Our wedding planner, Veronica of Speedwell Event Co, recently posted a photo from our fall wedding on instagram captioning how much of a vibe it was. I gotta say, I agree. Our Dallas wedding wouldn’t have been possible without a few key vendors and a handful of personal touches. I’ll break them down in this post!
Our venue: The Filter Building on White Rock Lake
As you may know, Dallas has no shortage of wedding and event venues. This one wasn’t on our original list of places to see, but man am I glad we kept looking.
The Filter Building checked off all the boxes and more.
- It had an outside area with a gorgeous view of White Rock Lake. Fairy lights were strung above the patio as we enjoyed the sunset. Texas in November is a wonderful time with unpredictable temperatures so having a space that allowed us to enjoy both inside and outside was amazing.
- It had a unique and charming ambiance that didn’t need much decor to make it ours. The original exposed brick, steel beams, concrete floors, and old windows were characteristics we wanted to complement rather than cover up.
- Great catering. I know this isn’t necessarily a visual thing, but it made a huge difference and FGF catering was an absolute pleasure to work with. Everyone commented on how amazing the food was. Cuban Sandwiches. Need I say more?
- The location! 15 Minutes from downtown Dallas. It made it so easy for people to get to/ from the church (Holy Trinity on Oak Lawn) to their Hotels/airbnbs/homes. Ubers were readily available and the drive wasn’t bad (plenty of parking on site also).
Our florist: The Floral Eclectic
I chose Taylor for her unique style and creative mind. She had so many incredible pieces from prior weddings and events on her instagram and website, I fell in love immediately. We chatted a bit about the vision and in the end I wanted her to do what she does best without my having so many ideas/thoughts to restrict her. They ended up absolutely perfect – better than I could have imagined.
We chose dried florals for their beauty, but we found they came along with many other benefits as well. They are budget friendly and they last for-ev-er. We kept a few bouquets and pieces that we put around the house and the rest went home with friends and family.
A floral tip for the resourceful ones: Use the bridesmaid bouquets for table decor. We had vases set along the king’s table which made it quick and easy for the bridesmaid bouquets to slip right into (pictured above, right).
Everything else:
I cultivated the rest of the aesthetic details by sifting through Amazon and flexing my DIY muscle. For my fellow do-it-yourselfers, please read on. I found some great products and techniques that truly made all the difference.
Our table decor was incredibly important to me because it’s where our friends and family would be joining to enjoy a nice meal together. The little hostess in me appreciates a nice table setting and we kept it simple and modern.
Our venue didn’t allow for real flame candles, so we opted for these flameless tea candles in three different textured votives (plain, patterned, and vintage) to bring some warmth to the space. I’m also kind of obsessed with how our table numbers turned out. I purchased a 20 pack of clear 4″ x 6″ acrylic signs holders and used the Cricut to cut out black vinyl numbers to adhere to them.
I designed the menus on canva, printed them at home, and cut them down to size with this paper cutter (order extra blades!). We decided to do assigned seats, so I found these cute paperclips to attach each name to the menu. It ended up adding the little bit of depth and texture we were looking for.
Canva made it so easy to carry over all the same fonts throughout my wedding projects. Depending on where/how you decide to order your save the dates and invitations, you may need to download a font (which is usually free if not used commercially).
Our seating chart was one of my favorite things to work on. I’m big on resourcefulness and dual purpose, so I purchased this full length mirror on amazon (which is now in our bedroom). I used non-permanent adhesives and it cleaned up perfectly with a little bit of nail polish remover. Good as new! Again, I used my Cricut to cut out the vinyl lettering and copper circles, designed the table assignments on canva, and printed them at home onto this printable vellum paper.
A few other little details that I loved:
This wooden card box found on amazon. Our guest book from Etsy. Fujifilm install camera and extra film packs. More flameless candles from amazon for the outdoor high tops and welcome table.
My biggest recommendation: Try to have everything absolutely all finished up and organized a few days before people start getting in town and festivities start. I was a mess the day of our rehearsal trying to pack up my car and figure out how all the stuff was getting to the venue and back. AND HAVE FUN. 🖤
Photo credit: Lorena Burns Photography
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