1. Real Weddings

An Outdoor Wedding in Austin, TX

Stephanie had just moved from Colorado to Texas when she met Jeremy while out cycling. They got to know each other on long rides on nearby trails and

Stephanie had just moved from Colorado to Texas when she met Jeremy while out cycling. They got to know each other on long rides on nearby trails and soon realized that they had a lot in common -- including matching Subaru wagons. After two-and-a-half years together (and many, many miles), the couple started to talk about marriage. The Bride Stephanie Mayabb, 30, literary publicist The Groom Jeremy Ridge, 31, software consultant The Date April 4 One night, Jeremy took Stephanie out to dinner, but made a point to tell her that it wasn’t “the night.” She bought it and was then completely surprised to return home and find hundreds of candles and photos of them during their three years together laid out around the space. Jeremy popped the question, but not before getting a text from his friends that said, “Hurry, lots of fire!”

Spider mums were attached to chairs with ribbon, lining the aisle. The bright colors jumped off the dark chairs.
Dahlias, pincushion protea, poppies, ranunculus and spider mums popped against the bridesmaids’ bright dresses. Looping lily grass tied their bouquets in with the bride’s flowers.
A photo of the couple on their bikes brought their theme into the entrance area near the sign-in table. The same photo appeared on the save-the-dates.
Looping lily grass added a subtle, modern edge to Stephanie’s mix of hydrangeas, tulips, freesia, ranunculus, gerbera daisies and lisianthus.
Low, garden-inspired arrangements of poppies, tulips and wheatgrass decorated half of the tables, while wrought-iron trees with hanging votives topped the others.
The couple incorporated their Parisian theme into the shortbread cookie bags by attaching tags that said, “Thank you very much!” in French.
A bright sash worked the main wedding color into Stephanie’s Romona Keveza trumpet-style gown. For the ceremony, she went with a champagne-colored sash.
The groomsmen wore their own suits along with matching polka-dot ties. Jeremy stood out in a paisley tie in the same shade.
The bicycle and Paris themes combined for the cake topper, which sat on top of the buttercream-frosted cake. Fondant poppies brought in the color scheme.
The couple said their vows in front of an iron screen that the bride’s mother and grandmother spruced up with smilax, tulips and spider mums.
To line the aisle, the couple used votives resting on iron holders tied with flowing, sheer ribbon.
Stephanie wanted “an unconventional environment for an unconventional wedding” and chose Hamilton Twelve for its natural setting, proximity to the city center and laid-back vibe. It didn’t hurt that the in-house catering had been featured in Gourmet, either!
Stephanie and Jeremy ate dinner at their own table. The bride’s mother made the runner, which matched the other playful orange details.
The three maids chose between two variations of J.Crew’s cotton cady dress so that each woman in the spotlight would feel comfortable.
Stephanie added a second splash of color to her look (the first was her sash!) with poppy-inspired heels.