All the smiles, sweat and tears  come down to this — that singular, first step down the aisle. It’s the start of so much — a little family unit, double the laundry piles and a multitude of questions on when that first baby will arrive.

Of course the journey didn’t start at the arched doors of the Little Church of La Villita. It began with a phone call to my mom, letting her know that Guy had finally popped the question on the beaches of Cozumel. And, of course, it really began when Guy’s grandmother handed him a family diamond and he began his journey through jewelry stores, searching for that perfect setting.

After four years of dating, our engagement was pretty quick. Guy asked in late July, we were in the church on November 13. I’m a lucky girl for more than the obvious reason (my groom). My mom, Mira Kirkland of Your Perfect Day, is a wedding consultant, and she was happy to plan my special day. All I had to do was come up with a concept and pick a few colors. For me, the concept was simple.

“Elegant but funky.”

It’s a phrase I said to my mom in our earliest stage of planning, and it carried us through the next four months. My concept was probably the result of watching too many runway shows — absolutely flawless girls in fabulous gowns, decked in outfits that made them shine like sparklers. And this was the concept we took to every vendor and tried to incorporate in every detail.

For our 100 guests who had traveled from as far west as Seattle and as far east as Washington, D.C., we truly made our event a destination wedding. We planned the entire event for convenience — everything was downtown and within walking distance. Having lived in San Antonio through middle school and high school, I knew the place for a downtown wedding — the Little Church of La Villita. My mom directs several weddings each year at the Little Church and could not stop talking about its undeniable presence with aged limestone walls, the arched doorway and stony streets. But for every bride, the constraint at La Villita is seating. We were strictly limited to 105 guests, a number we struggled with, but the site was everything I wanted — a quaint setting to begin our journey as man and wife with our close friends and family by our side.

When the ceremony finished, Guy and I led our guests to the reception with a candlelit procession, serenaded by our mariachi friends. The processional was my mom’s idea, and it was quite the walking tour of San Antonio. Each guest was given a candle to light their way through the downtown streets, and my mom even thought of battery-operated candles for the children to carry.

To keep that San Antonio spirit, we turned to the Marriott Plaza’s schoolhouse courtyard for the reception. I fell in love with the oak trees and sparkling fountains, and my mom assured me of the Plaza’s uncompromised service. Despite the day’s rainy weather, the mariachi band was able to stroll in the courtyard as the kids took turns swinging at the wedding cake-shaped piñata. Continuing our San Antonio flair, the Plaza offered our guests a menu of beef, chicken and pork-filled gorditas with all the traditional Mexican sides. For our guests with a sweet tooth, Glenda Steiger of Blooming Confections Fountains & Florals provided a chocolate fountain flowing with apricots, marshmallows and Alamo cookies for dipping. Flaming coffee was a big after-dinner hit. Even the punch was served from an Alamo-shaped ice sculpture bowl!

The entire scene was radiant, {inside and out. Altar candles that had illuminated the church windows were scattered about the patios. Gold satin table linens reflected the soft light and gently glowed, even more than I’d hoped they would, as Al Sturchio’s Orchestra crooned big band favorites. The favors, mismatched vintage and new wine glasses and toasting flutes, sparkled in a tiered tower lit from within — another of my mom’s glowing ideas. During the weeks before, Guy and I had searched antique and second-hand shops for each glass and then hand-made the wine tags and charms, which read “Cheers!” to celebrate the occasion.

Perhaps the most crucial detail to fulfilling my dream for the day was the flowers, but I didn’t pick my florist. “Kathy is the best,” my mom said, so we went directly to Kathy Neale at Uptown Flowers. To get the most petal bang for our buck, we decided on fall’s natural flower selection— lots of twigs, berries, leaves and whatever inspired Kathy at the moment. I had no idea how fabulous it would be — the funky gloriosa lilies and copper wiring sprouting from mounds of elegant pink roses, burgundy cosmos and golden yarrow with twigs, crab apples and lovely pears centered in it all.

My mom would tell you that I’ve been fascinated with flowers since childhood. I was always out in the garden, digging new holes and growing new roses. To keep the evening’s flowers with me as long as possible, my bouquet is being preserved through Heller and Reid, a company that can achieve an almost-silk quality that will stand up to time. My luck as a bride turns up again — my mom is also the San Antonio representative for Heller and Reid.

When we began planning the wedding cake, I took an untraditional route: I compiled pictures of tiered treats I liked, and my mom recommended the girls at Sweet Creations to pull it all together. The concept was originally fashioned after a cake inspired by henna tattoos; then we brought in the unusual shape from another cake design and the strong floral pattern for icing from yet another. The groom’s cake weighed heavily on the funky side — we went with hazelnut and Irish cream-frosted cupcakes! The cupcakes worked fabulously. They were perfectly sized servings for our guests but chosen with a sentimental story in mind.

Guy and I met while we were students at Texas A&M, both pursuing journalism. One night, while we were both working at The Battalion, the student newspaper, Guy came across me eating a cupcake. Of course he wanted it, and when I wouldn’t sacrifice my sweet he wrestled me to the ground and smeared it all over me. I was outraged at his childish behavior, and then I was childish myself and didn’t speak to him for nearly two months! During the reception, our best man, a fellow journalism Aggie, remembered the cupcake incident and shared the story in his toast at the reception.

People say you can’t describe the feeling of that moment: making my way up the rainy steps and down the aisle on the arm of my father. But the unabashed love, joy and fear of walking in three-inch heels and a Jim Hjelm couture dress with vintage rhinestone clips in my hair combined to leave me just between a tremble and a shiver. It was a packed house — packed with our family and friends who had flown and driven across the country to hear a few simple vows and see rings exchanged.