B+R wanted a wedding experience that was unique to who they are as a couple. The groom’s number one focus was that the bride have a stress-free engagement season. While planning the wedding didn’t excite them, they looked forward to a fun celebration with good food and plenty of champagne to go around. The design goal was to marry the expectation of black tie formality with an organic, relaxed style. The creative team works together to utilize the incredible space at Houston Oaks to produce an organic, glam wedding reflective of this sweet couple’s story.
With the groom’s family & many guests coming from Brazil, the couple decided to have two invitations, one in English, the other in Portuguese.
Reaching for the look of organic luxe, florist Flora & Fauna crafted a hand-tied, lush, garden-style bouquet of garden roses, ranunculus, hydrangea, anemone, Veronica, phlox, snow betties, and coordinating seasonal blooms alongside a harmonious medley of greens. The groom’s boutonniere coordinated with a large white ranunculus and seasonal bits and greens for texture.
While they had no formal wedding party, the bride shared an ideal palette with her best friends identifying them as her “house party.” These friends donned gowns & accessories of gold, champagne, blush, peach, and mauve.
The ceremony took place on the lawn of the venue’s 15th Century French chapel. A display of flowers cascading out of the urns on either side of the chapel door and draping the gate. One of my favorite details is the greenery “collar” adorning the lamb statue on the chapel steps – a nod to Brit and Rolf meeting at a sheep lab in college.
The ceremony began with classical tunes provided by the stringed quartet. While they had no formal bridal party, B+R did opt to have their siblings walk down the aisle ahead of them, each holding the leash of their beloved pups. The ceremony was officiated by a priest honoring their Catholic faith. The biggest surprise of the ceremony was when the bride revealed that she’d learned her vows in Portuguese to honor her new family-in-law.
After the couple recessed, guests headed to the lawn of the pavilion for champagne and passed appetizers of Fig Chutney & Goat Cheese in Phyllo Basket, Mini-Louisiana Crawfish Cakes, and Roasted Garlic & Mint Grilled Lamb Lollie. While enjoying bocce ball and the outdoor lounges, guests could look to the gold framed, linen pin-board to find their table assignments.
To start the reception and set the tone for a fun evening to come, B+R’s grand entrance included a sparkler tunnel capturing some stunning images of the couple ready to dance the night away. Instead of having a “faux” send-off which can leave guests confused and break up the party atmosphere of a reception, our team recommended the grand entrance to make use of the mid-November early sunset and maximize the photographer’s contracted hours which would have ended before the last dance.
The main pavilion was elevated by sheer white drapery swags and a large sparkling chandelier suspended above the dance floor space. The fireplace also received a facelift with a full greenery garland across the mantle intertwined with light florals and pillar candles. Day of, our team troubleshooted issues with the wind which wanted to send our gauze drapery flying around the space. We utilized chains (and extra bolts of fabric) to control the fabric without losing the softening effect intended.
One of the statements of the reception included the family table which ran along the center of the room. We ensured there was plenty of space for the table settings by doubling the width of the tables making them 60” wide. Down the center ran another lush garland with touches of light florals and pillar candles. The couple sat at the head of the table from which they could see all of their guests and all of their guests could see them.
The remaining guest tables received either a lantern nestled in a wreath of greenery and statement blooms or a sprawling, mid-wised arrangement of seasonal flowers in shades of white, cream, and champagne in a gold, footed container. All napkins were set with custom gold and wood “B&R” napkin rings that mirrored the crest on their invitation suite.
A dessert table is a big party of Brazilian celebration culture, so a statement piece that fit both the cultural expectations and the couple’s personal style was a must. Florist, Flora & Fauna, constructed a natural & organic birch wood “swing” installation from which greenery, floral, and globe candles hung to provide the impactful moment. Miniature cakes, French macarons in gold, dusty rose, and white, along with brigadeiros (a Brazilian truffle dessert) were artfully placed along the table surrounding a faux cake made by the groom’s sister and brought from Brazil in pieces before being assembled onsite.
The final personal touch the couple put on their evening was a trio of favors that represented their lives apart & together. Vermont syrup represented the bride’s home state, bem casados (a traditional Brazilian wedding dessert) represented the groom’s home country, and a miniature bottle of bourbon from the state where the first had a home together, Kentucky. The table was made complete with a watercolor landscape of the ceremony chapel painted by the mother-of-the-bride.
Credits
Planning & Design: Skylar Caitlin for Chancey Charm Houston
Hair: Butter Artistry, https://buttertexas.com/
Makeup: Kudu Artistry, https://kuduartistry.com/
Desserts: Bonjour Brigadeiro (Brigadeiros), http://www.bonjourbrigadeiro.com/home & Wink by Erica (Cakes & Macarons), http://winkbyerica.com/
Cinema: Reverent Wedding Films, https://www.wedding.film/
String Quartet: Premiere Strings, https://www.facebook.com/PremiereStrings/
DJ: J&A Entertainment, https://www.jaentertainment.co/
Florist: Flora & Fauna, http://www.floraandfaunatx.com/
Photography: Kati Hewitt Photography, https://katihewitt.com/
Linens: House of Hough, https://houseofhough.com/
Draping & Chandelier: Intelligent Lighting Design, https://www.ildlighting.com/
Venue, Catering, Beverage: The Clubs at Houston Oaks, https://www.houstonoaks.com/weddings
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