This article is extra special for me because I get to share a bit about my very own destination wedding experience! My husband, Kevin, and I wanted to have a destination wedding for many reasons (aside from my obvious love for destination weddings). For us, it was about our ties to the location. I grew up outside of San Antonio, visiting my family in Austin on the weekends often. My husband’s parents both hail from Texas as well and attended the University of Texas at Austin. Beyond that, our reasons to marry in Austin were numerous.

The city abounds in innovative art, scrumptious food and–of course–live music! If you are considering Austin for your destination wedding, here’s why I believe the city should top your list:

1. There is a wide variety in venues.

We wanted the classic Old West vibe for our venue, and nothing could’ve fit better than Star Hill Ranch. The whole property is a recreation of a Hill Country community typical of the early 1900s. All of the buildings are historic structures that have been purchased, relocated from around the state of Texas to Star Hill, and carefully restored (including the building at the center of “town”, a historic chapel where we said our “I do’s”).

While Star Hill Ranch offered the ideal setting for our Texas heritage, there is a wide variety of stellar venues to choose from to fit your desired style. Check out some of our past articles to learn more about different Austin venues:

Keep It Weird in Downtown Austin

Love in the Hills

A Hindu Destination Wedding in Austin

2. The food is to-die-for.

To be honest, choosing where to host our rehearsal dinner and what caterer to select for the wedding took us way longer than it should have. Of course, Texas BBQ shines in Austin, but it is just a piece of the puzzle that forms the food capital of the South. Popular foods like smoked brisket can be found starring in Mexican taco dishes, electrifying your taste buds. You can also find top-rated, authentic Japanese, Thai and French cuisine here.

3. Throw the best pre- and post-parties.

If you and your partner want to throw the pre- or post-party of a lifetime, 6^th Street is the place to be. Stroll up and down the street, taking in the sounds of country twang, smooth jazz and bar-goers singing along to classic rock songs. Maybe even dare a member of your bridal party to get a tattoo at one of the many famed parlors. Truthfully, just about anywhere you end up in downtown Austin, you’re sure to have a good time celebrating.

4. Activities are practically endless.

Your guests are sure to love a stroll around Town Lake and having a bite to eat at the nation’s very first Whole Foods downtown. Or, if you’ll be traveling with a smaller group, you may even want to consider taking a day trip out to the “Napa Valley of the South”: Fredericksburg. Depending on the time of year, you can direct folks to enjoy a plunge in the cool waters of Barton Springs and share a treat from one of the famous food trucks nearby. Whatever entertainment you and your guests choose to partake in, your destination wedding trip to Austin is an easily accessible vacation for all.

5. Friendly vendors abound.

Every phone call, visit, tasting and consultation I had with potential vendors (even those we didn’t end up going with) gave me a bit more confidence that my wedding in Austin would be better than imagined. Perhaps it’s that famed southern sweetness that made these interactions so uplifting, but one thing is for sure: Austin is home to many professional wedding vendors with experience in working with out-of-towners.

For me, selecting Austin couldn’t have been a better choice for my destination wedding. Plus, showing the city to the friends who’d never been was a point of pride for a Texan gal like me.

Photos Courtesy of (in order of appearance): Tomek Baginski (1st); Jessicajade Photography (2nd); Jeremy Doddridge (3rd)