We had an intimate, 17-person micro-wedding wedding in November. My Grandma (the guest of honor and my favorite human being) had just turned 96 and told us to “get the show on the road” because she was determined to be there! The wedding was held at the magnificent Hotel Saint Cecilia and our rehearsal dinner at the groovy Hotel Magdalena. The whole weekend was a fairytale. Saint Cecilia is like a secret garden, undiscovered and nestled right at the heart of the most amazing and vibrant city in the world. Words can’t describe the atmosphere – it’s so uniquely romantic, modern, elegant, hip, luxurious, artful, magical, enchanting… Before I go into details it’s important that I recognize Nancy Gottschling, the events coordinator. Nancy is an absolute all-star and all-around amazing human being. I cannot thank her enough for making my wedding the fairytale of my dreams. Saint Cecilia is known for hosting celebrities, the rich & famous. Even though our wedding was small, and neither of us a “big deal”, Nancy made us feel like we were her number 1 priority every step of the way. She was incredibly sensitive to my Grandma’s needs and made sure everything was PERFECT for her. Nancy and her team (including Sarah VanHoose - who's brilliance I could write an entire additional paragraph about) went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of and had a wonderful time. The ceremony was held at sunset under the breathtaking Live Oak – two trees over the years entangled and fused into one, a beautiful metaphor – and the reception was held in the private courtyard of Suite Four. The food was incredible (both Saint Cecilia and Magdalena). Almost every one of our guests independently told us it was the best wedding food they ever had. On top of the quality, the customer service was above and beyond. The chef at Magdalena prepared an AMAZING vegetable soup at the drop of a hat when Grandma wasn’t feeling the salad (that said, I DEFINITELY felt the salad!!!). The flowers, by Gypsy Floral, were perfection. I almost cried when I saw them. The beautiful lush green foliage, the fall shades of burgundy garden roses, peonies, and ranunculus… If I knew more about horticulture, I’d go on – but I am in finance, and I’ll just say they were just as enchanting as Saint Cecilia itself. As a “mini-moon”, my husband and I stayed in Suite 4 for several nights after the wedding. A continuation of the fairytale story. When I called, I was greeted by the front desk with “good morning, Princess!” The mini-bar is the most luxurious I’ve ever seen – the best combination of global and local – the best food and drink from around the world and staples of Austin culture. The decanter of water awaiting us in the morning was like holy mana. I have literally never tasted water so delicious (I am not sure if this was due to the hangover, but I’ve heard there is something special about this water). Of course, nothing gold can stay. We finally had to leave this enchanted space and return to reality. On the way out, I was surprised to see one of my heroes, Liz Lambert herself. I approached her with hesitancy, not wanting to bother, to let her know the impression she’d made on me and the inspiration she’d been in my commercial real estate career. She was so kind, warm, and appreciative – something I will always remember. I will forever be loyal to the Bunkhouse group, and we can’t wait for the next excuse to return.…