Smitten since high school, Jake Parrish offered a promise ring to his girlfriend Shelby Beard while visiting her family’s lake house one evening just before they started college. “Not that our relationship wasn’t already serious, but it meant a lot to see his level of commitment to me. Jake always wanted to finish school before making any plans to get married,” she confides.

Once he graduated, Jake proposed to his beloved only two months later – at the very same lake house. “He proceeded to get down on one knee and tell me how he couldn’t think of a better place to ask to spend the rest of his life with me,” she describes of the surprise, which was followed by a Champagne toast alongside family and friends.

When it came time to plan the wedding of their dreams, Shelby was certain Jake would be very involved. “I would show him options of what we had to pick from and he would end up choosing my least favorite. Moments like those helped me realize that maybe I should just have the final pick!” she laughs. Her groom did save the day, however, by organizing the 450-person guest list in a Google doc. “I think I was most surprised by how time-consuming it was to collect all that info!” she admits.

A luxurious hotel in Austin, Texas served as the venue for both the ceremony and reception. A timeless color scheme of blush and nude was first introduced in the luxe invitations created by Ceci New York, which showcased a custom hand-painted watercolor floral design printed on acrylic and stamped with two color foils.

The garden area of the property was embellished with grand displays of flower arrangements in muted hues, collections of chairs with gilt or lace details, and podiums enveloped in floral-printed vinyl overlays. Bridesmaids donned long dresses in pale pink and carried nosegays of roses, ranunculuses, anemones, and tulips, mimicking the lush bouquet of the bride.

A string quartet played as Shelby began her walk down the aisle. She wore a strapless A-line gown paired with a classic cathedral veil. For the vow exchange, the couple stood on a custom stage that matched the dance floor at the reception. “It gave our guests a little taste of what was to come!” teases the bride.

“We had a company come and pick up every flower to repurpose in some way, then give them to people in need of something beautiful in their lives.”

Carrying over the same color palette from earlier in the day, guests were introduced to the ballroom, which had been transformed into a romantic floral fantasy for the reception. A long head table highlighted tall flower centerpieces down the length of the table, as well as shorter components and candlelight, which cast a warm glow against the champagne-colored drapes that lined the walls. Circular glass tables were kept clean with single low arrangements of blooms, complemented with gilt oval-backed chairs. Over the dance floor were mesmerizing chandeliers adorned with even more flowers and greenery.

Though Shelby had a vision of the space being covered in blossoms, she couldn’t bear to see it all thrown away without others having the opportunity to enjoy them. “We had a company come and pick up every flower to repurpose in some way, then give them to people in need of something beautiful in their lives,” she confirms.

A room beside the main ballroom boasted a large cherry blossom tree, surrounded by a 360-degree bar. “I think it gave an experience for our guests to feel like they were somewhere else other than a ballroom,” she shares. “It was gorgeous!” During cocktail hour, the men enjoyed the “his” bar – an area decorated in a more masculine manner and offering assortments of whiskeys and live cigar rolling. “We wanted our family and friends to enjoy the celebration just as much as us,” explains Jake in regard to creating unique environments for attendees.

Once the band started to play, they continued performing throughout the evening with no breaks. “This meant that the dancing and singing along to songs did not stop either,” exclaims the groom. “Even people that I did not expect to be out on the dance floor were present and having a good time!”

Filled with happiness and grateful hearts, the pair only wishes they could have slowed down time a bit. “It truly was a memorable experience that I wouldn’t want to have done any other way,” sums up the groom.