Treaty Oak Distilling

Welcome Reception

Dripping Springs Distilling

Farewell Brunch

Canyonwood Ridge

Wedding Ceremony & Reception

Fall

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Our Wedding

Our story begins on the evening of July 12, 2019 outside of a tiki bar in Houston, TX. Jon and Anna had been attending a birthday party of a mutual friend. When Anna had forgotten her purse, Jon waited for her while her friend brought it to her. Jon wasn’t in a hurry and was happy to wait and make conversation. He had no idea that this small gesture would mean so much to Anna.&nbsp; After a few weeks of clumsy courtship, Jon finally convinced Anna to go on a date with him on August 4, 2019. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was enough to convince Anna to give him a shot. Over the next few weeks, things accelerated quickly in what Jon likes to call “relationship chicken.” It started with Anna inviting Jon to a wedding in Texas, so naturally Jon one-upped her by inviting her to a wedding back in his hometown in Delaware. Before the end of August, they already had a GoogleDoc full of fun date and trip ideas. At the end of August, Jon left to go on a Rim-to-Rim hike across the Grand Canyon with his family. On September 8th he returned and Anna offered to pick him up from the airport. Knowing Jon would be tired from his trip and a day of travel, she brought with her all the ingredients to make homemade pizza when they got back to Jon’s house. As they were in the kitchen together preparing dinner, Jon contemplated all that had transpired over the past 6 weeks and the kindness and thought Anna had put into making this dinner. He turned to her and asked “So, are we dating?” To which Anna replied “Sure feels like it.” And their story officially began.

The Beginning

The next few months were a whirlwind of firsts. Jon and Anna attended a wedding together in Texas. Anna came to Jon’s hometome in Delaware and passed an “interview” by family friends (you know who you are). Jon met Anna’s parents on a surprise stop at their house on their way to an A&amp;M football game. Anna traveled to the “far north” to celebrate Jon’s 29th birthday with his parents and spend a few nights in beautiful Lake Placid. The two wasted no time checking off as many milestones as possible. 2020 brought surprise for everyone with COVID 19. However, Jon and Anna managed to fit a surprising amount of trips and travel into the year. They began by hitting their “lowest point” at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, which also started their goal of visiting all the National Parks together (yes, including those in the Arctic). The year also included trips to Glacier National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park with Jon’s family. Jon also made it out to the Theiss Family farm in Hallettsville, TX where he unknowingly first laid eyes on his future proposal site. The Theiss family had no problem putting him to work on some improvement projects and Jon earned lots of extra credit points with Anna’s dad thanks to his excellent work ethic. In 2021, Jon and Anna’s parents met each other for the first time. Following in their foot-steps of taking nothing slow, the parents met on a 10-day trip across the state of Texas to Guadalupe and Big Bend National Parks. Luckily, the parents hit it off without a hitch so well that they were lectured by the camp host in Big Bend for enjoying dinner and reminiscing on their past vacations ‘too loudly’…it was only 6 PM. The year also included milestones such as Jon and Anna’s first ski trip together and Anna’s first trip to NYC. The two celebrated Christmas and New Years at Jon’s parents in Northern NY where Jon promptly tested positive for COVID within 48 hours of arrival. Anna got to know the Chamberlain family MUCH better while Jon isolated in the basement. But most importantly, this was the year where Jon truly learned to love Anna’s dog Franky.

Growing Together

At the turn of the New Year, Jon began to make his plans. This was going to be the year that he proposed. The planning really accelerated on his boy’s backpacking trip in June where he confessed his plans to his close friends. Suddenly it was out in the open. It was no longer just a thought in his head. Jon’s original plan had been to propose on the couple’s trip to Washington state in late August where they planned to visit all three national parks. However, after discussing with his friends and describing his alternate plan of proposing at the family farm in Hallettsville, they decided that the family farm was where it needed to occur. When he returned from the trip, Jon had a busy July ahead of him researching and purchasing the ring and working through the details of the proposal.&nbsp; On Friday afternoon July 29, 2022, Jon and Anna embarked on a usual trip to Hallettsville to escape the city and enjoy a quiet weekend out of town. Jon seemed a little on edge, but “luckily” it had been quite a stressful week at work for him, so this didn’t arouse any suspicion from Anna. At dusk, Jon suggested that the two venture back to the orchard to watch the sunset as they had done many times before. Anna innocently suggested that Jon try to inspect some damage on the roof from a recent wind storm but he patiently suggested that maybe that could wait until tomorrow. Jon set up a hammock for the two (and Franky) to enjoy the sunset as he had done many times before. He had also recently purchased a tripod with the excuse of planning to use it on their upcoming trip to Washington. Anna suggested that he get it out to take a picture of themselves with the sunset and Jon couldn’t agree more with her idea (since this was his original plan) and set up the tripod. Unbeknownst to Anna, he set the camera to record a video rather than take a picture. As Anna fixed her ponytail and turned toward the camera, Jon got down on one knee and shocked Anna so badly that she stepped away from him in disbelief. She did eventually say yes!...And the rest is history. P.S. Anna had a strong suspicion that the proposal was coming soon but she was 100% convinced that it would happen on their trip to Washington, hence her utter shock when it happened a month earlier than expected in a different location. Anna confirmed that Jon indeed made the right choice by proposing in a place that meant so much to her and her family.

The Engagement

Low quality photo of a high quality moment!

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Dripping Springs is the "Wedding Capital of Texas" - hosting over 1,000 weddings per year - accommodations are always in high demand.-As of July 1st both of our room blocks (Holiday Inn Express and Sleep Inn &amp; Suites) were closed/full; however, guests who have not yet secured reservations may be able to do so by calling the hotels directly to inquire about their current rates and availability.

WE MUST EMPHASIZE THAT ALL OF THESE LODGING OPTIONS WILL FILL UP QUICKLY. PLEASE MAKE YOUR PLANS AND RESERVATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 

As of July 1st the Sleep Inn Room Block was full/closed; however, the hotel is still offering a discounted rate pending availability if rooms are booked using the link below. Shuttle service will be provided from this location for the Friday night Welcome Reception and for the Wedding Ceremony and Reception.

Sleep Inn & Suites

As of July 1st the Holiday Inn Express block was full/closed; however, rooms may still be available at current market rate. ﻿Shuttle service will be provided from this location for the Friday night Welcome Reception and for the Wedding Ceremony and Reception.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Dripping Springs - Austin Area, an IHG Hotel

Shuttle service will NOT be provided from this location.

Courtyard by Marriott Austin Dripping Springs

Hotels in "South Austin'' ~ there are several lodging options in the South Austin area. These are about a 30-40 minute drive from the various venues in Dripping Springs.&nbsp;-Air BnB and VRBOs ~&nbsp;There are also Airbnb's and VRBO's available in the area that may be more attractive for groups and families.

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For our out-of-Texas friends and family: first off - thank you SO much for taking the time and effort to join us for this special weekend. We understand that making it here isn't easy for many of our guests, but we hope that you'll be able to enjoy a little getaway in the Texas Hill Country! To fully enjoy all that the Dripping Springs area has to offer, we highly recommend having a rental car for the weekend. Uber and Lyft both operate in the area; however, wait times for pickups in Dripping Springs can be lengthy.

40 min (28 mile) drive from Dripping Springs

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

1 hr 10 min (65 mile) drive from Dripping Springs

San Antonio International Airport

- Map of Events -

Travel & Accommodations

The Dripping Springs area is known for its&nbsp;rolling hills, scenic rivers and creeks, historic downtown Mercer Street with small shops and boutiques, along with a multitude of distilleries, wineries and breweries. We've compiled a short list of some of the top spots below for you to visit between the weekend's festivities.For more ideas, visit <a href="https://www.destinationdrippingsprings.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">destinationdrippingsprings.com</a>-Typical December weather in Dripping Springs is highs in the mid 60's and lows in the mid 40's - perfect weather for outdoor activities!

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- Outdoor Activities -

Pedernales Falls State Park

Advance reservations are required.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

Pickle ball courts, mini golf, and an awesome bar chock full of local wines, beers and ciders with self pour taps.

Dreamland Dripping Springs

- Wineries | Breweries | Distilleries -

Bell Springs Winery

Twisted X Brewing Company

Jester King Brewery & Kitchen

Fitzhugh Brewing

Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room

Desert Door Distillery

The Shady Llama

Acopon Brewing Co.

- FOR OUR HISTORY BUFFS -

A bit of a drive (approx. 1 hour west from Dripping Springs) but well worth it if war history is your thing!

National Museum of the Pacific War

Visit the "Texas White House" approximately a 45-minute drive from Dripping Springs.

Jon & Anna