Sarah Ainsworth Photography | Houston Wedding Blog

Champagne and Lime Green Wedding at the Crystal Ballroom by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

WEDDINGS IN HOUSTON FALL 2014 | REAL WEDDING FEATURE

Sara and Bret ~ October 26, 2013

Sara always had a crush on her best friend’s older brother. And Bret, for his part, felt the same way about his younger sib’s BFF. But it wasn’t until 10 years after they’d first met that the pair expressed the connection they’d felt all those years. “One night, Bret texted me and said he had always felt that there was something between us and he wanted to see if there was. I agreed, so he drove up to Austin that night,” the recent bride recounts. “We got engaged four months later!” The couple’s classic Crystal Ballroom at The Rice wedding was a perfect expression of that longtime love, finally realized, and forever embraced.

Champagne and Lime Green Wedding at the Crystal Ballroom by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

Names: Sara Preston & Bret Labadie ~ Number of Guests: 220 ~ Venue: Crystal Ballroom at The Rice ~ Invitations: Katie & Co. ~ Flowers & Decor: Plants n’ Petals ~ Catering: Sambuca Catering ~ Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero from Brickhouse Bridal ~ Rehearsal Dinner: The Grove ~ Photography: Sarah Ainsworth Photography ~ Registry: Williams-Sonoma ~ Honeymoon: Anguilla

Classic Ivory, Merlot and Blush Wedding by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

From its serene gold-accented palette, to its seasonal menu of roasted corn chowder and beef tenderloin with wild-mushroom-and-onion risotto, to its crystal chandeliers and soft candlelight, Hayley and Jeffrey’s fall wedding is pretty much a perfect example of how to do fall elegance fabulously. The couple, who met on a blind date (!!)—which led to a second date the very next day—wanted their marriage celebration to be not just full of love, but utterly timeless. We think they did both, beautifully. And we’ve got the gorgeous photos by super-talented Houston photographer Sarah Ainsworth to prove it. Congratulations, Hayley & Jeffrey!

Photos: Sarah Ainsworth Photography ~ Bride’s Dress: Watters from Brickhouse Bridal ~ Groomswear: Al’s Formal Wear ~ Entertainment: DJU Productions

Enchanted Garden Theme Wedding by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

Though they met in high school in 2001, Nancy and Matthew didn’t connect until a chance Facebook “happy birthday” greeting a decade later. “She asked me what I had been up to all those years,” recounts Matthew. “I didn’t feel like typing out my whole life, so I asked her to lunch instead.” That lunch lasted five hours; two and half years later, the couple celebrated their lifelong vows with an “enchanted-forest”-theme wedding, where 330 guests dined and danced the night away—but not before being treated to a concept video, screened before the pair’s reception entrance, that cast them as CIA agents with one last mission to accomplish before they could get married. “At the end of the video, there was a caption that read, ‘Will they make it on time?’” says Matthew. “That’s when our emcee introduced us and we heard the crowd yelling as we walked in. It set the tone for what turned out to be the most perfect night ever.” Big thanks to Weddings in Houston fave Sarah Ainsworth Photography for capturing that perfection in equally perfect pix.

Enchanted Garden Theme Wedding by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

Photos: Sarah Ainsworth Photography ~ Bride’s Dress: David’s Bridal ~ Venue: Lambo Ballroom ~ Videography: A&A Video Production

Personal and Pretty DIY Yacht Club Wedding by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

A DIY wedding for more than 200 guests is no easy feat, so when you pull it off beautifully, it pays to have an awesome photographer—in this case the super talented Sarah Ainsworth—documenting it for posterity. Delane wanted to her wedding to Ryan to be both unforgettable and affordable…and with help from her mother, grandmother, Etsy artists and a few handy craft and hobby retailers, that’s exactly what it was. Using a palette of royal blue and beige with touches of rustic burlap and feminine lace, the bride and her helpers filled Lake Conroe’s Bentwater Yacht Club with sweet, vintage, and, most of all, deeply personal elegance. Homemade pies (the bride’s favorite), a duck-hunting-theme groom’s cake, heirloom jewelry, handmade centerpieces and a high-energy string band added to intimate, joyful atmosphere—and as for a ceremony backdrop, you can’t do much better than blue Lake Conroe sparkling in the background. Happiest wishes to the newlyweds!

Personal and Pretty DIY Yacht Club Wedding

Photos: Sarah Ainsworth Photography ~ Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero ~ Cake: Pie Town; BawMaws Cake Shop ~ Venue: Bentwater Yacht Club

Houston City Club Wedding by Sarah Ainsworth Photography

Fresh, elegant, lovely. These words describe both bride Monica AND her spring wedding to her handsome groom, Bruno. Here’s a romantic tale to make your heart go pitter-pat: The pair met while Monica was on vacation in Buenos Aires, visiting friends who were studying abroad there. On the last night of her trip, the group visited a neighborhood pub, where Bruno happened to be hanging out. The two hit it off like gangbusters, but, alas, Houston-bound Monica had to jet home the next morning—not without giving Bruno her contact info, though. Eight months, and zillions of Skype calls and Facebook messages later, Monica made it back to Argentina for a legal internship. “As soon as we saw each other again, we knew we had found our soul mates,” Monica says. “We began dating immediately and got engaged one year later.” Their Houston City Club wedding celebration, with its exceptionally elegant palette of coral, cream and hints of navy blue, is a testament to the power of long-distance love—not to mention a knockout showcase of some of Houston’s finest wedding talent, including Occasio Productions, Blooming Gallery and Who Made the Cake, along with photographer Sarah Ainsworth, whose terrific pix are featured here. We’ve got a special shout-out for the bride, who chose coral for her bridesmaids’ palette, but let each of her gals choose her own dress style. The arrangement turned out perfectly—and don’t those ’maids look happy? Congratulations y felicidades to Monica and Bruno!

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Photos: Sarah Ainsworth Photography ~ Bride’s Dress: Priscilla of Boston~Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka ~ Cake: Who Made the Cake ~ Coordinator: Aurora Perez-Smith of Occasio Productions ~ Groomsmen’s Attire: Al’s Formal Wear ~ Flowers: Blooming Gallery ~ Menus, Place Cards, Programs & Table Numbers: Katie & Co. ~ Venue & Catering: Houston City Club