If you love music, you love Austin. That's the long and short of it. Every year thousands of music fans converge in downtown Austin for the South by Southwest (SXSW) music and film festival. And that's just the most famous festival - the "Live Music Capital of the World" hosts many other major festivals, and has more live music venues per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. Austin's got music - it's also got a lot of other bizarre things, as reflected in its (unofficial) slogan, "Keep Austin Weird." So, if you want to get married outdoors, at a rescue zoo or topless - Austin is the only major Texas city with no ordinance against public toplessness - you've found your location. Let your Austin wedding photographer be your guide to the best that our city has to offer.
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC...Is probably why you came to Austin. Let your Austin wedding photographer capture you in your element at one of our city's premier festivals. The aforementioned SXSW takes place every spring and features performances from more than 2,000 artists. Another famous festival is Austin City Limits, held every September in Zilker Park. The Pachanga Latino Music Festival is held every May, and honors the culture and music of one of Austin's Hispanic-American population. The Urban Music Fest features the best of Austin's hip-hop scene.
One of Austin's most famous open spaces is the 30+-acre Zilker Botanical Garden. The area features several different types of gardens, including a butterfly trail and a rose garden (particularly appropriate for wedding or engagement snapshots, your Austin wedding photographer will note). The Ballet Austin is not only home of one of the Southwest's finest classical and contemporary ballet troupes, it also offers its magnificent facility for rent (check site for details). The one-night-only (check site for details - in this case, it's crucial!) Carnaval Brasileiro is a Brazilian carnaval celebration in miniature, complete with authentic music and cuisine. Bask in the offbeat and eclectic spirit of Austin at the South Austin Popular Culture Center. It'll remind you of all of the reasons that you love our city. There's also the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary, a rescue zoo that saves and rehabilitates both domestic and farm animals.
Austin's Southwestern climate - hot in the summer, temperate in the winter - make it the perfect city for an out-of-doors wedding no matter the season. Right away, your Austin wedding photographer will most likely direct you to Zilker Park, a 350 acre+ recreation complex in the heart of Austin. Not only is the area host to the aforementioned Austin City Limits festival, it's also home to the Barton Springs, a series of natural water springs, one of which fills Barton Springs Pool. This unique pool is open for swimming year-round, as it tends to maintain a near-constant temperature. Zilker Park is also home to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, which makes an interesting - if somewhat eerie - backdrop for engagement or wedding photos. Several athletic fields and a Nature Center round out the Park's main attractions. There's also Lady Bird Lake, a reservoir which, in typical spunky Austinite fashion, is popularly used for swimming and waterskiing. Circling the Lake is the Lady Bird Hike and Bike Trail. If you and your betrothed would prefer to being photographed somewhere a little more private and romantic, there's the Barton Creek Greenbelt. You and your wedding or engagement party can enjoy being photographed by your Austin wedding photographer amidst rocks, greenery, waterways, cliff walls and outdoor music - the perfect Austin experience.