Travel

Location of events: Venues for the main events are all within a 10-minute drive of downtown Austin. You can check them out on this Google map. There's another map below with some other touristing destinations if you want to poke around in town.

Air travel: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a 20-minute drive from downtown and is the easiest transportation option.

Getting around town: Austin is a driving town, but the car may not have to be yours. Cars can be rented fairly affordably, though your most affordable option may be using ride-sharing apps and/or ride-sharing with your fellow attendees. If you are new to ride-sharing, follow these links to download Lyft or Uber.

Lodgings

The Fairmont: The best deal we found in downtown Austin is the Fairmont. Due to a current special, rooms can be booked via the opening special rate at $199/night for the wedding weekend. If that special disappears, there is also a wedding block of rooms at the Aloft (see below).

The Aloft: We also have a block of rooms available at the Aloft, at $249/night.

DIY: Airbnb and HomeAway are also popular options.

Friday welcome gathering

We would love to see you Friday evening. Come join us for drinks from 8pm and 10pm at the South Congress Hotel. If you're driving, the valet will be free for event attendees.

Ceremony and reception

Timing: Please arrive by 5:45. A short ceremony will begin promptly at 6pm, and the reception will be immediately after at the same venue.

Wedding party: The bride and groom will be joined by their brothers, Ben, Phil, and Reeve.

Transit: Please drive or get a ride to the Umlauf. Parking will be plentiful: there is a 20-car lot at the Garden and a large lot for overflow directly across the street. Also, ride sharing has returned to Austin (Uber, Lyft) and should be easily available to/from the venue.

Food & drink: We won’t stop the party for a sit-down dinner, but a full meal from Peached Tortilla will be served from several stations.

Garb: The bride will wear a gown, and the groom will wear a suit. For people who prefer high-heeled shoes, block heels or wedges are recommended as some of the fun will take take place on grass and soft ground.

Music: We’re very excited to host local band Uptown Drive until noise ordinances shut them down at 10pm.

Sunday farewell brunch

Say goodbye before you go--we'll be hosting brunch with family friends Lynne & Crockett from 10am-1pm.

Enjoying Austin

These are a few of our favorite things, also available in a Google map:

Coffee

Jo's on South Congress - Coffee while touristing -- grab a belgian bomber and check out the shops, restaurants, and bars of South Congress.
Houndstooth - More good coffee, in Hyde Park or downtown.

Eating

Cenote - Good for brunch in East Austin.
Casa de Luz - Our favorite meal in Austin. Vegan cafe nestled in the back of the Center for Integral Studies, proximate to the lake and Zilker.
Mother's Cafe - Great vegetarian and vegan in Hyde Park.
Contigo - Basically a big patio with good food and drinks.
The Salt Lick - The pinnacle of Austin's barbecue-industrial complex; 30 min out of town but a worthy destination, colocated with a vineyard and beer store. May involve a non-trivial wait for food, so plan accordingly.

Outdoors

The "Lake" - The Colorado River is known as a lake as it passes through Austin, nice spot for a walk, jog, or bike ride.
Mount Bonnell - Modest outdoor ambitions? The highest point in Austin is a 10 minute drive and 15 minute hike from downtown, with views of city skyline and Colorado River.
Austin B-Cycle - The bike-share of Austin. (Other bike recs available.)

Evening

Skylark Lounge - Blues and soul dive bar with excellent live music.
Garage - Mid-century cocktail bar nestled inside a downtown parking garage.
Easy Tiger - Beer garden and bakery on 6th street downtown.

FAQ

Are kids invited?

Kids are very welcome. Just keep in mind they will need supervision as the sculpture garden includes a brook, a pond, and other places to get hurt and/or married.

Can you help me find a babysitter for the hotel/AirBnB?

Grandparents Unlimited comes highly recommended to us. They list their rates here. Contact: 512-795-8776 or gpumail@grandparentsunlimited.com