Austin Wedding at Kindred Oaks | Jennifer + Sean

Beer burros are thing, girls, and we are 100% on board with it.

Married in Texas at Kindred Oaks, Jennifer and Sean enjoyed each other, cute beer burros (scroll down to see!), amazing BBQ, and gorgeous garden-rustic style on their wedding day.

Perhaps even more important is the practical advice our sweet bride offers to others in the middle of planning:

“As part of all the time and effort that goes into planning the wedding, make sure to include pre-marital counseling as part of your wedding day prep. We did pre-marital counseling through our church, Soul City Church in Chicago, but there are a ton of non-church affiliated groups that do pre-marital counseling as well!  We learned so much about ourselves- where we are similar and where we are different, and how that might affect our marriage. From communication skills to finances, we were able to get a head start in building a healthy foundation for our marriage. We also had an amazing mentor couple that have become great friends and some of our biggest supporters! I think making the decision to do pre-marital counseling is such a romantic way to commit to each other before even getting married, and I would highly recommend that all engaged couples consider it!”

Also, we feel it should be mentioned—Jennifer’s mom is the one that discovered Jennifer’s Astrid & Mercedes Divine wedding dress while they were shopping at Serendipity Bridal.  So, ladies, sometimes mom is totally, 100% right!

 

From Jennifer:

Tell us your engagement story!

“He proposed in front of our families while we were back home in Texas for Christmas (we live in Chicago) in the neighborhood I grew up in. It was sweet and we got to celebrate with friends and family afterward!”

wedding dress: Astrid & Mercedes Divine via Serendipity Bridal | photographer:  Angela King Photography | scroll down for vendors list

How did you choose your gown?

“My mom actually picked it out! Since we were planning our wedding from Chicago, we went to Texas only a handful of times to knock a bunch of things out. The first time we went down, I didn’t plan on going wedding dress shopping, but my mom and sister were dying to, so we made a last-minute appointment at Serendipity Bridal in Austin with Kayte. She was incredibly genuine and was so patient as I knew nothing about what kind of dress I wanted. I’m also not a big shopper so last-minute wedding dress shopping was a tad overwhelming! That being said, we narrowed it down to a more figure-forming shape. My mom was perusing the racks in between dresses and pulled one from the rack, and just from looking at it, I knew it checked all my boxes- strapless, lace, but with a bit of a modern flare with the ruching at the top, and the perfect flare at the bottom. Sure enough, I tried it on and it literally fit like a glove! Once we added a jeweled belt and a long lacy veil, that was it! Being a no frills type of gal, I never expected to get a feeling when I found my dress, but I did! It was so much sweeter that my mom picked it out. My mom, sister, and my husband’s sister were able to be there to share the special moment!”

Tell us about your day! Did you have a theme or style in mind?

“The day was beautiful. I wanted a garden rustic style, with blushes, sages and whites to complement the beautiful dark wood and stone of Kindred Oaks. We had succulents and eucalyptus leaves paired with lanterns and candles as centerpieces, and the most beautiful Ruscus and floral garland for our altar. Lace curtains hung from the altar to create a romantic look for the ceremony. My favorite part of the look was our bridesmaid’s dresses. They wore a range of colors from blush to gray, and picked out all their own dresses and shoes. It was great because everyone was able to wear something they loved that they felt confident and comfortable in, and it didn’t break the bank! One of the bridesmaids only paid $30 for her dress! As a bride who was on a budget, the last thing I wanted was to ask my bridesmaids to buy a $300 dress they’d never wear again, so I’m super happy with the way everything turned out! Another thing I loved about our wedding, was that my mom and sister gifted us with beer burros! Beer burros are miniature donkeys that carry little baskets on their backs that hold beer! It’s a very Texas thing, and I was so excited to have them- I think our guests got a kick out of them! We served BBQ and all the fixins’ which was absolutely delicious!”

What’s your funniest wedding day memory?

“The funniest wedding day involves my husband’s group of high school friends (shocker!). They’re all in a fantasy football league together and they have a shared trophy that gets sent to the winner of the league every year- they’ve had it for over 10 years so it’s like part of their family. During the reception, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that they’d brought the trophy and put a bow-tie on it. And then in the pictures, I was so happy that Angela got a picture of it in its own seat at the ceremony! Hilarious and definitely the funniest thing that happened at our wedding.”

What was your favorite wedding day moment?

“My favorite moment really was walking down the aisle. The day itself is so fast and can be a blur, but when you walk down the aisle it’s one of the few times in the day that everything slows down- I mean you literally have to walk slow! So being able to soak it all in, knowing that shortly after I would be married to the best man I’ve ever known, was a surreal and beautiful moment that I’ll never forget.”

Describe your wedding day in 5 words or less:

“Family, Friends, Laughter, Love, Serene.”

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

“We went to San Francisco and Napa Valley! It was a beautiful, low-key trip where we could just rest and recover from all the festivities! We actually had a week’s worth of events leading up to the wedding, so we were very exhausted! We had a bridal shower a few days before, and a Chinese Tea Ceremony 2 days before the wedding. I’m part Chinese and a tea ceremony to celebrate the bride and groom’s families is customary. We had family from both sides there to celebrate and partake in the culture! Our rehearsal dinner was held at Chosun Galbi in Austin- a Korean BBQ restaurant! Sean is part Korean so this was a way we were able to celebrate his culture as well. Our meal was authentically Korean with table top grills and all the Korean fixins’!”

Jennifer + Sean’s Austin Wedding Vendors

wedding dress: Astrid & Mercedes Divine via Serendipity Bridal | photographer:  Angela King Photography | hair + makeup:  MUAH & Co. Beauty Studio | florals: ZuZu’s Petals  | veil: David’s Bridal 

Were you a Lea-Ann Belter bride? We’d love to see your pictures and share your story! Email Jessica@Lea-AnnBelter.com.