Save $5 on Wedding Photos

Our photographers, Bend the Light, are offering a $5.00 Gift Certificate to all guests who register to view your event prior to it being available online. To register, follow the instructions below:

Here’s what to do:
Send friends and family your event website link: http://www.pictage.com/606456
Your guests register with Pictage.com before event is online
Once your event is online, your guests will receive a $5.00 credit in their Pictage accounts!

San Antonio Couples Shower

On April 4, my godparents, Greg and Carole Wright, opened up their beautiful home for our Couples Shower. It was also hosted by Family Friends, Katie and Ron Lenss and Johnny and Lynelle Boyd. There were over 60 people there! We had many friends travel from outside San Antonio to make it to the party… it was a great time. Not only was it our shower but also the Mother of the Bride’s birthday… Thanks Mom for sharing your birthday with us!

Engagement Pictures!

On Monday, we went out to Helotes for our engagement pictures. It was VERY windy that day but the weather really cooperated while we were out there. Our photographers did a GREAT job and we can't wait for our wedding photos! We haven't seen all of the pictures yet but here are a few favorites from the photographer.

Weekend of Weddings

Matt and I had a very busy weekend with TWO weddings in one day! First wedding was my best friend (and Matron of Honor), Courtney Lindsey and Jimmy Pitman. Their wedding was gorgeous! Everything was perfect and we all had a GREAT time!

The next wedding was for Clay Hefty and Kristen Wiese.

Their wedding was beautiful! They gave all the guests flip flops – which I especially loved after hours in heels my feet were giving out on me… And they had a photo booth to take pictures.

Both wedding were amazing and we are so happy for the newlyweds! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Pitman and Mr. and Mrs. Clay Hefty!!

Our Wedding Invitations… A TRUE Team Effort

For those who have received their invitations, know that they are packed with a lot of TLC. There are many people I have to thank for making our invitations so special.

First, I have to thank our calligrapher, Becky Cook, a dear family friend, who addressed all the envelopes AND drove to Blanco for us to pick them up.

Second, Jennifer Phipps, my sister-in-law for carefully tying a beautiful bow on every invitation.

Last but certainly not least, to Rory Siefer the designer of the invitations. Rory became a client in October, right when Matt and I got engaged. Rory showed me her wedding invitations and offered to design ours. We spent hours together one Saturday to design the invitations and all the inserts. We had a blast during the creative process. Over our months of work together Rory has not only been a GREAT client but also become a wonderful friend!

And Annabelle wanted to help too! She played with the boxes and empty rolls of ribbon...

Beaumont Shower

Last weekend was our first couples shower in Beaumont! We had a GREAT time.!

Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Bitar, Mr. and Mrs. Gibson, Samira, Katie and Omar for an amazing evening. And thank you to everyone for coming to the shower and all the wonderful gifts.

Things to do in Castroville... Fiorella Friday

If you're in Castroville on Friday, May 1 you can catch Fiorella Friday. It takes place the first Friday of each month from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in September Square. Fiorella Friday features live music, artisans, wine tastings, and much more...

More on B&B's in Castroville

While I was doing some research on accommodations in Castroville, I came across this article/blog from the San Antonio Express-News:

Pack your bags and go now to enjoy this little gem of a town with a population of 2,664. Located just 15 miles west of San Antonio on U.S., you can be in Castroville half an hour after leaving downtown San Antonio. Castroville is the perfect romantic weekend get away.
I recently stayed at two wonderful historic bed and breakfasts. My first night was spent at the Landmark Inn, a registered State Historic Site built in the 1840s. Originally a stagecoach stop and an inn for the gold rushers heading west, the inn has a colorful past.

According to its Web site, "You can sleep where history was made," and select from 11 charming rooms. For my stay, I chose the Tree House — a small intimate room for two in a separate building from the main house. This building was originally the old bath house and the only place to bathe between Eagle Pass and San Antonio back in the pioneer days; of course, there was always the Medina River.

Accommodations here aren't very fancy, but neither are the prices, ($75-$169). The comfortable rooms are furnished with antiques and are certainly more than adequate. My room was clean, had a lovely terrace overlooking the Medina River, and was especially peaceful. And that's exactly how the management wants your stay to be; there are no TVs or telephones in the rooms intentionally. It's a place for a quiet escape and a good night's sleep.

Guests are encouraged to borrow complimentary bicycles to tour the town with its unique Alsatian architecture. There's even a mini-museum on site and guests enjoy a lovely continental breakfast with fresh Alsatian treats from Haby's Alsatian Bakery.

Now, if you want a more upscale place, check in at the Old Standby Saloon across the street from City Hall on Fiorella Street. Owner Arlene B. Smith, an avid antique collector, brought her overflowing antique collection over to fill this delightful B&B with antique rosewood four-poster beds, crystal chandeliers and elegant oriental rugs.

The tasteful interior is accented with the original Cyprus beams and planking which were milled on sight at the Media River. The exposed stone walls add warmth to the spacious rooms, and there's even an on-site gym for workouts. Not at all what you'd expect in an old 1857 saloon.

The B&B is also available for special events and gets booked way in advance for weddings. Initially I was a bit apprehensive spending the night in this big old saloon by myself. However, I felt reassured when Arlene said, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. We have a resident ghost who will protect you." She continued to explain that the resident ghost, a sheriff who was shot and killed in a shoot out, and now patrols the B&B all night long to protect guests. No worries and I slept liked a baby, knowing the sheriff was watching over me.

The Old Standby Saloon has a few stories to tell, aside from the resident ghost. According to Arlene, "At the turn of the century, the saloon had a notorious reputation and it was rumored that it may have been a brothel." Arlene continues to explain that there were two documented shoot outs here, and at one time, the saloon gained a notorious reputation for undesirables ... if you know what I mean.

Come stay, eat delicious Alsatian food, shop for antiques and experience this warm and welcoming town.

Tools, tools and more tools

For anyone out there wanting to register for tools, register at Lowe’s! It was a lesson learned for us. Home Depot doesn’t have the registry down to a science like Lowe’s.

Sorry for any guests at our Beaumont shower who tried to go to Home Depot!

Non-wedding related post

Matt and I had a wonderful New Year's in Park City, Utah. The weather was great as we walked around Main Street and built not one, but TWO snowmen! Happy New Year!