A Natural, Texas Wildflower-Inspired Wedding at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas

In January of 2007, the family of Melissa Smith (25, early intervention specialist) moved two doors down from William Tausend (27, dermatology resident) in Clear Lake, but it would take two years and a party 120 miles away for them to meet. Melissa and William both attended a mutual friend’s Halloween party at Texas A&M University: Melissa was there for the party and William was there for the study break. They instantly recognized each other as neighbors and talked for the first time. Talking turned into flirting and a few months later these neighbors were a couple. William proposed to Melissa on a surprise trip to the Texas Hill Country on a luxury, safari-style retreat, which framed the Texas wildflower theme of their wedding day. “My dream wedding was one that would be amongst the wildflowers,” says Melissa, so when she saw that the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas was available to book during the peak of blooming season, she jumped on the opportunity. Melissa and William’s invitations were printed on thin pieces of wood, giving guests a sneak preview of the natural beauty they would see at the wedding. Melissa looked ethereal in her champagne asymmetrical sheath gown with a white lace overlay and a cathedral veil, surrounded by bluebonnets and the breathtaking beauty of Texas fields. The entire wedding exuded Southern elegance and the beautiful colors of the Texas landscape.