Angel Springs Event Center

The Thin Blue Line

2009-12-01T15:29:00.001-06:00

I’ve heard this expression before, but Michele and Joseph really took it to heart. Both the bride and groom are local police officers, and they used the term as a theme for their wedding. Each table had a blue runner on it. And look closely at the centerpieces – they are filled with spent bullet casings!

I love it when brides are willing to personalize their wedding decor with something special to them and a little off-beat (pun intended).

Their cake also had a toper that continued the peace officer theme. Both the bride and groom are armed.

My advise to brides-in-planning: BE BOLD. Make the wedding your own. Your family and friends will enjoy seeing your personality exposed in your choices.

King’s Table

2009-11-01T16:58:00.001-06:00

Here’s a unique idea that is sure to help make your reception unforgettable –seat your wedding party at a King’s Table .

This works especially well if you are planning to have a large wedding party. The dramatic style of a long King’s table allows your entire wedding party to sit with you, and the shear size of it allows you to really get creative with the décor. This bride used candles and a floral arrangement amid a cloud of red created with an additional tablecloth.

The bride and groom were seated at one end of the table, which afforded them a wonderful view of the dance floor and other guest tables.

Not all venues can accommodate a large table like this. The ballroom at Angel Springs, with it’s high ceilings, makes this option look great!

Wedding Fun

2009-10-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons my wife, Norma, and I got into this business is because we enjoy seeing the fun that people have at weddings. A few weeks ago we were privileged to host the wedding of Erin and Evan. The weather was picture perfect, and our photography partner sent us some pictures of the ceremony on our lawn.

Carol, Erin’s Mother, was nice enough to send us these notes:

Hey Anthony and Norma, Thank you so very much for all of your expertise, efforts and counsel. The wedding was great. Norma, Thanks for your special touches and advice. Anthony, thanks for all of your counsel about the practical issues. Amy was great . . . showing up at very critical times with just the right solution (i.e. just when I realized that I had miscounted boutonnieres, Amy walked up with one for my Dad . . putting the finishing touches on as she approached). Everything worked out just as you both said, which is huge considering we were so out of our element. Again, Thanks. You went above and beyond our expectations. Take care, Carol D.

Debra [from Everafter Images], Thank you so much for everything. We knew that we could count on you for memorable photos, but you provided so much more. Your expertise and advice was appreciated. Your willingness and ability to take on the extra (i.e. slipping in the photo op for my dad and his new bride and recording special moments) was above and beyond what we expected. Again, you and Raymond and your whole crew were huge in making the evening special. . . Thank you. Take care, Carol D.

As you can see from Carol’s notes, we’re having even more fun because of the great team that we’ve put together. Erin and Evan chose to take advantage of one of our custom packages, so we had lot’s of our wonderful professional wedding partners there to help.

Congratulations again, Evan and Erin.

Dinosaur Cake?

2009-10-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

Some brides definitely march to a different beat. Alissa recently married Daniel, and she wanted to make sure he had a wonderful surprise. Apparently, Daniel is very into dinosaurs. So Alissa ordered a cake from Judy at Simon Lee Bakery (our vendor partner) to look like one. She said that she wanted it to stand out on the cake table, even if her bride’s cake was not as prominent. I’m happy to report that the bride’s cake looked great, and as you can see from this picture, the dinosaur looked awesome.

(Photos courtesy Everafter Images)

I wish I could have tried a piece. Judy’s cakes always taste great, and how often do you get to eat a dinosaur?

Weather Can Be Unpredictable

2009-08-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

Last weekend is a perfect example. We’ve gone so long without rain that we forgot what it was like, but Nicki and David managed to bring up a storm with their wedding. Shortly after Nicki walked down the aisle, just us the ceremony started, there was a tremendous thunderclap. Nicki and David actually high-fived each other because they were sure that the rain would miss. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Moments later the rain was pouring down, and everyone ran into the ballroom. Especially impressive was Michael Morris of Angelic Strings. He never missed a beat – actually continuing to play his harp even as he walked up onto the porch. Jessica Moore (Something to Celebrate) performed her wedding coordinator duties as masterfully as ever, and in just a few minutes the ceremony continued in a much drier location.

After Nicki and David completed their vows dinner and cake was served. Judy at Simon Lee Bakery provided the cake, wrapped with a ribbon on each tier that matched the wedding color of celadon green. As usual, the cake was yummy!

Then the party really got going. Their DJ had a incredible light show and had everyone jumping on the dance floor.

Congratulations Nicki and David!

Nice Words From a Sweet Couple

2009-07-19T09:34:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while I just have to pass along complements from one of our brides. Kayleigh and Christopher were married at Angel Springs on May 21.

Kayleigh sent us a nice thank you note:

Thank you guys so much for helping us get to and helping us have an absolutely wonderful wedding and reception. Everything was perfect and we couldn’t have asked for more!

Here are some more pictures that I copied from their wedding web site:

Unique Guest Book Idea

2009-06-24T09:56:00.001-05:00

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

2009-06-16T11:50:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-21T22:37:00.001-05:00

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…

2009-04-05T17:08:00.001-05:00

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”

2009-03-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-03-12T21:26:00.000-05:00

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

2009-01-30T20:40:00.000-06:00

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.

Wedding Video Preview

2009-01-21T15:21:00.000-06:00

Clay and Ashlyn were married on December 27, and held their reception at Angel Springs. Our videographer, Second Generation Video, sent us a link the preview trailer from their wedding and reception: http://www.2gvp.com/video/kelso. As you can see from this video they do awesome work.

This is a great example of an all-inclusive custom package available from Angel Springs. Some of the scenes show off the work of our vendor partners like Second Generation Video, Dagar’s Catering, Simon Lee Bakery, Bouquets of Austin, and Cynthia’s Manhattan Limousine. Not visible in the trailer, but nonetheless important part of the package were Everafter Images photography, Complete Music DJ, and Austin Wedding Planners. Here are a couple of photos that I shot.

Bridal Extravaganza

2009-01-14T22:45:00.001-06:00

This past weekend was the Wedding Guide Bridal Extravaganza. This was definitely the biggest show we have ever been involved in. There were over 350 vendors filling up the largest hall at the convention center.

Wow.

We hope that you made it by our booth to visit with us:

We haven’t yet received the list of brides that signed up at the door, but I’m sure that there were thousands of you. If you signed up then you’ll soon be hearing from us in an email inviting you to drop by and visit. If you didn’t make it to the show then come on by anyway – we have a casual drop-in open house every Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30. No appointment needed.

We’re Going to Be on TV (This Time For Sure!)

2008-11-28T16:28:00.001-06:00

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, Angel Springs Event Center will be featured on an upcoming episode of "The Wedding Planners" on WE TV. The episode is schedule to be premiere on December 14, 2008, at 9:00 pm local time on We TV (Suddenlink channel 179 - Time Warner channel 28).

The show, which was filmed in March, is about wedding planners and the tasks that they undertake while designing and successfully managing a wedding and reception.

The wedding planners highlighted in this episode, Kathy Millen and Vivian Miller, own Austin Wedding Planners (www.austinweddingplanners.com), one of Austin’s premiere wedding coordination companies. They were contacted by the show’s producers about being the subject of an episode and initially turned them down. Millen said “We were just so busy that we didn’t think we had the time to spend.” The producers persisted and Millen and Miller agreed to the project.

Millen contacted Anthony and Norma Beissner, the owners of Angel Springs, to see if they would be interested in hosting the production crew during an upcoming wedding at Angel Springs. “There are so many nice venues in the Leander / Cedar Park area that a bride can pick from the beautiful Hill Country to Lake Travis. There is something for everyone. One of our favorite venues is Angel Springs Events Center,” said Millen. One of the reasons that the producers chose to tape the wedding at Angel Springs was because of the scenic and secluded Hill Country setting.

About one and a half weeks before the actual wedding there was a full day of taping background material at Angel Springs. The TV production crew set up a studio in the ballroom and used it to tape interviews with the bride and groom. They also staged meetings with several of the other wedding vendors involved in their reception. It was a rainy day, so they taped some scenes outside to heighten the drama. Anthony Beissner said “We gave a tour of our outdoor wedding ceremony site to the couple and the wedding planners. The director said that showing the nervous reaction of the bride would make good television. Thankfully the weather was perfect on the actual wedding day.”

Beissner said he was amazed at how much was involved in filming. “We had never been involved in anything like this before. The day of the wedding there were two full film crews shooting the show while we still had a wedding ceremony and reception to manage. However, the crews stayed very low key – they knew that the focus that day needed to be the couple that was getting married.”

Laura and Ross Davies, they newlyweds, seemed very pleased with the results of everyone’s efforts. Their wedding involved over a dozen wedding vendors, from catering and cakes to photography and videography. The job of making sure that all of these companies seamlessly performed their jobs to produce a synchronized end result fell to the wedding planners. Because Laura and Ross are both swim instructors Laura chose a wedding theme of “water”, and the Austin Wedding Planners made sure that the many wedding professionals involved in the event stayed true to Laura’s vision. All of the vendors involved in the wedding really went the extra mile to support the project.

Almost everything went smoothly during the reception, but there were a couple of small hiccups. These really highlighted the reason couples choose to make use of a wedding planner. Miller said “We take care of issues behind the scenes so that the couple and their family never know about them.”

We invite you to watch the show and the let us know what you think! If you miss the premiere, the show will be rebroadcast at the following times:

Monday, December 15 at 1:00 am
Monday, December 15 at 10:00 pm
Tuesday, December 16 at 1:00 am
Wednesday, December 17 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, December 21 at 10:00 pm
Sunday, December 28 at noon

Beautiful Fall Weather is Here

2008-10-26T12:51:00.001-05:00

Fall is a wonderful time of year at Angel Springs. The weather can be fantastic, with sunny skies and cool evening temperatures. One family took advantage of the wonderful weather to hold their rehearsal dinner at Angel Springs. Several tables were set on the lawn so that their guests could enjoy the perfect evening. The centerpieces and table settings looked great in the outdoor setting.

The next day, for their reception, they continued the autumn theme with the decorations on the tables. The tan, brown, and orange colors used in the centerpieces picked up some of the same shades from the stone wall in the ballroom. The result was a beautifully coordinated palette that filled the entire room.

We are blessed that fall weather often lasts several months here in central Texas. When planning your event you can often anticipate pleasant temperatures from mid-September until late December. So take advantage of the great outdoors at Angel Springs. Call today to arrange a time to drop by and discuss your fall-weather plans.

Wedding MBA

2008-09-29T12:08:00.001-05:00

Norma and I spent a very invigorating week in Phoenix at the Wedding Merchants Business Academy. It is important for us to continue educating ourselves to improve service to you, our clients. There were some fascinating speakers and we can't wait to begin incorporating what we've learned into our business.

We also met lots of interesting people from all over the world and right here in Texas. One very nice photographer from Dallas took out picture with Will Hegarty, the organizer of the conference. The photographer was Dwayne Lee (www.sflair.com). If you are in the Dallas area you should give him a call. He is very friendly and would be easy to work with to satisfy your photography needs.

Even If You Choose Another Location

2008-09-17T09:26:00.001-05:00

Christie S. and her fiancé, who are from Waco, visited with us earlier this week. It's nice to know that people fall in love with Angel Springs even if they decide to have their wedding elsewhere:

Anthony and Norma,

Thank you so much for opening your beautiful event center to my fiance and myself on Monday night. We both loved it but we have decided to hold it at a friend's ranch outside of Waco. I did want to say though that out of several of the places I viewed, your center was the nicest and most well kept and peaceful of them all. I will recommend Angel Springs to everyone,

Sincerely,

Christie S.

Premiere Party

2008-09-11T12:59:00.001-05:00

WE tv update! Even though the show has been postponed until December 14, the producers were nice enough to send us an advance copy. So Kathie and Viv from Austin Wedding Planners threw a premier party! Here they are as they welcomed the huge crowd of wedding vendors and previous clients.

After we enjoyed some refreshments they played the video. Here's a scene that was filmed at our ceremony site on the lawn under the trees.

Everyone had a great time, and we were very pleased with the outcome. I'm happy to say that even Norma and Anthony made their national TV debut.

Keep watching this blog -- as soon as we have a confirmed date and time we will post the details so that you can watch, too!

We're Going to be on TV!

2008-08-04T10:26:00.001-05:00

NOTICE: While we are still going to be on TV, we recently received notice that our show will not air until December. Go figure...

We will post a message when we get a new schedule.

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, Angel Springs Event Center will be featured on an upcoming episode of "The Wedding Planners" on WE tv. We recently heard that the episode is schedule to be broadcast on September 7, 2008 at 10:00 pm local time on WE tv(Suddenlink channel 179 - Time Warner channel 28).

The show, which was filmed in March, is about wedding planners and the tasks that they undertake while designing and successfully managing a wedding and reception.

Millen contacted Anthony and Norma Beissner, the owners of Angel Springs, to see if they would be interested in hosting the production crew during an upcoming wedding at Angel Springs. “There are so many nice venues in the Leander / Cedar Park area that a bride can pick from the beautiful Hill Country to Lake Travis. There is something for everyone. One of our favorite venues is Angle Springs Events Center,” said Millen. One of the reasons that the producers chose to tape the wedding at Angel Springs was because of the scenic and secluded Hill Country setting.

We invite you to watch the show and the let us know what you think!

Austin Bridal Secrets

2008-07-25T17:11:00.001-05:00

There's a (fairly) new web site in town. "Austin Bridal Secrets" (http://www.austinbridalsecrets.com/) is a blog and podcast set up to help brides find vendors. We had so much fun being interviewed by R.J., the DJ. He has a very easygoing style and a pleasant voice. We invite you to listen to our interview (http://austinbridalsecrets.com/2008/07/22/norma-and-anthony-beissner--angelspringseventscom.aspx) and learn a little bit more about us. While you're there take a few extra minutes to hear from some of our other favorite vendors, like Ray and Debra from EverAfterImages.com, Kathie and Michelle from AustinWeddingPlanners.com, and Michael and Belinda of Angelic Strings.

Sapphire Wedding Package

2008-07-02T15:16:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed hosting the recent wedding and reception for Laura and Brett. They chose the Sapphire package with a few upgrades, and everything turned out great! Here's what Laura's Mom and Dad had to say:

We wanted to take a few minutes to thank both of you for all the hard work you put in for our daughter's wedding! The whole setting was ideal.

When we started the "wedding" process months ago there were so many dreams that we wanted to fulfill for our daughter and her wedding. Yet we were on a budget. A friend of a friend gave us your name and when Laura looked at the website she fell in love. Your facilities are great. Just the right mixture of classic beauty and a comforting "I'm Home" feeling. Not knowing anything the two of you walked us through the whole process and put us at ease. Your kindness and patience showed throughout our emails and last minute phone calls. It was a most joyous occasion because of the two of you and the personnel you assembled for the packages. Your package was great for us since our daughter was out of state and very detail oriented and her Mother is not (her own admission). To know that we had all the bases covered with the package deal gave her Mother and I a much needed peace of mind.

Overall the venue was everything we wanted for our daughter's (and now son-in-law's) big day. Thanks for making Laura's dream wedding come true. Thank you for the fantastic memories.

We don't have the professional pictures yet, but here are a couple that we took ourselves.

Wonderful Couple

2008-05-29T14:53:00.001-05:00

The couple who celebrated their wedding with their friends and family this last week were great! She had a Polynesian theme wedding that she carried through all phases of decoration and food.

Photo courtesy of Third Coast Photography

We received a nice note of appreciation from them:

Anthony & Norma

Thank you so much for having a beautiful place like Angel Springs, sharing our wedding day with us and just being good people. From the bottom of our hearts thank you for everything.

Mahalo,
David and Irene

Pok-e-Jo's catering came through with some great food to match the theme. The night ended with their departure in a limo provided by Cynthia's Manhattan Limousine.

Recent Reception

2008-05-18T16:07:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we hosted a reception for a great family -- Allyssa & Matthew were married at First Baptist Church in Georgetown and had a party at Angel Springs afterwards. Molly, Allyssa's Mom, had this to say:

We wanted to tell you how magnificent the reception was for everyone! Everything looked wonderful and I know that we definitely chose the right venue. Thank you for helping us through this exciting and special occasion for Allyssa & Matthew. ... I know that everyone is still talking about that evening. I hope that it will bring more business your way. We hope to see you again in the future. Best wishes and thank you.

Here is a picture from the reception, which featured one of our favorite caterers, Crave Catering.