1. Real Weddings

A Traditional Wedding in Austin, TX

It was love at first click for Amy and Gerald. The pair met on Match.com and happened to be each other’s first date through the website -- and the las

It was love at first click for Amy and Gerald. The pair met on Match.com and happened to be each other’s first date through the website -- and the last! They emailed back and forth and then decided to meet at a coffee shop. They hit it off after discovering their mutual desire to slow down -- both were working crazy hours. The Bride Amy Kopycinski, 28, event designer and business owner The Groom Gerald Bodle, 34, real estate broker and business owner The Date February 21 It was only fitting, then, when Gerald decided to propose to Amy at the very same shop. On the way over, he finally got up the nerve to pop the question. Amy said yes, although she wasn’t sure he was being serious until he pulled out the ring!

Notes were tied to mini bottles of Grey Goose vodka. Guests also took home bags full of red vintage candy, including licorice wheels, rock-candy sticks and cherry malt balls.
Italian string lighting and hundreds of candles around the room created a soft glow over the tables and dance floor, softening the venue’s brick walls.
Amy changed into stockings, shorts and a shirt (she kept the heels on!) before making her grand exit with Gerald. They hopped on bikes with “Just Married” signs on the backs.
The couple exchanged traditional vows at St. Mary’s Cathedral—the oldest Catholic church in Austin. The site’s unique architecture and detailed windows were so beautiful, they decided to forgo flowers.
The DJ played Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover” for the couple’s first dance. Afterward, Amy danced with her father to Led Zeppelin’s “All My Love.”
A cupcake tower and dessert table took the place of a traditional cake. The couple ordered a small cake to cut, which was decorated with the topper from Amy’s parents’ wedding cake.
Amy incorporated her color scheme into her look by adding a chiffon sash and black, satin buttons to her lace, mermaid-style dress.
At the reception, guests were invited to snuggle up with blankets, drinks and each other while hanging out on leather chairs. Shag rugs and lanterns upped the homey, festive vibe.
The couple’s initials hung from the bar, bringing their theme and colors into all aspects of the reception.
Since they had open seating, the couple marked their table with a handmade sign. It was placed over the table runners made of birdcage netting, ribbon and buttons.
Guests wrote messages to the bride and groom on cards printed with the same design as the ceremony programs before dropping them in wire baskets.
Amy added a love note to Gerald on the soles of her patent-leather pumps. “They were sweet and sassy and so comfortable to dance in!” she says.
Fabric fastened with knots wrapped around the chiavari chairs. Guests got to choose their own seats, which made for a laid-back atmosphere.
A carnation wreath with the couple’s monogram personalized the front of Gerald’s Chrysler 300, which the couple rode in from the church to the reception.
Low Rose Centerpieces
Cards printed with a newspaper design and tied with striped ribbon held the ceremony details, which included a tear-jerking rendition of “Ave Maria” by the groom’s cousin.
Silver and mercury-glass candlesticks balanced out the rose centerpieces. The best part: Guests could easily see each other from across the table.
The chef, straight from New Orleans, cooked Southern comfort food with an upscale twist, including blackened salmon, sweet-potato gratin, fried green tomatoes and cornbread.