Amy Gonzales and Wesley Nicholes Rustic Bohemian Austin Wedding Captured by Ashley Bosnick Photography

Amy Gonzales and Wesley Nicholes Rustic Bohemian Austin Wedding Captured by Ashley Bosnick Photography

Red roses popped against the lush greenery and clear blue sky. A whisper of Texas flair weaved throughout the venue right down to the bride’s cowgirl boots. The greenhouse was elegant and naturally beautiful with magnificent green trees and cacti. Loved ones had gathered with smiling faces eager to see two people so in love say “I Do.” Nestled in the heart of Hill Country, it was a rustic soiree that had been four years in the making.

Amy and Wes met in September 2012. He sat in her section at the restaurant where she worked, although it wasn’t the smoothest start! Her manager told her he’d been waiting for a while to get a drink. “Once I noticed how gorgeous he was, I immediately told my coworker to greet him so he didn’t think it was my fault he had been forgotten,” Amy remembers. It didn’t faze Wes. He left her a generous tip and returned a few weeks later when she was bartending. The bar wasn’t busy, and they talked for hours. It turned out, they had a few mutual friends. When he left, Amy was a little disappointed that he just said “goodbye” without asking for her number. But when she looked down at his receipt, she couldn’t help but smile. He left his number on it. Wes later told her he was embarrassed about the way he did it, but he was too nervous she’d turn him down! They went on their first date soon after in North Austin and instantly clicked over brunch. They also shared a love of country western dancing, so the two often hit the dance halls like Maverick’s. “After we began dating, not even a month into it, I told my parents I just knew he was the one,” Amy says.

The couple dated about three years prior to their engagement. At the end of 2015, Wes bought the diamond ring they’d looked at almost a year before, and it burned a hole in his pocket as he thought of the perfect way to propose to Amy. They decided to go on a trip with her parents to Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas over New Year’s. January 1st was a Saturday, and the couple remembers it being very cold. Wes, Amy, and her dad bundled up to take a six-mile hike. By the time they made it to the end of the hike, they started taking pictures. It was beautiful. Wes set up his Go Pro to capture the scene. Then he asked Amy’s dad if he could take one last picture. That’s when Wes told Amy he had something he wanted to ask her. “I immediately covered my face and started crying like a baby,” Amy remembers. Wes asked her to pull down her scarf so he could see her face. With a big smile, he pulled out the sparkling ring and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. Amy responded with a tearful and excited “yes!” “It was a good day,” Wes says. Later Amy’s mother got to join in the fun reliving the proposal as they looked through the photos Amy’s dad had taken of the big moment.

One of the most important things for the couple in planning the wedding was the venue. They wanted a rustic look with lots of natural beauty. Their house is filled with plants, and they wanted the same for their wedding. When they did a walk-through at The Greenhouse at Driftwood, they knew it was the perfect venue for them. “It was absolutely to die for,” Amy remembers. The music was also important to the couple. They quickly booked Texas Professional DJ. Amy also knew she needed some guidance to make sure they big day flowed smoothly. “I think I’m a very organized person, but I thought it was really important to have a day of planner,” she says. The couple hired Highland Avenue Events, which gave them some peace of mind so they could just enjoy their day.

At 5 pm on October 15, 2016, 200 friends and family members gathered to witness the marriage of Amy Gonzales and Wesley Nicholes. The weather was perfect, and the bride and groom had settled their nerves with a first look. The bridesmaids wore floor-length lilac gowns, and the groomsmen wore heather gray suits with red rose boutonnieres. The groom wore a more formal version with a vest. Escorted down the aisle by her father, the bride wore an ivory sweetheart strapless fit and flair gown with lace tulle overlay by Stella York. Amy skipped the traditional wedding march music and walked out to “Holy” by Florida Georgia Line. The ceremony was relatively short and sweet. The couple exchanged traditional vows before the officiant pronounced them husband and wife.

For a couple of Texans who love country music, the reception was all about dancing. Amy and Wes shared their first dance to “Till My Last Day” by Justin Moore. Amy and her father danced to “Keeper of the Stars” by Tracy Byrd, and Wes and his mother danced to “Have You Seen an Angel” by Randy Travis. Family was also a theme of the reception. The couple was touched by the speeches from their relatives, especially Wes’s grandfather’s speech about the value of family. His grandparents also made all the toffee bark candy guests took home as favors.

The band kept everyone on the dance floor after a delicious dinner and decadent desserts like the bride’s strawberry cheesecake and the groom’s red velvet cake baked in the shape of a Yeti cooler! Amy and Wes wanted to wrap up the celebration doing what they love most. They took the dance floor for a last dance to “I Knew” by Jared Wade. With lyrics like “coming down the aisle in your wedding gown,” and sweet words about knowing when the person is “the one,” it was the perfect way to end the night. Through a sea of sparklers and loved ones wishing them goodnight, the newlyweds shared one more kiss, writing the first page of their new life together under the Texas stars.

FEATURED VENDORS
cake / SWEET TREETS BAKERY
decor/rentals / WHIM HOSPITALITY
photography / ASHLEY BOSNICK PHOTOGRAPHY
venue / THE GREENHOUSE AT DRIFTWOOD

other local vendors: Belle Saison Bridal • Bliss Candy Company • Catering by Mopsie • Texas Professional DJ • Shop Succulents • Heart & Home Flowers • Sonar Beauty • The Gypsy Tailgate • Spinning Leaf Films • Highland Avenue Planning & Events