Sometimes, when selecting your wedding venue, there is only one option: home. For Taylor and Riley, that was his family home on Lake Austin. This was a place that reflected everything they love most: quiet mornings, sweeping water views, and time spent with the people closest to them. It was simply where they both felt most like themselves, and that made it the only answer.
Their vision for the day was clear from the beginning: classic, understated, and utterly timeless. A black-and-white palette that trusted the landscape to do what it does best. No competition, no excess, just intention. And it worked beautifully. As an Austin-based wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of shooting on some of the most beautiful properties this city has to offer, and this one stopped me in my tracks.
A Wedding Ceremony on Lake Austin
Taylor and Riley met the first night of their senior year at Fordham University. A mutual friend had spent the entire summer convinced they needed to know each other, but the timing never lined up. Then, almost inexplicably, they ended up at the same party on the very first night of the semester. And as they say, the rest is history.
For the ceremony, they chose a lakeside view that had guests in awe as they walked down. A custom monogram, white hydrangeas and roses lining either side, and a custom-built stage set the scene for their vows. Taylor came down that aisle in a couture satin ballgown by Mark Ingram, where Riley met her in a white tuxedo.
A Tented Wedding Reception in Black and White
The reception moved to the lawn under a large Sperry tent, where black chiffon draped from white ceilings met a black-and-white checkered dancefloor and a full stage for their band, Night Owls. Long family-style tables ran the length of the space, dressed in white linens with hand-drawn black florals. Hydrangeas, anemones, roses, lilies, ranunculus, and sweet pea spilled from arrangements alongside generous candlelight. Mixed in among the long tables, rounds kept the layout feeling warm and unstructured.
Then Night Owls took the stage, and the whole energy of the evening shifted. What had been an elegant, beautifully composed wedding turned into a full dance party. Taylor and Riley’s guests were on that checkered dancefloor all night, and some of my favorite images from the entire weekend came from those hours. As a photographer, those are the hours I live for. The joy is unguarded, the room is alive, and the images practically make themselves.
If you’re planning a wedding weekend rooted in intention, surrounded by the people you love most, I’d love to hear about it.
Vendors
- Photography: Julie Wilhite
- Planner: 36th Street Events
- Videography: PhotoHouse Films
- Florist: Ida Mayes
- Beauty: Lola Beauty
- Catering: Contigo
- Band: Night Owls
- Tent and most rentals: Bright Rentals
- Flooring and walkway: Premiere
- Ceremony floor and dance floor: Peak Events by KRD
- Restrooms: Fancy Flush
- Bussing: Clark
- Stationery: Paper Place
- Draping: Unique Designs and Events
- Linens: Reverie
- Bar: SPECS
- Lighting: Austin Event Lighting
- Cake: Michelle’s Patisserie
- Transportation: Sherpalux
- Ceremony Music: Live Oak Trio
- Bridal Gown: Mark Ingram
- Groom’s Tux: The Black Tux
- Content Creator: Unveiled Content
- Rehearsal Dinner: Steiner Ranch Steakhouse
