Cara and Cameron love traveling, music and trying new food and aptly sought inspiration for their destination wedding day from a William Shakespeare quote that reads “If music be the food of love, play on.” They planned an entire weekend of events in Austin, TX for their friends and family including a Bluegrass BBQ, a stunning ceremony at St. Mary’s Cathedral and a ballroom reception at Four Seasons Hotel Austin. Wedding coordination was by CAKE Event Company, romantic florals were by Color Theory Collective and calligraphy by Jen Krause Calligraphy. Allie Lindsey Photography was on hand to capture all the details in these inspiring film images.
What made the wedding special and unique?
What really made our wedding special was that it wasn’t just the celebration on the wedding day, but an entire weekend of special events. We started off with group walk/run around Lady Bird Lake on Friday morning and in the evening, hosted a Bluegrass BBQ equipped with the best local BBQ from Leroy and Lewis and musical entertainment from a local Austin Bluegrass band, Steel Betty. The day after the wedding we hosted a Gospel Brunch at a cool office space where we enjoyed some Sunday gospel tunes and Austin’s famous Breakfast Tacos.
We currently live in Southern California and looked at many venues in our area, however nothing really felt like “us.” While visiting Austin, our home away from home, my brother suggested we visit St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Four Seasons on a whim. We had to laugh because as soon as we stepped foot into the church and the hotel, we knew that Austin was the place for us. Our friends and family are scattered throughout the United States, so it was also the perfect central meeting ground for all of our guests!
What I feel is most unique about our wedding weekend was that although there were over 180 guests, it still felt very intimate and personal. I loved being able to look around and see people who didn’t know each other one day earlier dancing together on the dance floor, laughing with each other and making those lasting memories that stick with you forever.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
Growing up, I never had a true vision for my wedding dress. I teetered from lace to mermaid gowns to princess and A-line so when it came to actually try on dresses, I felt like I was all over the place! I scheduled appointments at a few different stores in Los Angeles, and when we got to Monique Lhullier, my mom, sister and I picked out a few dresses and headed into the fitting room. And then, there it was! It was like a match made in wedding Heaven…this beautiful dress hanging in the perfect lighting left behind by the previous soon-to-be bride trying on dresses. The instant I tried it on, I cried. I knew it was the dress for me. It was whimsical, romantic and elegant. The floral lace bodice that ran into a silk tulle skirt was stunning. It fit perfectly with my personality and romance of the day.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
We love traveling, music and trying new food, and sought inspiration from a William Shakespeare quote that read “If music be the food of love, play on.” Throughout the weekend, we made sure that music was very much the constant theme and focus of our wedding festivities, whether it was the Bluegrass band at our welcome party, Drywater Band at our wedding, the playlist at our rehearsal dinner or the Gospel band at our brunch. Some other personal touches we added were a traditional Irish bagpiper that guided us from cocktail hour into our reception, our invitation suite I designed with my mom and sister, our sweet niece and nephews walking down the aisle, the “First Look” I got to have with my dad before we headed to the church, His and Her’s cocktails, a handwritten seating chart, handwritten name tiles and romantic floral arrangements of different flower, shapes and sizes.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of the day was walking down the aisle to my groom. I was so excited to see Cameron for the first time and he looked so handsome (and excited) on the altar and the second we locked eyes, we both started crying. In that moment, I knew we would be together forever and there was no better feeling in the world!
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
We met through mutual friends and started dating shortly after. We would take weekly dates on the Santa Monica bluffs where we would pack a picnic and watch the sunset. Cameron and I have explored the world together and gone to many different countries to taste exotic foods. We love going to concerts and experiencing new things together.
During our Europe trip in 2016, our first stop was Paris, France. We started the day off with sightseeing and then had our first Afternoon Tea! After Tea, we walked over to the Pon de Bir-Hakeim, which has a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. As the sun was setting, Cameron got down on one knee and proposed. Little did I know, he also reached out to an American photographer living in Paris who captured everything on film! The next day, we flew to Barcelona to meet up with some of our friends from back home who had already known about the engagement! It was so special to be able to celebrate such an exciting time with both Cameron and some of our closest friends.
Photography: Allie Lindsey Photography // Coordinator: CAKE Event Company // Florist: Color Theory Collective // Calligraphy: Jen Krause Calligraphy // Venue: Four Seasons Hotel Austin // Videographer: Photohouse Films // Makeup: Makeup by Adrienn // Lighting: PSAV // Linens: La Tavola Linen // Welcome Party & Brunch Rentals: Premiere Event Rentals // Band: The Drywater Band // Welcome Party Band: Steel Betty Band // Photo Booth: Moviewhip // Church: St. Mary’s Cathedral