weddingvenue | Wedding Woof

Are you envisioning a metropolitan hotel wedding with all the convenience available? No matter the size of your group or the time of the year? Then look no further than the Fairmont Austin. I toured it today, and I think that it offers a LOT of great options.

An impressive glass facade surrounds an expansive foyer…

… with an impressive ceiling decor, living trees…

… and an stunning near-lifesize bronze sculpture of three horses.

The foyer opens …

… to a restaurant court designed in the style of Sixth Street, the historic bar and nightlife center of Austin.

One of their restaurants, Garrison, is even Michelin recommended! (and the only thing standing in its way to a coveted Michelin star is a separate entrance, believe it or not…).

As you can see, plenty of options for Rehearsal Dinners and for Send-off Brunch!

On the third and fourth floors, there are several ballrooms with their own foyers and ancillary meeting rooms to choose from, each ballroom with its own foyer (for cocktails), one with a built-in stage, and another one accommodating up to 2,400 guests! It can be partitioned, of course, to suit any large gathering of maybe 400-500 guests. AND it is outfitted for ceiling installations which allows for huge swags and draping!

Further up is the rooftop pool…

… where you can enjoy a resort feeling under palm trees and with music in the center of downtown Austin! This is also the perfect place for outdoor wedding ceremonies – all planned out in detail and ready to go. Adjacent to the pool deck is a restaurant with tropical decor perfect for a casual get-together …

But still, that’s not all! Tucked away behind all that is a glamorous Speakeasy that would be perfect for a Welcome reception…

… with a built-in speaker system, banquettes and booths covered in silver-grey cut velvet.

And – did I forget? There is an incredible bar…. of course!

So, if you are considering your wedding at the Austin Fairmont, you can make it a whole weekend for yourselves and your guests – from a Welcome reception and a Rehearsal Dinner to a spa and pool day with casual dining; then celebrate your Big Day, stay right there in your suite, sleep in and have a relaxed Send-off Brunch the next morning. How does that sound?

Interested? Contact me at [email protected] for your free consultation.

A Day Like No Other – wedding coordination and design

“When only the best will do…”

When Andrea and Pedro first approached my wedding planning company, A Day Like No Other, they had pretty much settled on their venue but were seeking help with everything else – and it was fortunate that they had not yet booked that venue… Being very familiar with it, it was obvious to me that this would by far not offer sufficient room and function spaces for the 180-people event that the couple was envisioning. So – we started over! Again, fortunately, Andrea and Pedro quickly found their perfect venue among the alternatives that I proposed: Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose, an elegant property with a golf course amid green rolling hills, a ceremony area with a waterfall as a backdrop, and a clubhouse with a beautiful patio for cocktails and a huge ballroom with picture windows for dinner and dancing (plus a super supportive venue manager!!).

Our planning took close to a year, and finally, finally – the Big Day arrived.

For the bride, it started with hair and makeup services by Wowpretty Salon …

… and getting ready with her bridesmaids.

Andrea had chosen an elegant strapless, formfitting lace wedding dress…

… and glittery bridal shoes fit for a princess!

Photographer Frank J. Lee captured every moment from start to finish.

What’s missing? Her bridal bouquet, a very feminine, handtied summer bouquet with English Garden Roses in soft hues of ivory, pink and rust (all wedding flowers by Marie Krick of Laurel & Vine).

Ready for her pre-ceremony photos! Following time-honored tradition, Andrea had decided to let her groom first see her at the ceremony. Groom Pedro had meanwhile also gotten dressed up with the help of his groomsmen…

Ready for many photos on the beautiful grounds of the property.

Soon, their guests began arriving by shuttle (by Corinthian Ground Transportation), and many work teams – the A Day Like No Other team Haneen and Diane, the venue crew, the florist, the DJ (Henry Kim of Big Fun Disc Jockeys) – were busy putting the finishing touches on the ceremony setup.

Under a gilded circular arch in front of palm trees and a waterfall, a friend of the couple’s officiated their wedding ceremony.

Here comes the bride:

“You may now kiss the bride!”

Just married!

While guests were treated to cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres, photographer Frank took official wedding photos …

… and bridal party photos…

… and then, he took the newlyweds around the property for many more photos. And how do you get around in a golf club? That’s the fun part – in a golf cart, of course!

Again, frantic activity was happening behind the scenes – the photo booth (by Night Owl Photo Booth) had to be set up in time and the dining room had to be prepared for dinner. The couple had chosen metallic gold accents (gold Chiavari chairs and chargers) and pink napkins to go with their pink and rust centerpieces.