Bohemian Hotel Emma Wedding | Mamiko and Harmon
Mamiko and Harmon's Hotel Emma wedding day started oh so smoothly. First of all, their wedding venue, Hotel Emma is a luxurious and top notch venue for weddings. As a Wedding Planner, I have planned more than 100 weddings throughout the Texas Hill country and let me tell you that Hotel Emma’s staff is excellent, the food is extraordinary, and the aesthetic of every space is classy, timeless and unique.
The morning began with Judy -Madame Makeup- hair and makeup services for the bride and her closest family. Mamiko and Harmon decided to skip having a wedding party to allow their closest friends to enjoy the day without having stress and expectations when it comes to “bridesmaids” and “groomsmen” roles.
It was also incredibly awesome that Mamiko had family fly all the way from Japan to witness her special day and were able to spend the morning getting ready together.
Once Mamiko and Harmon were dressed and ready, Emily with Dreamy Elk Photography led our couple and prepared for a First Look in the Hotel Emma Library. As a wedding planner I like to leave the couple alone with the photographer to keep the moment private. Personally, I love First Looks because you are able to enjoy the moment with your fiancé and not worry about other people watching or having expectations. You can fully be yourself with your better half and give each other comfort from the wedding jitters.
My favorite part of their day was certainly their first look in the library. I had just seen Harmon minutes before the photographer came to get him. I knew he was nervous and excited to see his bride so I had him sit for a minute and drink some water. Then the photographer came down and took him to the library. Despite the fact that I did not go inside the library (I like to keep that moment as intimate as possible for the couple) I could see from the windows what a beautiful and sentimental moment it was for them both. They just stared at each other and then hugged and kissed. It was so sweet and moments like this remind me that all the planning comes down to celebration of their love.
HOTEL EMMA WEDDING CEREMONY
The ceremony was beautifully introduced with a Brass Quintet as soon as you walked outside to the courtyard. Having live music for the ceremony is such a beautiful way to create a romantic and personalized experience for your guests. Once I lined everybody up for the Processional Claire de Lune began to play and the ceremony began. It was a sweet and personal ceremony officiated by the groom’s uncle.
We then lead the guest to cocktail hour at Cellar J to enjoy some Hors D'oeuvres and His/Hers signature drinks, Mai Tai and Sparkling Lavender Lemonade with Rum.
Hotel Emma Couple Portraits
Here are some beautiful pictures our photographer captured in the hotel space as well as on the San Antonio Riverwalk which is right outside the ceremony courtyard.
HOTEL EMMA WEDDING RECEPTION
Once it was time for the reception, we invited guests to find their seats by finding their names and table numbers in individual flower bud bases that our Forever wedding Services team pre-assembled a week before.
By the time all guests took their seats, we prepared Mamiko and Harmon for their grand entrance followed by a welcome speech from them. The dinner began with the first course of roasted corn and poblano soup, followed by a kale Caesar salad and the second option of Napa cabbage and arugula salad with miso vinaigrette. For the main entrance, which were served family style, were gulf snapper with Mojo Verde and Housemade Pepita Crunch, Pan Seared Herb Chicken with Au Poivre and Grilled Striploin of Beef with Gruyere and Scallion Potatoes, Spinach and Horseradish Gremolata.
Towards the end of dinner the groom’s parents, brother and the bride’s friend all gave a sweet and sincere toast. Toasts were followed by the first dance which was played by Jimmy’s Band live.
The cake cutting took place in the Expo Kitchen. A three tiered cake of vanilla and red velvet cake with a smooth buttercream frosting with gold flake accents was placed on the middle of the countertop. On the sides there was a variety of desserts on display for after the cake cutting. Our couple also wanted to treat their guests to coffee and opted for a coffee cart from Stranded Coffee Club with a variety of coffee items available for the guest to enjoy along with cake and desserts.
The rest of the evening was spent with music, dancing and lots of merry conversations amidst the guests. Closer to the end of the night we prepared for bouquet toss and continued on with the celebration
Sweet words from Mamiko:
“From the start, I loved her positive energy and kindness. Her Welcome Packet as well as her Details Packet were so helpful in organizing all the information pertaining to the event. She has great attention to detail and makes sure to read all information sent to her. We also had her assemble the wedding favors and they turned out amazing and were exactly what I had pictured! The day of the wedding went smoothly and was stress-free. I definitely recommend Forever Wedding Services. Thanks again for being a part of our special day!”
Vendor Team
Venue/Catering/Bakery: Hotel Emma
Photographer: Dreamy Elk Photography
Florist: Freesia Designs Events
Hair/Makeup: Madame Makeup on Location
Live Band: Jimmy’s Band
Coffee Bar: Stranded Coffee
Brass Quintet: Mary Thorton
Photo Booth: MBP Photo Booth
