Bio

Jill & Scott

What can I say? I am one lucky girl. Not only was our wedding day truly amazing in so many ways, but I also snagged a handsome, loving, and extremely caring man to walk by my side the rest of our lives. I don't know what I did to get this lucky, but I have a feeling falling in love with Scott has a lot to do with it. Here is the story of our wedding day...the first day of the rest of our lives.

Please feel free to email me at Texasbride@hotmail.com

Jill & Scott
The Calm Before the Party
The Girls
The Boys
It's Picture Time!
We're Ready!
Cue the Donkeys!
Let's Get It Started!
Vendor Info
Planning Bio
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The Calm Before the Party
The Girls
The Boys
It's Picture Time!
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The Girls
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Star Hill Ranch consists of about 10 buildings, one being the Bride's House where my girls and I had the pleasure of getting ready.

This robe was one of my favorite wedding gifts!

My mom rarely treats herself to hair or makeup appointments. She looked so gorgeous!

Since we were able to get ready at Star Hill Ranch, it made the day really stress free for everyone. The girls took turns catching some sun in between hair and makeup appointments.

Alyssa, our youngest flowergirl, began the day happily playing in the dirt.

She quickly became very sleepy and took, what we thought to be, a nice long nap.

She was content playing dress up when she woke up, but...

we soon figured out that nap just wasn't long enough!

Nothing like a mimosa through a staw!

Yay! I'm in!

Austin knottie bluesapphire07 made my garters for me. I highly recommend her as a vendor. Her prices were very reasonable and she offers a great quality product.

I look so...Bridal-ey!!!

The Boys
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Meanwhile, back at the Groom's Quarters...

my handsome husband gets all dolled up.

It's Picture Time!
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I finally get to see Scott!!!

He looked so handsome!

And, I finally got to show Scott his wedding present...my boudoir pictures.

I think he liked them.

I call this our Romeo and Juliet picture.

We're Ready!
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We were giggling the whole way through Mike Rinehart reading "Falling in love is like owning a dog," by Taylor Mali.

Alyssa was ready to get the party started!

We were both surprised at how hard it was to ring those dang bells.

Cue the Donkeys!
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I'd hate to say I was upstaged at my own wedding, but the mini-donkeys were a huge hit! Cute, friendly, well behaved, and they delivered beer - it was a knockout combination!

This is little Charlie. He was only 3 months old, and he followed the older donkey everywhere.

Here is Mango! He is the 'experienced' donkey, working on teaching little Charlie all he knows about the biz no doubt. He's named Mango because he's a little orange in color.

We got Mango and Charlie from Ralph Fischer's Photo Animals. They were such a great vendor! The donkeys were extremely well behaved, and Ralph and his wife couldn't be sweeter. Their website ishttp://www.ralphfishersphotoanimals.com. Tell them Jill, the crazy bride, sent you : )

My sister in-law, kissing the ass's ass! She'll never live this down.

In addition to the beer in the donkey's baskets, we also turned the Groom's Quarters into a Saloon for the rest of the evening.

Some of the best money spent was on the Old Fashioned Soda Bar. It was a great non- alcoholic alternative for our guests, and they loved flavoring their Mexican Cokes and Dublin Dr Peppers with Limes, Cherries, Vanilla and Peanuts.

The Mariachi Band really helped set the tone for the cocktail hour. They were amazing and had all our guests singing along and dancing in just minutes!

The Mariachis lead the parade to the pinata.

I made Scott promise he wouldn't swing at the pinata very hard. I wanted all the kids to get a chance.

That was what I would call a successful cocktail hour!

Let's Get It Started!
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We came into the reception with the bridal party to "Let's Get it Started" by the Black Eyed Peas. It was the perfect song to really get the party started. The entire bridal party packed the dance floor and boogied down.

The Groomsmen gifts (cowboy hats) and the fajita bar were both very popular.

Our first dance was to "Nine Million Bicycles" by Katie Melua. Scott picked it out, and it was the perfect song.

My dad and I did a traditional waltz.

Scott and his mother danced to the version of "In My Life" by Bette Midler.

After all the first dances, we slipped out to take some "fun" pictures.

Shot anyone?

Let's just say, that's the only shot I did all night.

Once the sun started setting, Star Hill Ranch really came alive. Those string lights are famous ya know! They were used in the movie Hope Floats. The owner of SHR did all the lighting and props for that movie.

The obligatory Thank You poster shot.

It's not a party in Texas without the Cotton Eye Joe.

That cake was delish!

My sister and Scott's brother both gave beautiful toasts.

Then Scott followed them with a surprise toast to me! This picture was taken right when I heard him call me his wife for the first time.

Scott's sister DESPERATELY wanted that bouquet, and I do believe she would have drawn blood if anyone fought her for it!

"A little bit softer now" was a little hard for the guests to handle at this point in the evening. The best man had no idea he was crushing my fingers!

The end of the night turned into an open mic/karaoke session.

She's out for the count.

That's a funny picture for a number of reasons.

No, they aren't all cheering for our grand exit. Minutes after we left, the St. Louis Cardinals won the National League Series.

I would like to take this opportunity to share the bridal wisdom I have acquired over the last year, and I have to say that 99% came from listening to other, wiser knotties.

First, you can not possibly control every aspect of your wedding. No matter how creative you are, how organized, or what you do for a living, it is too much to think that you can plan and dictate every little detail. You spend a lot of time researching good vendors. How do I know this? Because you're a knottie, and you have great resources at your fingertips. Hire the best vendors that you can afford, then LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS! I do not grow flowers,bake cakes, or cook mass quantities of food for a living, they do. Yes, I gave them guidance. Yes, I told them clearly what I envisioned, but I left the rest up to them, and they all blew me away (well, most of them at least).

Second, details are important. It's what makes your wedding uniquely you and what makes it stand out in people's minds. Do know that not every single knottie detail will be noticed by the majority of your guests. If it is important to you to have DIY pocketfold invitations and you have the time and resources to make them, then by all means go ahead. However, don't get caught up in having to DIY everything or having to do all the latest trends at your wedding if it is a time and energy drain. Focus on a few awesome things that you personally love and would want even if nobody at the wedding ever saw them. Then concentrate your efforts on those.

Third, do not make this day any harder on yourself by becoming an evil monster leading up to it. Nobody will want to help you out or celebrate with you those last few stressful days if all you've done is demand things of them. Yes, your life revolves around your wedding, theirs, on the other hand, does not. This includes parents, all members of the bridal party, guests, relatives, etc.

Fourth, make your wedding about you two, not about what's in Brides magazine this month, or what all the other knotties on you local board are doing. If you don't want to have a candy buffet, don't. If you want to have a crazy cake that is totally representative of you and your FI, go for it. If you are worried that your wedding won't be like all the weddings your family and friends have been to and expect, don't sweat it! Your wedding does not have to be perfect or like it came straight from the pages of Martha Stewart. The only thing your wedding has to be is a day that you will look back on fifty years from now and think,"Wow, that was a great day."

Finally, ENJOY YOUR DAY!! There is nothing you can do that day except smile, look pretty for the camera, and have a blast. If the ceiling is falling down around you, just smile and think of what a funny picture it will be. All you can do is be as prepared as you can before the wedding day. When you wake up that morning it is out of your hands, and you need to just let things happen. Trust me, my wedding was not perfect, things went wrong, but I have a smile in every picture because I just didn't care.

I hope you found this advice helpful. Just remember to always keep things in perspective : )

Vendor Information
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Ceremony Location - Star Hill Ranch

I can't say enough great things about this venue or the owner. I had a really rough start planning because I had originally booked another venue and had to leave because I just didn't trust them with my wedding. I believe things happpen for a reason, and I definitely found SHR for a reason. This venue was the perfect canvas for my "vision" of a unique wedding that would leave an impression in everyone's minds for years. I HIGHLY recommend this venue.

Officiant - Mike Rinehart

Mike was the perfect fit for us. He respected Scott's Catholic background, while still keeping the Christian ceremony non-denominational and uniquely suited to us. His interpretation of Taylor Mali's "Falling in love is like owning a dog" was priceless. He is definitely someone we plan on staying in touch with for years to come and has already been added to our Christmas card list : ) I HIGHLY recommend him.

Caterers - Dagars Catering

This is one of those vendors you just can't go wrong with. They worked so much into our budget, much more than we had planned on getting in the first place. Our guests loved the fajita bar! The old fashioned soda bar was their idea, and it was a popular one. They also served up some amazing guacamole and queso during the cocktail hour. They were easy to work with and very professional. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Cake Creator - Michelle's Patisserie

Another all star vendor! Michelle was very easy to work with. She was receptive to all my ideas, while still providing guidance and suggestions. Her cake is delicious. It was a huge hit, along with the cupcakes. I only wish I would have eaten more! I HIGHLY recommend her.

Florist - Fiori del Sole

Even though I never met Terri face to face, I felt like we were old pals by the wedding day. She was always very responsive to my requests, and really encouraged my creativity. She was another vendor that amazed me with what she could do with our budget. I never had my heart set on any specific flowers. Instead, I told her the colors I wanted and the general "feel" that I was looking for, and she ran with it from there. I HIGHLY recommend her.

Photographer - Tyler and Olivia Schmitt

Obviously, one does not become Bio of the Week without some amazing pictures. Their work speaks for itself. They are so nice, so laid back, and so much fun! They were the perfect fit for the atmosphere and guests at our wedding. After we made our grand exit, they hung out and had a few beers with our bridal party and got some great shots of them watching the Cardinals baseball game. They went above and beyond our expectations, and were reasonably priced to boot. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Videographer - Round Rock Video

Another vendor that was really easy to work with. I haven't seen the finished product yet, but I really think it will be great. Their demo was so classy and Coleman was nothing but professional at the wedding. I seriously only remember seeing him a few times throughout the night, but my mom says he was everywhere. I'm sure he was exhausted by our bridal party by the end of the night! Update - 1/6/2007 - We just got the video and it's great! I would recommend this vendor. They do a great job for what they charge. Check out the Highlights video at the bottom of this bio!

Disc Jockey - Tunes Accross Texas

I have to start this review by honestly stating that a DJ was not high on my priority list. I knew our guests would have fun no matter what, so it wasn't important to me to spend a ton of money on a great band or DJ. That being said, I still expected a little better. To give them some credit, there was a mixup the week before the wedding and they came through for us at the last minute. However, the song choices really bothered me. I'm not without blame here though, as I never got the "must play/do not play" list to them due to email difficulties. I guess I would say I would still recommend them to budget brides, but they need to go into it with a clear play and do not play list.

Musicians - Mark Cruz

Mark played the guitar for our ceremony and he was amazing! I made sure to stop and really listen to him before going down the aisle and I teared up. It was the perfect fit for the location and the size of our wedding. He was very easy to work with as well. I HIGHLY recommend him.

Invitations - Foreshadow Press

Sadly, Elise is no longer doing invitations. She is pursuing her Masters in Graphic Design, but I still have to plug her because I'm hoping she'll come back to help other brides someday. If she does, I HIGHLY recommend her.

Rental Company - Mancino Iron Works

These pieces really made our ceremony beautiful. They were so reasonably priced and they delivered them and picked them up for us. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Jeweler - Shaws Jewelers, Dulles Town Center

The manager at the Shaws in Dulles Town Center in Dulles, VA was so helpful. He found every available price cut he could give us and we walked out of there paying about $500 less than what we thought we would on our wedding bands. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Tuxedos - Mens Warehouse

I was terrified about the tuxedo situation. We had guys from 4 different states renting tuxes, and I was preparing myself for the worst. I am so happy to say we did not have one single glitch from beginning to end with them. Now, I have heard a lot of not so good reviews of them from other knotties, so I withold my "HIGHLY," but I will say I recommend them.

Hair Stylist - Tammie Garza

Tammie seemed very nice over the phone when I booked her, her website looked good, and her prices were very low. I was confident in her abilities to do mine and my bridal party's hair until the morning of the wedding. We got to SHR about 30 minutes late that morning because we got lost. I wasn't worried one bit because I had built a lot of "padding" into the day's itenerary. She was visibly upset that we were late, even after I explained to her that we would still have time. She then proceeded to command my bridal party to do things and just had a very stand off-ish tone about her. My sister was the first to get her hair done, and let's just say, she wasn't gentle. I was very, very, very close to firing her on the spot and just going to a local salon to get my hair done, but my wedding coordinator convinced me to let her have a chat with her. After the chat, Tammie seemed to be in a better mood, and she even apologized when she was finished. She styled my hair nicely, although I felt like it was not what I had described to her or shown her pictures of what I wanted. I would have been fine with it though if it would have actually stayed. Unfortunately, after just 15 minutes of the cocktail hour, it was an absolute mess and continued to get worse throughout the evening. The same thing happened to my mom's hair. Therefore, I DO NOT recommend her.

Makeup Artist - Vanessa Rosalez - MAC

While I was really disappointed with my hair, I was extremely satisfied with my makeup. I know most brides think "over the top" when it comes to MAC makeup on their wedding day, but Vanessa was extremely respectful of my "vision" and made me look gorgeous while still keeping it natural. She even did a great job on my fake eyelashes, which don't look fake at all to me! I HIGHLY recommend her.

Wedding Coordinator - Jessica Moore

Satisfied can not even begin to describe how I felt about Jessica. She truly saved me from an awful situation and helped me transform our wedding day into exactly what I wanted. She was always there to help inspire me and encourage my creativity. I don't know that all wedding coordinators would be so open to the idea of miniature donkeys at the wedding : ) It was her idea to have the pinata! She was not only very friendly and responsive, but also super professional and always had great advice. I HIGHLY recommend her.

Honeymoon Destination - Fredericksburg, TX

This was our mini-moon. It was so much fun! We stayed at an adorable B&B off of Main Street called the Able House. Breakfast was delivered promptly at nine every morning and the house was so comfy, charming, clean and up to date. The bathroom was huge with a great Whirlpool tub and shower for two, and the beds were so comfortable. We really enjoyed shopping, wine tasting, and eating at all the great restaurants in Fredericksburg. We also made a mini-trip to Luckenbach. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Other Vendor - Los Brilliantes - Mariachi Band

We were originally going to book a nine piece Mariachi band that has been used by a lot of Austin brides, but after finding them very non-responsive and hearing of a bad experience from another bride we decided to go with a smaller Mariachi band from Book A Band in Austin. Los Brillantes is three guys who are so full of character and charm. They weren't afraid to get the crowd involved, and by the end of the cocktail hour all our guests were singing along and dancing with them. They arrived at SHR an hour early and were extremely professional. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Other Vendor - Iron Works BBQ - Rehearsal Dinner

This was the perfect venue for our laid back RD. We really wanted all the out of town guests to get a real Texas experience during their trip, and they all loved Iron Works! The price was the best we could find for all they included. They went above and beyond our expectations, and they were incredibly easy to work with. I HIGHLY recommend them.

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