Wedding Reception

For our wedding reception, we wanted to keep with the "Austin" theme, and didn't have to search far for a reception venue. Our only requirements were a private space and minimal fuss. We also wanted brunch- and that was the only thing that made our search the slightest bit difficult. Not everyone serves brunch on Saturday, and some of the few places that do didn't have the space we were looking for. Luckily Lambert's was able to accommodate us and made the planning process fairly easy.

They have a second story space that was the perfect size for our expected group, and allowed us the privacy we were looking for. Given the black and white damask wall behind the bar, we knew we wouldn't have to do much decorating as it already had a lot of character. We also knew the food would not disappoint! It's ironic that we had our reception in a BBQ restaurant, given that we really don't eat meat. But our goal was a southern brunch, and Lambert's pulled through. We planned a menu that included migas, biscuits and gravy, jicama slaw, brisket hash, green chili cheese grits and mac and cheese. It was a carb fest to say the least, and it was all absolutely delicious!!

After wrapping up pictures at the ceremony site, Hank and I finally made our way to the reception. It took about fifteen minutes (and no less than 3 people) to get my dress bustled, and then we finally got to join everyone upstairs. We grabbed a drink, mingled with some friends, and then grabbed a plate of food so that everyone else could eat. I didn't want the reception to be very planned. Other than eating, drinking and chatting- the only other "activity" was cutting and eating the cake.

We opted not to do a traditional wedding cake, and instead ordered 3 Chantilly cakes from Whole Foods, and 2 Dutch Chocolate Cakes from Sweetish Hill Bakery. Including delivery fees, we got all 5 cakes for $200. A total bargain if you ask me. Plus- they were both delicious!! We ended up having 1 of each cake leftover and enjoyed eating them the week after the wedding.

The only real decor that we did were table arrangements made by Verbena Floral. I chose yellow and white because it really popped with the black and white wall, and I wanted a "sunny" vibe for the reception. LuAnn from Verbena was nothing short of amazing to work with. When my mom and I met with her, she completely understood the look we were going for, and was so easy to work with from start to finish. Her team was also instrumental in helping get the cake table put together in a very short time period. Please- pretty please- consider her for any floral needs that you have. She is wonderful!

There was plenty of time to say hello and chat with all our guests, and before we knew it the reception was wrapping up. Some of our guests headed across the street to the W for the post-wedding Kentucky Derby part, and we stayed behind to close out the check and help get everything packed up. I cannot say enough nice things about the 3 girls from Lambert's who were working our reception. Not only did they take great care of us throughout the party, but they also were a tremendous help in getting everything packed up- including dumping water from all the flower vases. They really helped make the day feel effortless.

I also cannot think the lovely and oh-so-talented Melanie from Melanie Wright Photography for capturing such fun and beautiful images. There hasn't been a day yet that I don't click through all of our photos, and I cannot wait to start choosing ones that we will frame for our home and my office. She really outdid herself!

Sunny table flowers

View into reception

Cake table

Cutting the cake

Girlfriends

Guest book

Georgia keeping busy with Hello Kitty!

Love the sign they put up for us!

My lovely brother and sister in law

Wedding Ceremony

Our entire wedding day was absolute perfection. When we started thinking about what we really wanted for our special day, the most important things were that it be meaningful, intimate, and very "Austin". We got exactly those things, and so much more! 

The day started off with hair and makeup at the Hyatt, where I had spent the night with girlfriends. The amazingly talented Nancy (owner of The Hills Salon & Spa) paid us an early morning visit and made my hair and makeup look beautiful. My parents and sister in law joined us at the hotel to help me finish getting ready, and then I rode with them to the ceremony site. My sister and two girlfriends Jackie and Allison were a huge help by leaving early to check on the reception site to make sure everything had been delivered and set-up. Could not have made the day without their help!

A beautiful Austin morning. We were so lucky with how nice the weather was.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Nancy B making me look fabulous.

The dress!

Mom helping get the flower on my dress.

Riding the elevator down, and I swear it stopped on every floor.

Carrying my Nana's purse- so glad to have a part of her with me on such a special day.

After making our way to Zilker Park, my dad and I hopped on the pedicab and rode up to Lou Neff Point. We picked this spot for several reasons- it's beautiful, it's where my grandfather used to take me to feed the ducks as a kid, and it's also a spot that Hank and I run by just about every week. It overlooks downtown, and it has that intimate feel that we wanted. It's also a public space that cannot be rented, so we knew we ran the risk of having anything come up that could interfere with the ceremony.

We were in luck though. Hank got down there early, and with the help of my brother and the pedicab, they transported a few chairs and flowers to the spot and got everything set up. I knew the people of Austin would be kind enough to allow us time to get married there without much fuss, and they did not disappoint. Sure- we had plenty of spectators, but who can blame them? I would have stopped if I had seen a wedding going on as well. It was fun riding on the trail and hearing "Oh look- it's a bride!" as we passed by all the runners and walkers.

My adorable niece Georgia met us just outside the point (I was hidden out of Hank's sight) and she made her way up the aisle to kick off the ceremony. There was also a guitar player singing "Can't Help Falling in Love" as I walked towards Hank. The second that I locked eyes with him, I just about lost it. I tried so hard not to cry, but only succeeded in a partial ugly-cry face. My lips kept quivering and my eyes were all teary. There's just no way to describe that moment when you see the man you are about to make such a big commitment to. It was wonderful!

My brother Blake performed the ceremony, and every little bit of it was so personal. We wanted someone who really knew us, and were so glad that he accepted our request to get ordained online so he could perform the ceremony. We worked on the ceremony together, but he had a section for the things that he wanted to say to us as a couple. My favorite part was lyrics he incorporated from the Coldplay song "Strawberry Swing" (so appropriate given how much we love them).

The sky could be blue, could be gray

Without you I just slide away

The sky could be blue, I don't mind

Without you it's a waste of time

It's such a perfect day

One of the funniest memories of the ceremony is when I noticed that everyone was still standing after we had said a prayer and Blake had started his section of the ceremony. I finally whispered to Blake to tell everyone to sit down, and then laughed at our audience, telling them they were making me nervous. I think they were thankful that I noticed though!

After Blake's part, Hank and I each read our own vows to each other. We had no idea what the other would say, but I loved how they balanced the other out. We each referenced similar things, but also had our own unique promises to the other. Then we exchanged rings, and before we knew it, Blake was announcing us husband and wife. As soon as the ceremony was over, we walked towards the water to feed the ducks and to mingle with our friends and family. My aunt had made the most adorable duck food bags to coordinate with our black, yellow and white theme, and we had fun grabbing those and feeding the ducks and pigeons who swam up to grab some snacks.

Sign pointing towards the ceremony.

Hank making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be.

The view from Lou Neff Point.

Georgia being silly before the ceremony.

Walking to the ceremony.

Saying a prayer.

Reading our vows to each other. 

First Kiss!

My fabulous photographer is still working on editing and uploading most of the family pictures, but these are a few of my favorite images from after the ceremony.

Georgia and her flowers.

Hugging Georgia after the ceremony.

My new lovely in-laws.

One of my dearest friends flew all the way down from Connecticut just for the wedding! 

My parents.

Duck food bags.

Can't hit the trail without our matching yellow running shoes.

Happy (almost) Mother's Day to me!

No- it's not what you think! This Saturday, Hank and I will officially adopt Miss Brees, our foster fail pup, and I will be the mom of 3 dogs and 2 cats. It's hard to believe that little girl is now 8 1/2 weeks old, and a whopping 12 pounds already. But she's also fully house trained, does a rock solid "sit", and almost has "down" figured out. She's one smart pup!

The other animals are still adjusting (some better than others), but she has been a real joy to have at the house. We're still in the puppy teething phase, but the chewing on hands has gotten a little better, and so far we've had no furniture casualties. She's pretty happy chewing on bones or dried chicken feet (thank you Tomlinson's for introducing her to those), and LOVES to play with all of her toys.

On Friday, Hank will drop her off at Emancipet for her spay surgery, and I will pick her up after work. I'm glad we're able to do it there as they do not require an overnight stay. Our last foster puppy didn't miss a beat after her surgery, and we anticipate that Brees will "breeze" right through her recovery as well. But after that is all taken care of, we'll sign the papers on our first rescue dog together. I love that Hank actually mentioned in his vows supporting the various animals that will find their way to our home throughout the years. We definitely share a love of animals, and I love him like crazy for it!

Brees is full of energy, so catching cute shots of her gets harder and harder. But here are a few pictures of her as she's grown over the past few weeks.

In the car, leaving the shelter.

This backyard business is fun!

Poser.

She LOVES her sisters....even though they don't always return the sentiment. Maddie has started to play with her, and it's really cute to watch. But Marley is less amused. In the video below, Marley steals her bone, and Brees does her best to let Marly have it.

Growing fast!

Chewing her bone.

Trying to get me out of bed this morning!

We still have no clue exactly what kind-of mix she is, and are planning on doing a DNA test in the next few week, so be on the lookout for a fun post about that. It really doesn't matter to us WHAT she is, but we would definitely like a heads up on HOW BIG she might be. We already know that we'll have to replace our small dog doggie door, and just want to plan accordingly. She's a little bit of wonderful though, and that's all we really care about. We're looking forward to making it official this weekend!

Sneak Peek- Wedding Photos

I'm waiting patiently for the official wedding pictures from our photographer before posting all about our big day- but thought I'd share just a few while I know some of you wait as well. It was the most beautiful, perfect day, and we had such a great time. Can't wait to share more of the details!

I'm Getting Married Tommorow!

I'd love to go into a long spiel about how excited I am to be marrying the love of my life- but that really should be a given at this point. Plus, I'm really busy running around doing last minute things. All that matters is that the weather is gorgeous, and it's going to be such a special day, no matter what. I can't wait to share the details with you next week!

Bronko Box Winner

Pardon me for being a little bit distracted this week, as I'm in getting married in TWO DAYS! But don't think I forgot about the generous giveaway from Bronko Box. In fact, I couldn't be more excited about who the winner is. If everything works out, she might even be my new neighbor soon! Congratulations Melanie.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to those of you who participated. If you live in the Austin area and plan on moving soon, don't forget to check out Bronko Boxes. Paper is out, reusable is in!

Foodie Pen Pals

I don't remember exactly how I found the Lean Green Bean blog, but I'm sure glad I did! I've found countless recipes, tips for cooking in bulk for the week, and most importantly- I found Foodie Pen Pals! Similar to Birchbox, but totally different. You basically create and send boxes of food to the person you are paired with. Most of the participants are bloggers, but it's certainly not a requirement. The person I sent food to was, and the person who sent me food was not.

After the initial pairing email was sent, I was contacted by Scott who would be sending me my box. He asked about any diet restrictions or dislikes that I had, and then sent me such a fun box!

Scott is from Ocracoke Island, NC and included several local items in my box. Not having any idea where Ocracoke was, I looked it up and found out that it was close to Rodanthe. If you're a fan of chick  lit, then you might remember the Nicholas Sparks' book "Nights in Rodanthe". Not that it has anything to do with my box, but there you go. It looks like it's part of a string of islands that surround the Pamlico Sound, and I imagine it's a very beautiful place.

Scott included the perfect mix new and familiar, and even something that is a favorite- Fig Preserves from Zillie's Island Pantry. I'm saving a few of the items to do a "Chopped" like challenge for dinner, including black eyed peas, pecans and Carolina Treet BBQ sauce. I was amazed at how much he was able to add to my box, and enjoyed some of the snacks he included too. The Zesty Cheese crackers and Lime Cooler cookies were awesome, and I even tried something new- Seaweed Crisps. Thank you so much Scott for putting so much thought into my Foodie box. It made this first experience so much fun!!

I put together an "Austin-themed" box that hopefully included some of the best, and weirdest, that our city has to offer.  Known for keeping thing weird, but also being a really healthy city, I tried to include a good mix including Sweet Leaf Tea, Kerby Lane Pancake Mix, and a Perfect Fit Protein Cookie from Boundless Nutrition (sponsor to many local triathletes). My box went to Erin of the Serendipity and the Sailor blog. She lives just north of Albany, NY and girl has got some serious style. I love reading her blog! I knew that she liked stationary, so I sent some cute cards that I found at Target, and she sent one of the Thank You cards back with the sweetest note. Thank You cards are a dying art, and I so enjoyed that she took the time to send one to me.

I've already signed up for the next month's round of Foodie Pen Pals, and if you're interested in it, I've included the details below. It's always fun receiving mail that doesn't include bills, and I had a great time choosing items to send to someone else. Thank you Lindsay for creating this exchange!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for November, please CLICK HERE (www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/) to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by May 4th as pairings will be emailed on May 5th!