Romance and Refinement at the Commodore Perry Estate

The Commodore Perry Estate in Austin, Texas was the perfect place for Caitlin and Brett to celebrate their wedding weekend with their loved ones. The Rehearsal Dinner was held in the Mansion Dining Room. “All the events over the course of our wedding weekend took place on the property, and we actually utilized every single space they had, making sure each event had a totally different look and feel. The intimate and gorgeous dining room was the perfect setting to kick off our weekend in style!”

Caitlin drew inspiration from the Commodore property’s rich history and stunning design for her wedding . “Something I kept coming back to was wanting to feel as if this was a dinner party that could have been thrown by the Commodore Perry and his wife Lutie when they owned the property, as they were apparently quite the notable entertainers. I also drew a lot of inspiration for the color palate of the deep plums, amethysts, and lilacs with black and gold accents from the décor of the Mansion Dining Room, really playing into the deep, moody tones already present.” Amethyst was a recurring design element that was used in the decor and held significant meaning to Caitlin. “It was my grandmother’s birthstone and a favorite of hers, as her birthday was actually the day of our Rehearsal Dinner 2/18, so it felt like a perfect way to have her there with us in spirit.” Todd Events executed all of Caitlin’s ideas to perfection. “The incredible team at Todd Events did the Rehearsal Dinner, Welcome Party, the entire wedding day, and the farewell brunch!” They nailed Caitlin’s vision of an elegant, moody and intimate dinner that contrasted the garden aesthetic and neutrals  of  her wedding day wedding. “With the dinner beginning right after the rehearsal at dusk, the rich tones of the seasonal flowers used to accompany the lilac velvet table linens, amethyst goblets, and gold rimmed dinnerware were lit by an abundance of candles on every table, and the entire room had an incredible warmth and glow to it.”

After a ceremony rehearsal, friends and family gathered in the dining room for an intimate thirty person dinner. As an appetizer, each guest received an individual charcuterie board, which was unsurprisingly a hit! I’m making a mental note for the next dinner party I host. Besides the rave worthy food, Caitlin’s favorite part of the dinner were the speeches. “It just felt so personal and intimate with only family and closest friends/bridal party in attendance.”

For the dinner, Caitlin wore a custom top and pant set designed by Nardos. “It was a two-piece ivory crepe pant ensemble with a strapless top featuring a fan-like arrangement of soft folds forming the top with a flowing continuation of exaggerated folds on the right side of the pants leading to the floor. It was truly the result of collaboration with the incredible team of creative geniuses at Nardos. I came to them with a vision for an outfit, I had some inspiration pictures and a few key elements in mind. I wanted something modern, unique and high fashion with a bit of an architectural, editorial element to it. I also knew I wanted it to be entirely different from any of my other looks throughout the weekend and to really stand on its own. Finally, I knew I wanted it to incorporate pants of some sort to show off the pearl Jimmy Choo heels I fell in love with on an earlier shopping trip with my mom.” The pearl details on her shoes perfectly complemented Caitlin’s hairstyle. She wore tiny pearls that were woven into her high ponytail. It truly is all in the details!

Following dinner, Caitlin and Brett invited all guests to a welcome party on the lawn of the grounds. Outside, couches and ottomans were set up atop of cow hide rugs. Many aspects of the decor were made of wood, which contributed to a rustic, southern charm aesthetic. Caitlin’s and Brett’s signature ranch water was served for guests to enjoy. When Caitlin and Brett moved to Michigan, they introduced all of their friends to the Texas staple drink. Many of their guests had never been to Austin, so they incorporated a variety of elements rooted in the area. Caitlin created an amenity bag shopping experience with a selection of some of their favorite things for guests to take home and remember the weekend. Caitlin and Brett’s dog, Chandler, was present in more ways than one— in person, and in much of the decor, including the Ranch Water bar and amenity store that were named after him.

“The party was such a perfect way to get to see everyone before the big day, set the tone for the weekend, and welcome and thank everyone for taking the time and effort to come to Austin to celebrate with us!”