A Foreshadowing Moment

It was during orientation at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California that Elizabeth and Conner first met. They started dating after their fraternity and sorority were paired up for a lip-sync/dance off event.  Elizabeth signed up for the team competition because she knew that Conner would be there, and they chose each other as dance partners. The choreography called for the guys to get down on one knee and ‘propose’ to the girls. It turned out to be a great foreshadowing moment.

Make it Big, Epic and Comfortable

“I am not the bride who’s known all her life how my wedding would be. However, there were a few elements I knew would be true.” explains Elizabeth.

For Elizabeth and Conner, they wanted their wedding to be big, the band to be epic, and it would NOT be outside. “I knew the Texas heat would be too much for my guests from California. I also knew that I didn’t want to follow a formula. I didn’t want guests to feel like they had been to this exact wedding before. I wanted to make sure that anything trendy was used with intention,” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth wanted the feel to be elegant and sophisticated, and to suggest a garden.“Our colors were cobalt, grayish blue and gold. I thought that playing with multiple colors would add more depth and intrigue to the look of the reception. While pink and gold accents can become fairy princess (that’s SO not me) the blues created the perfect balance. The darkness of the blue of the tablecloths gave the sophisticated vibe I was going for. It felt dynamic and twinkling when it was all said and done,” said Elizabeth.

The Road To Marriage Leads To The St. Anthony

 “Once we hired our planner, Helayne with The Road to Marriage, the search was on to find a venue that could accommodate our epic band.  And we wanted to showcase the uniqueness of San Antonio. We wanted to expose our guests to one of San Antonio’s historical gems, The St. Anthony Hotel,” explains Elizabeth.

Conner and Elizabeth had experienced the photo booth of MirMir, so that was at the top of their list.  Additionally, they were sold on Cathy Young for their wedding cake as she is a friend of the family. “She has made most, if not all, of my birthday cakes growing up, and I always knew she would be the one to make my wedding cake. We had a mini panic about this at the beginning of wedding planning when we realized that her granddaughter would be getting married on the exact day as our wedding. Fortunately, Cathy had a plan for us. She made a beautiful “show” cake for display at the reception, and we served sheet cake from the kitchen. We couldn’t stop at one, so we served three of Cathy’s signature flavors. Some lucky guests got to try all three,” explains Elizabeth.

Exceeding Our Expectations

For Elizabeth and Conner, several of their vendors really stood out as going beyond their expectations.  Elizabeth explains, “Flair Floral handled our flowers, and they were just perfect, stunning, beautiful creations. I wanted to eat them! The flowers were primarily white with blush and blue accents. Flowers for the ceremony made up an asymmetrical arch which added intimacy to an otherwise large space. Flair was thoughtful about levels, texture, and weight of the arrangements which were stunning at the reception. To be honest, I know very little about flowers. I didn’t even know how to describe some of them. Yet the staff at Flair Floral made it so easy for us.”

Elizabeth also spoke about Mindy’s Bakeshop who created custom cookies to be given as favors at the reception. They combined several elements from their signature designs into one Texas shaped cookie.

Adding unique personal touches is easy, when you choose the right vendors. “One item I loved was the name cards for the head table, thanks to Anne at Girl General. The names of each member of the wedding party were hand painted on glass in blue and finished with a blush background. We did the table numbers in the same style, so the detail was reflected throughout the entire reception.” Explains Elizabeth.

Additionally, Girl General created custom calligraphy that played a role from their save the dates to the cocktail glasses, to the linen napkins on the head table. “Anne at Girl General handled all our graphics throughout the whole process: menus, invitations, seating charts, everything! Having a unique “Elizabeth and Conner” design and a coordinating E&C logo added elegance, consistency and personalization to so many elements of the wedding. We will get to keep the linen, napkins, embroidered with E&C as a cherished memory of our wedding day and a beautiful design element when we host dinner parties,” said Elizabeth.

Advice For the Future Bride & Groom

Elizabeth shares some valuable advice for future brides and grooms, “Hire good vendors and trust them. Our wedding planner, Helayne Nicholson, seemed to know all the best people in town. Trusting our vendors and following their advice allowed Conner and I to be relaxed and enjoy our wedding day!”