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As Seen in BRIDES | A Wedding Designer’s Austin Wedding

November 2, 2022

When Micheal and I got engaged in May of 2019, I never thought I would have an Austin wedding! Nothing against Austin, but we had dreams of a destination wedding in Portugal, getting married in a 15th century chapel full of family history.

As you may have guessed, 2019 wasn’t the best time to plan a wedding. We had to cancel our wedding two times before deciding on a date and making plans for our wedding in Austin instead. While it was tough to accept, we weren’t leaving our plans of a Portuguese wedding behind. We would bring Portugal to Austin.

As a wedding designer, I know that in order to craft a well-branded and cohesive wedding, I would need to nail the details. I immediately began creating a mood board and finding personalized touches to bring our dream wedding to life – even in the midst of world-wide chaos!

Photo Album Credit: Paige Vaughn Photo

Honoring Portugal

We had a traditional Catholic wedding, and we began incorporating Portuguese details from the start of the wedding day. While we didn’t get married in the 15th century chapel, we still wanted to bring the intimacy and romance to our Austin wedding. We kept the decor minimalistic and let the ornate interior of the church speak for itself. We added some warm candles and soft greenery to the ceremony space, which gave it a romantic feel.

Our flower girls and ring bearer also brought in elements of our Portuguese-inspired wedding. The flower girls held baskets brought from Portugal, and the ring bearer used an embroidered pouch from Portugal. Even though we were miles away at our Austin wedding, it felt like I had a piece of home at the wedding.

As a wedding gift for my parents, I had a watercolor painting of the Portuguese chapel, where they actually got married, painted for them. It was theirs for the taking, but I also had some other plans for this painting. We displayed the image at the venue in recognition of my roots and the original love story – my parents.

The Portuguese influence didn’t stop there. We brought in food and wine that made guests feel like they’d been transported to Portugal after all. We also had the DJ play Brazilian love songs, so we could belt our Portuguese to our heart’s content.

The Historical Home

For the reception, we chose the Woodbine Mansion as our Austin wedding venue. It is a historical home with a charming atmosphere, which had the effect we wanted for our guests – to transport them. We carried these historical and romantic elements across our wedding.

We started it off with escort cards that had a gold wax seal on top, pressed with a minimal flower stamp. It gave the cards an elevated and classic feel. We also brought in gold plates and vintage glassware, which appeared like they had been borrowed from the historical home! Our menus had simple lettering, our signature crest, and frayed edges, giving it a soft, dreamy look.

Our Signature Elements

We had several signature elements throughout our wedding. These signature elements are what made our wedding uniquely ours. It also created a cohesive look across the venue, so everything flowed and tied together.

We used a signature fabric throughout our wedding with a white base and light, minimal flowers, mostly containing pinks and greens. The pattern didn’t distract from any of the other elements, but it added a soft look across the venue. The fabric could be seen on the “M+V” on our bar, as the background of the escort cards, napkins on the table, and more. We also included our family crest across various items, such as the cocktail napkins and drink stir sticks.

Additionally, we brought an important phrase in our relationship into our Austin wedding. While dating long distance in the beginning of our relationship, we often said “amor vence tudo” to one another, meaning “love conquers all”. We put this phrase on our escort card display, a detail that spoke to our couplehood and history.

We loved every moment of our wedding, and it truly felt like us. Now, we continue to help other couples design their ideal wedding. If you are having a wedding in Austin, we’d love to help you design a wedding that honors your love story – down to the very last detail.

Check out the full featured on BRIDES here, and Inquire About Our Wedding Design Service here!

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