Check The Cotton Candy Bouquet At This Wonderfully Weird Austin Wedding
Here’s a unique story of an unconventional couple, Jane and Matt. Jane is an administrative cat enthusiast, and her partner, Matt, has a background in technology rescue. Their love story unfolded in the most unexpected way – on Halloween night at Voodoo Doughnuts in Austin, Texas. On October 31, 2016, they tied the knot surrounded by the quirky charm of this iconic doughnut shop.
Our offbeat wedding at a glance:
The weekend getaway for our destination wedding was a memorable one, with a total of 12 guests joining us. To make things easier, many of them stayed in the same Airbnb, allowing us to keep everything under one roof. The night before the big day, we organized a costumed outing that featured a face painter and plenty of homemade costumes. I, myself, wore a stunning sequin dress to the reception dinner, but surprised everyone with an unexpected costume change for the ceremony.
Meanwhile, my groom made a bold fashion statement with his Pokeball boutonniere and Pokémon-themed socks. As cat lovers ourselves, we couldn’t resist incorporating our feline friends into the celebrations whenever possible. Interestingly, we opted not to have a traditional wedding party, but did have a best man who went all out with his Star Trek costumes throughout the weekend. And in a unique twist, we decided to choose a new last name together, rather than just me taking on a new one.
Tell us about the ceremony:
Our special day was filled with whimsy and playfulness. We exchanged vows at Voodoo Doughnuts, surrounded by a feline officiant and an atmosphere that encouraged guests to don formal attire or come dressed in costume. As we served coffee and indulged in sweet treats, we set the tone for a celebration that would be anything but ordinary. To add an extra layer of humor and nostalgia, we incorporated elements from Mystery Science Theater 3000 into our ceremony.
We created a cardboard silhouette of their iconic characters to adorn the stage, inviting guests to riff on our wedding with their own MST3K-inspired jokes. Our personal vows were also infused with references to this beloved TV show. I made a stunning entrance in an LED dress that changed colors as I walked down the aisle, accompanied by a handmade lighted bouquet. Matt complemented my look with his own LED boutonniere, glow-in-the-dark wedding ring, and LED shoelaces.
As for me, I got creative with Lisa Frank cat stickers on Jessica Simpson heels – but unfortunately, I forgot them at the Airbnb (oops!). We kicked off our entrance as a couple to Harry Belafonte’s lively ‘Jump in the Line.’ And when it was time to make our exit, we chose Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats’ funky tune ‘S. O. B.’Post-ceremony, we ran into an unexpected surprise on Sixth Street – a presidential candidate running with his pet goat!
After that, we headed to the Jackalope Bar where we took turns riding their giant jackalope, capping off the night in true weirdness style.
Tell us about your reception:
As the clock struck midnight, our reception dinner took place before the ceremony. We chose G’raj Mahal on Rainey Street, where we indulged in Indian cuisine and deliberated on our soon-to-be-newlywed surnames. With some extra time to spare, we paid a visit to Craft Pride, a bar that exceeded my gothic expectations with its striking black velvet wallpaper.
We ordered a flight of 50 beers, featuring one of every draft beer on the menu, before boarding our limousine and making our way to Sixth Street for the ceremony.
What was your most important lesson learned?
Cotton candy may seem like a whimsical and fun addition to your wedding bouquet, but it’s not as durable as you might think. In fact, it can turn from fluffy to rock-like in just an hour due to moisture absorption. I made that mistake myself during a portrait session, and by the end of the evening, my cotton candy creation was completely unusable. As a result, we had to rely on tissue paper flowers for the rest of the ceremony and reception.
But that’s not the only unexpected surprise we encountered on our special day. We also learned that murals in Austin are frequently repainted, which can be quite challenging when you’ve already planned your photo shoot around one specific mural. In our case, the morning before our portrait session, we discovered that the mural we had chosen had been painted over, forcing us to find a new one at the last minute.
And then there’s smoke bomb photography – it may look impressive on social media, but it can be a real challenge for certain cameras. We learned this the hard way when we realized that our camera wasn’t equipped to handle the intense colors and lighting of the smoke bombs. To make matters worse, we also found out that some of our friends had moved a banner from a previous liquor promotion event to the stage, which ended up in every one of our wedding photos.
It took our photographer hours to Photoshop it to read ‘cook’ instead of the original ‘cock’, just so we could feel comfortable sharing our photos with colleagues and family members. In hindsight, we learned that our friends can be a bit mischievous, but at least they meant well!
Vendors
When it comes to planning the perfect wedding, every detail matters. The groom’s attire is a great place to start. For a unique and memorable look, consider an Opposuits suit for the big day. To add a pop of color and whimsy, a Printable Nerds boutonniere is a fun and creative choice. And for the ultimate in cutting-edge fashion, don’t forget to incorporate some Flashingo LED shoelaces into the groom’s outfit.
On the other side of the aisle, the bride’s hair and makeup are crucial components of her overall look. Method Hair offers expert styling services to ensure the bride looks her absolute best on the big day. And for a touch of elegance and sophistication, consider TogaParyCentral ceremony earrings as a beautiful finishing touch. But what about the dress? For a truly unforgettable look, consider RaveNation’s Fiber Optic Dress or Oleg Cassini via Braxae’s stunning Sequin Dress.
Both options are sure to make the bride feel like a million bucks on her special day. And for a sweet and playful touch, why not add some IncredInedible cotton candy earrings to complete the look?
