Vibrant , Eclectic Wedding at Zilker Lodge Sunshine Camp

This lively Austin, TX wedding at Zilker Lodge Sunshine Camp is close to my heart and you already know I cried like a baby. I met Gia (Margia) in the military, she was an officer in my unit and we were in Iraq together. Simply said, we became easy friends! When she got engaged, I was out of the military but she and my husband were on a mission together at the Texas border. They got to talking and he gave her my card. As soon as she realized that I plan weddings, she reached out desperate!

Cillia and Gia hugging before the ceremony

She was getting married in 4 months and she had nearly nothing planned. She had already sent invitations and confirmed 150 guests at the venue in Austin, TX. Besides the venue, all she had were her dresses chosen. That was it. She was receiving unprofessional, unsolicited advice from some of the people around her so sis was overwhelmed! Luckily, she called the right person for the job because we knew exactly where to start and how to lead her to the wedding she envisioned.

I got to work perfecting her budget and closing the gap on important vendors like catering and the DJ. We handled the planning, floral, decor and setup but there was still so much to be done. We decided to do an untraditional, eclectic event that mirrored the couple - basically, an Irish pub meets Carnival. The couple met at Carnival and the bride is Dominican so we had to make that a highlight of their big day. The bride surprised the groom with dancers at the end of the night and they did not disappoint. Their presence took their reception to another level and made the night truly unforgettable.

When guests arrived, they were greeted with a drink and a rib appetizer before being seated at the outdoor ceremony. There was an RV photobooth outside as well. Their decor consisted of purple & pink details, from the bridesmaid dresses and ceremony linens to the flowers, cake, and unity ceremony sand. Their ceremony was beautiful and everyone was in attendance, even their two pups who were non-negotiable. Scroll down to see the ring bearer too afraid to walk so I had to escort him to the aisle, all in a day's work.

There was no sit-down meal so we hired a caterer to do charcuterie tables on crack, a full bar, and passed apps all night. We set up tables on the patio for people who might get tired after dancing and hired a live band as well as a DJ (both friends of the couple.) Another highlight was the groom's father singing a song to the couple during the reception. It’s moments like those that really get the waterworks going. As you can see from the pictures, everyone was having an amazing time, guests mingled and drank and danced all night - mission complete.

Guests were led outside by the dancers to a sparkler exit that delivered the couple to their luxury car getaway. Lots of fun details and a whirlwind of planning! The parts you don’t see are incidences like drunk guests playing with sparklers AFTER someone ran over the sparkler bucket. We also had to keep the vendors happy while off timeline because of trying to keep the client happy. To say it’s a balancing act is an understatement but it’s so worth it. I’m so happy for Gia and Zack and wish them a lifetime of happiness.

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