Joshua and Jennifer 's Wedding in San Antonio, Texas

In 2017, we were facing our 10th wedding anniversary and now lived in our home town. We decided that it was time for that party and that we were going to do it big because we had waited 19 years for that day! We found our venue after quite a bit of research online. We knew we wanted something different and that would provide an experience instead of simply be a place where a vow renewal or wedding would be held, which is why we chose The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. The McNay, as it is affectionately called, is the first modern art museum in the state of Texas and resides in the former home of its benefactor, Marion Koogler McNay. The venue has multiple options for the ceremony and reception, provided access to a gallery during the event which would give our guests the opportunity to see various works of art, and has a seasoned events staff. The ceremony was held by a beautiful fountain on the lawn outside the mansion while the cocktail hour and dancing were held in the courtyard and dinner was held in the octagon that links the original building to the modern additions to the museum.

I had always dreamt of beautiful flowers and a colorful wedding and so we selected navy, purple, pink, white and gold as the primary colors with a smattering of emerald green and red throughout. I envisioned lush jewel tones and geometrics with memorable touches throughout that spoke to our history and who we are as a couple and individuals. The invitations were acrylic and consisted of a geometric pattern with matching RSVP and accommodation cards. We wanted something unexpected and unusual, the acrylic invitations certainly made a statement and look like stained glass when held up to the light, which fits with an art museum setting. The calligraphy on the envelopes was beautiful against the navy envelopes while the stamps consisted of custom stamps and ones that fit our interest in going to National Parks.

For the reception, the napkins were made by my mom. The nameplates, which were gold acrylic names on white octagons and they hung on the back of the guest's chair with purple ribbon, were a group effort between my stepfather, my mother-in-law, my best friend and maid of honor, my husband and myself. The tables were draped with navy velvet tablecloths and white sequin tablecloths while navy blue taper candles in brass candlesticks and jeweled tones votive holders ran the length of the table while tall gold risers held beautiful flower arrangements that were unstructured and had an air of being handpicked. The cakes, there were three, were beautiful and as I had hoped they would be and more. The center cake had a structural element that made it special and fit with the art museum vibe.

At the bar, we served Llano Estacado Wine, which is from where I was born and spent the first 12 years of my life and for the cocktail, there was a choice of a regular margarita or a strawberry margarita which was a nod to the heritage of South Texas. It was the stir sticks that really showed our personality and were a hit, they were acrylic and consisted of our initials, Darth Vader (my husband is a Star Wars fan), a cat (we have three), a Texas with a heart over San Antonio, a heart, and others.

The day was warmer than planned, as is normal in South Texas and the air more humid than it normally is in November, but the day was perfect. Our day-of coordinator Lynette, my husband, and my sister handled everything and let me enjoy the day. We may have had blankets we didn't need, umbrellas that no one used, fans that came in handy, and slippers the girls loved (Rescue Flats are amazing), and people who didn't show, but I had the experience I had dreamt of since I was a little girl and I got to marry my best friend again. See, I loved the day, but I love the guy more.