Barbara @ Barbara's Brides

Big Island Destination Wedding

2012-05-20T11:00:00Z

We went to the Big Island of Hawaii last year and it was one of our best trips ever.
I can only imagine what a perfect spot it would make for couple wanting to combine
the most breathtaking wedding location with an amazing honeymoon spot. I looked
at many different options for future couples to have their weddings and can only
hope I can make that dream come true some day. Whether you want a wedding on
the beach, overlooking a cliff, on a beautiful lawn or in an intimate chapel, the
Big Island of Hawaii has it all.

Here are a few of my favorite spots I can just picture for a Hawaiian wedding.

Can't you just picture wearing a plumeria in your hair?

Aloha!
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Kate & Vince's Engagement Photos

2012-05-18T11:17:00Z

I was excited to see Kate and Vince's engagement photos that they took this spring.
You can't get more Texan than having bluebonnets and cooperative longhorns in your
photo session. They worked with a great photographer from her hometown
April Galle-Sanders aprilphotography.com

Cutest engagement photo shoes ever!

I can't wait for their Driskill wedding next spring.
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

The Austin Club

2012-05-14T10:30:00Z

We worked with Natalie and Ben long distance from New York. She had an elegant, beautiful
vision of bright yellow and gray for her wedding at the historic Austin Club. While Natalie and
I worked on the planning, Kristi was her day of planner bringing all the details together.

We had many wonderful vendors working with us to create their wedding day. Hiring
an Austin wedding planner even when you want to do most of the planning yourself is very
important. Give yourself the peace of mind you need by having a local planner to discuss
vendors with and who knows the Austin wedding industry well.

Vendors:

Reception: The Austin Club, Ms. Lillian Beckwith

Church: University United Methodist Church

Flowers: Bouquets of Austin, Stephanie 512.257.2395

Photography: Stacy with SMS Photography, 512.964.3070

Reception Music: Complete Music, Justin Duhr, 512-964-3219

Transportation: Limo: Billy Talley/Transportation Consultants, 512-930-4835

Horse & Carriage: Cherie/Austin Carriage, 512-243-0044

Bakery: Simon Lee Bakery, (512) 990-4888

Linens: Marquee Rents 512-491-7368

Chavari Chair rental: Premiere Events (512) 292-3900

Many years of blessings and happiness to Natalie and Ben,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Happy Mother's Day

2012-05-13T04:38:35Z

One of the most amazing parts of my job is being a part of very special moments
on a couple's wedding day. It is one of the happiest days in their lives and my
heart warms thinking of the part I play in bringing it all together. Here are some of
my favorite moments with moms on the wedding day.

Ashley Garmon Photography

Photography by Vanessa

A la vie Photography

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Gorgeous Oscar de la Renta gowns

2012-04-30T19:04:37Z

There are so many unique and stunning gowns to view on the link below.
http://www.colincowieweddings.com/inspire-me/fashion-beauty-fitness/fashion/runway-bride/oscar-de-la-renta-spring-2013/review

Here are two of my favorite gowns

Enjoy looking through the link for your dream gown,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Earth Day

2012-04-22T15:11:57Z

A beautiful spring day like today is the perfect time to celebrate Earth Day and all
that nature provides us with. We have so many gorgeous outside venues in Austin
to enjoy the wedding festivities outdoors.

Have a beautiful day,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Stunning Natural Stone Diamond Rings

2012-04-18T16:50:07Z

Mindy Weiss posted a fantastic blog article about a new sensation that I absolutely love
and I wanted to share it with you. The website www.diamondintherough.com/ shows
a large variety of very unique wedding rings. We see so much in the wedding industry, but
these are so different and truly special.

The last one is my very favorite and called The Vine. I may need an anniversary ring like this.

Visit their website and see the variety of other rings.
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Bride's Thank You

2012-04-13T22:56:56Z

Nothing makes my day more than hearing feedback from my brides. The reason I'm an
Austin wedding planner is to make my bride's day as stress-free as possible, including
the months of planning leading up to the wedding. Thank you, Sung for the wonderful
note. Your wedding was amazing.

Dear Barbara,

Starting from your amazing vendor recommendations to organizing a memorable exit with the beautiful rose petals when my original plan of wish lanterns were not allowed at Laguna, I could not have made a better decision working with you during the wedding planning. You were always available and extremely helpful with my endless questions and had a way to make me feel better every time, especially during the week of the wedding with the threat of rain. You always had an answer; I knew that I was in good hands. The wedding day came together just as I had envisioned and it was only possible with the help from you and your team and your preferred vendors.

I will be sure to refer you to all my friends! The bridesmaids told me how amazing you were and they told me they'll have to work with you when it's their day.

I will miss working with you!
Sung

Spring is in the air, Laguna Wedding

2012-04-11T15:26:16Z

With the threat of rain all week, we were thrilled that it held off giving Sung and Jon the
picture perfect spring wedding day at Laguna Gloria. We started off with the ceremony
at Smith Family Chapel which is one of our favorites and then the reception at Laguna.
Sung's color palette is truly one of my very favorites for 2012.

Be sure if you are having a Laguna Gloria wedding that you hire a wedding planner that
is familiar with the venue and has worked there with several layout options. You also
want an independent planner in addition to a preferred caterer to handle the short window
of time allowed to create your beautiful day.

Thank you to the amazing Stacy with SMS Photography who had her wedding the week
prior to Sung's and I think she captured the happiness perfectly.

Having a professional Austin wedding planner means even with the drought/fire ban still being enforced
and you really want wish lanterns, your planner has a backup exit favor for your guests. We were
hoping and wishing up until the day of the wedding the fire ban would be lifted, but Laguna Gloria
still had no sparks or flame of any kind allowed for their wedding day.

For our New York couple, a taxi was the right departure vehicle for them.

What a fun night for everyone. Thank you to all the great vendors:

Church: Bren with Smith Family Chapel

Reception: Laguna Gloria

Reception, catering and bar: Tiffany with Austin Catering

Officiant: Gordon Smith

Photographer: Stacy with SMS Photography

Florist: Bouquets of Austin

Ceremony Music: Barton Strings

Bakery: Michelle’s Patisserie

Video: Gary with Crescent Video

Reception Music: Blind Date

Makeup: Maris Malone Calderone

Hair: Jenn Hoover

Many blessings Sung and Jon,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Happy Easter

2012-04-08T09:36:00Z

Spring is such an amazing time of year. The world renews itself, there is new life all around
us and I hope everyone relishes in this special time. Regardless of your faith and whether you
are celebrating Passover or Easter, it is a joyous time. Rejoice!

There is beauty all around you, enjoy each moment.
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Umlauf Gardens Spring Wedding

2012-04-06T14:48:42Z

My bride, Kate contacted me the end of December to help plan her wedding in 3 short months.
She grew up going to Umlauf Gardens and she wanted a morning wedding there with a lot of
fun activities planned for her guests to enjoy Austin in the hours before the evening reception.
We chose the Hyatt downtown with their fantastic skyline views from their Foothills Ballroom.

We planned everything long distance with the help of her dad here locally in Austin. It was a
great wedding and the Hyatt did a great job with the catering at Umlauf Gardens and the evening
reception. Many thanks to DCM Photography for capturing their laughter and joy of the day. Thanks
to Erika McLaughlin for stepping in for the evening festivities.

The Hyatt provided a delicious light fare of dim sum, mimosas and cupcakes before the guests went
out to tour Austin during the afternoon break.

Can't beat the Hyatt's picture perfect downtown view.

We had the perfect vendors we needed to pull off the wedding in just 3 months.

Thanks to the following Austin wedding vendors:
DCM Photography
Stephanie Bierlein at The Hyatt Downtown
Bouquets of Austin
Umlauf Gardens
Michelle's Patisserie
Judge Jon Wisser
Marquee Rents
Transportation Consultants

Such a happy couple and the perfect spring wedding,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Smith Family Chapel & Austin Country Club

2012-03-19T19:19:32Z

We had such a great wedding for Jeff and Danielle in January at Austin Country Club. The
ceremony was at Smith Family Chapel and the love between this couple was very apparent.
Danielle had quite a few fun DIY projects as well as a game room complete with "Friends"
DVDs to watch during the evening. Pam Hults with A la Vie Photo captured their day beautifully.

What a fun night for everyone. Thank you to our vendors for all their help.
Ceremony: Smith Family Chapel
Reception: Austin Country Club
Flowers: Bouquets of Austin
DJ: Ryan Vaughn
Bakery: Sweetish Hill Bakery

Enjoy your day,
Barbara
www.barbarasbrides.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2012-03-17T17:04:43Z

This is a wedding free day for me because my son was born today thirteen years ago.
It is such a fun holiday and being Irish I was tickled he was born on St. Patty's Day. I
love all the traditions, seeing green everywhere and how lighthearted the celebration is
for everyone. We've already enjoyed our corned beef and cabbage earlier this week.
Tonight's birthday dinner is up to my birthday boy and he's leaning towards steak.

Wear green and have some fun,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Average Austin Wedding Budget

2012-03-15T19:55:38Z

I have had a lot of discussions with brides and their families recently regarding what
an average wedding costs in Austin. "The Knot" has done a lot of research for major
cities in the US and in Austin you can expect to spend a minimum of is $26,984.
Keep in mind that is an average. Now, brace yourself because all of you that love our
weddings and want to have weddings like those that you see on our blog, the majority
of our weddings are between $45,000-$90,000 on up.

It can be challenging to explain how the budget can add up so quickly. After working
with brides for so many years, I understand the confusion why you can't have a wedding
with 200 guests for $20,000 because that is a lot of money. However, even if you are having
it at home the costs add up with renting tables, chairs, linen and catering (even BBQ) you
will hit $20,000 before you know it. Here is list of how many vendors and services you
need for an average Austin wedding.

Church or ceremony site
Reception site
Food and drinks (be sure to add in tax and gratuity, which is often forgotten)
Wedding gown (add in alterations, accessories, undergarments, veil and shoes)
Tuxes
Flowers
Rentals (chairs, tables, linens, silverware, glassware and maybe a tent)
Photography
Videography
Invitations (be sure to add postage)
Wedding Planner
Hair and makeup
Gifts for parents and attendants
Officiant (license fees)
Bakery
Ceremony Music
Reception Music (DJs average $1,000 and bands can range between $3,000-$10,000)
Transportation
Lighting
Rehearsal dinner
Airplane costs if not marrying locally
Honeymoon
Engagement and wedding rings

That is 23 categories to consider when creating your budget. It is important to see what
it takes for today's weddings. That is not to say you can't have a lower budget wedding
and make the necessary sacrifices to reduce costs, but it can be very challenging.

Considering a wedding planner to help with your wedding is imperative and although we
don't work with smaller budgets, there are a lot of planners in Austin that do. They can
assist you in finding the right vendors at the right price.

Happy planning,
Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Jill Nicholson's Honeymoon Recommendations

2012-03-12T17:30:29Z

As we begin our Spring Break in town this year, I am so jealous of all the fabulous honeymoons my
couples will take. I am already dreaming of our amazing 20th anniversary trip to The Big Island last
year. Travel is such a blessing and renewal of the soul. If you need a few great ideas to inspire you,
look below and be sure to contact Jill Nicholson for your travel plans. Pure paradise awaits you!

Jill Nicholson Travel
Top Honeymoon Beach Picks
jillnicholsontravel@gmail.com
(512) 306-8326

Bora Bora, French Polynesian Islands

Maui, Hawaiian Islands

The Bahamas

   Maroma Beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico




                                                                  St. Lucia, Caribbean Islands



Wow, I am ready for a vacation at one of these perfect locations.
Barbara
www.barbarasbrides.com

Barbara's Brides is back

2012-03-07T15:42:35Z

We are looking forward to hearing from you, be sure to refresh your browser for the
new, virus free Barbara's Brides website. Thank you for your patience.

Let's hope we have put an end to the craziness,
Barbara
www.barbarasbrides.com

Calling May & June Austin Brides

2012-03-07T04:20:34Z

We have been visiting with several of our preferred vendors the past 2 weeks
and find that we have a few similar open dates in May and June. We'd
love to be a part of your wedding plans. We are currently looking for brides
May 12, 19, June 2 and June 16th.

We have special prices available for those last minute bookings so contact us
to see how we can assist you in your wedding plans short term. We are still
working through website hacking issues, so feel free to e-mail us directly for
information barbara@barbarasbrides.com or call us at 512-257-8100 for a
consultation to discuss your wedding

Happy planning,
Barbara
www.barbarasbrides.com

Laguna Gloria Summer Wedding

2012-03-05T05:22:24Z

This wedding post is long overdue, but I still wanted to share the wonderful pictures
taken by the very talented, Vanessa of Photography by Vanessa from last summer.
Kaitlin is one of those brides a planner loves to work with. She is so beautiful on the
inside and out.. She was always smiling that sweet smile and planning her wedding
in just a few months was my pleasure.

I did have one condition when we started discussing a 4th of July weekend wedding at
the picturesque Laguna Gloria. We could not invite over 90 guests, max! Consider how
hot our Texas summers are, we just cannot not have outside events. I won't do that to
wedding guests. So, that's what we did. We had a short ceremony outside by the water
and then moved inside the Villa for a stunning, air conditioned wedding reception. I
loved all of Kaitlin's ideas and felt it came together even more beautifully than planned.

These two rank right up there with my cutest ever flower girls.

I loved mixing the succulents, mercury glass and just a touch of crystals.

With the drought and burn ban, we had to get creative for our firework loving bride so we did
purple and green gerbs just as the last dance ended.

Then we lined the whole Laguna driveway with gerbs for their exit. The guests loved it!

Such an amazing night for a special couple.

Thank you to all the vendors.
Site: Laguna Gloria 512-458-8191

Catering/bar: Primizie Catering 472-9299

Flowers: Bouquets of Austin 257-2395

Photographer: Photography by Vanessa 567-0174

Reception Music: Stafford Jones, DJ 669-2598

Ceremony Music: Tim Doyle 512-797-2409

Tents: Rachel at Marquee 748-4004

Cakes: Michelle’s Patisserie 736-6771

Transportation and Valet: Transportation Consultants

Allan House Winter Wedding

2012-02-29T18:20:36Z

We planned Jessica and Matt's wedding long distance, first from California and then
from New York when they moved. It was great to see one of our past couples from
5 years ago at their wedding as guests. Time flies, but it is wonderful to be recommended
to couples who work together.

Jessica and Matt had beautiful ideas on their casual, elegant, family dinner party and
what they didn't want. During a few trips to Austin we were able to create a truly
lovely evening for their guests despite the rain that hit Austin for two days. The bonus
for us is that Allan House is tented December through February so no mud, dripping
trees or mess. We were all cozy under the clear tent with the trees twinkling with lights.
Such a great setting for a wonderful couple. Thanks Tyler Schmitt with Mill Photo Studio
for capturing the details from start to finish.

Cheers to Jessica and Matt, many blessings to the two of you.

Thank you vendors for all your help:

Ceremony and reception: The Allan House

Catering and Bar: Royal Fig Catering

Photography: Tyler Schmitt

Flowers: Bouquets of Austin

Reception Music: Greenbelt DJ, Anthony

Ceremony Music: Angelic Strings

Officiant: Mike Rinehart 785-6149

Tables & chair rentals: Premiere Rents

Linens: Marquee Linens

Happy planning,

Barbara

www.barbarasbrides.com

Barbara's Brides website

2012-02-26T01:22:00Z

Our website is currently down due to the wonderful hacker who decided to attack us.
Please feel free to contact me at barbara@barbarasbrides.com for pricing and you
can see over 100 of our weddings under the archives section on this blog.

Hope to talk to you,
Barbara