"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~ Desmond Tutu

When choosing a location for the rehearsal dinner there were two points I was adamant about.

Since the wedding was in Austin we were not able to host the dinner in our home but I wanted to add a few personal touches to the menu offered.  

First...

 the pickles. 

Mommo is famous for her pickles which begin with the secret ingredient...

cucumbers from Pappaw's garden.

So, the Stubb's pickles were replaced with hers.

And since we have our own talented baker in the family...

the tasty BBQ would be followed by a home baked dessert...

'The foodie' came up with her very own version of the Texas Sheet Cake in bundt cake form and of course made it gluten free which went undetected.

She has promised to post the recipe on her blog soon.

Sitting cutely alongside...

 were Brown Butter Pumpkin with Texas Bourbon Glaze bundt cakes.

Mmmmmm....

Chocolate and Pumpkin.

Like a pumpkin oreo...

 they tasted really nice together, but unfortunately we did not get a photo of just how adorable they looked sitting side by side.

Sigh.

The second point was the chandelier.

When the bride and groom were first engaged I remember asking the bride to be what a dream wedding looked like to her...

her perfect wedding vision if you will.

One of the first details she described was chandeliers hanging from trees.

Perfectly feasible at our home...

 but trickier in restaurant decor.

So, on my first visit with Stubb's...

 that was discussed and I was promptly told that no electrical lighting or candles could be hung...

something about fire safety.

 I remained undeterred and found the perfect chandelier hanging in BHLDN just waiting for me to stop by and snatch it up.

Of course,

it offered no light but it was a chandelier...

 and it glistened as it hung from the rafters.

Grandma presented her labor of love to the couple...

which just added to the happy feelings all around.

Wanting the couple to have a written history of friends and family in attendance...

Ren Man made a frame out of wood from our old red barn, knocked down in the last hurricane...

and included some Austin art!

As I reflect back on the night...

the rehearsal dinner turned out to be a family gift to the couple. 

Happy Thursday...

and have a lovely weekend.