We were married at Hudson Bend Ranch and it was the perfect place for us. We wanted an elegant but rustic vibe and that is exactly what we got.
Steven was a very helpful and flexible host. When we found the place on Airbnb we contacted him and he was happy to let us come check it out before commiting to anything. As soon as we saw it in person, we were sure it was the place for our wedding.
Communication was easy and frequent over the 6 months between first finding it and the day of the wedding.
We hosted a casino night welcome party the evening before the wedding. The original plans were to hold the welcome party oustide in the beautiful courtyard, but the possibility of rain drove us inside for the night. This was no problem at all. The house was plenty large to accommodate our 50 guests and the layout provided a less noisy side of the house for those to gather who were not playing games but wanted to visit and catch up.
We held our ceremony at 6:30 pm under the wooden pergola. Because the sun sets behind the trees and house, it was not too bright or hot and the lighting was great. While our guests enjoyed cocktails and hor d'oeuvres, we, our families, and wedding party spent a little time taking photos in the courtyard and in the open fields of wildflowers bordered by a rustic wooden fence.
The reception was outside on the lawn as the sun began to set. Steven and his guys had put up a tent for our reception the day before (again, the possibility of rain was looming), and it easily accommodated our 60 guests. We have since decided that the tent actually provided a glow from the lights that we would not have had with the open setting we had originally planned.
Because the Casadecas house is so large, our entire wedding party was able to stay in it for the weekend while we stayed in the Sunrise Casita. This was important for us and super convenient as we were all coming from cities outside of Austin. For us, the Casita provided the perfect mix of privacy and proximity to be close to the wedding party but to allow us to enjoy the entire weekend together in our own private house.
We chose to do our own flowers (try finding a florist for a wedding the day before Mother's Day) and were able to have our flowers, as well as other last minute purchases, shipped to the property without issue.
Steven also was able to rent us white chairs for the ceremony which he and his guys set up.
It can be scary choosing any wedding vendor online whether it is the florist, the caterer or the venue. We read reviews, looked at photos, and asked a lot of questions. By far, the most helpful was reading reviews and you should take from this review that if you have an outdoor wedding in mind, this venue is a great one. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard is perfect for photos, ceremony, or reception depending on how many guests you have. The only thing that concerned us was whether or not there would be adequate parking and there was.
Our rental company was able to drop off furniture the day before and store it I the carport. The caterer was able to set up their grill in the carport as well as take advantage of the beautiful kitchen.
While this venue may not have been originally built to be a wedding venue, Steven has done an excellent job making it one. He has turned the grounds into an amazingly lush property filled with native plants that thrive naturally in Austin. There are fields of wildflowers that change over the spring and summer weeks. There was jasmine blooming in several areas providing a nice scent as you or your guests walk by. He had no problem with us replacing some hanging baskets for the weekend with some that were more in line with what we had in mind for the ceremony.
Steven was able to provide all the electricity and internet connectivity we needed to power lights, a PA system, and music. He was even generous enough to let us borrow some rustic outdoor furniture he already had.
I almost forgot one of the best parts. The place is pet-friendly! This was also important for us as our plans were always to include our old hound dog, Emmie, in the ceremony. She spent most of the weekend going in and out of both houses and watching the commotion from a comfortable spot in the grass.
All in all, we could not be happier with our choice to be married at Hudson Bend Ranch. We highly recommend it and will probably be back for our first anniversary.