Promises2

Contents

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Wth this ring...

202 and Cottage ........................................................ 18Admiral Nimitz Museum ............................................ 22Altdorf Biergarten & Restaurant ............................... 17Ambriz Jewelry ........................................................... 12Bejas ............................................................................ 24Blumenhandler Florist ................................................. 9Cartewheels Catering .................................................. 9Class A Rentals & Sales, Inc. ..................................... 15Classic Heirlooms ....................................................... 20Darin Holmes, DDS .................................................... 14Der Küchen Laden ..................................................... 11Everlasting Blooms .................................................... 23Fredericksburg Paper Goods .................................... 20Fredericksburg Publishing Co., Inc. 23Gillespie County Farm Bureau ..................................... Events Center ....................................................... 17Haberdashery ............................................................. 10Hill Country Express Wine Trail Tours .................................................... 23Hot Spot Tanning ....................................................... 18Judy’s Liquors ............................................................. 10Kairo’s Celebration Barn ............................................ 11Lance C. Kovar, DDS .................................................. 17Maggie Gillespie Designs ........................................... 3My Own Chef Catering ............................................. 11Pioneer Museum ........................................................ 19Que Bella Bridal Boutique ........................................ 16Rabke’s Catering ........................................................ 12Rhonda Wheeler Photography ................................. 11Segner’s Jewelers ....................................................... 15Sheila White Photography .......................................... 7Sophie’s Bakery, Inc. .................................................. 13SRJ Photography ....................................................... 17Stehling Bros. Tuxedo Rental .................................... 13St. Joseph’s Halle ....................................................... 17The Flower Pail ........................................................... 14The Party Affair ........................................................... 19The Peach Tree ........................................................... 21Timeless Menagerie .................................................. 14Turner Hall .................................................................. 21Walmart ....................................................................... 22Your Go To Girl ........................................................... 21

4 ........................Dreams Come TrueNew brides share stories, advice

8 .........Wedding, reception venues

14 .........Love in Bloom/Flower fads

17 ..........................Marriage licenses

18 ....................... 12-month checklist

22 ...................Share the good news

Arin Duecker, left, reflects on her bridal bouquet just before meetingJustin S pann at the altar

on October 26, 2013.

© Copyright protected - 2014

Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post

Promises4

Dreams ComeTrue

In search of...

Ha p pily Ever A fter

From a special proposal...to that “just right” music...to flowers with special meaning...couples often add personal touches to their weddings.

Six young women who became brides in 2013 were asked to open up and share memories of how their husbands proposed, the incidents that made their weddings unique, any “bloopers” they may have experienced and, of course, a few words of advice for those about to take the plunge.

New wives offer future brides‘pearls of wisdom’

Cont. on page 5

O O

Carena and Clay Sears

Answering our questions were the following newly-wed brides:

•Brittany Herbort Henke. She married Samuel Henke on June 14 at Kendall Plan-tation in Boerne.

•Carena Barsch Sears. She and Clay Sears were married Oct. 19 at the Marquardt Ranch.

•Jacee McAfee Bivens. She married Jayd Jackson on Aug. 17 at the River Road Ranch Resort.

•Jennifer Mick Cantwell. She married Aaron Cantwell on April 20 at the Happy H Ranch at Comfort.

•Rachel Bobo Hood. She married Sterling Hood on May 25 in St. Mary’s Catho-lic Church.

•Rachel Andrew Weinheimer. She married Kent Weinheimer in Italy on April 30. They were married again on May 30 in Dallas in a small ceremony with friends and family.

How did your husband propose to you?

My family told me that we were going

to have an early Thanksgiving at the end of October because that was the only time my brother, who is in the Air Force, and my sister-in-law would be able to come to Texas. Samuel told me that he could not come home because he had to work that weekend and could not get off.

On Saturday, Oct. 27, 2013, my whole family came to Fredericksburg to cel-ebrate “Thanksgiving” with us. We decided to go out to Grape Creek Vine-yards, where my mom works, to take a wine tour.

After we got back from the wine tour, I got off of the trolley and Samuel was walking towards me with his family, more of my family, and some of our friends from all over the state walking behind him. He gave me a hug, then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

The weather was gorgeous, so every-one who was there enjoyed sitting out-side, drinking wine and eating snacks to celebrate together.

Clay had a whole day of activities

planned. We started out the day early running the Fredericksburg Turkey Trot. Then, Clay planned a nice lunch at The Pink Pig restaurant overlooking the beautiful Hill Country.

We then moved on to Grape Creek Vineyards for wine tasting. Next, we went to a local spa for a couple’s mas-sage. This is when I started getting suspicious that this day could become something more.

Last, he drove us out to the Willow City Loop to a scenic lookout where he proposed.

An engagement party with friends and family at my sister’s house was the final surprise to a great day!

My husband pro-posed to me at Krausse

Springs, where we had our first date. It was perfect.

We were spend-ing the weekend in

San Antonio for our five-year anniver-sary. We had “seen the sights” and had gone back to our hotel to get ready for a nice dinner out.

As we were leaving the hotel room, Aaron stopped me and said, “Wait, you forgot something.” I turned around thinking, “I have my purse, shoes, etc.” and there he was with the most beauti-ful, perfect, ring.

He secretly arranged a

scavenger hunt that involved my fam-ily. He handmade each clue card.

It started at my parents’ house and ended with him standing in front of the Christmas Tree at Marktplatz where he got down on one knee. His family came in that weekend and he had arranged for both of our families to meet us at a restaurant afterwards to celebrate.

After Kent and I fin-

ished medical school, we took the opportunity o spend six weeks traveling through Europe. While visiting Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, we spent one morning hiking up a hill that overlooked the medieval town. When we reached the top, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

We celebrated by spending the rest of the day floating down the Vltava River in a rubber canoe.

The boat rental man had owned real canoes, but he declined to rent them to us because of our lack of experi-ence. We ended up bouncing down the river in something like a bumper-boat instead.

Promises 5

Rachel and Sterling Hood

Carena:

Brittany:

Jacee:

Jennifer:

Rachel H.:

Rachel W.:

Answering from their hearts...

Cont. on page 6O

As you were planning your wedding, was there one particular aspect of the ceremony or reception that was the most important to you and why?

I was not very picky on many aspects of the wedding. I let my

mom take the reins on most of the plan-ning because she is an incredible party planner.

I guess the most important part of the planning process to me was my photog-rapher. I knew it would be the only tan-gible thing to help me to remember the day more clearly.

The music for the

ceremony and the recep-tion was really important to me. I have the most fun at weddings when the music is good, and I am on the dance floor most of the night.

I wanted to have live, fun, crowd-pleasing music for our wedding. The Chris Story Band knew how to play music that all age groups could dance to, and they were very easy to work with.

D u r i n g our wed-

ding ceremony we had both of our families come, circle around us and pray over us. It was so impor-tant for us to have their blessing as we started our life together.

W e want-

ed our wedding to be memorable and special for both us and our guests.

At the ceremony, we focused more on it being about us. We followed the traditional “you can’t see the bride before the wed-ding” and since we had an outdoor ceremony, it made it difficult to “hide” me until I got to the cer-emony site. Aaron built a set of double doors that were placed at the end of the aisle. The doors were

opened just before I walked through to keep the suspense. It was one of my favorite parts.

The reception focused more on our guests, and they are still talking about the photo booth. Our intentions were for our guests to have something to do while the wedding party was taking pictures, and it was a huge hit.

There were two things that

were important to me, the photographer and I wanted lots of flowers everywhere.

I got an amazing photographer out of New Braunfels and was lucky enough to have a plethora of flowers everywhere at the reception.

Well, con-sidering that

Kent and I got married within a week of his proposal, I think that convenience and speed played the most important part of our selection of venue.

We played with the idea of getting mar-ried in Switzerland, but it was too cold and foggy. We also considered Austria but couldn’t afford a German translator.

We ended up having the ceremony under a lovely gazebo overlooking Lake Como in Moltrasio, Italy.

How did you go about selecting your wedding date and venue?

We knew that we wanted to get married

in June, and we wanted an outdoor venue that would accommodate between 300 and 400 people.

Samuel and I found the Kendall Plan-tation in Boerne online, and we loved the ceremony site and the indoor reception hall.

Since we were both living in the Dallas area, my mom and his mom went to visit the venue. They both loved it and booked it for us. There were not any Saturdays available and only two Fridays open, so we went with Friday, June 14.

The Marquardt Ranch was an easy

pick after visiting it in person. This venue is very classic, rustic, Hill Country. The outdoor ceremony overlooking the Guadalupe River was out of a fairy tale.

Having a wedding planner that was included with the facilities was a huge help.

Both my husband and I wanted to get married in the fall. Fredericksburg and the Hill Country are very beautiful in the fall, and the weather is usually more manageable for an outdoor wedding cer-emony.

We had our wedding at the River Road Ranch

Resort, the perfect place for a casual outdoor wedding. The owners and I are really close and I had planned to get married there for quite a while.

As far as the date, it was the most con-venient for our families (and we weren’t too picky).

We got engaged in May and wanted plenty of time to plan

Promises

Rachel and Kent Weinheimer

Brittany:

Carena:

Jacee:

Jennifer:

Rachel H.:

Rachel W.:

Brittany:

Carena:

Jacee:

Jennifer:

OCont. on page 7

Sheila WhitePhotography

www.sheilawhitephotography.com

the wedding so we narrowed it down to the following spring. We checked with family and looked at our own schedules and settled on April 20.

We wanted a venue that was able to accommodate a ceremony and reception in one place. We knew of a few places that would have worked, but we wanted somewhere special. We set up a visit with the Happy H Ranch in Comfort, and it was “love at first sight.”

We knew we wanted to

get married in the spring before the summer. St. Mary’s Catholic Church is where I have grown up going to mass, so that decision was easy. We went to the church and May 25 was available and that worked perfectly for us.

The reception venue was a very impor-tant decision for my husband and me. We looked at every possible location. Pat’s Hall is where we ended up having our reception.

The feeling we got when walking into Pat’s Hall was amazing. We knew if the walls could talk, there would be some amazing stories to be heard.

H o n e s t l y , Como was just

where the wind blew us during that

portion of our travels. We could just as easily have been somewhere else, had we waited and said our vows a week later.

What is your most trea-sured memory of your wed-ding?

The whole wedding day was incredible. I loved being surround-

ed by my best friends and my family all day. It was a very relaxed enjoyable day.

I can’t pick one most treasured memo-ry because there are so many meaningful memories — first kiss as husband and wife, being pronounced husband and wife, the first dance.

Samuel and I both just loved get-ting to dance and celebrate with all of our friends and family that were at the reception.

My most treasured memory was walking

down the aisle with my dad and seeing Clay’s face at the end of the aisle. This is a moment I have constantly thought about since I was a little girl, and it was something I will never forget.

The pictures of this moment are my favorite.

Seeing all the faces of people who loved and sup-

ported us.

I have two moments from my wedding day that I

will never forget.When asked, “Who gives this woman,”

my Papa’s response was the most heart-felt and genuine. He included all the important role models in my life. I can still hear him choking back the tears today.

Rachel H.:

Rachel W.:

Brittany:

Carena:

Jacee:

Promises 7

Jennifer and Aaron CantwellCont. on page 8

Jennifer:

Promises8

Brittany and Samuel Henke

Rachel H.:

Rachel W.:

The moment Aaron said “I do” is engraved in my memory. I had waited almost six years to hear those words and they sounded as sweet and loving as I had expected.

My most treasured memory of my wedding was the moment right before

the doors opened for me to walk down the aisle. I stood next to the greatest man, my dad, holding his arm, and I knew that beyond the doors, down the aisle, was another great man who was waiting there just for me.

After we’d said our vows and were pronounced man and wife, we leaned

in to kiss each other right as a large ferry full of people sailed by. The crowd on the boat cheered wildly, and the pilot blasted the horn. As much as it startled us, we were happy to have their loving support.

Did you have a wedding day “blooper”?

I think our wedding day was the only day that it rained in June. We knew the storm

was coming, so we bumped the wedding up about 10-15 min-utes early. With all the rush, we forgot to put the men’s bou-

Brittany:

Cont. on page 9

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tonnieres on and hand out the wedding programs.

During the ceremony when Samuel was placing the ring on my finger, I raised both of my hands. He ended up placing the wedding band on my right hand. Neither one of us noticed until I was reaching for his right hand to put his wedding band on.

While we were taking pictures, we learned that the kegs that were sup-posed to be there had not shown up. The company we were working with forgot, or got the date mixed up. Therefore, my dad rounded up several people to go to gas stations to pick up beer for all of the “thirsty Germans.”

Our cake was a four-tier cake. How-ever, only the top two layers were real cake. We had forgotten about that detail, and cut through the bottom tier that was cardboard.

When the ceremo-ny was over and the

pastor was introducing Clay and I as husband and wife, he accidently said, “Mr. and Mrs. Clay and Carena Barsch” instead of “Mr. and Mrs. Clay and Carena Sears.”

It was a funny moment that caused lots

of laughing and is fun to watch on our wedding video.

Oh my gosh, where do I begin? “Bloopers”

are a part of my everyday life, so my wedding wouldn’t have been complete without them.

The first mishap that comes to mind is that during the planning, I spelled hors d’oeuvres on the rough draft of my invitation as “horderves” and never cor-rected it before taking it to the printers. It didn’t hit me until about a week later that I never made the correction but by then it was far too late. All we could do was laugh, and we definitely did.

When exchanging rings, the officiant

asked to have the rings placed on his Bible for a blessing. When he was hand-ing Aaron my band, he dropped it.

Since we had an outdoor ceremony, this had the potential to be disastrous, but we quickly found the band, laughed it off, and continued on with the cer-emony.

My dress was crocheted lace

that laid in scalloped layers going all the way down. As we started to run to our getaway car at the end of the night, my husband stepped on my dress and it ripped. No big deal though.

Well, my sis-ter crashed

our wedding by taking an overnight flight to Milan and meeting us on the train to Como.

It was wonderful having her there, and she took the most beautiful photos, but the fact that she also decided to stay for our weeklong honeymoon in Italy was a blooper in itself.

Picture Kent and me on a romantic gondola ride in Venice with my sister and her husband squeezed in between. She loved it.

Knowing what you know now, do you have any advice to give to brides as they plan their wedding?

Ask for help so that you can enjoy the

Promises 9

Carena:

Jacee:

Jennifer:

Rachel H.:

Rachel W.:

Brittany:

Cont. on page 10

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Promises10planning process! It’s supposed to be an enjoyable experience, so let it be one.

Also, one of my favorite things that Samuel and I decided to do was have dinner by ourselves after the ceremony. The caterers set up a meal for us before we got done taking pictures. We had our own room and were able to sit, eat and visit with one another and take it all in. I have heard of a lot of couples who did not get a chance to eat because they got caught up visiting with all of their guests.

Enjoy your wedding day! It goes by so incredibly fast so make it a point to walk around the venue before everyone gets there and take it all in.

I took my own personal camera and took pictures of all the little details. When Samuel and I got in the limo, we got out the camera and looked at all of the pictures from the day. We enjoyed getting to look back on the day together.

I would tell brides to enjoy the day as much

as they can. The whole experience goes by very fast and it truly is amazing.

I would also encourage brides to hire a videographer. This was something I was hesitant about, but I am so happy we have our whole wedding day captured on DVD.

Make your day yours. Everyone will

have an opinion on your dress, your hair, your decorations and the list continues.

As long as you and your fiancé plan the wedding you want, everyone and everything else will fall into place like it’s meant to be.

My advice to any bride plan-

ning her wedding is to take your time making your decisions. Don’t rush any decision. The options are limitless and yes, it gets overwhelming, but, take your time and research everything so your wedding day is exactly how you envi-sioned it.

I think that a perfect wed-

ding is possible for anyone, regardless of the little obstacles that life sets in our paths.

For Kent and me, we were just happy to be together, and a wedding on Lake Como was the cherry on top of an already perfect ice cream sundae.

Advice? Yes. Have the wedding of your

dreams. You deserve it.At the same time, be flexible and enjoy

the season you’re in.The “Perfect Day” isn’t achieved by the

set up and decorations, rather the family and friends who overwhelm you with love and encouragement.

Jacee and Jayd Bivens

Carena:

Jacee:

Jennifer:

Rachel W.:

Rachel H.:

OOO

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Promises 11

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Promises12

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While there are a wide assortment of his-toric churches both in town and out in the countryside, Fredericksburg also offers a plethora of non-traditional venues to hold a wedding or reception.

The rich history of this part of the Texas Hill Country is reflected in the choices avail-able to prospective brides and grooms. For a feel of “the good, old days,” there are several venues that fill the bill.

Pioneer Museum, located in the 300 block of West Main Street, has been the scene of a number of weddings over the years. In addition, ceremonies have been held in the on-grounds sanctuary.

More information is available by calling 990-8441 or: www.pioneermuseum.net/rent-our-facility.php.

Located around town are wedding site possibilities that are found at some of the inns and other similar facilities.

For exam-ple, both Fredericks-burg Inn & Suites (201 South Wash-

ington Street; 997-0202) and Inn on Barons Creek (308 South Washington Street, 990-9202) can help with the planning.

Also included in this list is the Hangar Hotel and Conference Center, 155 Airport Road (next to the Gillespie County Airport) carrying with it the theme of an old World War II military hangar.

Pricing and details are available at 997-9990 or events@hangarhotel.com.

Likewise, several of the vineyards and wineries in Gillespie County offer engaged couples venues that will provide a lifetime of memories.

Wineries that regularly serve as wed-ding venues include 4.0 Cellars (10354 U.S. Highway 290 East, www.fourpointwine.com);

Becker Vineyards (464 Becker Farm Road, Stonewall, 644-2681, www.beckervineyards.com/the-estate/celebrate); Fiesta Winery (6260 U.S. Highway 290 East, www.fiestawin-ery.com); Messina Hof Winery and Resort (9996 U.S. Highway 290 East, www.messina-hof.com/hillcountry) and Torre di Pietra (10 miles east of Fredericksburg on U.S. High-way 290 East, 644-2829, torredipietra.com/event-booking).

A more stately wedding and recep-tion might be accomplished with the facili-ties at the Admiral Nimitz Museum grounds. Several outdoor locales support the Admiral Nimitz Ballroom.

To learn more about what the museum has to offer with regard to weddings, call 997-8600 (extension 211), via email at eisen-berg@nimitzfoundation.org or online www.pacificwarmuseum.org/the-venue/wed-dings/.

For those interested in a smaller wedding, Fredericksburg Herb Farm is avail-able.

Situated at 405 Whitney Street, the herb farm can be reached at 997-8615 or www.fredericksburgherbfarm.com.

Featuring a 6,000-square-foot event hall, the Gillespie County Farm Bureau

Cont. on page 13

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Where, Oh , Where...?

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Gillespie venues offer romantic settings for weddings, celebrations aa

Promises 13

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a a

Events Center, located at 237 Equestrian Drive, is available for weddings and recep-tions.

More information is available at 997-4396.

Located 16 miles north of Fredericks-burg, just off Ranch Road 965 (and about a half-mile from the entrance to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area), is Trois Estate.

To learn more about the wedding possi-bilities there, log onto the web at www.trois-estate.net/weddings. The phone number is 830-685-3415.

For a simpler backdrop, there’s always Luckenbach, Texas and its world-famous dancehall.

It’s a place where everybody’s somebody, according to the old saying.

To get more information on what awaits an engaged couple’s possibilities, call 997-3224 or online at www.luckenbachtexas.com/weddings-and-parties/.

To add a little more flavor from the Old West days to the wedding ceremonies, there’s Tin Star Ranch, located on Tin Star Road, just a couple of miles from Enchant-ed Rock State Natural Area near Ranch Road 965 (456 Tin Star Road).

A replica of Front Street of the old West-ern town of Dodge City has been recreated on the grounds. There’s even a scale model of the Alamo for those who’re interested in

incorporating Texas history into their wed-ding plans.

Information can be obtained by contact-ing the ranch at: www.tinstarranch.com/weddings-and-special-events or calling 685-3464.

Located on Kott Road a few miles from Fredericksburg off of State Highway 16 South, Kairos: The Celebration Barn offers outdoor and indoor venues for both the wedding and ensuing reception.

More information can be found online at www.kairos-celebrationbarn.com or by call-ing 990-9515.

An old favorite social gathering place — Pat’s Hall — has re-opened within the past year for weddings, receptions and other functions after a hiatus of more than 26 years.

Information is available by calling 997-7574 or online at www.patshall.com/rental/.

Pat’s Hall is located at 406 Post Oak Road.

A different kind of trip back into the historic scenes of Gillespie County can be found by holding a wedding at one of the schools that make up the Gillespie County Country Schools Trail.

The dozen old schools, many of them now converted into community club head-quarters, include: Cave Creek, Cherry Spring, Crabapple, Lower South Grape

Creek, Luckenbach, Meusebach Creek, Nebgen, Pecan Creek, Rheingold, Williams Creek (Albert), Willow City and Wrede.

More information about rates and sched-uling can be found by contacting each school’s representative listed on the web-site: www.historicschools.org.

The City of Fredericksburg has facilities that would compliment any wed-ding, including Pioneer Pavilion, the several open-air pavilions, and the Tatsch House inside Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park (located about two miles south of Main Street, just off State Highway 16 South), as well as Marktplatz in downtown Fredericks-burg.

Rental costs, scheduling and other infor-mation are available online at www.fbgtx.org/index.aspx?nid=161 by calling the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park office at 997-4202.

Also available for weddings and receptions is the Gillespie County Fair Grounds, operated by the Gillespie County Fair and Festivals Association.

The facilities are located a couple of miles south of Fredericksburg’s Main Street on State Highway 16 South.

To learn more, call 997-2359 or log onto the internet website: www.gillespiefair.com.

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Promises14

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When it’s time for that special day when a man and woman exchange vows at the altar and say the words “I do,” some-times showing up and making the lifelong com-mitment might seem like the easiest part.

In a wedding, there are countless things to plan: the date, the location, what to wear, who will be the best man, maid of honor, bridesmaids, who will officiate, whether it’ll be in a church or a civil affair, the list goes on.

And, of course, what type of flowers will be used?

Trends, popular choicesWith Fredericksburg’s

location in the Hill Coun-try, it appears local flower

shops will stay busy. “We do weddings from

all over the United States, but mostly for people from Texas,” said Kathlyn Murray, floral manager at the Fredericksburg H-E-B Blooms Shop. “Fredericksburg has become the destination place for weddings.”

Looking at wedding pictures taken over the years shows that hair and clothing styles change. The same rings true for flowers. What may have worked as a floral arrangement back in the 1970s might seem anti-quated today.

Dianna Blount, owner of Blumenhandler Flo-rist, said California-style bouquets with crystal or rhinestone accents still

seem to be popular in this area.

“We are seeing more brides looking into cas-cade and crescent-styled bouquets,” she added.

Other popular bridal bouquets, according to The Flower Pail owner Lara Snyder, are ranun-culus, anemone, scabious pods, peonies, roses and succulents.

In other areas of a wed-ding, Murray said roses are still the choice for men’s boutonnieres and for scattering on the floor or grass.

“Calla lilies are also a popular choice for bou-tonnieres,” she added.

Earthy trends with lots of different textures are what Snyder has seen a

BOUQUET — Lara Snyder of The Flower Pail shows off a freshly-made bridal bouquet. Flowers tend to be an integral part of a wed-ding. — Standard-Radio Post/Richard Zowie

Love in bloom

Cont. on page 16

830-997-9505707 South Adams Fredericksburg

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Promises 15

For the Bride . . .

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Promises16

A Hometown Bridal Shoppe with Hometown PricesBridal Gowns

Mother of & Bridesmaids DressesFlower Girl Dresses

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Veils, Headpieces & ShoesTuxedo Rentals

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Love in bloomCont. from page 14

lot of at her shop. A popular choice of flowers for grooms has been the group-ings of different textures and blooms (such as succulents, scabious flowers, pods, billy balls and ranunculus.

“Vintage has by far been the most popu-lar theme,” she added.”

While Blount has seen many brides pre-fer garden or romantic country themes, she added that the tradition of scatter-ing petals down the aisle depends on the venue location.

“Most venues do not want fresh flower petals scattered, but if you are having an outdoor wedding, petals scattered down your aisle is a beautiful touch,” she added.

Murray added that while there are popular trends, ultimately the choice for flowers depends on the individual preferences of a bride. The themes they encounter often focus on outdoor wed-dings at dance halls, old schools, vine-yards and country churches along with the churches in town. It often creates a “simple” floral theme that isn’t always simple to create.

“We see a lot of soft, airy, casual but elegant looks,” she said. “This includes hydrangeas, peonies, orchids, tulips, roses, lilies, calla lilies, stock, gerbera dai-sies, along with spray roses in all shades of color with fillers like baby’s breath, veronica, wax flower, astilbe, freesia and dendrobium orchids.”

What types of flowers should be avoided? Some that come to mind are those which are overly fragrant.

“They do not always blend well with the perfumes peo-ple wear,” Blount explained. “The warmer it is outside, the more fragrant the flowers will be. Also, dyed flowers are not a good choice. If you are having a California-style bou-quet, the dye will leak onto your dress.”

Murray said hydrangeas can be tricky, along with peo-nies, but they still can work well. Otherwise, the types of flowers to use and avoid depends on if the wedding’s indoor or outdoor, the weath-er and what time of day.

Planning, costs

Weddings tend to not be

the event where

procrasti-nation is welcome.

Some cou-ples begin planning at least a year in

advance.Blount suggested

floral creations be planned at least six months prior to the wedding.

At her flower shop, they begin making the floral wedding arrangements about two to three days before the wedding. Once completed, the arrangements are usually refrigerated until it’s time for pick up.

Another question that probably looms is, what can be done to keep costs reason-able?

“Sometimes the bride will have friends or family who are talented put reception flowers together for them. This saves a little,” Blount said. “There are many other areas of a wedding the bride can trim down costs beside the flowers.”

If cost saving is one a bride’s mind, Sny-der will suggest substitutions for more expensive flowers.

“There are some really cool items out there,” she said. “You can also provide your own vases or containers, or you could also rent these items from us as well.”

Murray added that they specialize in creating the “look” from brides’ inspira-tion pictures by choosing less expensive flowers to create the same look without the high cost.

“Brides appreciate this and are very pleased with the results,” she said.

Promises 17

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FOR ALL AGES

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Gillespie CountyFarm Bureau Events Center

830-997-4396237 Equestrian Drive

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BEST VALUE IN FREDERICKSBURG!6,000 sq. ft. Event Hall - seating capacity 400-500

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Engagements Bridals Weddings Anniversaries

Families

Couples take the legal ‘plunge’Couples planning their weddings can’t forget one of the most

important matters to attend to — getting a license to wed.

Where to go? Gillespie County Clerk’s Office in Room 109 of the Gillespie County Courthouse. Mary Lynn Rusche is the county clerk, and personnel there are ready to assist applicants with the paper-work.

• Office hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.• To contact the county clerk’s office, call 830-997-6515.

What to bring? Couples applying for a marriage license must both be present when the license is issued.

• Each should bring at least one form of photo identification (such as a driver’s license or passport) or two other forms of non-photo identification (such as certified birth certificate, Social Security card, current utility bill or school report card, etc.). A Mexican Matricula Consular card will not be recognized as appropriate identification.

• Be prepared to pay the $71 cost of the marriage license.• A reduced marriage license fee of $11 is available to couples

who complete the free eight-hour “Together in Texas” course and bring in a certificate of completion at the time of applying for their marriage license. In Fredericksburg, the course is not religion-based and is offered through Victory Fellowship Church (414 College Street,) 830-997-9717.

• Applicants who are 16 or 17 years of age must bring with them their legal guardian at the time of applying for the license and the guardian is also required to show photo identification.

• The minimum age required to apply for a marriage license is 16 years. Anyone younger should bring with them a court order to obtain a license.

301 W. Main • Fredericksburg997-7865

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License to wed

Promises18

Enhance your natural beauty with a flawless, radiant tan on your special day.

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for the Bride and her attendants

• Custom air brushing & tanning

• Bridal Packages available

A Sun-Kissed

Brides & grooms: Planning the “big day” can be much more simple by starting about a year out and staying on task with the following checklist:

AT 6 TO 12 MONTHS

• Set a date. — Absolutely the first thing

that must be done out of con-sideration to wedding party and family members who need the lead-time to make arrangements for lodging and time off from work.

• Who will stand with you?

— Choose, ask and confirm the bridal party and grooms-men. They need early notice to plan for time to fulfill their duties.

• Announce the big news! — Allow a friend or relative

to host an engagement party.— Spread the word through

your local newspaper.

• Crunch the numbers. — It is important that

the bride, groom and their families get together now to determine “do-able” costs and settle who will pay for what. This avoids confusion, hurt feelings and debt later down

the road.• Reserve venues.— Book locations for both

ceremony and reception, tak-ing into account potential weather and size of atten-dance. Most places sell out fast on popular wedding dates, so don’t delay.

• Nail down the time.— Figuring out what type

of wedding you want helps you in the planning stages. Formal affairs are held in late afternoon or evening, while more casual ones are usu-ally in the morning or early afternoon. The type of wed-ding decides if the reception should feature a formal meal or just cake and punch.

• Color it fantastic.

— Choose your wedding colors early and stick to them. Best advice: Pick what feels right (not what a magazine tells you is the latest trend.) Choose favorite(s) and you’ll never tire of looking at the attire, flowers, decorations, linens and cake.

• Say ‘yes’ to a dress.

— Order the bridal gown, bridesmaids’ dresses and their accessories. Remember to mind the budget!

The Main HouseThe Main House is for up to 8

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• A celebratory trip of love. — It’s never too early to

start planning for after the wedding. Get the ball rolling on the honeymoon by visiting a travel agency and review-ing options (and prices) for that time of year. Both bride and groom should agree, in

advance, on a destination and whether it’ll be a simple relax-ing outing or an itinerary-filled adventure.

• Register your wishes.

— Bride and groom should visit favorite their favorite

The trick is ... take one step at a timeChecklist helps brides, grooms

stay organized and on track

Cont. on page 19

Promises 19

Fredericksburg’s finest wedding and party store!We specialize in wedding and party planning, decorations,party rentals, tuxedo rentals, and more!

www.party-affair.com830.997.1921

Donna Solbrig, PBC Association of Bridal Consultants 501 Longhorn St. • 997-1921 • email: donna@party-affair.com

Store Hours: Tues. - Fri. - 9:30 - 5:00 • Sat. - 9:30 - 12 NoonSpecial appointments are always welcome

Party Affair

THE

stores and register for items that’ll be needed in their new life together. Guests will appreciate the helpful hints.

• Now … decide the details!

— Six months to a year out, choose musicians, a florist, a photographer and a caterer. Sample their wares and be sure to check references. Keep their contact info handy for discussing details as they are decided.

• ‘With this ring, I thee wed …’

— Shop and design/pur-chase wedding rings.

— Begin pre-marital coun-

seling (required by some churches.)

AT 3 MONTHS

• Who’s coming? — Complete the guest list,

count up the names and then select and order invitations. • Moms’ day out

— Mothers of the bride and groom should both get their dresses to compliment the rest of the wedding party in style, color, etc.

• Introducing Mr. and Mrs.

… — As it will be the groom

and bride’s first social appear-ance together as husband and wife, pay attention to finaliz-ing reception details to make sure it is a memorable suc-cess. Keep a running list of any needed items (i.e. chairs, tables, linens, etc.) and be sure to reserve them early.

• Bite the bullet

— Go ahead and sign on the dotted line for the hon-eymoon. Mention to all pro-viders that the guests plan-ning to travel are newlyweds because many will provide a free surprise perks along the

way!

• Double-check and recheck — Call and confirm dates

and information with pho-tographer, musicians, florists, caterer and the church. Make sure there’s been no double-booking or other special occa-sion disaster-in-waiting.

• ‘Your chariot awaits…’

— Decide on transportation to and from the wedding and reception sites. Limousine? Horse-drawn buggy? Drive yourself?

• Finalize this and that

Cont. on page 20

pioneermuseum.net325 West Main

Fredericksburg Texas 830.990.8441

IMAGINE YOUR WEDDING OR SPECIAL EVENT ON THE HISTORIC MUSEUM GROUNDS... The natural beauty and rich history of Pioneer Museum create a unique setting for any special event. Our staff can help with the details of any function from meetings and conferences to weddings and receptions.

Promises20

CLASSIC HEIRLOOMS

CLASSIC HEIRLOOMS“YOUR TEXAS GOWN PRESERVATION SPECIALIST”

Bob Reeves ~ Janet Goldmaninfo@classicheirloom.comwww.classicheirloom.com

508 Mill Run • Kerrville, Texas 78028800-622-4559

PRESERVE THE MOST PRECIOUS DRESS YOU HAVE EVER WORN

— Pick a final wedding cake design and groom’s cake design and any other pastries for the reception and get them ordered.

— Get groom and his groomsmen to visit store, get fitted and order their tuxedos.

— Spend a girls’ day with bridesmaids getting dresses fitted and setting up a sched-

ule for any future fittings. Choose shoes and get them dyed, if necessary.

AT 2 MONTHS

• No turning back! — Hand address and mail

out invitations to the pre-determined guest list.

— Visit the courthouse together, with photo identi-fications and fees in hand, to procure the official marriage license.

— Pay for honeymoon and finalize any side trips or rel-evant details to the trip.

— Help guests with reser-vations for flights or at local overnight accommodations.

AT 1 MONTH

• Lists, lists and more lists!— Start a list of gifts being

received. Begin writing and

mailing “Thank You” notes as soon as gifts arrive (you’ll be glad you at least tried to keep up with them in the begin-ning so that the task isn’t so overwhelming later on.)

— Plan the rehearsal and dinner. The groom’s family traditionally arranges and pays for this, but the entire family can contribute to the set-up, planning and pulling it off. • Giving credit where it’s due

— Buy gifts for your wed-ding party. Brides often give jewelry the bridesmaids can wear in the ceremony. Grooms prefer money clips, pocket knives or the like. Monogramming is a nice touch to personalize an item for those who are giving their time to help make the bride and groom’s day even more special.

— Take care of final dress

and suit fittings, as well as appointments for beauty treatments, pedicures/manicures and hair salon vis-its.

— Host a bridesmaids’ lun-cheon to show them support and appreciation for giving of their time and expense to make the big day special.

— Buy a guest book and decide where to station it at the reception. Also, designate a “keeper” of the book who is good at encouraging guests to sign.

AT 2 WEEKS

• It’s getting close, so … — Finalize transportation to

the church, to the reception and off to the honeymoon.

— If planning to take the groom’s last name, brides should go ahead and visit the proper offices to officially

Cont. on page 21

102 E. Main Street • Fredericksburg 830.997.5850

Mon.-Fri. 10-5:30 • Sat. 10-6 • Sun. 11-5

Invitations For All OccasionsSpecializing in:

Wedding • Birth AnnouncementsShowers • Personalized Cups & Napkins

Paper Goods • Fun Napkinsn Save The Date

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Michael Anthony Gutierrezrequest the honour of yur presenceat the marriage of their daughter

Kaitlin Alyssato

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Saturday, the sixth of OctoberTwo thousand twelve

at three oclock in the afternoon

St. Mary’s Catholic ChurchFredericksburg, Texas

Dinner & dancing to follow

Promises 21

Begin your adventure atThe Peach Tree

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Catered Food To GoFor That Perfect Wedding Reception

Call 997-2204 for information

Turner HallAir Conditioned Reception Hall -- Seating for 325.

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Walk-in Cooler available for Food Storage.Cash bar sells beer, wine coolers and sodas.

Your Go To Girl forWeddings, Parties, Celebrations in

Fredericksburg and the Hill Country

Kathy Tolan 830.456.1733

kathytolan@beecreek.net

change their driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, pass-ports and other official documents. Also put in calls to credit card companies, utilities, doctors and dentist offices and others regularly contacted.

AT JUST 1 WEEK! • Full speed ahead!

— Pick up wedding rings and make sure they fit.

— Start packing for the honeymoon.

— Give the caterer a final estimate on number of guests.

— Plan seating arrange-ments.

— Practice hair styles and/or makeup for the big day.

• But don’t forget…— Brides should find time

in the rushing about of final arrangements to take care of themselves. Drink lots of water, eat healthy foods, get

plenty of rest each day (even take a nap here and there) and smile, knowing they’ll soon be united with the ones they love.

THE WEDDING DAY

• Hearts joined at last!— With all the planning

taken care of, the final hours leading up to the wedding should be a snap.

— Best advice for brides: NO amount of planning will guarantee a “perfect” cer-emony or reception. Keep in mind, though, it’s the mishaps that make things unique and memorable, but it is the bride’s reaction to these events that becomes unforgettable in the minds of her family and friends. So, roll with the flow, smile and enjoy the spotlight (and the happily ever after, of course!)

Promises22

Enjoying the dance Hill Country Charm

1435 E. Main • 830-997-2633

Bridal Registry

Now that the wedding is over, the gifts are put away and the thank you cards are in the mail, there’s just one more detail — turn in an announcement and photograph to the Fredericks-burg Standard-Radio Post.

And in the midst of making all those pre-wedding plans, cou-ples should also remember to submit engagement announce-ments and shower stories to the newspaper, as well.

To help couples share their news with family and friends and announce their engagement and wedding in the newspaper, the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post has several options available for sub- mitting the information.

There is no charge for having engage- ment and wedding announce- ments and shower stories published in the news-paper.

And while there is no deadline prior to or after the wedding, couples are still urged to submit the informa- tion and photograph in a timely manner.

Weddings which have taken place after a reason- able length of time will be shortened to include only the high-lights of the day (with photograph).

Information on weddings that are current take precedence in where they are placed on the “Gillespie Life” pages over those which took place several weeks or months before.

The deadline for submitting articles and photographs for the “Gillespie Life” section of each week’s paper is 5 p.m. on Mon-day.

Black and white photographs or color photographs can be used providing the picture is in good focus and is of good qual-ity.

Photographs that do not meet reproduction standards will not be used. Also, full-length wedding pictures will not be used.

Photographs can be submitted in a variety of formats. Some couples may choose to submit an original photo with their information while others may choose to submit the photograph on a CD.

Sharing the good news with the world

Cont. on page 23

Promises 23

Invitations byFredericksburg Publishing Co.

Creating Dream WeddingsFrom Information to Formal Traditional to Avant-Garde

Intimate to Lavish

Make your Wedding more Than just a Dream.

The Wedding InvitationsTraditional and Custom at

Fredericksburg Publishing Co.Will set the Tone of Your Entire Wedding.

Fredericksburg Publishing Co.

712 W. Main Fredericksburg, Tx 78624

830-997-2155

FP

Hill Country ExpressWine Trail Tours

Join us for our signature tours to sample a taste of the finest Texas Wines.

830-997-2190 Office855-997-2190 Toll Free

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For your fun and unique bachelorette party call

EVERLASTINGBLOOMSTT

U

Weddings, special occasions & much more!

Eileen Meyer830-889-4526 or 830-864-4526everlastingblooms1@gmail.com

Also, e-mailed photographs will be accepted provided that they are submitted in a jpg format at a minimum of 300 dpi resolution.

Couples are discouraged from submitting photographs that are reproduced on a home printer or copy machine.

In an effort to aid couples in submitting information to the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post, engagement and wed-ding forms are available at the newspaper office at 712 West Main Street.

Forms are also available by telephone at 997-2155, by writing to P.O. Box 1639, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 or by e-mailed requests to yvonne@fredericksburgstandard.com.

In addition, couples can visit www.fredericksburgstandard.com for engagement and wedding forms.