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Stunning European-Style Commodore Perry Estate Elopement

December 8, 2021 | riley

Choosing to elope allows you to be extra intentional about how you spend your big day. Sonny and Scott wanted a meaningful and beautiful celebration that’s a true reflection of themselves. They also wanted to share that experience with their favorite people. Their love for each other and their family was so evident that every part of their stunning Commodore Perry Estate elopement overflowed with love.

There are many things to adore about this special day—the sweet surprises for the bride, the touching ways their families were included, the stylish and practical wedding attire, the relaxed and loving vibe, and the breathtaking European-style mansion with gorgeous pocket gardens and sprawling grounds. If you’re considering eloping, don’t miss the stunning wedding portraits and tender moments captured by Addie Rock Photography

The Couple:

Sonny and Scott

The Wedding:

Commodore Perry Estate, Austin, Texas

Thoughtful Surprises By The Family

While getting ready in the hotel room, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law had a couple surprises for me. For my “something old,” my sister-in-law had a beautiful diamond ring guard she wore from her grandfather that I have always loved. She had it split into two rings, and gave me one half to keep. I wear it every day with my engagement ring. My mother-in-law wrapped up a gorgeous aquamarine ring surrounded by diamonds that belonged to her mother. It was my “something borrowed” and “something blue.” It meant so much to me and it was a really special moment between the three of us.

A Stunning Commodore Perry Estate Elopement

We chose Commodore Perry as our elopement venue because it’s gorgeous. When we went to visit the hotel grounds, it felt like we were transported from Austin straight to Spain. The architecture and decor were absolutely stunning. With a venue as beautiful as this one, we knew we would need very little decor, and we would have plenty of options for taking beautiful photos.

Wedding Planning Thoughts

Whether you are planning an elopement or a large wedding, I think pinning down your venue and photographer are the two most important things to do right away. They book up so quickly, so you want to make sure you get who and where you want! I was lucky enough to have an amazing sister-in-law and mother-in-law that took care of a lot of the details for me, but if we were doing a larger wedding, a wedding coordinator would have been a must.

Making Practical Wedding Budget Choices

I’m proud of how frugal we were able to be in many aspects of the day. I ordered my dress from ASOS, and it looked stunning because I had it altered to fit me perfectly. The total cost for my gown was under $150. My husband wore a suit he already owned. We ordered candles and candle holders from Amazon, and the greenery came from the grocery store. My sister-in-law did my makeup, and I did my hair. Because we cut back in these areas, we were able to spend more on the larger details of the day like our photographer, venue, and dinner after the ceremony.

What It’s Like Working with Addie Rock Photography

Our photographer was incredible. I’ve never felt comfortable in front of a camera and I was worried it would cause me to look awkward in our photos. Addie knew exactly how to put us at ease and made it so much fun for us. She knew how to direct us to capture the most beautiful photos and she made us feel so natural in front of the camera.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Adeline Rock
Venue – Commodore Perry Estate
Floral Design – House of Margot Blair
Officiant – Sweet & Short Weddings
Wedding Dress – ASOS
Bridal Accessories – Lulu’s
Rings – Sofia Kaman Fine Jewelry

 

Congratulations to Sonny and Scott on their stunning European-style Commodore Perry elopement! Addie Photography did a wonderful job capturing the beauty and emotions of their big day. This couple planned such a beautiful, simple, and intimate elopement with their family.

The great part of eloping is that you and your partner can pick and choose what’s important to the both of you. All couples are different so every process is unique and it’s a genuine team effort. But ultimately, eloping can be a rewarding experience. Check out our elopement planning checklist to make sure that your day is meaningful, intentional, and filled with the moments that reflect your love and relationship.

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Moody and Modern Rainy Day Wedding

December 6, 2021 | riley

Even the most well-coordinated wedding may encounter a few bumps in the road. Add a pandemic to the mix and your wedding may look a lot different than you imagined. Despite all the setbacks, unforeseen changes because of COVID regulations, and a torrential downpour, Nilay and Corey handled it all gracefully and didn’t let anything put a damper on their beautiful rainy day wedding.

Aside from the date change and the weather being totally out of the couple’s control, their wedding is proof that unexpected events can lead to the best memories and rainy day portraits. The clear marquee on Mewburn Park gave their guests great views of the rain throughout the ceremony and reception. The twinkling fairy lights, the delicate draping, the exquisite deep-hued floral arrangements, and decor by Botany Green made it a romantic and moody affair. 

With the help of their supportive wedding team, they were able to focus on what’s important and remember what their wedding was really all about—a celebration of their love and union. Keep scrolling to see all of the heart-warming photos captured by Kinship by Kristy.

The Couple:

Nilay and Corey

The Wedding:

Mewburn Park Homestead, Victoria, Australia

Embracing Unforeseen Changes

After having to postpone our original date by two weeks, juggling last-minute changes, and unavoidable impacts due to restrictions, we’re honestly proud of how we handled it. We’re so incredibly grateful for such a genuine and supportive team of wedding vendors that gave us the utmost faith that everything would be handled. It was honestly perfect.

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The Most Memorable Part Of Their Beautiful Rainy Day Wedding

Mid ceremony, as our celebrant was reading a poem chosen by the mothers of the bride and groom, the rain got noticeably heavier. We paused and admired the rain falling over the clear marquee and said to each other “How perfect is this, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”—like those mornings spent lying in bed watching the rain out the window. But with all that rain that came, when the bride had to make her way to the ceremony, it stopped! When we wanted to go outside for our bridal party photos, it stopped! Timing was perfect.

Personalizing The Wedding Ceremony

Luckily we had an extremely talented celebrant who takes pride in personalizing ceremonies to the couple’s style and wishes. We wanted something fun and engaging but at the same time soft and personal. We incorporated a few funny stories, facts about our relationship, and chose to write our own vows. We also had surprise witnesses—the bride’s grandmother and groom’s grandfather—which was a beautiful, sentimental moment.

The Best Advice For Newlyweds

Our best advice comes from the wise words from our beautiful photographer—between the stress, the last-minute change of plans, unpleasant surprises, and whatever else gets thrown your way, when it comes down to it, none of it matters.

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The Wedding Team:

Photography – Kinship by Kristy
Venue – Mewburn Park Homestead
Floral Design – Botany Green
Catering – Duart Homestead
Officiant – Peace and Love Ceremonies
Live Music – Wolf and Willow
Videography – Petite Visuals
Invitation Design – Sea and Paper
Makeup Artist – C2 Makeup
Hair Styling – Meraki
Wedding Dress – Alena Leena via Twelve South Bridal
Groom’s Apparel – Panthers Mensland
Rings – Leonardo Fernandez Jewellery
Signage – Kailisie Designs
Favors – Logo Express

 

Congratulations to Nilay and Corey on their beautiful rainy day wedding. Thanks to Kinship by Kristy for capturing the most unforgettable moments.

If you’re ready to handle any curveballs that your wedding throws at you like Nilay and Corey did, take a step back and focus on the big picture. Thankfully, there are ways to beat the wedding planning stress and bring the joy back into planning your big day!

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Tropical Fairytale Tulum Wedding

December 5, 2021 | riley

It was the ultimate tropical fairytale Tulum wedding—the perfect white sand beach beautifully contrasting the turquoise waters, unique modern boho chic decor and statement furniture, ethereal floral arrangements of fresh blooms, dried leaves and fluffy pampas grass, glimmering disco balls popping out for that added touch of playful glam, and a tequila bar that kicked the celebration up a notch. The sublime aesthetic plus the romantic, carefree, and relaxed vibe truly embodied what Bri and J.D. wanted for their big day in Akiin Beach.

The wedding’s theme carried over into the couple’s fashion choices as well. The bride was a vision in her airy, delicately layered, off-the-shoulder dress with beautiful hand-beaded detailing. The stylish groom went with a low-key and effortlessly cool look, pairing a crisp white button-down shirt with beige trousers.

Planning a wedding during a very busy time for the couple and during a pandemic was challenging but Fresa Weddings helped them pull off the perfect stress-free wedding. With the help of expert vendors, they enjoyed all the intimate and fun moments with friends and family throughout the day. 

You need to see every dreamy detail captured by Junebug members MemoryBox Photography! Keep scrolling to get inspiration for your own fairytale destination wedding.

The Couple:

Bri and JD

The Wedding:

Akiin Beach, Tulum, Mexico

A Stress-Free Tropical Fairytale Tulum Wedding

The most memorable part of the day for us was how relaxed everything was. Our main goal was a stress-free environment and treating our guests to an amazing time because we know how big of an ask it was to invite them to a destination wedding. That was definitely what we got. Thanks to the MemoryBox team and Fresa Weddings our day was so easy! I spent the morning having breakfast with our guests and hanging out by the beach. J.D. spent the morning going on a run with some of his groomsmen. The relaxed atmosphere was perfect for us. 

A Truly Memorable Fairytale Tulum Wedding

There wasn’t a single aspect of our wedding that I would change. I’m most proud of how the wedding matched our personalities so perfectly. It’s tempting to try to micromanage an event like this but ultimately if you hire people you trust, they’re the experts and they know what they’re doing. We let all of the teams do what they do best and we ended up with the perfect day. My only regret is that it’s over!

Thoughts On Working With Junebug Member MemoryBox Photography

MemoryBox was so amazing. We aren’t photo people, we’re awkward in photos and we didn’t want our whole day to revolve around taking photos like many weddings do. They worked with us on that and we got amazing photos but we were able to do it while still having a relaxed day and spending as much time as possible with our family and friends in Tulum. Fred and Mel are so good at their job and it’s so clear they genuinely enjoy what they do.

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Wedding Favors That Double As Decor

We struggled with the decision to give out wedding favors because we read that we shouldn’t spend money on them. So Kristee came up with a way for us to have favors that double as decor. We gave out customized margarita glasses that we displayed on our tequila bar. We did this because it added to the fun design of our tequila bar and we know not everyone loves wedding favors. Now we have a set of those glasses and our families have some of those glasses that to keep forever.

Fairytale Tulum Wedding Day Surprises

I remember seeing the dinner palapa for the first time and I was so amazed at how perfect it looked. It felt like I was having a dream. I was in shock at how incredible the entire setup was. People tell you that you can’t have a Pinterest-worthy wedding but Kristee gave us that and I am still in shock at how perfect everything was. We even had a saxophonist and it was such a hit!

The Wedding Vibe Matched Their Personalities

Everyone told me to just enjoy the day and it’s rare that couples actually get to enjoy the days leading up to the wedding. We did. We had so much fun with our guests the whole trip. And then the wedding itself was an absolute blast because we had teams around us that did everything to make sure we were taken care of.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – MemoryBox Photo
Event Planning – Fresa Weddings
Venue – Akiin Beach
Floral Design – Vanessa Jaimes Floral Design
Makeup Artist & Hair Styling – Natasha Rae Artistry
Wedding Dress – Galia Lahav via Stanley Korshak Bridal
Rentals – Kay & Tee Boutique Rentals

 

Congratulations to Bri and J.D. on their fairytale Tulum wedding! Big thanks to Junebug members MemoryBox Photography for capturing all the beautiful details and emotions of their destination wedding. To see more of the incredible weddings they’ve photographed, check out their profile in our directory of wedding photographers from around the globe!

Destination weddings are an exciting way for you and your partner to start a magical new chapter of your lives. Kick start the process by checking out our ultimate destination wedding planning guide and budget breakdown. Be inspired, get ultra-romantic ideas, and live your dream of a fairytale destination wedding!

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