I’ve lost count of how many beautiful weddings I’ve had the pleasure of second shooting with Sara of LL Studio Design, but this one from the Chandelier of Gruene with Claire and Ben remains a favorite. After all, it was a Texas hill country wedding! If I remember correctly, the day was delightful, the weather was cooperative—especially for an August wedding, the guests were gleeful, the ceremony was emotional, and the reception was lit! Hands down, everything was perfect!

Claire and Ben’s wedding style was to the nines. Using a soft, subtle palette of pastels and a royal blue, they created a very soft look for a summer wedding—almost making you forget we were in the middle of a Texas scorching summer. The colors were perfectly blended set against the jaw-dropping beauty of the Chandelier of Gruene. (Aside from the wonder of the breathtaking chandelier that overhangs the center of the dancefloor are the dancefloors themselves. The shinier and more reflective a floor can be for me, the better!) The hall is 12,000 square feet with an additional 3,200 square feet of covered patio. There’s also a fire pit on the back patio. It’s not much use during the summers, but it’s oooh so lovely in the winter. However, it’s always a welcome sight for a photographer with a creative eye! It’s the backdrop to one of my favorite ring shots I’ve ever taken.

Texas Hill Country Wedding

The open-air, outdoor chapel ain’t no joke either. This chapel has to be one of the best ones in the area that I’ve seen! It’s elegant, quaint, and classic all at the same time! You almost can’t tell you’re not in a real church. For real. There’s room for more than 300 guests for your ceremony! The open-air chapel has a vaulted, open-truss ceiling, more chandeliers, antique restored church pews, and is enveloped in a canopy towering, majestic oak trees. (Pro tip: For an even more magical ceremony, plan around the evening hours and watch as the white-tailed deer come out to witness your vows.) Also, be sure the ring the wedding bells during your wedding recession.

You can’t have a Chandelier of Gruene wedding without taking a swing!

Here’s another look at the grand chandelier during the first dance.

I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot a wedding or event for clients who also paid for access or used the Escondida de Gruene—the onsite lodging at the Chandelier of the Gruene, but the images on their website look absolutely amazing. There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms in this original ranch home, plus a master room with a futon. The site says the house can accommodate up to 16 overnight guests. And, there’s a backyard pool. Pfft. Hello. This is Texas people. A backyard pool is a necessity about 10 months out of the year.

Enjoy some of my favorite images from this Chandelier of Gruene wedding then be sure to watch the slideshow at the end!

If you’d like to see all the images from this Texas hill country wedding at the Chandelier of Gruene, please enjoy this video. For the best quality, be sure to change the video player settings to 1080 HD. 

Let’s “hangout!” I wanna hear about your love story!

About Ata-Girl

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I cater to outdoor-loving couples who prefer to have all the realness captured on their wedding days. I am the wedding photographer for the outdoor adventurers, the romantics, the laid back, the snugglers, and those who wish to capture all their realness.

I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

You can always call or text, but if you really want to get to know me, schedule a meetup!

I started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. I enjoy documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I love being a part of people’s journeys and consider myself privileged to document their legacies.

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to get your hands on 20 FREE interactive wedding planning tools that every couple needs, please take a moment to access them here.

I am a published author (purchase my book here), a podcast host (listen here) (watch here) and a WPPI-C certified professional, full-time wedding photographer. I specialize in a 10-day image delivery, same-day prints, same-day slideshows, Italian handcrafted wedding albums and I have a mobile meeting space.

When I’m not behind my camera, you can find me hiking, cycling, backpacking, camping, enjoying water sports, listening to music (Elvis and Prince), hunting for arrowheads, reading audiobooks, occasionally eating a few glazed donuts (my only weakness to sweets) and then re-starting my keto diet about every 10 days. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents and grandson would be proud of.