Texas Old Town wedding: Nicki and Stacy

Check out a little excerpt of Nicki and Stacy's wedding day photographed by Ben Godkin!

P.S. - Ben Godkin is one of my favorite photographers in the Austin area. His work is clean and different, which makes him stand out IMHO from the multitude of photographers!!

And now to the lovely couple: Nicki and Stacy.

7 Products for your Wedding Day at Texas Old Town

We know it.  You wanna have THE BEST SKIN EVER on your wedding day.  Don’t we all!  We want to appear at the end of that aisle and have everyone commenting about how we’re “glowing” and whispering about our skin care regime.  Here’s a little secret: our La Belle Bride team is a bit product obsessed.  It’s true.  Personally, I’m always pouring over the newest products and perusing the aisles of Sephora in hopes to find the next big “IT” product.  So I polled not only our team but also a few brides and some of my best girl friends and here it is:  The 7 Must-Have Products for Your Wedding Day Glow.

And of course we’ve narrowed it down to 4 easy steps:

1. CLEANSE: Wash away the grit of the day with Purity Foaming Daily Cleanser.  It’s gentle and won’t leave you with “dry, tight face”.  Which I hate.
2. MOISTURIZE: I’m a moisturizing FREAK.  I love cream.  And hands down La Mer is the best.  Tis’ truly a miracle from under the sea.  It contains amazing plant extracts that leaves your skin SUPER smooth and moisturized.  I am also in love with Naturopathica’s Vitamin K Eye Brightening Serum. No joke, it leaves the delicate skin under your eye feeling SO STINKIN’ SOFT AND SMOOTH.  I kid you not.  It’s wonderful.
3. PROTECT: If you ain’t wearing sunscreen by now, well you’re just stubborn and foolish.  The sun will get ya!  Protecting your face with sunscreen is THE BEST way to fight advanced signs of aging.  You don’t want to look like a shriveled raisin, do ya?  I didn’t think so.  So please slap on Josie Maran’s Protect Daily Sun Protection.  It’s 40 SPF will show the sun who’s boss.  And slap on a little Burt’s Bee Lip Balm to top it all off.
4. ILLUMINATE: Your all clean, moisturized,  and protected – now we wanna shine.  We suggest Stila’s Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer coupled with Nars’ The Multiple – which can be applied anywhere on your face to add some shimmer.  Your skin will shine with a beachy glow that will have heads spinning.

VIA:  La Belle Bride

Melissa - Bridal Portraits at Texas Old Town

Melissa was married this past weekend in Tejas hall, but below are a few of her bridal portraits to ohh and ahh over for now!

"Bridal portraits may be the most fun, ever. Especially, at Texas Old Town. We could literally find hundreds of settings. The only down side is that we had to wait until after the wedding to post them! Melissa had an incredible event last Saturday at Tejas Hall. Super staff, fun crowd, and the totally Texas feel that Melissa and Bryan were wanting. Look for pictures in the next couple of weeks. But, wait... I got distracted, back to the bridal session. Isn't she stunning? Boots, barn wood, bridges, water, grass, fields and fences. We loved this session"
-J Mark Photography

11 Important Reception Site Questions - Texas Old Town

11 Important Wedding Reception Site Questions

First posted by: Bridal Guide - http://bridalguide.com/planning/wedding-reception/11-important-wedding-reception-site-questions

Have your heart set on a particular reception site? Make sure you've answered these key questions before you book it.

You can't really set a wedding date until you've secured a location for your wedding reception (and ceremony), so the sooner you tackle this task, the better—do it 10 to 12 months in advance, if possible.
Once you've narrowed down your choices (a hotel? a banquet hall? a country club?), sit down with the banquet manager (or other representative) at each place to hash out the details. If you like what you hear, you can cross this task off your list and start planning the party itself.

Texas Old Town: Texas Old Town offers unique and spacious reception halls, which include the following amenities: 8 am to Midnight rental (16 hours) Tables & Chairs for reception halls Bride & Groom Dressing Rooms Outdoor Ceremony Sites with white, padded chair Seating Outdoor PA system with Amplifier, microphone & CD player  Indoor PA system Climate Controlled Indoor reception Sites Spacious Restrooms Parking with a parking lot attendant Clean up services after party Day before Rehearsal (If ceremony site is available) Day before decorating (If hall is available) Your choice of vendors Engagement and bridal photo sessions All amenities are included in the rental cost. NO EXTRA COSTS will be incurred!

What services does the rental fee include?
Some reception halls provide catering services as well as all the necessary equipment (tables, chairs, linens, tableware and so on), while others offer only the room, requiring you to take care of all the equipment rentals.
To ensure that your party runs smoothly, the site should provide a banquet manager (or other senior staff member) who will be present on the day of your wedding at no extra charge. For an additional fee, you might also be able to arrange for valet parking, a restroom attendant and a coat room attendant.

Is the rental fee cheaper if we don't book a Saturday night? Saturday night weddings are the most expensive, since that's the most sought-after time. But if you book a Friday or Sunday night you'll likely get a better rate—about 30% lower—simply because those days are less in-demand. Rental fees also vary per month—you'll get a better deal if you book a date during low season (usually the months of November through April).

Are you hosting other events before, during or after ours on the same day? Try to avoid booking a banquet hall that's hosting another wedding simultaneously—you want the staff's attention to be focused entirely on your event. It's more common for sites to book an afternoon and evening event on the same day, which usually isn't a problem.
Most sites are rented in four-hour increments, with two hours built in on both sides of the event, so that your vendors will have time to set it up and break it down. If your wedding is going to require more than two hours' worth of styling, consider booking a site that has no other receptions planned that day so your vendors won't feel rushed.

Can we bring in our own caterer? If your location offers catering, this probably won't be allowed. However, if your site does welcome outside caterers, you may be required to choose from a list of "preferred" vendors—companies the site managers trust and who know the ins-and-outs of the reception space's kitchen and dining areas.

What is your alcohol policy? Your catering fee might include a full open bar, for which you'll be charged either a flat fee or by the hour—or you may have the option of being charged based on what, and how much, guests actually consume. Some sites don't have liquor licenses, in which case you'll have to purchase the booze yourself. Or, if you're using an independent caterer, you can ask him or her to handle the specifics for you.

Are your health-department and insurance certificates up to date? Reputable sites meet health codes and carry liability insurance in case someone becomes severely injured while on the property. If there's no paperwork to prove these things, you don't want to do business there.

Are there adequate restroom facilities? Always check out the toilet situation. Look for cleanliness, of course, and make sure the bathrooms can accommodate your crowd. In general, you'll need at least two bathroom stalls for every 100 guests; for 150 guests, four or more stalls are ideal.

Can you accommodate physically challenged guests? While most buildings will have ramps and elevators, don't just take the manager's word for it. Do a walk-through to see for yourself how well these features will meet the needs of your wheelchair-bound guests. Look for spacious elevators, wide ramps and doorways, handicapped-accessible bathroom stalls in both the men's and women's restrooms and so on.

Is there air-conditioning? Don't assume. Ask. If you're getting married in the hot summer months, this is essential to your and your guests' comfort.

Are there any restrictions we need to know about? If a site is located in a heavily residential area, it might be held to noise restrictions set forth by the community—meaning, you may be required to close down your party at a certain hour (10 p.m. is a common cut-off time). Also ask about fire hazards—some sites do not allow the use of taper candles or sparklers, for instance.

What is your payment and cancellation policy? If you've chosen a site and are satisfied with the services promised, you will be asked to sign a contract that includes everything that's been discussed verbally—such as the name of the room you're renting, the items provided and the number of staff, the times allowed for setup and breakdown, the hours allotted for your party, the taxes and even the gratuities. Upon signing, you may be asked to provide a security deposit (find out if, and under what circumstances, your money is refundable, and make sure this is clearly stated in the contract).