South Congress Hotel & Mercury Hall | Austin, Texas | Stephanie & Jake's Mid-Century Inspired Wedding
“Now darlin'
I am not afraid to
Not afraid to love you
I am not afraid”
“When first thinking about what to say in this moment, I was mentally brought back to our milestones. Days that stood out to me through significance of importance and emotional impact on our relationship. I was amazed how many we had, and decided to pick one for each day of the week. Please forgive me for my corniness.
I asked you to be my girlfriend on a Sunday. You accepted on a Monday. We got engaged on a Tuesday. I witnessed you crying for the first time on a Wednesday. I was introduced to your parents on a Thursday. It’s Friday, I’m in Love. And of course today, we’re getting married.
I thought it was amazing that I could look back and see that any day could be a milestone that I’ll never forget with you.”
That’s just a sample (from Jake’s vows) of the kind, heartfelt, unique words that were shared on this wedding day.
Jake & Stephanie had planned to have an outdoor wedding at Mercury Hall, but like most Texas Spring days, rain was in the forecast. So a tent was put up to accommodate the outdoor cocktail hour and buffet, while the ceremony was moved indoors. Despite the room for error when “Plan B” has to be implemented, Stephanie & Jake’s wedding day flowed seamlessly like no other. I think that is such a testament to their go with the flow, calm personalities. But also to the value of having a wonderfully curated and collaborative team of professional wedding vendors. Couples very often underestimate the behind the scenes moving parts that their vendors handle to pull off a stellar event for them & their guests. Teamwork & trust are SUPER important - more on that here.
I made some stylistic choices in this films that I was really excited about. The opening title was inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown” title card. I loved the way the yellow popped against the green. I do wish I could have made it look a little less digital. The color grading was more saturated than our typical edits and my main goal was to retain brown/tan skin tones and warm shadows with teal highlights.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY
The style. The dress, the head piece, the suit & shoes & bowtie. To me, style is just intentionality. You could tell that Stephanie & Jake put thought behind each of their stylistic choices on their wedding day and made those choices based on what they felt most comfortable & confident in. They were able to freely move, embrace, celebrate and all around be themselves. It made for some real genuine moments & emotion, free from distractions.
There were butterflies in the floral aisle runners that gave off some serious “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” vibes. I loved the delicacy and volume of all the floral arrangements & how it looked like wild flowers just overtook the space. Davy Gray absolutely nailed it.
Jake’s hiccup during the ceremony was one of those moments where I said to myself “I am SO glad I am recording this in full for them.”
Austin local artist Davy Crockett started the dance floor off with some good ol’ Texas swing that made me feel like I was in an old timey southern dance hall.
If you want to see more of Stephanie & Jake’s wedding day, including their ceremony & toasts, you can watch it all in their Heirloom Documentary.
STEPHANIE AND JAKE’S STORY
Stephanie and Jake met under what seemed to be unfortunate circumstances at the time; a break up and a cancelled flight, which led them to the same wedding. They were introduced by Jake’s sister, briefly chatted about their whereabouts and continued on with the celebration. After the send off, Jake suggested they exchange numbers, “Just in case.” But was turned down by Stephanie because they were all going to the same bar and she would see him there. Stephanie’s friend Katie, annoyed with her response, graciously handed over Stephanie’s number. The rest was history.
“We are opposites and see our faults complimented with each other’s strengths. While we butt heads at times, we know through these struggles we grow stronger and gain more perspective outside of our own thoughts and experiences. We are a team that is bonded by our mutual love and commitment and therefore have the same end goals in mind. To be with each other forever and be happy with each other. This enables any struggle to be turned into a positive experience in our journey together through life.” – Stephanie & Jake
Vendors : South Congress Hotel | Mercury Hall | Gloria Goode Photography | Pearl Events Austin | Davy Gray | Odylyne the Ceremony | DJ Cassandra | Launderette | Contigo | Loot Rentals | Charley Crockett
Music: Highlight “Bang Bang” by Secret American | “Good Men Change” by Secret American | Documentary “You’re So Good To Me” by M. Ward | “This Is The Day” by The The