Houston Wedding Blog

Autumn Chateau Polonez Wedding By RSVP Studios

2012-02-03T16:54:23Z

They’ve known each other for 25 years, and have been a couple for nearly 19 of those. But Ana and Eric’s long courtship did not diminish the romance of their Chateau Polonez wedding one iota. After meeting in their church orchestra—she played violin, he played timpani—and eventually falling in love (starting with a surprise New Year’s Eve date in 1993), the couple said their vows, then celebrated in elegant style, with a candlelit reception at the European-style chateau. Our favorite touches? We adore the little lovebirds and the bright, fall-color floral. And, of course, who wouldn’t love those gorgeous confections from Supreme Kakes? We’re especially enamored of the “suitcase” groom’s cake, with “stickers” referencing global travel destinations, about which bride Ana told us, “People know that we usually like to travel during the summer, and one of the questions Eric gets asked is, ‘Where are you going next summer?’ He felt that this really represented our favorite thing to do, and let our friends and family have a glimpse at our future traveling plans.” We’re grateful to RSVP Studios for representing this sweet wedding in photos—and to Ana and Eric for sharing their happiness with future Houston brides.

Photography: RSVP Studios~Bride’s Dress: Panache Bridal & Formal~Bride’s Makeup & Hair: Hilda Kershman~Cakes: Supreme Kakes & More~Flowers: Floral Events~Venue: Chateau Polonez

Venues We Love: InterContinental Houston…Plus Weekend Getaway Giveaway

2012-01-31T20:55:21Z

Photos: Nhan Nguyen Photography ~ Venue: InterContinental Houston Hotel

If you attended January’s I Do! Bridal Soiree, you got a chance to witness, first-hand, the majesty of the InterContinental Houston Hotel’s Legends Ballroom. As the site of our spectacular 2012 runway show, the Legends Ballroom dazzled with its 18-foot ceilings and elaborate chandeliers. With all eyes focused on the runway, many of you may have missed the venue’s many other fabulous features—so let’s just lay them out for you, shall we? First off, there are the ballroom’s regal cherry-mahogany walls, which imbue a sense of grandeur befitting even the most elegantly formal wedding occasion. Then, just beyond the ballroom’s doors, in the glass-walled foyer (a favorite pre-function space), there is that incredible spiral staircase—perfect for your grand entrance as a newly minted Mrs. Add to that a gracious and ultra-efficient staff, and some of the finest culinary talent in the country, and the fact that the Legends Ballroom can accommodate a wedding reception for up to 800 of your nearest and dearest—while a couple of smaller, but no less luxurious, ballrooms can host more intimate groups—and, well, InterContinental Houston catering manager and wedding expert Chantal Lavin says it best: “The location, ballrooms, culinary team and staff make the InterContinental Hotel Houston the choice for sophisticated and savvy brides.”

Want to learn more about available dates, or schedule a visit? E-mail Chantal, or click here.

Oh—and here’s something else the InterContinental Houston has besides beautiful ballrooms: spacious, stylish guest rooms with insanely comfortable beds and city views for miles. The kind of room you’ll luxuriate in with the love o’ your life when you score one of our TWO two-night, weekend getaways, which include a Friday & Saturday night stay, plus a lazy, lavish breakfast in the The Restaurant—the InterContinental’s global-cuisine dining destination.

To Enter: E-mail us with your name, fiancé’s name, wedding date and reception venue. Please do NOT enter more than once—duplicate entries will be deleted. Entry must be emailed BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012. Two randomly selected winners will be notified, and announced on Facebook the following week. Good luck!

White and Purple Woodlands Winter Wedding

2012-01-31T17:06:38Z

A white winter wedding need not be devoid of color. Quite the contrary. A clean, wintry white background is the perfect foundation for a warming burst of color. Lynsey and Taylor’s December wedding celebration at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center is a spectacular example. Against a backdrop of snow white, including white table linens, chair covers and room draping, Darryl & Co. brought in subtle touches of purple and silver, along with plenty of icy crystal, glass and rhinestone sparkle, creating an effect that was at once coolly chic and warmly inviting. Purple and pink color-wash lighting, snowflake gobos, and, of course, flickering candlelight, completed the picture, providing Lynsey, Taylor and their 225 delighted guests a winter wonderland in which to eat, drink and dance the night away. And boy, did they. Big thanks to Jaylene DeBenedictis of Sacred Image Photography for her beautiful photos of one of the loveliest winter weddings we’ve had the privilege of featuring. Enjoy!

Photos: Sacred Image Photography ~ Bride’s Dress: Kitty Chen Couture ~ from The Princess Bridal ~ Flowers, Decor & Rentals: Darryl & Co. ~ Venue, Catering & Cake: The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center

Lace Wedding Cakes

2012-01-26T22:21:49Z

Lace has always been a bridal staple. But we’ve never seen this delicate, intricate material more coveted by brides than it is in this very moment. Let’s step away from gowns for a moment, though, and take a look at how lace is making its mark on…CAKES! You may remember Houston bride Kaleigh’s gorgeous Who Made the Cake cake, inspired by the bride’s lovely lace bolero. Well, we’ve got a few more lace-inspired cakes that are so pretty, it’s hard to believe they’re confections, not couture!

Photos (clockwise, left to right): Maisie Fantaisie, Cake Girls via Real Simple, Maisie Fantaisie, Zoe Clark Cakes, Zoe Clark Cakes

Pink, Orange, Yellow and Green Lakeway Resort Wedding

2012-01-24T19:33:06Z

The setting of Austin’s Lakeway Resort & Spa, with its Lake Travis waterfront location and Hill Country views, is spectacularly scenic on its own. But add a bounty of beautiful bright floral to the resort’s glass-walled ballroom, like bride Lauren did for her wedding to Zach, and the result is absolute WOW. Lauren says the deep-orange submerged-flower centerpieces were her favorite floral touch, and we’d have to agree. We’re also loving the subtle contrast of the dark table linens with all that sherbet-hued floral finery—a bold and beautiful choice, don’t you think? Check out these splendid photos by Jennifer Lindberg of Jennifer Lindberg Weddings, and join us in wishing Lauren and Zach a long and loving life as husband and wife!

Photos: Jennifer Lindberg Weddings~Bride’s Dress: Priscilla of Boston~Cake: Simon Lee Bakery ~
Flowers: Bouquets of Austin~Decor & Rentals: Marquee Rentals~Venue: Lakeway Resort & Spa

What Whet Your Wedding Appetite?

2012-01-20T17:11:15Z

You came (in droves), you saw, you asked, you chatted, you tweeted, you gasped, you clapped, and some of you won some really snazzy bridal swag.

But what did you LOVE at last Sunday’s I Do! Bridal Soiree at the InterContinental Houston Hotel?

We’d love to hear which vendors clicked for you, which table displays dazzled you most, what show features (the runway presentation? the tablescape gallery? the gift bags?) were your favorites, and what was your most valuable find at last weekend’s show.

E-mail your feedback—just a sentence or two is fine, though if you’ve got five paragraphs, we’ll take that, too! Your input is utterly invaluable to us. It’s what helps us make the I Do! Bridal Soiree the best possible bridal showcase it can be. So do it for us. Do it for your sister brides-to-be. Better yet, do it for your chance to win an exclusive, secret prize, which will be awarded to one bride who e-mails her I Do! comments by next Friday, Feb. 3. Winner announced on Facebook on Monday, Feb. 6!!

Photo: Nhan Nguyen Photography

Purple, Pink and Gold La Colombe d’Or Wedding by Rachel Robinson

2012-01-13T04:46:41Z

If there’s one thing Houston brides know how to do right, it’s mixing refined elegance with real, kick-up-your-heels FUN. Danielle and Robert’s wedding is a perfect example. For understated opulence, you can’t do any better than La Colombe d’Or, with its Grand Ballroom featuring 20-foot ceilings and 300-year-old oak-paneled walls repurposed from a French chateau. To this already lavish setting, high-school sweethearts Danielle and Robert added sinewy, illuminated glass-cylinder arrangements from Plants ’N Petals, and subtle accents of deep pink, purple and regal gold. And they brought in Jonny Black Productions to ensure their celebration of a lifetime wasn’t just another pretty place—but an unforgettable party for all involved. Our favorite touches? The framed portrait of the bride in her ga-ga-gorgeous Vera Wang gown, the purple ties and pocket squares, and, most especially, orchids, orchids everywhere! Big thanks to photographer Rachel Robinson for sharing her pretty, pretty pix with us—and warmest wishes to newlyweds Danielle and Robert.

Photos: Rachel Robinson Photography~Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang~Bride’s Hair & Makeup: The Perfect Face~Entertainment: Jonny Black Productions~Invitations: Bering’s~Flowers, Decor & Rentals: Plants ’N Petals~Venue: La Colombe d’Or

Kindle Fire, Texans Football, Wedding WOW: The Final I Do! Countdown

2012-01-13T15:27:35Z

All right, Houston brides, we’re in the home stretch. Sunday’s I Do! Bridal Soiree at the InterContinental Houston Hotel is almost upon us. Will you be joining us for what promises to be the most magnificent bridal event ever to alight in Texas—or anywhere else for that matter?

Just in case acres of breathtaking tablescapes, astonishingly gorgeous wedding cakes and a drop-dead-amazing bridal couture runway aren’t enough incentive for you, we’ve got a few more goodies to sweeten the deal.

First up: Don’t forget, today is your last day to be entered to win a brand-spanking-new Kindle Fire, Amazon’s gotta-have-it e-reader, which also happens to run just about every Android wedding app on the market—along with most other Droid apps, too. Woo-hoo! Simply purchase your I Do! tickets between midnight Wednesday (Jan. 11) and 11:59 tonight, and you’re automatically entered to win. We’ll notify our winner via email on Saturday, and have her Kindle Fire waiting for her at the show!

Also: Sunday’s division playoffs Texans game WILL BE BROADCAST at I Do! @ InterContinental. Think you have to choose between football and fabulousness? Oh no, honey. Not at this show!

And last but definitely not least: This year’s door prize baskets are the most dazzling we’ve ever done. Spilling over with wedding swag, discounts and other treats, each one is a bride’s dream come true. But you MUST be present to win, so don’t scoot off before the show closes—we wouldn’t want to give your goodies to another gal now, would we?

Come excited, come inspired, and please, come stylishly attired. We can’t wait to see you at the show!

Debuts, Discounts and Giveaways: Here’s What I Do! Vendors Have in Store For You

2012-01-11T22:04:34Z

Sure, the I Do! Bridal Soiree is about insanely beautiful tabletop and floral displays, the season’s newest bridal couture creations, and, of course, the latest and loveliest everything you could ever want for your perfect Houston wedding. But heck, let’s face it, it’s also about the GOODIES—as in big, juicy show discounts, yummy samples and take-home swag, and fantastic I Do! door prizes and giveaways.

Just a little glimpse at the good stuff a handful of our talented vendors have in store for you: Wedding design and planning firm A Day to Remember will be showcasing bridal- and engagement-shoot styling, for brides who crave that ineffably elegant “magazine” look for their pre-wedding photos. “Gone are the days of traditional shoots, now, it’s about styling them and having fun!” notes A Day to Remember’s Claudia G. de Velasco, who will also be offering special rates for brides who book at Sunday’s show. From LZ Floral Design expect to see contemporary orchid trees, alluring aisle lanterns and fresh new looks in centerpiece and bouquet design—and expect to score your choice of 10% off your selected floral package, a complimentary floral monogram or a complimentary bridal portrait bouquet. Hot Houston lighting firm Bright Star Productions will be demonstrating plenty of illuminating new effects, including gorgeous high-resolution gobo projections, and the latest in LED technology, and is offering the chance to win a custom monogram gobo. Jackglass Studios, meanwhile, plans to attract stylish brides (and grooms!) with new crystal Champagne flutes, sleek liquor decanters, etched stainless-steel flasks, engraved cufflinks and more, and is contributing a beautiful pair of crystal toasting flutes to one of Weddings in Houston’s incredible door-prize baskets, each worth upwards of $1,000. Yowza!

As we said, this is just a teeny, tiny glimpse of what’s in store to see, experience, book and SCORE at I Do! @ InterContinental. For the full picture, be there on Sunday—you WON’T walk away empty-handed.

Photo: Steve Lee Weddings

Are You Ready for the I Do! Bridal Soiree Runway?

2012-01-09T18:04:34Z

There’s nothing that gets a bride’s heart pounding like designer bridal gowns in all their sumptuous, silken, Swarovski-sparkling glory. Well, we suggest you do a little cardio prep before Sunday’s I Do! Bridal Soiree, because our 2012 bridal fashion show promises to be our most incredible runway production yet. Renowned runway producer Lenny Matuszewski promises a totally “fresh and new” look to this year’s show—our first ever in our gorgeous new digs at the InterContinental Houston Hotel (whose ballroom Matuszewski calls “one of the most glamorous rooms for a fashion show in the city”).

We know how much you love surprises—especially designer surprises—so we’ll leave the unveiling of this year’s wedding dresses ’til show day. But we will tell you that you’ll see some of the hottest emerging trends in designer bridal style, including, notes Matuszewski, “intricate ‘origami’ pleats and folds,” “fun and daring minis,” “soft, layered ruffles” and “voluminous layers upon layers of tulle, chiffon and net, that create a ‘lighter than a feather’ feeling.”

Are you feeling it? ’Cause—thump, thump, thump, thump—we sure are. See you on Sunday!

Photos: Nhan Nguyen Photography