Deep in the Heart of Bride, Groom and City: Weddings in Downtown Austin

Gorgeous Cake by Sentelli's Bakery 

This past weekend I performed a pair of back-to-back ceremonies in the heart of downtown Austin. Very often weddings take me deep out into the Hill Country, or up north aways to Casa Blanca in Round Rock or Kindred Oaks in Georgetown, or into the 04 at Mercury Hall or Green Pastures. But sometimes I do get invited to do the honors at weddings that are right in the bustling center of it all.

Wedding #1 happened at the Palm Door. I always wonder if the owners are pun lovers like me and knew, when they named this place, it sounds like Palme d'Or, as in the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Unlike a flashy trophy, however, the spot has sort of a secret, tucked away feeling even though it is on the bustling edge of the 6th Street District. While some venues are ornate, the Palm Door is one of those blank slate places that allows couples to completely transform it into whatever they'd like. In this case, the bride chose a La Dia de los Muertos theme, executed by Keri Wootton and her team at Leave the Details to Me. As ever, Keri did a fantastic job from the Mexican paper banners spanning the ceiling to the wonderfully whimsical wedding cake with the skeleton bride and groom topper.

When I arrived at the wedding, I spotted a stunning vintage car in the parking lot, surrounded by groom and groomsmen. I asked if it was a rental for the day. Nope. Turns out the groom bought it as a wedding gift for the bride. Not only that, he bought it in Tennessee, had it shipped to Austin for the wedding, and will have it shipped back to their place on the East Coast now. Being a huge fan of old cars, I immediately asked the groom if he might like a second wife. (He politely declined.)

Right after the ceremony the couple took off in the car for a quick drive around downtown (a bigger madhouse than usual since it was a game day) before returning for the reception. I had to miss the reception (and most regrettably the mariachi band) but for good cause. As soon as Wedding #1 wrapped, I had to make a dash over to the French Legation Museum on San Marcos Street, just east of I-35, for Wedding #2. I know people usually describe dashes as "mad dashes" but, in fact, these venues are so close to each other I probably could've walked and made it on time.

In between weddings.

The French Legation Museum, if you've not been or heard of it, is a tres magnifique place to have a wedding. Not only is it beautiful and conveniently located, it has a really great history. The main house was built a long time ago, when Austin was a young town, and Texas was still a republic. The sprawling lawn and massive Live Oak trees make for a stunning setting. And the bride's room is above a carriage house, which is guarded down below by one enormous but very friendly tiger kitty.

Le chat d'gard at the French Legation Museum.

Wedding #2 was for a couple I didn't know prior to them contacting me, however since they're Austinites and I'm an Austinite and this town can be so small (mostly in a very good way), we had common friends, some of whom were at the wedding. It's always fun to look out on the congregation and see a familiar face or two, and I stuck around for a little bit of the reception, too, to catch up with these friends.

View from the top of the carriage house stairs.

The wedding itself was perfect, if I do say so myself. As is always the case, I worked very closely with the couple to come up with a ceremony that was truly about them and their love for each other. In this case, their love for each other included admiration for each other's parenting skills-- they have an adorable little baby. So when we were done with the vow exchange, we transitioned to a baby blessing. (Baby blessings are something I've added to my repertoire in the past year or so, my first one being for the baby of a couple whose wedding I performed back in 2007.)

After the ceremony, all the guests gathered at elegantly set tables up on the far lawn while the family took a little time for pictures in front of the main house, the one with the big, beautiful porch that makes me want to just sit and knit all day. The sky was fantastically overcast, threatening to rain without following through, and a nice breeze whipped the tablecloths into a happy little frenzy. Really a spectacular evening.

Whether you're getting married in Austin proper, out in the Hill Country, or need an officiant to travel with you to, say, Paris, I can help you out. For info on my Austin wedding officiant services, please check out my Custom Hitches Weddings website.