One year ago today Kate & Victor, quite possibly two of the sweetest people in the universe, got married in a beautifully elegant Camp Lucy wedding. After working with Kate for over a year, it was a bittersweet weekend because she really is the sweetest and we knew we would miss her. When we first “met” it was via zoom as she was teaching in Thailand and we didn’t get to meet in person until many months later when we also got to meet her mother and incredible grandmother too. We didn’t get to meet Victor until the wedding weekend, as he was occupied serving in the Navy, but the moment we met him we could tell they were the perfect pair!

We got the honor of not only helping plan every element of their wedding, but also their rehearsal dinner and post wedding brunch, all held at Camp Lucy. We truly felt like part of their family after spending the three day holiday weekend with them, and even more so when we were behind them on our way back into Austin after the brunch on Sunday :)

Kate went with classic, timeless, and elegance for her wedding day. White flowers and greenery were accented with touches of bridal blue and gold. Her letterpress invitations with a custom monogram and blue floral envelope inserts were gorgeous, and just felt so bridal!

She spent the wedding morning in the bridal suite at Sacred Oaks with her besties and sister, getting beautiful by the blush ‘n bangs team. Later in the day mom joined in to help get Kate into her stunning Monique Lhuillier gown and baby blue Badgley Mischka shoes along with her little sister.

Once Kate was ready she had a first look with her dad and little brother. Her dad was full of many emotions during the day, we could find him smiling, laughing, or crying at any point in time. The ceremony site at Sacred Oaks was the perfect backdrop for all the pre-ceremony photos by one of our favorite photographers, Anastasia Strate.

Victor looked so handsome in his Naval dress uniform, and seeing the many different ones was a nice bonus for the day. Family was very important to both of them, so having plenty of time to capture these memories was a must. You could see the love they share with their loved ones, and we especially loved the candid moments with their grandparents.

Kate and Victor chose to do what we loving call “a no look first look”, but in true Kate spirit she cheated a little and got a peek at Victor as they held hands around the bell tower at Sacred Oaks. But lets take a moment to talk about the beauty that was Kate and her bouquet. The mix of white roses, ranunculus, peonies, and hydrangeas complimented the floral lace of her dress perfectly, and the piece of her grandmother’s wedding gown wrapped around the stems was her “something borrowed.”

As guests arrived they were greeted with pre-ceremony champagne before taking their seats under the canopy of oaks on a beautiful almost summer day. The ceremony took place in front of a breathtaking arch of greenery, white florals, and floating glass orbs by Bouquets of Austin, at the end of the candle and aisle lined aisle. The love these two share was evident in their eyes as they said “I do” in front of their closest family and friends.

Camp Lucy has so many beautiful spots for photos and Anastasia didn’t want to miss anything. After getting shots at the altar, the bell tower, and golden hour in the field, the couple was surprised with a blue 1972 Cutlass Supreme convertible from ATX Classic Cars. Kate’s dad wanted to surprise them with a fun car for the end of the night and this blue convertible fit the bill. Not only did they get to use it in the evening, but ATX Classic Cars brought it out earlier just for sunlight photo shoot.

After all the pictures were done and guests were enjoying cocktail hour, Kate and Victor got a chance to sit down and enjoy private dining in the bridal suite. We wanted to give Kate a little surprise of our own and had a keepsake plate/fork set along with 2 Taiwanese pineapple cakes waiting for them. She had previously mentioned a traditional round pineapple cake that is shared between the bride & groom and we wanted to try and get one for her. But with only a brief mention of it, we had little to go by, but Judy Lee of Simon Lee Bakery helped us find a close alternative.

Guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the beautiful Sacred Oaks lawn as the couple took photos. With lawn games, lounge sets, food and drinks, and good company, it flew by! Kate really wanted her adorable dachshund Stella to be at the wedding but decided in the end she might not have been well behaved, so we did the next best thing and had her there in spirit. Keepsake cups and cocktail napkins with Stella’s likeness made guests smile all night long.

Details, details, details. They say details make the day, and this one had so many. Kate’s vision was so much fun to bring to life and we knew it would be a wedding we would love for years to come. With the focus on white, greenery, and candles, we were able to add in touches of gold, bridal blue, velvet, and glassware. Bouquets of Austin delivered with so many flowers you could smell them from outside, and candlelight to provide a romantic glow. The greenery chandelier with hanging glass orbs provided the perfect overhead to the shiny white dance floor that centered the reception. Warm wooden tables and oatmeal velvet lines accented with pale sage napkins on the gold beaded glass chargers with vintage carousel glasses gave each guests an elegant setting for their upcoming meal.

Touches of blue came in with hand deckled menu cards, vintage blue glasses on the head table, a beautiful velvet lounge set, and a velvet linen to showcase the elegant white cake from Simon Lee.

A sword ceremony welcomed the happy couple into the reception before sharing their first dance. After a dual entree plated meal from the amazing chefs at Camp Lucy, they were honored by toasts from the maid of honor (Kate’s sister), the best man (Victor’s brother), Kate’s mother, and Victor’s grandfather. They shared touching dances with their parents and then it was time to party!

Matchmaker Band brought the party with their fun energy and got everyone up and dancing. Kate and Victor stayed together most of the night, but at times we caught Victor being quite the gentleman and dancing with his sisters in law.

The party had to take a slight pause for cake and bouquet toss. The cake cutting was extra special with the military sword cutting, and the bouquet toss was one for the books when the mother of the bride caught the bouquet!!

The night had to come to an end, but Kate and Victor didn’t let that dampen their spirits. Keeping together they enjoyed the night as a pair, and took full advantage of their private last dance before they were whisked away for their happily ever after. They ran through a shower of rose petals before one last surprise from Kate’s dad, driving through a sparkling fountain display from Big Dog Pyro.

It was truly and honor and pleasure working with you both and being part of your day! Happy First Anniversary Mr & Mrs Sands 🤍

Cast of Austin Wedding Vendors

Venue and Caterer: Camp Lucy

Photography: Anastasia Strate

Floral: Bouquets of Austin

Rentals: Premiere Events and Whim Hospitality

Lounge Sets: Bee Lavish Vintage Rental

Dancefloor: Mike’s Dance Floors

Band: Matchmaker Band

Lighting: Altared Weddings

Ceremony Musicians: Terra Vista Strings

Cake: Simon Lee Bakery

Stationery & Day of Signage: Jen Krause Paper Co

Beauty: Blush ‘n Bangs

Pyro: Big Dog Pyro

Departure Car: ATX Classic Cars