After Joanna and Sam met in Oceanography class at UT, they always found a way to sit together. Pretty soon, they were best friends listening to old Stones' albums after class. Six and a half years later, after a proposal on top of Enchanted Rock, where they vowed "how much fun they were going to have" throughout life, they were married at St. Austin's Catholic Church. Following the ceremony, they headed to Green Pastures, the same place where the bride's parents were married in 1979. "My sister was married this past June in Aspen, so I wanted to pick a place in Austin where our family and friends could easily make the trip. Yes, my poor mom had to pull off two weddings in five months!" she says. "Green Pastures has an antique, warm feel to it. The lawns are breathtaking and the peacocks, bamboo, and secret rooms make it playful and stunning. Our idea of an afternoon fair with balloons and dancing outdoors came to life. It was so special for us and for our entire family."

The bride looked stunning in a strapless ivory silk organza gown by Vera Wang, and the groom donned a black peak-lapel tuxedo by Calvin Klein with a black-and-white polka dotted bow tie. For which the bride gushes, "He looked adorable." Later in the night, she changed into the purple floral chiffon garden dress that her mother wore for her own wedding. "I will always remember running outside in my mother's wedding dress and seeing the look on her face," Joanna says. Guests dined on tasty selections from food stations that served up filet mignon with truffle mac 'n' cheese, shrimp and grits with asparagus, miso-glazed salmon, spring rolls, and seared tuna. Then, it was warm chocolate chip cookies with large shot glasses of Green Pastures' famous brandy milk punch. But the main focus of the night? Music and dancing! First it was the East Side Dandies playing New Orleans-Style jazz. Their seven-foot tall banjo player even incorporated a bit of tap dancing into the routine in honor of the bride's long-time affection for it. Sam had his good friend, Andy Barham, surprise Joanna by playing Santo and Johnny's "Sleepwalk" for their first dance. The bride says: "It was just the sweetest moment of my life thus far, and I'll never forget how thoughtful it was." The party really got started when Soul Happening (formerly Waxploitation) started spinning old funk and soul records. Even the people who typically refuse to dance got out on the floor.

Another major theme of the wedding was making things as waste free and green as possible, like videographer Ashley Chiles of Ladyflash who purchased carbon offsets to counteract energy use, and they used local vendors when possible. As the magical night came to an end, guests started banging tambourines as the couple exited to Sam's favorite song, Bob Dylan's "Tambourine Man." Their pedicab drive took them to the Hotel San Jose where friends convened for a nightcap. Joanna remembers—"It was a dream. After six and a half years, we were super excited to get married. Everyone there had always been such fighting fans of our love, so it was as if we were celebrating together—so much love and warmth surrounded us, and we felt blessed. Oh, and Sam and I got to do our 'albatross mating dance.' We are two lucky birds."