1. Real Weddings

A Modern Southwestern Wedding at the Capri in Marfa, Texas

Valerie and Mitty chose a destination wedding in the hipster haven of Marfa, Texas, for their April wedding. With guests traveling there for the weeke

Valerie and Mitty chose a destination wedding in the hipster haven of Marfa, Texas, for their April wedding. With guests traveling there for the weekend, they planned a modern wedding influenced by the surrounding desert, drawing from the colors of the west Texas sunsets. The ceremony and the reception were held at the Capri Lounge, and decorations were heavy in succulents and greenery, along with custom signs outside the venue. They mixed long and round tables and varied the decor throughout the space, ranging from wooden boxes used in a lot of family functions to some pretty great terrariums. Invitations and signs were made by Valerie's sisters and friends. "For portraits we visited the renowned Ballroom Marfa and the supercool Cobra Rock Boot Company and made sure to carve out time at sunset for couples' photos in the desert," Valerie says. Group portraits were taken in front of their venue so the custom sign was in the background. —Jane Kellogg Murray

The maid of honor—Valerie's sister—designed the couple's save-the-dates and wedding invitations while living overseas. "It was the perfect way to include her in planning and get some unique, one-of-a-kind invites," the bride says. Potted succulents, which doubled as wedding favors, were a labor of love from Valerie's mom and some of her closest friends; they painted the pots, potted the plants and added ribbon and labels.
Since the majority of Valerie's and Mitty's families live in San Antonio, many guests expected the wedding to take place there. But west Texas was more meaningful to the couple, who spent the majority of their relationship traversing through this beautiful desert town to see each other. "Marfa is very much a place that you have to plan to visit," the bride says. "We wanted our wedding to be different and unforgettable, and we wanted our guests to experience the beauty of Marfa."
The couple replaced the Capri's iconic sign with a custom sign of their own, designed by Valerie's friend.
Valerie chose a fun pair of shoes as her "something blue," which coordinated with the navy in their palette.
Marfa’s slogan is, “Tough to get to. Tougher to explain. But once you get there, you get it.” The thoughtful details of this southwestern Texas wedding created the perfect combination of desert meets upscale class.
The groomsmen and bridesmaids got ready for the event in rented vacation homes, which are prevalent throughout the hippie haven of Marfa. Like the bridesmaids, the groomsmen's suits were a mix of darker gray and navy.
"I gave my bridesmaids the picture of the desert sunset we’d been using as inspiration and told them to find a dress that they loved within those colors," Valerie says.
Valerie found her dress—a fitted, backless lace gown—at a consignment shop in Houston, Texas, and worked closely with a seamstress to alter it to fit her body perfectly. To make the dress even more special, the seamstress incorporated pieces of lace from Valerie's mother's dress.
Valerie and Mitty wanted to be the sole focus of their wedding ceremony, so they added a few simple decorations to the venue: candles lining a water feature and a Southwest-themed aisle runner. "The ceremony was short, to the point, and accomplished the ultimate goal of the day: get married," Valerie says. Once pronounced as husband and wife, the wedding party walked out to "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire.
String lights added atmosphere above the dance floor to the modern space, while French country chairs in a light wood tone echoed the hues of the wooden ceiling rafters for an effortless look.
The couple used lower table centerpieces so guests could talk to one another with ease. Table decor included natural wood and clay elements, accentuated by beautiful pastel flowers and handmade mini succulent plants that doubled as favors for guests to take home with them.
The couple skipped formal traditions like the cake cutting as well as the bouquet and garter toss. "Nobody mentioned it, so we assume nobody missed it," Valerie says.
The couple used local artisans for their food, floral, cakes and custom signage. "We wanted to keep the decor simple yet classy," Valerie says.
In true Texas fashion, Mitty and Valerie love two-stepping, so they two-stepped their first dance to "Ride With Me" by country crooner Cody Johnson.
"We didn’t follow tradition in a number of ways, which is very us," the bride says. The intimate ceremony setting was Valerie's dream, while Mitty wanted a party. "So we had both and it was perfect."
Instead of leaving the party, the couple planned a mock send-off at 10 p.m., so their older guests had the chance to be a part of all the wedding festivities while still being given the opportunity to leave at an acceptable time. "We came back and partied the night away," the bride says.