Dress Code
Wedding Ceremony & Reception
Post-Wedding Brunch
Our Story
Our story begins in a literary magazine class. Mina and I were both in our Freshman year of high school.
We didn't talk too much that year.
Ernest Hemmingway in his 1954 Nobel Acceptance speech once said, "Writing, at it's best, is a lonely life." I wanted to be a great writer, so I tried to live by those words. It sounds silly, but I still see the wisdom in it. When you're trying to keep to yourself, you can do a lot of great people-watching.
So, while we didn't talk much, I still learned a lot about Mina that year. The kinds of things that made her laugh, the types of stories and poems that drew her eye, and how she just seemed to burn a little brighter than everyone else in the room. I didn't really know what that last thought meant at the time. It's obvious to me now that I had already started to fall for her.
Time passed, and we were suddenly in our Sophomore year. We initially didn't have any classes together, but I dropped out of Spanish, and so I was switched into Mina's Chemistry class. Nice coincidence, huh? I read it that way too, so did our teacher. She sat us in the back of the class at a table by ourselves.
I was very nervous. In my head, the both of us couldn't be any more different. My head was wrong, fortunately. I'd mentioned Mina burned brighter than anyone in the room and, for the first time, I was really feeling that warmth.
More months pass and we grew closer. Eventually, with our friends, I slipped up and said I liked her. I was embarrassed and, in my head, assumed she didn't feel the same. My head was wrong once again. She gave me a call a week later, said she liked me, and we went on our first date a week later.
We've been together ever since, through thick and thin! Just ten days after the wedding, it will be our nine-year-anniversary. We've both changed a lot over this time, but it's only made us closer. I'm grateful to have found someone who burns as bright as Mina.
Things to Do
Blanton Museum of Art
The Blanton collection includes more than 22,000 artworks, with depth in modern and contemporary American and Latin American art, Italian Renaissance and Baroque paintings, and prints and drawings. They present regularly changing installations from the collection, special projects with contemporary artists, dynamic site-specific installations throughout their grounds.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Zilker Botanical Garden is located on 28 acres nestled within Zilker Metropolitan Park in the heart of downtown Austin. This “jewel in the heart of Austin” features heritage live oaks set into a hillside, and offers a lush, shady respite from everyday urban life with panoramic views to downtown and beyond. Theme gardens include the Taniguchi Japanese Garden, The Riparian Streambed, The Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and The Mabel Davis Rose Garden.
AFS Cinema
The AFS Cinema is Austin’s only nonprofit art house theater, with a mission to bring the community together around great film. On one screen, they present new releases from international narratives to documentaries and independent films. The other screen is repertory, programmed with special series covering the gamut of film culture and history, from movements in international cinema to director retrospectives, restorations, classics and more. Films from Texas filmmakers are frequently on their screens.
Broken Spoke
The Broken Spoke is Texas' most definitive dance hall. Throughout its history, they've had musicians such as Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Garth Brooks put on shows. Swing by to enjoy country music and maybe even learn the Texas Two-Step.
Péché
Péché is Austin's first absinthe bar, a cocktail program headed by bar manager Derek Weiss, showcasing a selection of pre-Prohibition style cocktails and a curated wine list. Executive chef John Lichtenberger brings that same tailored focus to the food menu, providing rich French fare made with the freshest ingredients.
Thinkery
Thinkery is a nonprofit organization that brings joy to learning for all children, so they cultivate a lifelong love of learning and thrive. As Austin’s only children’s museum, they create playful, STEAM-learning experiences that help children build confidence, spark curiosity, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Our Venue
Star Hill Ranch is home to 22 historic buildings, each constructed from 1850 to 1935. Each has been relocated from its original site and set here to re-create the feeling of an old Texas town. They've all been modernized to meet building codes, and installed with AC to help us beat the heat!
The chapel is a restored church from Pontotoc, Texas built in 1899. It houses a functioning bell tower and beautiful stained glass windows.
The reception hall is a converted "Rosenwald" school house constructed in Willow Springs, Texas in the 1920's. It's the perfect space for cocktails while overlooking Star Hill Ranch's beautiful lawn.