in its texture and depth. And the band, WOW! Grammy award winning Brave Combo is not your typical wedding band. These talented entertainers had guests grooving to their polka beats!

Special recognition to the greatest flower girl, Jenna! She did her job with flair and enthusiasm and she danced the ENTIRE night! We heart you, Jenna!!!

Thanks guys for entrusting CLINK with this amazing day - it was a BLAST!

Photography courtesy of Photography by Vanessa