Elegant & relaxed backyard wedding which was a total family affair

Family has always been an important part of Letra and Jack’s relationship. In fact, the two were set up on a blind date by Letra’s uncle, Jack’s boss! Jack’s proposal was also shared with their nearest and dearest. After popping the question at home with just their dog, Scout, as their witness, he had arranged for family and friends to join them throughout the day and evening to celebrate. So it was only natural that the couple chose Letra’s family home in Lake Forest, Illinois, as the venue for their wedding - seen here and in MAGNOLIA ROUGE MAGAZINE, captured by Austin wedding photographer KRISTIN LA VOIE.

“This is the home where I grew up,” Letra says, “and I have always envisioned getting married in the backyard.” The celebration was elegant but relaxed, bringing to life the feeling of an English garden on a glorious summer day. Alongside the gorgeous flowers, the couple included a number of special touches, like the pressed flowers created by Jack’s mother for the signage, and the delicious food stations guests could graze from instead of a traditional sit-down meal. There was also a ‘vice bar’ for late night partiers, with candy, chocolates, cigarettes and cigars, tequila, mescal, whiskey and bourbon. When it came to the ceremony, family again played a significant role. Both Letra and Jack asked their siblings to act as their wedding party, and to stand with them as they got married. Jack also asked his father to be his best man, and had his nephews as the ring bearers. Not forgetting Scout, who was the most adorable ‘flower girl’ imaginable! “It was incredibly special to have our family so intricately involved in our ceremony,” Letra says, “and was quite symbolic for how the rest of our marriage will look.”

“Our ceremony was my favourite part of the day, and felt so special and personal to us both. Our dog Scout acted as our flower girl. She’s very important to Jack, I, and the evolution of our relationship, so it felt natural to have her included in our wedding day. She was escorted down the aisle and hurriedly urinated at the top – I was waiting to walk down the aisle with my dad, and we heard the laughter! Our favourite moment was during the vows. We wrote our own, and after Jack was done, we tried to kiss each other before it was time. Our minister had to push us apart!”

“My parents’ home was the perfect setting for our wedding. We wanted the wedding to feel relaxed and modern, while staying true to the architecture of our venue, which is English Tudor. This set the tone for the rest of the celebration. We wanted the flowers to feel like a whimsical English garden. Katie Ford went above and beyond with her elegant arrangements. In addition to the beautiful bouquets and table arrangements, she created beautiful garlands made of boxwood and other greens, to accent the arches throughout the property.”

A big thank you to Austin wedding photographer KRISTIN LA VOIE for sharing this beautiful wedding with us. Kristin is a hopeless romantic. Married to her High School sweetheart, she lives with her two fur babies in Austin. She's been documenting couples' love stories ever since 2006 when she photographed her first wedding and we're delighted to have her as one of our valued Vendor Guide Members. Be sure to check out this Old meets new in this Austin bridal inspiration.