Sometimes wedding compromises turn out to be the best outcomes.

Alli and Ryan had big plans to have a boho destination wedding in MOROCCO! They had everything planned and booked, including hiring me as their Morocco destination wedding photographer.

Sadly, a few months before their wedding, a medical issue came up that would prevent them from traveling for at least a year. Devastated but undefeated, they decided not to postpone their union and instead opted to have a small local wedding near where they live in Austin, TX. They literally planned their local wedding within a couple of months, and it was one of the most magical events I’ve ever witnessed.

Getting ready

Alli and Ryan chose the Meadow Barn for its proximity to Austin, affordability, and undeniable charm. This adorable venue in the woods allowed the couple to completely customize their event, while providing conveniences such as bridal and groom suites to allow them to get ready onsite.

While Alli and Ryan got ready, their families transformed the venue with beautiful boho details in like an hour! I believe we could all take a lesson from Alli and Ryan’s efficient, carefree, and wonderfully executed micro-wedding.

Portraits

The couple wanted to wait until the ceremony to see each other, so we made use of the time to do individual and family portraits. Instead of having a bridal party, they instructed their families to be color coordinated for the photos by choosing classic black for the ladies and white shirts with beige pants for the gents. Alli looked stunning in her blush wedding dress and her mother’s bridal veil!

Ceremony

Their boho ceremony was simple yet tasteful. They set out Moroccan style rugs for the aisle and hung some macrame for their alter.

Rather than following the tradition of the groom waiting at the altar for his bride, Alli went first accompanied by her parents and her dog Riley and waited for her groom to walk down the aisle to her. Lulu, the adorable flower girl, played her role amazingly and Ryan followed shortly after accompanied by his father. The parents all stood by their to-be-wed children, and Alli’s father officiated the ceremony.

Ryan read some quotes from the children’s book “I love you forever”, read vows to each other, exchanged rings, and kissed as man and wife.

Newlywed portraits

Alli planned her wedding timeline to have the ceremony end right before golden hour, so that we could use that time for their newlywed portraits. I am so grateful she made that a priority because… well, the pictures speak for themselves! We were blessed with the most beautiful sunset light.

We also made sure to get some extra photos with their friends and closest family members, especially their precious dog Riley!

Reception

Just like the rest of their day, the reception was all charm. Alli and Ryan had their first dance, as well as their father-daughter dance and mother-son dance. But to be honest, the dance floor belonged to little Lulu. Dinner consisted of an epic meal at Salt Lick BBQ, some finger foods for the party, and a wonderful velvet cake.

Night time portraits

To conclude their night, they did a quick send off and made time for some night time portraits.

After an absolutely perfect day, the sky filled up with stars and even a full moon! We wanted to honor this magic by playing with some fairy lights. Again, the pictures speak for themselves! I was happy to have a photo taken with them too. These special clients turned into dear friends (and hopefully still travel buddies to Morocco someday!)