[See this Houston Oaks wedding featured on Carats & Cake here]

I’m SO elated to finally share Crystal and Garrett’s Houston Oaks wedding designed by Unveiled Bliss (who you may remember from this Big Sur elopement)! Believe it or not, this wedding came together in 7 weeks AND it was their THIRD wedding day!! Crystal and Garrett were originally set to be married in Grand Cayman in Spring 2020 (then rescheduled to Fall 2020), but due to COVID and the island shutting down, they were forced to quickly pivot to a local wedding in Houston.

Though the weather can be unpredictable in Texas, we had a perfect 75* day with no humidity in sight and the PERFECT al fresco wedding to match. They traded emotional vows near 200-year-old Oak trees in front of 40 of their nearest and dearest. It was utter perfect.

The delicate details of this wedding were just DEMANDING to be captured on film and on drone, and boy, did it pay off. I absolutely loved how the whole day took place outside, and I love how the vendors used the existing infrastructure of the menu to create something truly magical (I mean…peep that Houston Oaks wedding chapel floral install)!

As for how it all started, Crystal and Garrett met in a wine bar in Houston. Over red wine, they began to share stories of our individual experiences and adventures – traveling, scuba diving, sailing and knew they wanted to have similar experiences and adventures together! It didn’t take long for them to know they were destined to be together.

I have a soft spot for the Henderson clan, especially since Garrett is the brother to Unveiled Bliss planner Taylor, one of my dearest friends. It was so much fun watching two families become one – there are very few weddings where I feel like part of the family at the end, but at this wedding, I truly did. It was emotional to finish editing, because I just love Crystal, Garrett, and their families so much!!

If you’ve read past blogs, you know I LOVE to share my couple’s perspective on their day! Here is what Crystal + Garrett had to say:

How did you feel about having an intimate wedding, especially during the current circumstances? We always dreamed of an intimate wedding setting! Garrett and I had originally planned an intimate destination wedding in Grand Cayman Islands for May 2020 for about 50 guests (and we were really looking forward to getting married on the beach in our favorite place). Due to the current circumstances, we ultimately replanned our wedding with a paired down guest list. We really impressed by it all. [Unveiled Bliss’s] Taylor and Brittney out did themselves bringing it all together so quickly!

Looking back, what were your top two favorite moments? Garrett: it was the first look, he was blown away when I saw her for the first time. Everything else was background noise at that point. I also thought the reception set up was amazing! Having our sign at the bar and the personalized champagne bottles was over the top.  Crystal: This is so hard! The whole day was magical and more than we could have imagined.  If I could only pick two, 1) Standing at the beautiful outdoor chapel stairs exchanging our personal vows with our closest family and friends as witnesses filled our hearts. Garrett and I exchanging vows was the most important part of the day (finally married!) and we were beyond blessed to have such a beautiful setting in lieu of the original beach and ocean we originally planned. 2) Mingling with our guests under the trees at cocktail hour during sunset was sheer bliss!  The weather turned out so lovely and allowed our family and friends to socialize safely – the perfect day allowed for everyone to feel the closest to normal they had in a while due to current circumstances. 

And what were your favorite design elements of the wedding? With a quick replan turnaround of two months, there was not much time to reflect on all the planning to achieve a simple, yet elegant setting. Every aspect turned out beyond our dreams of the utmost beautiful venue and special touches. The romantic outdoor reception space at the Gun Club was collectively the most whimsical space we have seen with beautiful linens, gorgeous florals and lovely lit candles topped off with quaint bistro lighting overhead. The personalized calligraphy champagne bottles from Schrambsburg in Calistoga, CA for our guests as table escorts and a larger format bottle that served as our guest book was a personal touch that reflected Garrett and I love for champagne and Napa/wine valley region where Garrett proposed. 

If you could do it all over again, would you change anything (besides the obvious COVID stuff, of course)? The third date was the charm for us and there is nothing we would change – it turned out to be the perfect day and more than we could ever imagine! 

VENDORS:

• Unveiled Bliss | Planner
• Houston Oaks | Venue
• Paige Vaughn Photo | Photography
• Maxit Flower Design | Florals
• Butter Artistry | Hair + Makeup
• Mia Bridal | Bridal Gown
• Becca Cakes | Cake
• Half Moon Lettering | Hand Lettered Bottles + Table Numbers
• DIVI Strings | Entertainment
• Officially Oaks | Ordained Minister
• Custom Backdrop | Exquisite Details By Raquel

Houston Oaks Wedding: Garrett and Crystal

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If you love this Houston Oaks wedding, you will LOVE Jessica and Brian’s Big Sur Elopement or Caroline and Kyle’s Houston Farmhouse Wedding!

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Paige Vaughn Photo is an Austin and San Francisco Wedding Photographer specializing in fun, romantic and vibrant wedding, engagement, couple and boudoir photography. Within the Bay Area, we serve San Francisco, the South Bay, Peninsula, and East Bay: San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Carlos, Burlingame, Los Altos, Milpitas, Union City, Fremont, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz and surrounding areas. Within the Central Texas area, we serve: downtown Austin, Dripping Springs, Georgetown, East Austin, Wimberley, New Braunfels, San Antonio, and Houston. She is available for destination weddings and engagement sessions! Contact her for more detailed pricing.