You will love this perfectly intimate and sweet backyard wedding from ML Photo & Film! This couple kept things simple with a small, but chic ceremony in their backyard, followed by a fun reception dinner in downtown Austin. How amazing is their giant balloon letter backdrop?
After getting engaged in our own backyard we knew that’s where we also wanted to get married. Our home is our world and we definitely wanted our pup, Milo, present so this was a no-brainer for us. I love the colors of the sunset and Steven loves the color green so we chose blush and slate grey with greenery for our wedding colors. We knew we wanted the wedding to feel personal and romantic. Those were the words and feelings we kept top of mind when making decisions about how the wedding should be.
(Ashley) My cousin, Vanessa, had gotten married a year prior to our wedding and in doing her research thought I might like Hayley Paige designs. She convinced me to go to a local trunk show in Austin and when I put on the Decklyn gown my bridesmaid, Kavita, was convinced this was my dress. “But stripes?!” I kept saying. My mom and best friend flew in and we went gown shopping and after 30 dresses, I put on the Decklyn and it was game over. We all agreed this was the one! (Steven) Given that the wedding was somewhat casual I knew blue would be best. I tried on several blue suits with assistance from Ashley and the men’s department at Nordstrom and we picked the Ted Baker suit (with the purple lining!) along with the brown Cole Haan shoes. Picking the suit was simple enough but I could not make up my mind when it came down to the tie! I bought so many ties and made the final call the week of the wedding.
One thing that I’ve always dreamed of and will always be special is that my dad, a United Methodist minister, married us. My parents designed and cut the monogram that hung behind us during the ceremony and was the backdrop for the photobooth at the reception. (Steven) My dad and I worked our butts off landscaping our backyard the days leading up to the ceremony!
The whole day was amazing, from start to finish. It was a relaxed day and we both feel like everything moved along seamlessly. One favorite moment was as soon as the ceremony ended and we were pronounced husband and wife everyone clapped and we could hear Milo barking. That was hilarious and heart-warming. We also loved that we were able to spend so much time with family and friends over that weekend.
Good food and drinks was most important to us when planning. Ashley visited La Condesa her first time in Austin and we were so thrilled when we learned that Malverde (the upstairs lounge and our venue) was catered with La Condesa food. Also, the drinks are unreal! Definitely a must-visit if you’re ever in Austin. We also wanted a convenient down-town location so our out of town guests would have an easy time getting to their hotels. My sister, Allison, is a super talented graphic designer and vinyl artist. She made a wedding welcome sign from white vinyl decals on a floor length mirror and our monogrammed bags game set. Our friend Shane also did illustrations of the two of us along with our pets in wedding attire that we framed and placed around the reception venue.
We definitely splurged on a welcome luncheon held at our home the day before the wedding and our honeymoon to France and Spain! We skipped a dj or live band and went with a playlist. Our friend, Stephen, acted as emcee. Our friend, Whitney, acted as our wedding project manager. These two were the dream team and kept us sane. We also skipped the cake (I know! I know!.) Neither of us are big fans of cake and we had so many desserts in lieu of cake like macaroons, pecan squares, and chocolate chip cookies. We were responsible for the majority of the cost which kept our guest list limited. Fortunately, we had so many loved ones that were able to attend.
Photography & Videography | ML Photo & Film | Ceremony Venue | Couple’s Home | Reception Venue & Catering | Malverde | Florals | Lovely Leaves Floral | Invitations | Minted | Balloons | Ballooms | Ceremony Rentals | Father of the Bride | Dress | Hayley Paige | Shoes | Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaid Dresses | Express | Groom’s Attire | Ted Baker | Groomsmen Attire | Perry Ellis | Submitted via Matchology
