Unique Guest Book Idea

We have been working with an artist here in the north Austin area to develop a unique guest book idea.  Many couples at Angel Springs use a photo of themselves mounted on a large mat for their guests to sign.  The resulting collage of signatures is then framed and hung in their new home as a daily reminder of the wonderful friends and family that attended their reception.

If you are a little non-traditional, and want something a bit more fun than your standard engagement photo, why not use a caricature instead?  Here’s  a sample of what it might look like:

Our artist will create a unique piece of art with your faces!  The resulting print will be mounted on a 32” by 42” foam board for your guest’s signatures.

If you are interested in learning more, then give us a call at Angel Springs: 512-535-6584, or email us at info@AngelSpringsEvents.com.  If you are an Angel Springs bride we can add this service to your package. 

Spring Wedding

We had the privilege of hosting one of our other favorite photographers last month.  Stephanie and Joseph brought in Michael Hooks (www.hookedphoto.com) to photograph their wedding.  As you can see, he does beautiful work.

Sometimes its the little details that make a wedding special, like these shots of Stephanie’s shoes or the roses on the parents chairs.

Our lawn where we host the ceremonies always looks great in the Springtime.  Stephanie and Joseph are headed back inside for their wonderful reception.

Here’s a photo of their Spring-inspired table decorations.   (My photo, not Michael’s.  See "Professional Pictures" to understand why I point this out.)

Professional Pictures

I have just a few words about why I’m a “believer.” 

While growing up in the 60s and 70s, we always had a family member or friend of the family with a 35mm camera take pictures at family weddings.  That’s just the way it was.  We never even considered hiring a professional photographer.  I don’t know if it was the cost, or if they were harder to find back then.  But all of my experience with wedding pictures and albums was based on what I saw produced by amateurs.

Don’t get me wrong.  Some of the pictures were great.  But here was rarely a real album.  And only occasionally an enlargement. 

Then I got into the wedding business.  My eyes have been opened.  The combination of experience and professional equipment just can’t be beat.  Yes, as I was growing up, some of the pictures were great.  But photos I’ve seen taken by a professional are almost always better than the best ones I recall from my younger years. 

It’s not just the formal poses of wedding parties and families.  Even our family friend photographers got those.  It just took them longer to take because they didn’t have the practice in directing people.  Pros also know the best angles during the ceremony.  They know when to use a telephoto and when to use a wide angle.  And they have those extra lenses and other pro equipment.  Few family friends are going to have the same, expensive, latest equipment as the pros.

As an example, I’ll post a few pictures from the recent wedding of Valerie and Ryan.  I took the pictures posted in my previous blog entry about the same wedding.  I thought they were pretty good, but these from Everafter Images are really a cut above.  We also have a few of their sample albums that we can show you when you visit us at Angel Springs. 

April Showers…

made our lawn look great!  Jennifer and Ricky took advantage of the beautiful April weather to get married on the lawn at Angel Springs.  

In this photo, Jennifer’s Dad walks her out the back door. 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the aisle, lined with rose petals, she and Ricky take their vows under the trees.

 

 

 

After the ceremony, the reception was held in the ballroom.  The groom’s cake (from Cakes by Gayle) looked great in front of the window.  Chocolate, yum!  There’s a nice view of the guests on the lawn, enjoying the outdoors.

Way to “go”

Although it was a bit cool this past weekend, Valerie and Ryan still wanted to have their outdoor wedding.  A last minute choice to hold the wedding ceremony on the porch helped keep everyone in the bridal party a bit more comfortable, and we set heaters on the lawn for the guests.

The reception hall was beautifully decorated in shades of watermelon and brown.  Floral centerpieces, provided by Bouquets of Austin (www.BouquetsOfAustin.com), consisted of Stargazer lilies to match Valerie’s bouquet.  They were very elegant, and confirmed why we chose to make Bouquets of Austin a partner in our packages.

 

Once they were finished with the formal pictures that followed the ceremony, Valerie and Ryan joined their 160 guests in the ballroom.  A BBQ dinner was followed by dancing.

After a wonderful party, what an elegant way to depart.  Guests tossed rose petals, and Valerie and Ryan slipped into their stretch limo to leave.  The limo was provided by Cynthia’s Manhattan Limousine (www.CynthiasLimo.com), another of our package vendors.  Her cars are always  the latest models, and always spotlessly clean.

Congratulations again to Valerie and Ryan!

Wedding Carriage Ride

April and Clayton got “hitched” last weekend.  April knew exactly how she wanted her wedding ceremony to climax.  So as they were walking up the aisle after their kiss, a horse and carriage were driving up to meet them.  It was very dramatic.

The Cinderella carriage was provided by Angeli Carriages (www.acarriage.com) and was pulled by a giant Percheron named Cormier.

After the ceremony and pictures with the horse, the newlyweds were greeted by their reception guests in the ballroom.  Decorated in shades of lavender and purple, each table was adorned with a unique floral arrangement.

We wish both April and Clayton a long and joyful marriage!

Liz and Mike

Liz and Mike were married at Angel Springs on December 20.  They were nice enough to write us a thank you note:

Thank you so much for working with us and all the vendors to make our wedding perfect!  We really appreciate all you did.  Angel Springs was beautiful and we got so many compliments on what a beautiful place it was.  We hope you had a wonderful holidays!

Thanks,

Liz and Mike

They decorated our ballroom beautifully.  The gold chargers were very striking.

The cakes looked great placed on a table in front of a window with the back lawn visible behind them.