*A Note From Cory Ryan Photography

“The day began with a sweet ceremony at Long Center for Performing Arts overlooking the gorgeous Austin skyline. Their sweet puppy Lucy walked down the aisle as ring bearer with her custom feather collar and basked in all the attention while Brooke was stunning in her Nicole Miller dress and bouquet made of feathers and succulents. After the deal was sealed, the evening festivities moved to the gorgeous garden grounds of the French Legation Museum for a Great Gatsby inspired evening of fun. The tables were decorated with Indian tapestries gifted from Jeremy’s dad, and some were even laid out into a picnic style area front and center of the stage. Vividly spray painted succulents in different shapes and sizes acted as the perfect accents to each table. The White Ghost Shivers warmed everybody up and got everyone moving, then LCD Soundsystem cover band All My Friends kicked the dance party into high gear. Even when the power circuit blew, the guests continued singing the song a capella until the end. I especially love the wedding poster that was designed by the bride and groom themselves! It was created to look like a show poster, and made for an awesome favor for the guests! At the end of the night, Brooke & Jeremy ran through a tunnel of friends out to their awaiting pedi-cab and headed out to their east side Austin after-party.”

What Storyboard Likes…

Oasis Among The Giants- The first thing that grabbed my attention about Brooke & Jeremy’s wedding was the genius desert oasis feel that they created in downtown Austin.  The ceremony location, perfectly spotted to view the city skyline, was dripping in touches that gave a true desert mirage touch.  While many couples I am sure have brought more modern feel to this location, I really respect & appreciate the nod to the Texas dryness, sampling the more colorful & rainbowed hue offerings that a desert can produce!

Green With Love- If you haven’t already noticed, I was a bit heavy handed in the floral department as far as my image selection goes.  I really couldn’t help myself!  There is so much to love about what Rosehip Flora did, then Cory Ryan Photography goes and takes some pretty fab floral shots on top of it!  I love everything about the choice of florals for Brooke & Jeremy’s wedding, really bringing a vivid desert oasis feel.  While the vibrant hues of the bouquets are quite the attention getter, for me, I am loving everything about the ceremony set up!  From the potted desert plants that line the aisle to the absolutely gorgeous wooden crate set up where our couple made it official.  The layering of the boxes is brilliant, while the styling inside them is superb.  I am a smitten kitten when it comes to this set up!

Feelin Kinda Awesome- There is an overall theme, from the personal style of our couple to their attitude & feel that I absolutely am eating up!  Brooke is ever stunning in her gorgeous perfectly slinky Nicole Miller, jeweled belt, & birdcage veil, while Jeremy is dapper as ever in his sneaks, slacks, vest & killer bow tie.  While its clear our sweet couple wanted an air of refinement to their day, it was ever more important to them that their guest feel comfortable & truly enjoy themselves when the time came, creating an awesome backyard reception feel.  There is an ease & dare I say casualness that goes along with their reception set up, that really expresses a good time should be had by all.  Brooke & Jeremy are definitely laid back cool with some suave fashion sense.

Novella of the Bride…

Jeremy and I met on New Year’s Eve 2008 at a huge party at our house.  That particular party was significant in that it brought several friendships together, launched our friends’ event and promotion business, Knuckle Rumbler, and brought Jeremy and I together. We mostly wanted to throw a party for our friends that was uniquely us.  We decide on “bow ties and boas” as the theme and then went from there.  We tried to use as many friends and local business as possible to really make it uniquely us and uniquely Austin.

For the ceremony, we thought having the Austin skyline would make for a dramatic, quintessential Austin backdrop.  For the reception, we wanted something that was in the heart of Austin.  French Legation was within easy walking distance of our usual haunts. My favorite moment was the dance party to All My Friends at the end.  Friends and family from all phases of our lives singing and dancing at the top of their lungs.

Vendor Love

CeremonyVenue: The Long Center,French Legation Museum
 ReceptionVenue: The Long Center
Dress Boutique: Unbridaled
Florist: Rosehip Flora
Caterer: Pink Avocado Catering
Cake Designer: Austin Cake Ball
Bakery: Mr. Natural
Band: Hayden Bagot,White Ghost Shivers & All My Friends
DJ:Sense and Color Lighting
Transportation: R&R Limousine and Bus
Photo Booth: Alison Narro
Event Designer: Sarah K. Wolf
Photographer: Cory Ryan Photography

Most Love Dogs!  That is the pretty much the heart & soul, (& secret match makers) to this adorable couple, and stunning Tahoe wedding at the perfect place, Lake Forest Retreat!  Mandy Sun & Adrian Brown’s love of their dogs planted the perfect seed to  make their relationship bloom, while their enjoyment of the gorgeous California terrain gave them ample activities to bond over!  When the time came to plan their wedding they knew without a doubt it was the picturesque back drop of Lake Tahoe for them.  The overall feel to the wedding is sophisticated modern with DIY touches with their respective pups most certainly having a place at the alter!  Our couple’s wedding style beautifully embraced the nature around them, putting together an affair with just the right amount of design & style!

What Storyboard Likes…

The Pups- As you know I have a pup and am a huge dog lover!  Show me a wedding with cute pups & you naturally have my attention!  While the lab is without a doubt adorable, tell me that Yorky isnt stealing the canine show! I really appreciate that it was important to Mandy & Adrian to include their companions and I am sure that having them there made the day that much more special!

Little Touches- Knowing the stunning palette that nature was already offering our couple, Mandy & Adrian cleverly knew that overkill in the decor department was not only unnecessary, that playing it cool would be the perfect way to style up their lake side retreat!  From the bunting to the signage, the little decisions, done well, speak volumes, adding the perfect amount of style without over taking things.  Remember ladies, not all weddings call for the same amount of design & decor!  Know when to pull back!  By pulling back, our couple created a lovely fete, injecting sophistication in what could have been The Great Outdoors, John Candy style!

Our Couple-  I dont know if it sounds silly but I just love them!  Leafing through their gorgeous photos, its a true pleasure for me to see how happy they are, how happy they make each other & they clearly love to laugh.  There is a freeness that I get from them, something that I think each brings out in the other.  They are just one of those couples who’s ease at love jumps off the page at you!

Novella Of The Bride…

Adrian and I met in San Francisco just over 2 years ago and quickly bonded over the love we both have for dogs and the great outdoors!  We like to spend our spare time with our dogs enjoying the trail running/hiking around the SF Bay Area, and also getting away for weekend escapes at our cabin in Truckee, CA.

Our wedding theme was rustic and romatic!  The venue itself was already so breathtaking, we were able to capitalize on the beautiful backdrop of Lake Tahoe as well as Lake Forest Retreat.  There were many DIY projects that started months before the wedding such as the bunting flags, wedding programs and menu cards, my bridal pearl necklace and bracelet that my mom strung together, as well as my sister’s maid-of-honor dress that was custom made!  Another special touch was our wedding desserts, (cupcakes and macarons) made fresh from our favorite bakeries in San Francisco and hand carried up to Tahoe by one of our good friends!

My sister, Irene, also my MOH was pivotal in brainstorming, planning, and executing the wedding!  Irene not only designed and created all of our wedding stationary, she put in endless hours helping to pick out favors, fabrics, and colors to pull our big day together.  We couldn’t have had the wedding of our dreams without my sister Irene, she is our un-official wedding/event planner!

We got engaged last Christmas Eve on a mid-day hike with our dogs in Lake Tahoe.  We love the beauty of Lake Tahoe and wanted to share it with our family and friends!  Since we spend much of our spare time in Tahoe, it was an obvious choice for our destination wedding.

Bride’s Favorite Wedding Moment: “Exchanging our vows with each other! We had each selected our own vows and waited to share them until our wedding ceremony. We were both very overwhelmed with emotion and tears of happiness came pouring out!”

Vendor Love 

Ceremony Venue: Skylandia Park
Reception Venue: Lake Forest Retreat
Wedding Dress Designer: San Patrick
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Custom Made
Shoe Designer: Toms
Hair & Makeup Stylist: Urban Angels
Music: Disc Jockeys Now
Florist: Suzus Petals
Caterer:  As You Wish Catering
Baker: That Takes The Cake & Chantal Guillon
Photographer: Eric Asistin Photography

Forrest Graham & Matthew Kazee’s Lake Lure wedding was an intimate family affair from the start.  Forrest’s parents graciously headed to the house a month early to prepare, while Matthew’s 2 children from a previous marriage hand drew the drawing on their ceremony programs!  Photos of loved ones since passed were framed & used as decor to honor them.  The lake side wedding had elements of country to it with non-matching vintage cake plates, the bridesmaids in cowboy boots, wildflower feel bouquets.  The groom and groomsmen arrived via a pontoon boat, driving up from Chimney Rock where they were getting ready.  Granted I am a big dog lover as most of you know, but I think my favorite part has to be Samson, the couple’s mega cute pup who ultimately found a comfy spot on Forrest’s dress while she was getting ready!  Our good natured bride took it all in strand!  Of course no lake side North Carolina wedding would be complete without some amazing BBQ & Tea with a kick of Beam!  We’re loving the laid back feel & gorgeous calming water views!

Vendor Love

Venue: Family Home
Floral Designer: The Farmer’s Market,Ingles
Baker: Ingles Bakery
Photographer: Jen Yuson Photography, Second Shooter: Shawn Bauguess