Mother of: Luke
Venue: The Addison Grove, Austin, Texas
Vibe: Formal
Dress: Renee Ruiz
Renee is the mother of three boys, so the marriage of her eldest, Luke, to Caroline, finally brought her the daughter she’s always wanted. Their wedding also gave Renee a reason to shop for a formal gown.
“Caroline is not fussy and certainly did not give me any strict guidance,” Renee says. “Her only request was to try and stay with her fall/winter color palette that included many shades of green and terracotta.”
Renee had a healthy vision of what she wanted. “I still feel like I’m in my early 40s, but I’m a post menopausal 56 and my body has changed. I wanted a long dress in the right wedding color palette that was flattering to who I am today.” That included a cap sleeve and A-line silhouette, which Renee says works best on her 5’10 pear shape frame.
Well, all she had to do was talk about her dream dress with friends, and what do you know: it popped up in her Instagram feed: a Rene Ruiz cap sleeve, illusion neckline A-line gown with an overlay of abstract metallic florals (it's still available, made to order). With a gunmetal gray background and flowers in icy blue, pink, and gold, it was perfect for the February wedding in Texas.
“It made me feel so special when all the bridesmaids saw my gown and literally started clapping and telling me it looked like a work of art,” Renee recounts. “I loved the colors, the way it flowed, the gold under lining and shimmery overlay. I loved the sheer top and back.”
But most of all, says Renee, “I loved how I felt when I put the dress on.”
Luke and Caroline’s ceremony was planned for outdoors, but Austin experienced a rare polar vortex snowfall on their wedding day, so they pivoted to indoors at The Addison Grove—without a hitch.
The very last song of the night by live band Cap City is the one that Renee remembers most fondly: “The closing song was Sweet Caroline, which is absolutely fitting and perfect since Luke married the sweetest Caroline.” Everyone gathered on the dance floor, singing at the top of their lungs. Luke and Caroline got on stage with the band, and Renee was near the front with her two other sons. “It was the most fun and happy time perhaps ever!”
| Photography by Paige Vaughn