A Magical 50th Birthday party Immersed in Alice in Wonderland
The Photobooth Backdrop by Events by Poppy & Co in the Photobooth by Bat City Beats welcomes guests to fall down the Rabbit Hole into Wonderland.
An Adventure at Rose Haven: A Johnny Depp-Inspired Wonderland Bash
Our directive for this dramatic 50th birthday party was to transform Rose Haven into the ‘Johnny Depp’ version of Alice in Wonderland. Naturally we called upon several of our go-to favorite Austin events vendors and went down the Rabbit Hole into creating the curious ambiance of Wonderland. Everyone understood the assignment!
Events By Poppy & Co conjured the vision and design of the party, inspired predominantly by the Johnny Depp version of the Mad Hatter, and the enigmatic Cheshire Cat.
DJ A-Wall of Bat City Beats provided the awesome lighting that just MADE the atmosphere for the whole event, and the fun and interactive photo booth experience.
La Boujee Housewife created an incredible charcuterie clock on a 60-inch round table!
Salt Lick BBQ provided delicious brisket, sausage and ribs with all the fixins’, and The Tea Room at Rose Haven catered the tea party with delicious tea sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit salad, savory pinwheels and bite-sized dessert towers. The amazing custom cake with its gravity-defying playing cards was created by Dennis Van, and Well Yeah Cakes added adorable ‘Eat Me’ cake truffle bites and beautifully detailed sugar cookies.
Behind the scenes, decorating Heritage Rose Hall and transforming it into Wonderland.
Curious and Curiouser: Inside the Enchanted Alice in Wonderland Party
Shall we peer into the Looking Glass to the surreal Alice in Wonderland experience?
The front entrance beckoned guests to fall down the rabbit hole of the hallway beyond….Dramatic lighting and oversize flowers created an immersive experience as guests walked down the hallway into Wonderland
As guests stepped through the glass doors, they found themselves tumbling into Wonderland. The centerpiece was the stunning print of the Cheshire Cat underneath the neon sign at center stage, and an incredible floral display dripped from the beautiful exposed rafters. The table decor was an endless array of delights: whimsical floral displays, glass and moss mushrooms, picture frames with Alice In Wonderland prints, tiered tea towers of treats, tiny keys, gold chargers, diamond-patterned runners, and china teapots. Melissa of Events by Poppy & Co is a tornado of creativity and energy! Her designs are always epic.
Special Effects
A 60-inch Charcuterie Clock by La Boujee Housewife offered a delicious welcome to the party.
Look at the amazing detail of the showstopping centerpiece cake by Dennis Van. Notice Alice’s legs at the top of the teapot! The stunning cake was surrounded by cookies created by Well Yeah Cakes, which also were placed at each guest’s table setting.
The beautiful, fun, interactive bubble tent was a big hit! This was absolutely perfect on Rose Haven’s Antique Rose Veranda. With its stunning diamond pattern, many people say that it has an Alice In Wonderland look every day! And of course the roses are the quintessential addition to the theme!
Dancing with the Drag Queens of Hearts
Adding to the night of fantasy and fun in Austin, drag queens Maxine LaQueene and Michelle delighted the guests with their fun dance routines. Maxine absolutely LOVED the Bubble Tent by Events by Poppy & Co, resulting in awesome videos and photos.
Whimsy and Wonder: A Wonderland Party Brought to Life by Austin Vendors
All of the elements came together through this amazing Austin vendor team to create the perfect Alice In Wonderland party! From the charming and unique venue, located conveniently between South Austin and Dripping Springs, to the immensely talented and experienced event vendors, the resulting party was truly epic!
Before you choose a venue for your corporate or personal event, please choose a locally owned venue! If you love Austin, Dripping Springs, and The Texas Hill Country as much as we do, support a locally owned venue. These are small business owners who treasure our community. They live here (often AT their venue!), invest in our community, and care about their employees and their clients. The experience you get when you choose a locally owned wedding or event venue is drastically different than the experience you get at a corporate owned or investor group wedding leasing company.
In every blog we write, we will include 5 locally owned wedding venues who support their colleagues and the wedding industry in essential ways. If you are searching for a venue, please consider a locally owned venue. You can find locally owned wedding venues featured on this wedding venue map.
My name is Christy Seguin. I created amazing cakes in Austin, Dripping Springs and the Texas Hill Country for over 10 years. But I recently retired from cakes and am now passionately working on my new venture–the most unique and charming event venue in Central Texas, Rose Haven Event Venue!
For Rose Haven Event Venue Information, please contact us HERE.
The Wedding Bubble Exit! A perfect solution? Most couples want and love a dramatic exit, as a big fun exclamation point to end the wedding celebration. It’s also an opportunity to get some incredible photos that you will cherish forever. But many of the popular exits can cause problems, or even harm. Many wedding venues have banned things like confetti, rice, glitter, sparklers, and other props used to create dramatic exits.
We love bubble exits at Rose Haven, especially under the lighting on our Antique Rose Veranda at night! So we counted the ways that we love wedding bubble exits and why they are a perfect solution.
1. Photogenic
Bubbles create a magical, fairy-tale-like atmosphere, adding a whimsical touch to your wedding photos. The light reflecting off the bubbles as they float in the air can produce stunning visual effects, like iridescent glowing rainbow orbs, enhancing the beauty of the pictures.
A joyous couple celebrates while engulfed in bubbles on the Antique Rose Veranda at Rose Haven Venue in Austin, Texas
2. Safe and Non-Invasive
Unlike sparklers or other types of pyrotechnics, bubbles are safe and non-invasive. There’s no risk of burns or fire hazards, especially in the dry Texas Hill Country around Austin and Dripping Springs, where we are almost always in a burn ban or warning, and it’s so windy. Many venues don’t allow sparklers for that reason. And guests handling sparklers after drinking all evening can be a recipe for disaster.
3. Environmentally Friendly
Bubbles are an eco-friendly alternative to confetti, rice, or other traditional exit options that can leave a mess or harm the environment. Most bubble solutions are biodegradable, won’t harm the surrounding area, or stain the venue surfaces.
Bubble solutions and bubble blowers are relatively inexpensive compared to other wedding exit options. This makes it a budget-friendly, affordable choice for couples looking to save money while still having a memorable exit.
5. Zero Clean Up!
Bubbles leave no residue or mess to clean up afterward, unlike confetti, glitter, or flower petals. This makes it easier for the venue staff and ensures that you won’t incur additional cleanup fees. Just make sure your guests dispose of any little bubble wands properly!
Blowing bubbles adds an interactive element, making guests feel more involved and entertained. The guests are literally creating the exit and atmosphere for you! And they are very safe for the guests to handle.
7. Versatile
Bubbles can be used in various settings, whether it’s an indoor or outdoor wedding. They work well in daylight or at night, making them a versatile option for any wedding theme or time of day. Here is an example of a daytime bubble wedding exit on the front porch of Rose Haven.
8. Child-Friendly
If you’re having a wedding that includes children, bubbles are a great way to keep the little ones entertained and excited. They’re fun for them to play in and what kid (And big ‘kids’ too!) doesn’t love to blow bubbles? In our most recent bubble exit at Rose Haven, the kids were all laughing and jumping in front of the bubble machine before the couple came out for their exit.
A young wedding guest is loving the bubbles for this wedding exit at Austin Texas Wedding Venue, Rose Haven
9. Creates a Festive Atmosphere
The effervescent sight of floating bubbles adds levity and joy to the wedding exit, making the moment feel even more special and celebratory for the newlyweds and their guests.
Why Choose a Wedding Bubble Exit?
Incorporating a bubble exit into your wedding provides a beautiful, safe, and cost-effective way to create lasting memories and stunning photos as you make your grand departure.
Locally Owned Wedding Venues
Thank you so much for stopping by our blog, we hope you found this information helpful. We want to use our blog to increase awareness and support for locally owned wedding venues. Locally owned wedding venues tend to provide a higher level of expertise, service and dedication. They also have far less turnover than corporate owned or investor owned venues. As you plan your wedding we hope you will consider a locally owned wedding venue like ours. You can find locally owned wedding venues on this wedding venue map. Below is a shout out to fellow locally owned wedding venues around the country!
I created amazing cakes in Austin, Dripping Springs and the Texas Hill Country for over 10 years. But I recently retired from cakes and am now passionately working on my new venture–the most unique and charming event venue in Central Texas, Rose Haven Event Venue!
For Rose Haven Event Venue Information, please contact us HERE.
Are you planning a wedding and trying to stick to a budget? The honeymoon is an important part of your wedding planning, too! In this blog post we will explore twenty-five affordable honeymoon destinations in Texas!
Rose Haven Event Venue is an affordable wedding venue serving the Austin, Dripping Springs, and Texas Hill Country areas. We are experts when it comes to helping our clients have beautiful weddings, microweddings and elopements without breaking the bank.
While planning the wedding, don’t forget to plan your honeymoon as well! Sure, everyone wants to jet off overseas for weeks, but that big trip may not be in the budget or the plans right now. My husband and I didn’t get to take our ‘true’ honeymoon until our 19th anniversary, when we spent 9 days in Cabo San Lucas! It’s never too late! We did a little ‘mini-moon’ in South Carolina where we were living at the time.
But you don’t have to fork out a fortune for a beautiful, romantic newlywed vacation, when Texas has SO much to offer for romantic getaways! If you’re getting married here at Rose Haven, or one of our other amazing Dripping Springs venues in the Wedding Capital of Texas, you’re already smack dab in the middle of one of the most romantic honeymoon destinations of all–the Texas Hill Country! But maybe you want to explore further.
So now let’s look at the amazing array of affordable post-wedding trip experiences Texas has to offer!
Big Bend on the Colorado RiverThe incredible cypress trees on Caddo Lake in their fall glory
Scenic and Outdoor Destinations
The Hill Country: Explore wineries, breweries, and charming small towns like Dripping Springs (the ‘Gateway to the Hill Country’), Blanco, Wimberley, Johnson City, and Marble Falls. Enjoy Bluebonnet-filled scenic drives in spring and stunning views over every hill.
Big Bend National Park: Often referred to as Texas’ Gift to the Nation, Big Bend is famous for its natural resources and recreational opportunities. The park is also rich in cultural history.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Perfect for hiking and enjoying beautiful mountain views.
Palo Duro Canyon: The second-largest canyon in the U.S., great for camping, hiking, and horseback riding.
Garner State Park: Enjoy swimming in the Frio River, nightly summer dances and more in a picturesque park setting. Texas most popular park for camping overnight.
Lake Travis: Just outside of Austin, this beautiful lake is great for boating, swimming, and relaxing in the Texas Hill Country. Amazing views abound, especially from The Oasis.
Caddo Lake: One of the true natural beauties of the South. The one and only natural lake in Texas, the cypress trees that give the lake it’s signature bayou look have been estimated to be over 300 years old.
Lost Maples State Natural Area: Visit in the fall for one of the few places in Texas with stunning colorful foliage and great hiking trails.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area: Perfect for those into rock climbing, and panoramic views. A challenging hike & climb for sure!
Aerial of the U.S.S. Lexington in Corpus Christi, TXGalveston Historic district is just incredibleSouth Padre is spectacular
Beach Destinations
South Padre Island: The ‘Texas Riviera’! Enjoy beautiful beaches, water sports, beachfront dining, and a lively atmosphere.
Galveston Island: Offers historic charm with amazing homes showcasing incredible architecture, beaches, and attractions like Moody Gardens and Pleasure Pier.
Port Aransas: Relaxing beach town with excellent fishing, dolphin watching, and charming shops.
Austin has the Hill Country SunsetsDallas Skyline is just stunningHouston, Texas, Aerial Panorama.The Vibrant, Colorful, Beautiful Riverwalk in San Antonio
Big City Lights
San Antonio: The Famous River Walk is a must. Remember the Alamo! Historic missions, delicious food and vibrant culture. Check out a Spurs game at the Alamodome.
Austin: Vibrant music scene with live music everywhere, so many outdoor activities, parks, and great food.
Houston: Catch an Astros game at the ‘Juice Box’, or maybe the Texans in the fall. Diverse food scene, museums, and nearby beaches.
Dallas: Known for world-class museums, shopping, and cultural attractions. And of course the ultimate sports franchise, the Dallas Cowboys. “Jerry-World” in itself is a bucket list visit. If you love baseball, catch the defending World Series Champions, the Texas Rangers at Globe Life.
Fort Worth: Known for its Stockyards, cultural district, and western heritage.
Blue Hole in WimberleyPhoto by Christopher V Sherman of the Bluebonnet House in Marble FallsFredericksburg is magical at Christmas
Charming Towns and Cities
Fredericksburg: Nationally famous for its wineries, German heritage, restaurants, and scenic Hill Country setting. The Wine Festival in the fall is fantastic. A true Texas gem.
Wimberley: Quaint town with a thriving historical district with art galleries, boutiques, and delicious restaurants. The Blue Hole Regional Park and Jacobs Well are lengendary swimming holes nearby.
New Braunfels: Famous for tubing on the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers, and historic Gruene, especially Gruene Dance Hall. Enchanting German heritage.
Granbury: Historic downtown, lake activities, and romantic B&Bs.
Salado: Historic village with art galleries, shopping, and charming inns.
This amazing art installation in Marfa, Texas, called Giant Marfa, pays tribute to the Giant movie, starring James Dean and Liz Taylor.Terlingua really has a ghost town!
Unique and Offbeat Destinations
Terlingua: Ghost town near Big Bend, known for its quirky charm and desert beauty.
Marfa: Famous for its absolutely amazing quirky art scene, mysterious lights, and unique desert landscape.
Couples have many reasons to choose a frugal honeymoon destination close to home. Maybe it’s just not in the budget for a big trip, but you still want to steal away to enjoy your first few days of marriage together. Maybe you have other financial goals like buying a house, having a baby, investing in other assets, starting a business, paying off existing debt, or just not adding additional financial pressures.
Advantages of an affordable honeymoon
An easily-accessible honeymoon destination has a lot of advantages. You can avoid the stress and high cost of air travel, and enjoy scenic drives to your destination. Shorter travel allows for more time to explore the actual destination, and offers opportunity for some spontaneity and flexibility along the way. Local, budget-friendly destinations often provide rich cultural and natural experiences that can be more immersive and authentic compared to luxury resorts and high-end tourist traps in popular vacation areas. And you can support quaint, unique, local businesses while you’re there!
Choosing an affordable honeymoon destination in Texas doesn’t mean you have to miss out on quality or fun. With some smart planning, you and your love can enjoy a fantastic, memorable trip without going overboard.
Contact us for a venue that helps keep your honeymoon budget intact!
Here is a list of locally-owned wedding venues around the country! We are dedicated to supporting small privately-owned wedding venues, so in every blog we write we will celebrate at least 5 locally-owned wedding venues.
Let’s talk about planning the perfect rehearsal dinner that fits your style and helps make your wedding day flow smoothly. Over the last decade of creating cakes for weddings in the Texas Hill Country, Austin and Dripping Springs areas, I’ve seen thousands of weddings and been involved in many rehearsal dinners as well. As you start planning for your big day, don’t forget about the many smaller celebrations leading up to your wedding. One of the most important is the rehearsal dinner. This is where you’ll rehearse your wedding ceremony, and then celebrate with your closest family and friends before the wedding.
How to Plan Your Perfect Rehearsal
The first step in planning a rehearsal dinner is to determine the guest list. Typically, the guest list includes immediate family members, wedding party members, close friends, and out-of-town guests. Will it be a small, intimate affair, or do you have a lot of out of town guests you’d like to include? Make sure to send out invitations well in advance to give guests enough time to RSVP. Cute themed invitations help make the occasion even more special and exciting for your guests!
Traditionally, the rehearsal is a walk-through of the ceremony at the actual ceremony site so that all members of the families and wedding party will know their roles in the wedding ceremony and work out any last-minute adjustments to help make the actual ceremony flow flawlessly. Some wedding venues even include rehearsal time in their packages.
In the recent past, it has become more difficult to have the rehearsal at the wedding venue, as many venues are booked for another wedding or event the day before the wedding. In that case, the practice may be done at another location that has enough space to mimic the actual ceremony site. The actual rehearsal can even be on a different day to have access to the wedding venue, and the dinner held the night before the wedding at another venue.
Next, choose your venue for your rehearsal dinner.
First, you’ll want to decide the ‘vibe’ you want for your rehearsal dinner. Do you want it to complement or maybe contrast with the theme of the wedding? Choose a venue that works with the ambiance you want, or one that is so versatile it can be anything you’d like with simple décor accents.
In Austin, Dripping Springs, and the Hill Country, there’s an abundance of fun and funky restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries that are popular rehearsal dinner choices. The drawback to many of these venues is they are not private, which can make them crowded, noisy, and cause difficulty finding parking. Downtown Austin venues often have no parking at all. Also many of them are not climate-controlled, and with the Texas weather being so unpredictable–and often very uncomfortable with the typical heat and strong winds for most of the year–as well as sudden thunderstorms which can even bring lightning, hail and tornadoes. Carefully considering a weather plan is mandatory!
A true private, climate-controlled, affordable rehearsal dinner venue with free, adequate parking, is rare in the Austin, Dripping Springs and Hill Country areas. That’s one major reason I wanted to design a venue that was perfect for the rehearsal dinners, showers, and other events leading up to weddings that eliminated the drawbacks associated with the public venues. I saw so many of my former wedding cake clients and favorite wedding planners struggling to find affordable, versatile, well-designed venues for the smaller events. Thus the idea for Rose Haven was born, and it took me over three years to find the perfect venue for these types of events.
Choose Your Cuisine
Most couples want the cuisine at the rehearsal dinner to be different from the menu of the wedding, to allow the wedding catering to shine on its own with no redundancy.
Is your wedding going to be a fancy plated dinner? Maybe you want to have a true Texas Barbecue in contrast. Or are you going with traditional barbecue at the wedding? Maybe consider Italian, Mediterranean, or Asian cuisine for the rehearsal dinner. Is the budget tight and you’re looking for an affordable option? Some of the most cost-effective catering options are fajita bars, pasta bars, pizza, and spaghetti.
Consider a theme and match the cuisine to it: Having a fiesta? Tacos would be perfect. Hawaiian luau? Make it a tropical treat! Nautical theme? Seafood is the natural catch. Mardi Gras? Cajun would be perfect, I GAR-ON-TEE! Love to Travel? Around the world samplings of ethnic cuisines Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? Omelet stations, French toast, waffles…… Bridgerton? Let’s have afternoon tea, or a feast fit for a king! Lord of the Rings? “Meat’s back on the menu, boys!” (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Will your venue allow family to bring in their own food? At Rose Haven, one of our couples’ theme for their rehearsal dinner is ‘Family Recipes’. They are asking each guest to bring a homemade dish of their favorite recipe and to gift a written recipe of that dish to the couple, who will compile a cookbook of family recipes for them to cherish forever. I LOVE that idea!
Many restaurant locations have mandatory food and beverage minimums, and lock you in to one type of cuisine. That’s great if it’s your favorite restaurant anyway! But if your favorite restaurant doesn’t have an ideal space, another alternative is to have them cater the meal at another venue that has an open vendor policy for catering, like Rose Haven does. This can be more affordable than dining at the actual restaurant as well. Look for a private venue that will allow you to cater in any cuisine you would like. Don’t forget to consider any dietary restrictions or preferences when selecting the menu for the evening!
A big consideration is the beverage package. Bar tabs can add up quickly, and minimums are commonplace at most venues. Many couples are looking for venues where they can BYOB to help control costs, and that can be very difficult to find. Also, please be considerate of your guests that avoid alcohol (as well as any underage guests). Offer ‘mocktails’ or other popular non-alcoholic selections so that they have plenty of choices as well. Water and iced tea are a must! Rose Haven allows BYOB and also has an in house bartending partner, Peak Beverage, who provides outstanding service at very reasonable pricing, and awesome mocktails too.
Next, plan the details of the rehearsal dinner.
When it comes to decorations and ambiance, how do you want it to feel and look? You can use floral arrangements, candles, string lights, or personalized signage to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Balloon sculptures are wildly popular and create big impact at cost-effective pricing. Consider incorporating elements from your wedding theme into the decor to tie everything together seamlessly and save money by repurposing decor.
Entertainment is also an important aspect of planning your perfect rehearsal dinner. This is the time to have some fun, as the rehearsal dinner is meant to be relaxed and enjoyable for everyone involved. You can hire live musicians or DJs for energy and engagement, or curate your own playlist for the perfect background music.
There will likely be lots of toasts and speeches, so be sure you have an adequate sound system and microphone so everyone hears and enjoys every word. Consider the acoustics of your venue and the ambient noise you may have to overcome if in a public venue. Rose Haven was formerly a historical Texas dancehall that featured many types of bands and performers, so we have an acoustical ceiling that enhances both speeches and the music!
Cornhole on the Antique Rose Veranda following a delicious rehearsal dinner. The Best Man custom made the cornhole boards for the couple as a gift, with his own hands! How thoughtful and impressive!
Ideas for an Epic Rehearsal Dinner
Definitely plan some fun activities like games or photo booths to keep guests engaged throughout the evening. Think outside the box, like maybe having a karaoke night after dinner, arcade games, a cornhole tournament, bouncy house for the kids (and big kids), lawn games, trivia and more! Make sure your venue has enough space and privacy to accommodate your ideas. Choosing a venue with both climate-controlled and outside spaces makes it much easier to plan epic activities.
A slideshow of the couple and their friends and family is always a big hit, and can be playing on a continuous loop during dinner. This brings many smiles, laughter, and memories. And it’s a great way to honor those who are no longer with you. Check to see if the venue has available TVs or screens you can access.
Another idea is to have a fun, themed, Food-Network-worthy cake at the rehearsal dinner instead of the wedding. You’re paying for some kind of dessert anyway, so that budget could be reallocated to an ‘impact’ cake that also doubles as a décor centerpiece, plus it frees up some of the wedding day budget. ALL of your guests watch and enjoy the cake TV shows, so it’s often the biggest hit of an event that guests talk about for years to come!
One of our recent rehearsal dinners used a wild, lit-up limousine service from Limos On Demand for the bride, groom, and wedding party to go out after the dinner for more time on the town! It was so crazy cool and different!
RELAX and have fun!
Rehearsal dinners are a great opportunity to have a blast and work out some of those pre-wedding jitters. Planning the perfect rehearsal dinner doesn’t have to add more stress to your wedding planning. If you have a wedding planner, they will help you plan the rehearsal dinner as well. Look to your venue for help in planning. Lean on their preferred vendor lists and trust their expertise. Your vendors want you to be ecstatically happy with their services, and to help you create memories to last a lifetime!
Here is a list of locally owned wedding venues around the country! We are dedicated to supporting small owned wedding venues, so in every blog we write we will celebrate at least 5 locally owned wedding venues.
I created amazing cakes in Austin, Dripping Springs and the Texas Hill Country for over 10 years. But I recently retired from cakes and am now passionately working on my new venture–the most unique and charming event venue in Central Texas, Rose Haven Event Venue!
For Rose Haven Event Venue Information, please contact us HERE.
