Gabby and Steven got married at Avalon Legacy Ranch in November- Here are her thoughts and advice about wedding day!

How did your spouse propose?
He took me to a nice restaurant with my family and the desert said will you marry me? The waitress put it in front of me and then I looked and he was on one knee.

What was your first date?
He took me to a Restaurant in McKinney named “CORAZÓN” where they had hand made tortillas and the restaurant was a house which number is the same as the house where I grew up in Mexico it’s still my mom’s house.

What factors led you to choose Avalon Legacy Ranch as your venue?

I visit it before helping my cousin who was starting a business as a wedding vendor, and I fell in love with it because it felt like a hidden forest getaway, a place that made me feel in a fairytale something out of Snow White / Beauty and the Beast.

I always dreamed of marrying surrounded by nature and the woods is my favorite place to be.

What were your favorite memories from your wedding?
My now husband saying his vows in Spanish.
Looking at my family being happy and dancing.
Definitely being there and looking at how beautiful the place is I couldn’t stop looking at every corner of the cabin, the porch, everything.

What advice would you give to couples planning their wedding?

Definitely choose what makes you happy, and comfortable, stress about the wedding before the wedding but that day let go and enjoy every second because it goes by fast!

Any other details, pointers and special moments you would like to share?

Take as many pictures as you can and get a videographer I think that was my only regret. I honestly enjoyed so much I would do it all over again if I could.

Gabby’s Google review of her wedding day: 

“Getting married in Avalon Legacy Ranch was a dream come true, I fell in love with the place before I fell in love with my now husband and when it was that time to choose a venue it was clear to me. My fairytale wedding could only happen there. Now, actually making it happen, was a whole new experience the love and care Debi, Heather and Alee put into giving you the best day of your life is beyond any expectations I am so grateful for everything they did to give us the most beautiful day of our lives, and our guests keep talking about how perfect the place was ! It’s something I’ll carry with me forever!”

Here is a unique glimpse into the perspective of an Avalon Legacy Ranch bride and also a wedding vendor! Emily is a florist and also one of our past brides- here is a look into her wedding day at our venue!

How did your spouse propose?

One day in December of 2014, I was invited to my friend’s surprise birthday party at the zoo in Denver, CO where I lived at the time. When I arrived, I didn’t see anyone I knew. All of the sudden, my boyfriend, who lived in Salt Lake City at the time, walks up to me and surprises me! We had a tradition of seeing the Christmas lights at the zoo every year, so we walked around and looked at all the beautiful displays. Then he drove me to Evergreen Lake House, another tradition of ours. He proposed on the back porch overlooking the frozen lake. Eventually my roommates emerged from the bushes after snapping a few photos and congratulated us. It was perfect and perfectly “us”. 

What factors led you to choose Avalon Legacy Ranch as your venue?

Avalon Legacy was the first and only venue we toured. As soon as we walked in, we knew it had everything we wanted. Perfect vibes, and the beautiful ceremony space with the chandelier and the wooden church pews sold me. The natural beauty of the space was everything I wanted, and minimal decor was needed. Most of our guests were traveling from out of town, so the location close to accommodations was important. And the staff were so helpful and welcoming. Our vendors enjoyed working there, too!

What were your favorite memories from your wedding?

We realized when we did the rehearsal the day before, that if we moved our ceremony back by 30 minutes, the sun will have gone down behind the trees in the ceremony space, making it much more comfortable outside, so that’s what we did. On the day of the wedding, since I had a few extra minutes after I finished getting dressed, I stood on the Juliet balcony in the bridal suite and looked out at all of my guests. We had friends and family from 14 different states and all parts of our journey before and after we met each other. It was so special to see all of the people we loved in one space together. 

The day was so relaxed and stress free that after I had my hair and makeup done, I took a nap in the bed in the bridal suite! It was so comfortable and rejuvenating. The day was perfect and everything I could have asked for. 

What advice would you give to couples planning their wedding? What additional advice would you give as a wedding vendor?

Choose the four things that are most important to you as a couple, and focus your energy (and budget) on those things. We chose the venue, the food, my dress and the photography. Deciding this ahead of time helps you to prioritize and not get caught up in the details that won’t matter in the long run. 

You will encounter lots of opinions from people about everything regarding your wedding. Just remember that everyone wants the day to be perfect for you, they just might have a different idea of what “perfect” is. Stay true to your vision. It’s your day!

As a vendor: You have hired your vendors because you believe in their expertise and their desire to help bring your dream wedding to life. Take their advice when applicable, and let them do what they do best! Trust the process. And detailed timelines are always appreciated! 

Any other details, pointers and special moments you would like to share?  

Just remember: no matter what happens, at the end of the day you’re married and that’s all that matters. Focus on your fiancé and enjoying time with your friends and loved ones who have come to celebrate you and your journey.  And have fun!

In a time where things are uncertain and we’re all doing our best to figure things out together- we’ve been thankful to have words of encouragement to share with couples who are still madly in love and still very much want to get married.

Here are a couple of informative blog posts we’ve been reading lately. We hope that you enjoy reading them as much as we have!

https://seedsofwhitezinniahome.wpcomstaging.com/2020/07/17/a-friendly-psa-from-a-tired-2020-bride/

A Friendly PSA From A Tired 2020 Wedding Industry Professional

Money & finances.

Two words that that honestly make me cringe. Before taking a big, giant leap into the wild world of weddings- I worked in banking for most of my adult life. Funding, financing, backing and budgets were all part of my daily norm. When talking about wedding spending, we all collectively tense up. Money isn’t an easy topic to discuss. It is also significantly less fun than literally everything else wedding related. However, it’s something that current and future couples need to talk about.

We have recently partnered with a Credit Union to help couples with wedding day expenses. Advancial has been around for over 80 years. They’ve recently started working with families and couples for wedding specific financing. They provide financing for as little or as much of your wedding as you need. Some couples opt to only finance the venue, but others may choose to finance their venue, catering and the honeymoon! Their first year interest free financing is a great way to give a little bit more breathing room and flexibility when booking the vendors for your dream day. AND! The interest doesn’t accrue the first year either. What a win!

Couples and families all choose differently how they’d prefer to cover the cost of wedding day. Having a safe option for financing is a great way to alleviate any financial strain for wedding day.

You can learn more and see if you apply for financing here!

Vendors-

Photography: Apryl Ann Photography
Coordination: Each & Every Detail
Florals: Bows and Arrows
Catering: Wendy Krispin
Cake: Layered Bake Shop

Katy and Brain were married November 16th, 2019 at Avalon Legacy Ranch. We asked them to share a few thoughts about their wedding with future brides and grooms planning their biggest and best day!

How did you find Avalon Legacy Ranch and how did you know we were the right venue for your wedding day?

Katy: I think I found y’all through The Knot app and then reached out to you after looking at your website. In our eyes, everything was perfect for what we envisioned our wedding to be. Inside and outside areas for our guests, beautiful property with an outside ceremony area, and I fell in love with the bridal suite. 😍 You and your family were also very knowledgeable and helpful from the very beginning.

Brian: “because the bride said so.” (we can’t agree more!)

How did you both choose who was part of your wedding party?

My bridesmaids are all like sisters to me. I knew my actual sister, Mallory, would be my maid of honor, and she rocked it…even if she did kick the bouquet instead of catching it. Emily is my cousin and was my matron of honor. She’s been cheering me and Brian on since day 1. Ashlee has been my best friend since middle school, and I knew there was no way I’d get married without her being by my side. She also painted the awesome portraits of our dogs! Dylan and I became close in high school when we were both in color guard. She lives in Portland and was there when Brian popped the big question! 

Brian picked his groomsmen because they’re his four closest friends from college to post-college life. They’ve always been there for him, so he wanted them there on the biggest day of his life so far.

What special little touches were you planning for your wedding and reception?

The paintings are seriously one of my favorite things! I knew I wanted our boys incorporated into the wedding, and these were perfect. Ashlee’s Instagram profile for her art is @lookslikeawinner.

I also thought the wood flowers turned out amazing! I bought those on Etsy from a shop called HeyBouquet.

I loved our sendoff at the end of the night. The light up leis and our Happily Maui’d sign were a great connection to our Hawaiian honeymoon.

Toasts & toast! 

What advice do you have for future couples?

For booking vendors, do your research and read as many reviews as you can. Start with what’s most important to you. For us, that was venue, photography, and catering. Hire a coordinator! I cannot recommend that enough. Having (Alee) as our month-of coordinator helped ease so much of my stress and helped immensely the day of the wedding. 

The wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye! Enjoy getting ready with your wedding party. Be in the moment during your ceremony and try not to let nerves get in the way. Find some time where you can be alone with your new spouse. You will be pulled in all kinds of directions that day, so it’s nice to have some time where it’s just the two of you.

Getting glammed up with all my girls and my mom and mother in law was so fun! With the bridal suite being upstairs, I was able to peek out the window to see the guests arriving. My favorite moment at the ceremony was when my dad handed me over to Brian. We didn’t know Marty would give us choreography, so we were all a little nervous about it. Haha! Dancing with all of our friends and family at our reception was the best! Andrew from Everlasting Sounds DFW did an awesome job as our DJ! 

A very special thanks to the wonderful team that made Katy and Brian’s wedding day absolutely everything they dreamed about!

MUAH: Krista Ann + Salon Lapage
Photography: Brandi + Ashelle Photography
DJ & Lighting: Andrew + Everlasting Sounds DFW
Officiant: Marty + LoveNotes
Catering: Abuelos
Bar + Beverage: HD Liquid Catering
Cake: Adoughable Creations

Alexis and Evan got married this fall at Avalon Legacy Ranch. Alexis is a bride that loves nature and all living things- we instantly knew that this was the venue for her! Alexis and Evan decided early on that the Venue and a good planner were priorities. We were thrilled to work with Betsy Clark to help them have their dream day!

My favorite part before the ceremony was when I had all my bridesmaids and the MOB/MOG all upstairs in the bridal suite. It’s hard to get everyone together in one place. On that day they were all there and the love in that room was so tangible.

This Saturday morning we’re hosting an intimate Open House from 9:00a-12:00p. Come out and see why Avalon Legacy Ranch is the perfect venue for your dream wedding! We’ll be serving mimosas and yummy light bites from a few of our favorite vendors.

What is an Open House?
-It’s a great chance to tour the venue at your own pace, see multiple decor and set up options! It’s also a fabulous time to meet vendors who are familiar with the space- inside and out! Open Houses are more of a stroll though experience, rather than a guided tour.

How much does it cost to attend the Open House?
-Absolutely Nothing! It’s totally free! Come enjoy some bubbly and enjoy the gardens at no cost.

How long should I plan to be there?
-Attendants tend to stay around an hour! You’ll want to be sure to enjoy all the yummy bites and meet all the vendors! You may even end up dancing a bit!

How do I RSVP?
-You can either RSVP by commenting directly to this blog or you can check our facebook page for the Mimosas & More event!

See you soon!

At Avalon Legacy Ranch we strongly believe in using our resources to help those who cannot help themselves.   Our strongest area of giving is to orphanages and schools for children who would otherwise be left uneducated.  We forget in America that free public education really is a gift. One of the many groups we support is My Father’s House Ministries.  Avalon Legacy Ranch has been a supporter of “My Father’s House” ministry for the past 3 years with over $100,000 in support raised.

My Father’s House ministers to the Tabacal Community in Guatemala.    The ministry was started when Carlos and Heidi Fernandez realized many of the youth only attended school through 6^thgrade and then they went out to the city or far away from their families to work, enduring 10 plus hour days and getting paid close to nothing.  They also discovered girls were getting pregnant and marrying at a young age with no real means of financial support.  Carlos and Heidi felt like God put it on their heart to open a middle school and high school program in the village.

In Uganda we have sponsored the education of over 40 orphans of the AIDS epidemic.  We have also provided finances to dig wells for drinking water as well as build and roof their recent high school.  Last year we supported the education of 16 students in India.

When you get married at Avalon Legacy Ranch you are not only living out your dream, but you are also helping children who have no resources afford to have a dream.  We are very thankful to each of you who are catalysts for these gifts and for the opportunity to be a part of the global community!