Anna Cate Peeples and Jeremy Berman aren’t the type of couple to do things the predictable or simple way — and their lavish Austin, Texas, wedding is the gorgeous proof of that.
Anna Cate and Jeremy grew up in the Mountain Brook area of Birmingham and attended high school together, though they didn’t start dating until the week before graduation. They then went their separate ways for college — she to Auburn University and he to The University of Texas — and continued their romance with phone dates and weekend trips across the long 850 miles between them. They had fallen in love, with each other and Austin, and Anna Cate soon found herself stealing away for visits to the vibrant city whenever she could.
By their sophomore year of college, Anna Cate and Jeremy knew marriage would be in their future. Still, it would take years for those plans to materialize.
“I just wanted to be surprised,” Anna Cate says about her hopes for Jeremy’s proposal. “I told him, ‘I don’t want to know it’s coming. I don’t want to be in a white dress when we go to dinner at Bottega.’” Jeremy kept Anna Cate’s wishes in mind and initially planned to propose in Nashville at a Johnnyswim and Needtobreathe concert. But while visiting Birmingham before returning to work in Texas in August 2018, he realized that he couldn’t wait another few weeks to ask her.
On a Thursday evening, Anna Cate came home from work in a bit of a lackluster mood and opened her door to find Jeremy there, surrounded by candles and holding a bottle of Italian champagne that he had given Anna Cate for her 21st birthday. They’d been saving it for a special occasion. “As soon I walked up I was thinking that this must be a really fancy birthday plan,” says Anna Cate. “And then he stands up, and he’s making a speech, and he gets on one knee and it all crashes down around me. I’m bawling. I don’t even say yes, and I can’t see the ring for a solid three minutes.”
Of course, once Anna Cate’s eyes cleared and she found her voice again, the answer was a resounding yes.
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Since both the bride and the groom are from Birmingham, a local wedding would have been the obvious choice. But, remember, Anna Cate and Jeremy tend to do things a little differently. “In a way, my college experience was going to Austin on the weekends, and we made so many fun memories going to hear live music and eating the best meals,” says Anna Cate. “Some of our favorite memories are there, and we wanted to share that with our guests.”
Anna Cate envisioned a day with an intimate guest list and a weekend that would allow their loved ones to truly get away and enjoy their time in Austin. She also had plans for a gorgeous outdoor ceremony and, afterward, a long, luxurious, family-style feast to celebrate. The couple wasted no time putting those plans in motion and went straight to Neillie Butler at Mariée Ami in the days after the proposal. By the weekend following their engagement, they had nailed down their date and venue, and Anna Cate had two wedding dress appointments booked.
The Four Seasons Austin proved to be the most lovely setting for Anna Cate and Jeremy’s January wedding. A stunning view of live oaks sprawling over the nearby Lady Bird Lake provided the picturesque ceremony backdrop Anna Cate had imagined, and the hotel’s exquisite catering team brought to life the indulgent, three-course meal the bride and groom had in mind for their guests. “I have always imagined my wedding to have a wedding feast,” says Anna Cate. “I wanted a really long, lovely dinner where we sat down and sat across the table from each other and just enjoyed a wonderful meal together.”
Anna Cate and Jeremy drew inspiration from the city itself for their color palette: Modern and moody with shades of midnight blue, blush and dusty rose. Anna Cate found her dream dress at Ivory & White and chose a stunning, chic, off-the-shoulder gown by Lela Rose. And they opted to keep things simple with only a four-person bridal party, instead deciding to spend time together on their wedding day and allow plenty of time for their friends and guests to enjoy Austin.
Anna Cate’s wedding day timeline looked a little different than most. She awoke the morning of the wedding and enjoyed a relaxing yoga class alongside her closest friends. She later slipped into her wedding dress and headed out under the live oaks to see her groom for their first look — and they stayed together the rest of the day, soaking up the magic of their impending wedding until the moment the ceremony began.
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With the sun low in the clear, Austin sky on January 16, 2019, nearly 200 guests gathered on the lawn at The Four Seasons Austin. Anna Cate made her way down the aisle toward a Jewish chuppah draped in gauzy white fabric and completely covered in blooms. There, she and Jeremy exchanged vows, received the Seven Blessings of a Jewish marriage ceremony and took communion. The air had been still during the entire ceremony, but when Anna Cate and Jeremy went to take the elements of communion, a wind kicked up, stirring her veil and the skirt of her gown. It was a surreal moment that felt holy to this sweet bride, and it was one she’ll never forget. After Jeremy stepped on the glass to end the ceremony, the bride and groom recessed up the aisle as husband and wife.
The celebration that followed was absolutely enchanting. The ballroom of The Four Seasons Austin was transformed with long tables lined with branches in tall vases to mimic the look of looming trees overhead. Votives hung above the tables and sparkled in the air as guests settled into their seats to enjoy a luxurious three-course meal. When they’d eaten all they could and danced till they dropped, the new Mr. and Mrs. exited their beautiful reception under the twinkling lights of sparklers.
The new Bermans honeymooned in sunny California, spending a few days in Half Moon Bay and a few days in Napa, before settling into their new home in San Antonio, Texas.
Thank you so much for giving us a glance at your wedding day, Anna Cate and Jeremy! Cheers to a lifetime of happiness!
Resources:
Photography: Eric Kelley
Wedding planner: Mariée Ami
Wedding dress: Lela Rose from Ivory & White
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Bella Bridemaids
Cake: Polkadots Bakery
Flowers and event design: Nouveau Romantics
Venue and catering: The Four Seasons Austin
Band: Memphis Soul, Dallas
Hair/makeup: Kerri Bunn
Merchandise/stationery design: Caroline Borders, Mariée Ami
Guest accommodations: The Four Seasons Austin, The Hotel Van Zandt
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