That Saturday, Jon called Amy and asked her to lunch. They met at South Congress Café for their first date, which turned into a four-hour lunch date. Eventually Jon moved to Austin, and their lives became inseparable. They knew they were meant to be together forever.

 

When Jon decided to propose, he searched diligently for the perfect ring and began making plans for the perfect proposal, but things didn’t go quite as planned. Jon had planned to propose to Amy while they were on vacation in Napa Valley, and the ring was to be delivered to a San Francisco location. However, the store accidentally sold his ring to another customer, and Jon’s plans were ruined. When he got home from California, he had quite a few calls and e-mails from well-wishing friends and family, and had to explain over and over what had happened to the engagement plans. With his nerves getting the best of him, Jon ended up proposing to Amy at home with champagne, and the couple celebrated by going out to dinner. 

Amy said that no matter how or where he proposed, the answer would have been yes. 

 

Amy has always been a planner, so she decided to plan the wedding herself and enlist the help of a “day of” coordinator for the actual wedding and reception. The couple got engaged in late October but wanted a late spring/early summer wedding, so Amy knew she had better get busy with the details. They both agreed on an intimate, outdoor wedding and reception. Amy knew right away that the Austin Museum of Art–Laguna Gloria would be the perfect setting. 

 

By February, all the vendors had been booked, and by March a dress was on order. The week before the wedding, Amy sat down with her day of coordinator, Christy McDonald, and they went through the entire event, detail by detail. 

 

The groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at The Belmont for the wedding party, family and out-of-town guests on the evening before the wedding. In a private room, guests enjoyed a wonderful selection of appetizers, entrees and dessert as well as an open bar. Amy surprised Jon with a slideshow that included photos from both of their childhoods all the way up to the present. 

 

The wedding ceremony took place in the pathway behind the patios at Laguna Gloria. The view over the lake was beautiful, and the weather and sunset were perfect. Hill Country Strings serenaded the approximately 100 guests who attended while they waited for the ceremony to begin. Amy’s father escorted her down the aisle, and several friends participated in the ceremony by reading passages from a favorite book and reading a prayer for the couple. All of the flowers for the ceremony were hot pink and orange, which complemented the natural setting and greenery of Laguna Gloria. After the ceremony the guests enjoyed a cocktail reception on the patio, which included a specialty drink, made just for the occasion, called the “Pink Kiss.” 

 

At the reception, guests were seated inside two of the three rooms on the first floor inside Laguna Gloria. The ivory-draped tables were topped by pink and orange flower arrangements, in keeping with the ceremony’s color theme, along with candles and custom-made “cootie catchers,” reminiscent of the childhood paper toys that are folded with questions inside the flap. The toys contained questions and answers about Amy and Jon for the guests to enjoy. 

 

The third room on the first floor was used for the food stations. Primizie Catering served a variety of food, including chorizo puff pastries, seafood, tostadas, southwest chicken skewers and much more. The magnificent four-tier wedding cake was a white chocolate cake with raspberry filling and a smooth vanilla buttercream icing, designed by Matty Cakes. 

 

“It was delicious,” said Amy, “and there wasn’t a single slice left, except for the top layer, which we saved for our first anniversary.”

 

The outdoor patios were draped with tenting and set up as the bar area and dance floor. DJ RJ of Music4Life provided the dinner music as well as dance tunes. Amy and Jon had taken dance lessons before their big day, so they were ready when it came time for their first dance, “At Last” by Etta James. 

 

For Amy, a highlight of the evening was the toast to the couple by the bride’s sister and matron of honor, Beth Fuston. Beth’s recap of Amy and Jon’s last year and a half together had the guests laughing, crying and reminiscing. Everyone had a wonderful time dancing and visiting with family and friends, and everyone seemed sorry to see the night end. 

 

Rather than asking guests to sign a guest book, the bride chose to have guests take pictures of themselves using a Polaroid camera and then insert the pictures into a custom-made book that allowed guests to write personal notes to Amy and Jon. The newly married couple left Laguna Gloria with a sparkler send-off and guests left with favor tins filled with custom pink and orange M&Ms printed with “Amy and Jon” on one side and “Love Forever” on the other side. 

 

Amy and Jon spent the night at the Driskill Hotel and went home the next morning for a brunch hosted by the bride’s parents with about 30 guests. 

 

Jon surprised Amy with a honeymoon in the Bahamas, where they relaxed and reminisced about their beautiful wedding and talked about their life together.  

Austin Museum of Art–Laguna Gloria

 

Primizie Catering

 

Unbridaled

 

J. Crew

 

J. Crew Kids

 

Al’s Formalwear

 

Wedding cake: 

Matty Cakes

 

Francois Photography

 

Edelweiss Salon

 

Casey Martin

 

Exquisite Petals

 

Hill Country Strings

 

Music4Life

 

Scott Warner of Westover Church of Christ

 

Christy McDonald

 

Rhythmic Motion

The Belmont

 

Marquee Rents

 

Inviting Affairs

 

Paper Place