So yes, this was an East Austin backyard wedding, but not just any backyard. This yard belongs to Annie and Dylan. Dylan is
d.crain landscape and construction, and his work is simply fabulous. I have seen work he has done all over town, but some-
thing about his own yard sparkles. Beautifully integrated with the indoor spaces, lush with fruit trees and eclectic with all sorts
of found objects, succulent arrangements and towering structures.

But enough of that, Annie and Dylan got married! I was flattered when they approached me to be their photographer, and even
more excited when they asked me if they can use one of my paintings on their invitation. Wedding day photos started at the
Hotel St. Cecilia, and then onto the house where friendly dogs roamed about and cats slept on beds and the festivities were
getting underway.

Dress was Austin summer casual and cool towels were thoughtfully made available. A wonderfully saturated orange was the
color of the day, used on the invitations, boxes of monogrammed matches and flower leis made of marigolds, that were used during
the ceremony to bond the new family. DJ Manny was there setting the mood, and La Condesa set up, serving some very yummy
food and drinks.

Congratulations Annie and Dylan!

This beautiful bride is Christy. We had the distinct pleasure of being able to photograph her at the Wildflower Center in May.
You might remember her from the blog post I did of her Save the Date card, (http://stellaalesi.com/wordpress/?cat=80). She
and her fiance JC are currently residing in Dubai, but she came back to Austin for this portrait session and to prepare for the
wedding.

The wedding took place this past weekend at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. If you have never been out there, you really
should make the trip. No matter what time of year it is, it is always beautiful. This was late June, so the echinacea and indian
blankets were blooming.
JC and Christy had a fairly large wedding party, 28 in all including themselves. A good friend served as officiant, and wore
a custom made stole with their names, wedding date and an image of interlocking rings. I loved the seersucker suits the
groomsmen wore, and the adorable, colorful skirts of the bridesmaids dresses. The ceremony took place inside the gallery, which
has a spectacular view of a field of native grasses and large Live Oaks. Keeping with the season Kurant Events served peach
cocktails. They also created a French Fry station; five different kinds of fries with at least as many types of salt. Yummy!
The reception took place in the courtyard with plenty of mingling and dancing. And as a special treat, the groom’s sister and her
band the Boo Who’s, played a few songs, and happily they rocked!

Congratulations Christy and JC!

Christina and Todd traveled from NYC to be married here in Austin, Texas. They started their wedding weekend with a welcome
dinner downtown at Iron Works BBQ. Casual summer dresses, cowboy boots, shirts and hats, as well as name tags, were the dress
code for this warm summer evening. Cold beer, good BBQ and some country music set the tone.

The following day, a Sunday, was wedding day. We met  the immediate family and wedding party at the Four Seasons Hotel a
couple of hours prior to the ceremony to capture them getting ready and to do some portraits. Christina worked hard on all of the
details of her wedding, and it paid off, the results were beautiful.  One of the most dazzling details were her shoes, blue and
sparkly. The bridesmaids hot pink shoes were a close second. Pink was definitely the color of the day; hot pink shoes for the
bridesmaids and hot pink ties for the guys. Petal Pushers did a great job with the pink bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres,
(also note the beautiful pink bracelets that the bridesmaids wore, so pretty.)

The ceremony took place on the lawn facing Lady Bird Lake. Paper fans were provided for the guests to keep cool. Arundel
Ensemble played classical music and Sarah de Lafuente performed a heartfelt ceremony. The cocktail hour took place in the
foyer of the Grand Ballroom where the guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres, drinks and sushi. The Ballroom was aglow as the
guests entered. The All Funk Radio Show was already playing, and the evening just unfolded from there; toasts and dancing,
dinner and very delicious cake. When it came time to throw the bouquet the bride instead presented it to her mother, and then
much to everyone’s surprise proceeded to present her beautiful blue shoes to a bridesmaid.

Thank you to Aimee Villa of Lizze Belle Event planning for all her help and the Four Seasons and all their wonderful staff.

Congratulations Christina and Todd!

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Upon arriving at Vintage Villas for Susan and Jon’s wedding, one of the first things I noticed was the wonderful blue dresses
that the bridesmaids were wearing, next the bouquets that Visual Lyrics had created. The yellow dahlias and ranunculus just
sang against that blue, and the mood was set. This was going to be a happy, lively, late spring wedding. I was not disappointed.
Throughout the entire event Susan and Jon, the wedding party and families laughed. They truly had a great time and it was a
pleasure to photograph them.

One last note, I wanted to let Ms, Guzman, a friend of the bride’s family, know how beautiful and tasty the wedding cake was. Great job.
Oh, and thanks to our good friend and uncle to the groom, David Jewell, for recommending us. You rock!

Congratulations Susan and Jon!

We recently had the distinct pleasure of being the photographers at Emily and Justin’s Four Season’s wedding. It was an
elegant affair, expertly coordinated by Elizabeth Elias of Caplan Miller Events, blessed with perfect weather, good friends and family.

Things I loved about this wedding:

1. the letter pressed invitations
2. the chandeliers hanging from the trees in the ceremony area
3. the turquoise blue color of the bridesmaids dresses
4. the beautiful vibrant bouquets that Petal Pushers created
5. Justin’s shoes, awesome!
6. Emily’s dress, and more importantly how she looked in her dress, stunning.
7. the family and guests, so friendly and so much fun
8. the Elvis impersonator, (the word was that Elvis is a distant relative to the Bride)
9. the band, Dysfunction Junction, which kept the dance floor full and hopping

and here is a shout out to Gary at Crescent Video, always a pleasure to work with him.

congratulations Emily and Justin!

Let’s see, how should I start…this wedding was so much more than your typical wedding it’s hard to capture in just a paragraph
and a handful of photos, but I will try. First of all, I should mention that it took place at the Balcones Springs Retreat, also
known as Camp Balcones. The location is about an hour from downtown Austin in the Hill Country, on the north shore of
Lake Travis. Enormous fields of wildflowers, winding dirt roads, many cabins, an outdoor pavilion, a beach, tennis courts,
zip lines, water slides and canoes are just a few of the amenities that make this place spectacular. The Bride and Groom
and many of their guests spent the weekend and participated in the activities. Lunch before the wedding was a beach affair with
Frito pies, (a Texas classic), corn muffins, salad, lemonade and cold beer.

By 2pm the family and wedding party began to prepare for the wedding ceremony and reception. Erin of Rosehip Flora arrived with
the floral designs. I loved the combinations of  flowers and succulents, especially with the boutonnières the men wore, simple,
sturdy and exquisite. With flowers in place we got to work photographing the bride and groom, wedding party and immediate family.
Saadeh was an entertaining groom to say the least. He kept me and his friends laughing throughout.
Bridget transformed from camper to bride right before our very eyes, it was wonderful to watch. I loved her choice of details from
her Hey Lady shoes to the unique flower bracelet. Her gift to her bridesmaids was another beautiful bracelet that picked up the
aqua blue that was used throughout the day.

The ceremony took place down by the lake, with readings and songs by friends and family. The camp bus served as the get away
vehicle and brought us out to a beautiful field to do some post ceremony photos. The Bride and Groom entered the cocktail with
guests lined up waving hand made ribbon wands. And here I need to mention the hand made place cards, not really cards at all, but
crepe paper flowers that had the guests name and table numbers written in the center. I am not sure it was intended but guests decided
to wear the flowers on their dresses, lapels and even in their hair. It was super festive.
The reception took place in the spacious outdoor pavilion. The tables held local honey for each guest to take home and a single
flower on at each place setting. The evening was filled with good food, toasts, cake, laughing and plenty of dancing to The Gourds.

Congratulations Bridget and Saadeh!

Jamie and Jason traveled from St. Louis to be married at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden here in Austin, Texas. Guests as well
came from afar and the day proved to be worth their travels, with the garden lush and flowering from all the recent rain.
I have posted below just a few of my favorite details and portraits from the wedding day. It was a relaxed affair that strayed from
tradition and  showcased the Bride and Groom’s personalities. The band, The Spazmatics, were absolutely fun and I am certain they
kept everyone dancing long after we departed.

Congratulations Jamie and Jason!

location: Umlauf Sculpture Garden
caterers: 34th street cafe
florist: Westbank Florist
cakes: Uppercrust Bakery
band: The Spazmatics

Is it okay if I say this was maybe my most favorite wedding ever? I know I shouldn’t play favorites, but this is a special occasion.
Lillian is my good friends Mo and Peter’s daughter, that made it special right from the start. But take a look, it was all just beautiful.
Let’s start with Lillian’s dress, purchased at Unbridaled here in Austin and made perfect with the pale blue petticoat by friend
and designer Jerri Kunz. Caleb made his suit his own by carrying the pocket watch his father-in-law had given him and pairing
it with amazing shoes. I loved the many blues they chose found in the groomsmen ties and the bridesmaids dresses, and then
repeated in the reception decorations and table settings. All in all it was a wonderful evening.

Listed below are just a few of the others that made this event special:

coordinator: aimee at  lizze belle event planning
catering: royal fig
bouquet and boutonnieres: violet crown designs
DJ: Will Fiveash
Cupcakes: Delish
Ceremony and first dance music: Jon Notarthomas and Aimee Bobruk
Ring Dish: Paloma’s Nest

Congratulations Caleb and Lillian!

From my very first meeting with Erika and Bernard, which they both attended, I understood that they would be a wonderful couple
to get to know and work with, so I was delighted when the chose us to be their wedding photographers.

Their wedding weekend started with a rehearsal dinner at the historic Driskill Hotel, and then the following day the ceremony
and reception took place at a new location named the Cypress Club, which is a part of The Reserve at Lake Travis.
Kristi of Barbara’s Brides made certain the day flowed effortlessly and Verbena Floral Design and The Cake Plate made it all
that more delightful. The hopping dance floor courtesy of Austin Wedding Jookbox.

I just want to say thank you here to Erika and Bernard, you made our job so easy and enjoyable. I wish you all the best in your
life together. Congratulations!

Stephanie and Bill were married here in Austin recently on a late February date with blue skies, sun and 70 degrees temperature.
The Shoreline Grill was the perfect venue with it’s outdoor gazebo and prime location alongside Ladybird Lake. As you can see
from the photos below, red roses were everywhere. They were the perfect accent to the bridesmaid’s black dresses and the green
of  the landscape.

Thanks Stephanie and Bill for including us on this wonderful day!