Another October-- aka Wedding Whirlwind Month-- Draws to a Close

They begin their married life together as I conclude another busy October.

This past weekend was super-light for me. I just had one ceremony-- a truly lovely affair on Friday night at Mercury Hall. This wedding was my last one for October-- I think I did 13 all together but it felt more like 53. Though April certainly gives October a run for the money, I think October wins as the most consistently busy wedding month in Austin.

And why is October so busy? Because October is the June of Austin, weather-wise. And while you can risk a chill factor if you get married outside during this month, I think October holds less of a rain threat. (You know the old poem is about April Showers, not October Showers.) Then again, considering the drought, maybe the rain threat is minimized year round now, though I am recalling October 9th, when I had three weddings and the skies opened up. Still, all three were held outside, with the rain pausing for each ceremony.

The groomsmen make their Oceans 11 entrance.

For my final October 2011 wedding, the couple traveled here to have a destination wedding in Austin. Austin, as it turns out, is pretty darn popular as a wedding destination. That makes a lot of sense-- there is no shortage of awesome things for guests to do if they want to fly into town a few days early or stay a few days after. And as one couple pointed out to me recently, Austin can be very convenient if, say, the bride's family is from one coast and the groom's is from the other, as is the case for them. Choosing a fun spot in the middle of the map means no one has to deal with the hassle and expense of flying all the way across the country. Plus, of course, everyone gets to eat BBQ.

Also, call me biased, but I think Austin provides a most excellent wedding vibe if I may tiptoe toward being ever so slightly New Agey. The energy here is fun and playful and hap-hap-happy and so, I say, that makes it a very auspicious place to begin heading down Wedded Bliss Highway.

I've seen a lot of beautiful cakes in my day but man, is this gorgeous or what? Those are golden raspberries you see, held in place by sheets of white chocolate. The genius behind the cake? Scott Calvert, the chef at The Cake Plate.

And-- not that you probably need any more convincing that Austin is a spectacular place for a destination wedding-- the natural beauty here is just stunning. In town there are lots of beautiful places to get married outside: The Umlauf Sculpture Garden, Mayfield Park, Laguna Gloria, the lawn of the Four Seasons, Green Pastures, Barr Mansion (and on and on and on). And out in the Hill Country there is also a selection that is pretty amazing. Lots of ranchy places like Red Corral Ranch and Star Hill Ranch and Hamilton Twelve.

Friday's lovely bride, calm, happy and ready to go!

Often when a couple tells me their families are flying in from afar, I tell them that if they need a list of suggested Things to Do, Places to Eat, Things to See that they shouldn't hesitate to ask me. I am Austin's biggest cheerleader and, for a little while, I even had a job writing thirteen blog post each week for JetBlue Airways, letting the world know about the wonders and secrets of Austin. Thanks to that job plus twenty years of living passionately in Austin, I'm sitting on a gold mine of suggestions, and it is always my pleasure to share this knowledge with folks coming to town for an Austin or Hill Country wedding.

This is Christian Barbuto of Altared Wedding Productions. Not only is he a kick ass DJ, he is also totally on top of it. He helped line up the wedding party, was in fifty places at once, and was just a major asset to the whole event. 

And here is Kristin Stephens, principal at Austin Catering, putting on some final touches before the reception. 

If you want to know more about my work as a wedding officiant, including testimonials, please drop by my wedding website. It would be my honor and my pleasure to perform your wedding.