We're getting married!

Update 4/6/2019:

Wow, we're getting close! We wanted to update everyone on the transportation situation. There was not enough interest in a shared bus, so we're encouraging everyone to use Uber/Lyft/Taxis to get to and from the wedding venue. If you're staying downtown, it's about a 30 minute ride to the venue (about $25 using Uber). If you've never used Uber or Lyft before, grab a millenial!

You've come to the right place for information about the big day. You can RSVP here using the unique code in your invitation. Looking for registry information? We've got you covered here. You can also scroll down to learn more about our wedding. We'll be adding more information as the day gets closer, so check back!

We can't wait to celebrate with y'all!

- John & Katharine

Ceremony & Reception

What
Celebrate our marriage and dance the night away
When
Saturday, April 20, at 6:30 pm
Where
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin, TX 78739
Phone: +1 (512) 232-0100
Attire
Cocktail. The ceremony and reception will be outdoors (weather permitting).
Transportation
Use Uber or Lyft to get to the wedding venue. Please don't drive if you plan on drinking.
Parking
Parking is available on-site at the Wildflower Center

Austin

If you've never been to Austin before, don't expect to see cowboys and horses. Do expect to enjoy some of the best food and drinks you've ever had. April is kind of a transition month between warm and hot, with average highs in the 80s-90s and lows in the 50s-60s. Here's the breakdown on some of our favorite areas in town:

  • Downtown Austin - the area just north of Town Lake (a.k.a. Lady Bird Lake, a.k.a. the Colorodo River) definitely has the highest density of restaurants and bars. It's a very walkable area, particularly if you decide to stay in one of the many great hotels downtown.
  • Rainey Street is a cool neighborhood with lots of places to grab a drink or a bite to eat. It's also a short walk from the wedding hotel.
  • Known as "The Eastside" or "East 6th Street", the trendy area east of I-35 has a lot to offer in terms of nightlife.

Getting Here

If you're coming from Philadelphia, American Airlines offers 2 non-stop flights a day to Austin. Those coming from Newark will find frequent non-stops on United and Southwest. Both Uber and Lyft serve Austin, and if you're staying somewhere near downtown, you could get around pretty easily with ridesharing. If you do decide to rent a car, all the major rental companies are available at the airport.

Where to Stay

We've arranged for a block of rooms at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Austin. You can book a room for the discounted rate of $179 by using this link (let us know if the block has filled up and we can reserve more rooms!). The wedding venue is about a 20 minute drive from this area or a $20 Uber ride. Staying Downtown puts you in the heart of everything, and easy walking distance to some of our favorite spots in Austin.

If you would like to book an AirBnB instead, here are a few suggested searches for you. New to AirBnB? Click here to get $40 off your first booking.

SoCo Area South Congress, known as SoCo, is a very walkable neighborhood with lots of great places to check out. Good food, great drinks, and cool shops are all located on South Congress Ave. itself. Want to buy a pair of cowboy boots, or a giant belt buckle? Check out Allen's Boots.
Zilker Park A similar feel to the SoCo neighborhood, but near the crown jewel of the Austin Parks system. If you'd like to spend some time outside soaking in the sun, being walking distance to Zilker Park is a major plus. The location is still central enough that it's a short Uber ride to Downtown.
South Austin If you're traveling as a family and looking for a larger place to stay, this is your best bet in terms of value. It's close to the wedding venue, but it's a much more residential area. You'll want to rent a car if you decide to stay here.

Things to Do

Hey! Did you know that Austin is basically the coolest place ever? Well, we think so and we have...extensive experience with all of the fun things to do. Here are some of our favorite recommendations:

BBQ

You can't come all the way to Texas and not try some BBQ. We recommend Terry Black's, but won't stop you if you want to wait in the famous 5-hour line at Franklin. Eat like a local and ask for "fatty brisket". Be sure to leave the sauce on the side!

Tex-Mex

Lucky for you, we consider ourselves taco aficionados and are very opinionated about the subject. Here are some of our favorite taco suggestions:

  • Tacodeli - with locations all over town, there's no excuse to leave without hitting up tacodeli for at least one meal. Good for both lunch and breakfast tacos (yes, that's a thing).
  • Torchy's - another Austin classic with lots of locations. Our favorite taco is the Trailer Park (make sure to get it "trashy"), and their queso is the best in town.
  • Veracruz All Natural - this might be our new favorite taco joint. Try the Migas taco, it'll change your life.

If you're looking for heartier fare, all of the following restaurants are great for dinner:

  • Trudy's - you can't get much more Austin than Trudy's. Treat yourself to a Mexican Martini (careful, they're strong!) and try the stuffed avocado.
  • La Condesa - for a bit more formal of a dinner, check out La Condesa (especially if you're staying near downtown). Their craft cocktails are excellent, and small plates are great for sharing.
  • Curra's - if you're staying near the Wildflower Center, this is a great place for dinner. Like avocado? Like margaritas? Why not combine the two with one of their signature avocado margaritas?

Other Great Restuarants

  • G'Raj Mahal is a good spot for Indian food, located right on Rainey Street.
  • Check out Moonshine for a new spin on classic Southern comfort food. It's our favorite place for Chicken & Waffles in town, and makes for a great brunch spot if your're looking to ease into Sunday morning.
  • Little Deli - John's absolute favorite pizza place (probably because they're actually from NJ). Bonus: it's BYOB.

Coffee

If you're staying downtown and you're into coffee, you have to go to Houndstooh. That is all.

Beer

There are more breweries per capita in Austin than any place outside of Bavaria. Ok, we made that up but there are lots of great options for those that want to experience the best of our local craft beer scene.

  • Live Oak Brewing - if you want to start the trip off right, pop in to Live Oak on your way home from the airport. Their Hefeweizen is Katharine's favorite beer ever.
  • ABGB - short for Austin Beer Garden & Brewery, ABGB has something for everyone. They brew their own beers, and they have all the local hits on tap. Plus, there's a great selection of food.
  • Lazarus - if you're planning a trip to the hip Eastside, make sure to put Lazarus on your list of places to stop for a beer. They have a great outdoor space, and the beers are strong and hoppy. If that's not your thing, it's a short walk to Zilker Brewing Company, Hops & Grain, and Blue Owl (all great options).
  • Oasis Brewing - if you're renting a car and would like to drink a beer at one of the best places to watch a sunset in Austin, you should consider heading over to Oasis Brewing.
  • Jester King - this one also requires a car, but if you're a beer nerd you owe it to yourself to make a pilgrimage here. Jester King is on a farm about half an hour outside the city. What makes them unique is they brew all their beer with wild yeast, which gives all their beers a funky sour edge. It's probably the most unique brewery in the world.
  • Easy Tiger is another biergarten on the outskirts of the crazy 6th street scene that's worth checking out, especially since it's short walk from the hotel. They have a great beer selection with plenty of outside seating, and, bizarrely, are also a damn good bakery.

Cocktails

John knows a thing or two about cocktails (OK, he may actually make his own cocktail ice...). Here are some of his favorite places to grab a drink around town.

  • Half Step - if you're out on Rainey Street, be sure to stop by Half Step. It's one of our favorite places (and John likes their ice).
  • Whisler's - located on the hip "East Side" of town, Whisler's has a bit of everything. Head upstairs to their tiny candlelit Mezcal bar if you really want to try something different (or feel like you're in the bar in the movie From Dusk till Dawn).
  • Want to try something different? Make a reservation a few weeks ahead of time at the trendy Midnight Cowboy. If you're a real cocktail aficionado, this should be on your Austin bucket list. Just make sure to read all the "rules" to make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into.

Nature

Austin has some great outdoor spaces right in the city that we highly recommend you spend some time in. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Town Lake Trail is easily accessible from Downtown and offers great views of the city and its urban parks. The entire loop is 10 miles, but you can break it up into smaller pieces. Our favorite route is to take the pedestrian bridge near Lamar south over the river, then turn West through Zilker Park and cross the river at the pedestrian bridge underneath Mopac. Here's a map of the route we suggest.
  • Barton Springs Pool is truly a unique Austin experience. It's a natural spring-fed swimming pool in the heart of the city. The water is always chilly and refreshing, but it's still worth checking out even if you don't feel like getting wet. It's just a short walk from Zilker Park and the Town Lake Trail.

Golf

  • Wolfdancer Golf Club - located about 30 minutes south of Austin in Bastrop, Wolfdancer is one of the premier courses in the area.
  • Falconhead Golf Club - not far from downtown, but with a less scenic layout.
  • Shadowglen is probably the best value on this list. It's a great round for a good price, about 30 minutes east of town.

Museums & Culture

  • Bob Bullock Texas History Muesum is a great place to learn all about the great Lone Star state.
  • Texas State Capitol - everything's bigger in Texas, including the state Capitol. The building's dome is modeled on the U.S. Capitol's dome (scaled up, of course).
  • Looking for an authentic Texas dance hall experience? If you want to get out of your comfort zone, swing by the legendary Broken Spoke and two-step with the locals. Check their calendar as they usualy have lessons!

Our Story

John and Katharine first met at a Halloween party in 2012. John was dressed as a disgraced Lance Armstrong and Katharine was Thing 1 from the Cat in the Hat. Ironically, the party was at John's best man's house and Katharine's maid of honor was Thing 2. John and Katharine had an overlapping group of friends, and over the next few months they just kept running into each other.

Fortunately, they hit it off and started dating in March of 2013. Katharine slowly turned John into a hipster and John eventually convinced Katharine that bacon is delicious despite the fact that pigs are cute. They've enjoyed every moment they've shared together over those 6 years--especially moments where they've shared a great meal (probably cooked by John) or watched a sunset from one of the 14 National Parks they've visited together (that's kinda their thing). On Father's Day 2017, they gained a new family member to share life with when they adopted Sam, a Chesapeake Bay/Lab Retriever mix. John, Katharine, and Sam are excited to see what comes next in life and are happy they get to experience it together.

John and Katharine got engaged at one of their favorite spots overlooking Lake Austin

The Proposal

John and Katharine had been dating for almost 5 years, so it wasn't exactly shocking that John would one day ask Katharine to marry him. Still, John tried his best to make their proposal as surprising as he could. Katharine had been dropping lots of hints about what she wanted: we needed to get a good picture of the proposal, she had to have her nails done, and it also needed to be a surprise. To make things even more difficult, Katharine was in her OB/GYN rotation and was on call most weekends and didn't really know her work schedule more than 24 hours in advance.

Eventually, John found a Sunday that would work. The plan was to meet some out-of-town friends for brunch that would turn into a scavenger hunt that John had planned. Our brunch companions, Ryan and Mary Ellen Kilpatrick, were in on the rouse and even helped talk John down when he called them, panicked, the day before, convinced that Katharine was onto his plans. Towards the end of the meal, John snuck away and Katharine was led on a scavenger hunt through some of the places in Austin that held special meaning in their lives. John thought of everything, even ensuring there was a stop for doughnuts and one to get her nails done.

Finally, the clues led to a scenic overlook that happened to be one the spot of one of their first dates. John placed candles and photographs of the two of them along the steps of the short hike (which, apparently, some passersby mistook for a memorial service). Katharine crested the hill to find John...and 50 complete strangers that decided that they wanted to watch the big event. Katharine said yes, and we got a great picture of the proposal (thanks, Kevin!). Also, a Nepalese grandmother took a picture with us because, why not?

Gifts

We understand that weddings can be expensive to attend, especially for our guests traveling from out of town, so please feel no obligation to get us anything. If you do decide to get us a gift, know that we'll likely be moving in the next few months so physical gifts might make things a little difficult. We have a small registry and have set up a fund where you can contribute to the down payment we've been saving for our first house. All of this can be found here.

Honestly, the best gift of all would be your presence on our big day!

Contact us!

If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out!

[email protected]