Today you are in for a treat with a beautiful Texas winery wedding – that was planned in less than a month!
Despite the short timeline, the couple managed to pull off a gorgeous wedding will lots of stunning details.
“Visually, it was as well executed as many weddings I shoot that have a year or more preparation behind them. And most importantly, the love and joy between the couple as well as their guests was palpable (and definitely came through in their images)!” says photographer Erin Wisdom-Watson from Wisdom-Watson Weddings.
Kudos to Erin, who did an amazing job capturing the intimate vibe of this vineyard wedding.
Angela, 40 & Kevin, 33
Location: Cross Roads, TX
Wedding Date: June 23, 2018
Number of Guests: 72
Wedding Cost: $5,120. We decided to spend a little more on the meal (the venue has its own catering service onsite) because we wanted to share a meal with our family and friends who chose to attend. My first marriage was at the Justice of the Peace and her first marriage was a more formal setting. We felt that this brought both a formal and relaxed feel to our reception.
Wedding Ceremony Location:Fortunata Winery (Chapel)
Wedding Reception Location: Fortunata Winery (Courtyard)
Why did you have an intimate wedding?
This was a second marriage for the both of us. We are combining our families (7 kids total) and we wanted a night to celebrate the joining of the two families while also keeping things very simple.
What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?
I would say that finding a venue was the toughest part of this only because we planned the wedding in three weeks. We wanted to make sure that we had the space that we needed. Most places were ruled out because they were too big or we felt that they were purposefully priced out of our budget because of our smaller wedding size.
Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?
It was not too difficult to pare down the guest list. We both have family from out of town and the family that could not make it already understood that we were hoping to keep this wedding very small and easy going.
Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?
No, we did not have any issues. As I said earlier, family from out of town was pretty aware of what we had going on and was very happy to support us in any way they could. Even if that meant that they weren’t invited. Everyone knew that the children were the focus of that night. Focus was on the family and the support was there.
What were the highlights of the ceremony?
The chapel was supposed to fit around 50 people comfortably…we had everyone in there so it was pretty tight. The pastor that married us kept the ceremony very short, due to the heat in the building and the amount of people sitting there, but neither of us felt as if we were missing anything. The ceremony was beautiful and simple. With it being more intimate and seeing people packed into a smaller place made us see the overwhelming amount of love and support that we had.
What were the highlights of the reception?
The reception was outside in the courtyard at the vineyard and again, we kept the setting very simple. We had tables set up around the outside of the courtyard which allowed for a small dance floor in the middle. Overflow seating went out a shaded, grassy area where we put the kids’ table for their activities. The hanging lights over the courtyard and the addition of the lights in the trees really set the mood as the sun set. It was close enough quarters for us to visit comfortably with the guests and yet we didn’t feel as if we couldn’t move around.
What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?
Because we wanted to keep the focus on joining our families together, we felt that an intimate wedding gave us the ability to keep things simple and yet elegant. We did not get caught up in the details. In a family with 7 children, there will always be bloopers. It’s a beautiful mess. An intimate wedding allowed us enjoy the moment and not get caught up in some of the last-minute chaos that can sometimes take away from the day or cause extra, unnecessary stress. We felt loved and celebrated and that our children saw the wedding as it should be and yet it was so easy going that no one was running around at the last second.
What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?
Don’t get lost in the details! Seriously. We planned our wedding in 3 weeks…that includes finding the dress, suit, groom’s ring, etc. ALL of it was planned in 3 weeks and we felt zero stress even up to the moment we got married. We laughed at the little things that didn’t work out because we chalked it up to short planning time. The details that we chose to put into the wedding and reception added just enough to give off the impression that we had been working on this for quite some time. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Angela and I both understand that the wedding day is a major deal, but the marriage itself…that is where the real work is and we focused on that.
Vendors:
Dress Designer: Mary Me Bridal
Venue: Fortunata Winery
Photographer: Wisdom-Watson Weddings
