A Stress-Free Wedding for 15 Guests at a Historic Estate in Austin, Texas

Back to Basics

Lexie and Erik planned their event on such a short timeline that she had trouble finding a wedding dress that would arrive in time. "A lot of the gowns were about three months out from when I ordered, and I could pay a rush fee, but they weren't able to guarantee delivery," she says. "My approach then became to find something I could buy off a floor somewhere—which I did, and then had a tailor royally mess the top of the dress up." As she went into "damage control mode," she asked the Houston BHLDN to pull everything in her size—including the crisp organza Jenny Yoo ball gown with a full skirt and back bow she eventually chose. "I ended up loving the dress I went with, and it didn't feel like a dress I settled on," she says. "I went with the one that felt more classic and timeless." Her takeaway? "Everything always works out for the best."

Taking a Bow

The bride added something blue—Loeffler Randall "Camellia" knotted sandals—to her other accessories, which included a Maison Monik pearl necklace and BHLDN earrings. "The gold bracelet I wore is something my mom gifted me years ago that used to be hers," she says. Her engagement ring, custom-made by Herfort Diamond Factory, also had a family connection: "My dad had my mom's ring made here, so this is where Erik had my ring made," she says.

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Girls in White

Their two flower girls wore linen dresses—"so they'd be comfortable and easy for them to run around in," says Lexie—and white sandals. Each girl also received a flower crown before the ceremony began.

Buttoned Up

Erik chose a pale aqua tie from The Tie Bar to complement his navy Brooks Brothers suit. He also donned the watch Lexie gave him as a wedding gift.

Throwing Shade

Lexie and Erik held their ceremony under a winding oak tree, where broken arch floral arrangements from Gypsy Floral defined the altar space. "Commodore Perry Estate has the most beautiful grounds that made us feel transported," she says. "I wanted everything to feel classic and have a touch of whimsy here and there."

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Walk this Way

One of the couple's favorite moments was watching their flower girls make their trip down the aisle to the thrums of the Live Oak Trio's string instruments. "The youngest one was having a meltdown and wouldn't let anyone mess with her hair or put the flower crown on," says Lexie. "She also refused to hold her basket with petals, so she walked down with a broken tulip. Erik and our family loved it."

Unbraided

The elder flower girl watched the proceedings with awe, her perfect French-braided pigtails on display.

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Together Forever

Lexie and Erik saved their first look for the ceremony, officially laying eyes on each other as Lexie's father escorted her down the aisle. But a quick glimpse of the groom before the processional helped soothe Lexie's nerves. "I started to get a little anxious before the ceremony, and the area of the Commodore I was waiting in looked out to the ceremony area where I was able to steal a glance of Erik through a mirror in that space," says Lexie. "When I saw him, I immediately felt a sense of calm wash over me and I couldn't wait to get out there and marry him."

Peter Yoshonis of All Shores Wesleyan Church, Erik's childhood pastor, worked with the bride and groom in premarital counseling sessions and flew from Michigan to officiate the ceremony. "Even though we wanted to keep our wedding small by limiting invites to our immediate families, we wanted the day to be beautiful and special for us to reminisce on," says Lexie. They wrote their own vows, adding a personal element to their wedding text. "We included vowing to building a household together that was filled with respect, love and compassion for all, as this is something that's part of who we both strive to be," says Lexie.

Newlywed Joy

After exiting the ceremony to Ray LaMontagne's "You Are the Best Thing," performed by the Live Oak Trio, the new Mr. and Mrs. stopped for portraits. Lexie's bouquet from Stems Floral included ranunculus, roses, and eucalyptus in shades of pale blue, pink, orange, and yellow. "The bouquet was organic in shape to keep with the whimsical feeling of our day, [and] included tulips—my husband is Dutch and [they are] my mom's favorite flower, so these were a special addition," says Lexie.

Setting the Bar

Instead of limiting their guests to one or two signature cocktails, Lexie and Erik offered cocktails on request from a styled bar cart. Without knowing exactly how the tables would be set up on the day of the event, Lexie struggled to choose the right number of floral arrangements for the cocktail hour. "I went with a 'less is more' approach and did petite arrangements for the cocktail hour and a larger arrangement with the smaller arrangements for the dinner," she says. "This ended up being perfect because I don't feel like I overspent."

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Inside Scoop

As an interior designer, Lexie was especially drawn to the eclectic decor at the venue. "I have a love for beautiful spaces and the Commodore has the most stunning interiors," she says. "Having such a beautiful setting made our planning effortless because we had the most gorgeous surroundings."

Color and Texture

Guests sat at a single table in the dining room, where a mix of color and texture personalized the space.

Tasteful Tabletop

"I had collected vintage candlesticks with dusty blue candles which created the perfect ambience at dinner, with floral arrangements along the table," says Lexie. "The room we had dinner in had a fun floral wallpaper with rattan elements which was the perfect setting for what we brought in."

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Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Following a cocktail hour menu that included hushpuppies with horseradish aioli, jalapeño-cheddar corn muffins, and grilled shrimp skewers, the couple and their family dined on fish and ribeye prepared by the on-site chefs.

Sweet Stuff

The venue also provided the couple's buttercream-iced Chantilly cake, which Lexie and Erik topped with fresh flowers, berries, and a custom wood script sign.

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A Last-Minute Moment

Lexie and Erik had planned on Chris Stapleton's "Joy of My Life" for their first dance, because "we both felt like it was the perfect description of what we mean to each other," she says, but the night didn't go as they expected. "We actually forgot to have our first dance and did it as we were walking out for the night," says Lexie.

The Best Night

"Forgetting our first dance because we were caught up having the best time with everyone and remembering it just as we were walking out for the night is just so special to us because it was such a spontaneous moment," they say. It was the best ending to their stress-free, laid-back, love-filled big day.

Sources

Photography, Caitlin Rose Photography
Venue, Catering, and Cake, Commodore Perry Estate
Flowers, Gypsy Floral (altar); Stems Florals
Officiant, Peter Yoshonis, All Shores Wesleyan Church
Music, Live Oak Trio
Bride's Gown, BHLDN x Jenny Yoo
Bride's Accessories, Davie and Chiyo veil; Loeffler Randall shoes; BHLDN earrings; Maison Monik necklace
Hair and Makeup, Mission Stylehouse
Groom's Suit, Brooks Brothers
Groom's Tie, The Tie Bar
Bride's Ring, GLDN
Engagement Ring, Herfort Diamond Factory
Groom's Ring, David Yurman