Anna Baird-Ballew and Antonio Baird may not have raced right to the altar after their first date in 2016, but the rubber had certainly met the road for the two auto enthusiasts’ loving future together.
The North Austin couple tied the knot on November 19, 2023 at the dreamy Camino Real Ranch surrounded by loved ones, fellow motorist friends, and a car meet.
Samantha Webb Photography
Anna Baird-Ballew and Antonio Baird called their November 2023 wedding a 'Fast and Furious' dream.
Their first meeting was one of chance, rooted in a shared interest. "I was invited to join a car club called Apex Heroes, in which Antonio was already a member,” says the bride. “Our first date? A car meet, naturally, followed by a parts run at Subaru of Austin.”
Baird-Ballew says the couple’s love for cars and auto culture inspired their wedding planning from the very beginning.
“We started planning a year-and-a-half before, right after Antonio's romantic proposal in Rome,” she says. “From the moment we started thinking about getting married…we knew our wedding had to reflect our passion for cars.”
The wedding ceremony and reception were held in the greenhouse on the Camino Real Ranch property, which features West Texas scenery, a Quonset Hut, and a modern desert aesthetic.
“Camino Real Ranch has a unique vibe,” Baird-Ballew says. “A beautiful escape with charming lights and unique buildings. It felt like stepping onto a movie set, and it perfectly captured the essence of our unconventional celebration.”
Unconventionality was the unofficial theme of the couple’s special day (including the non-traditional way Anna is hyphenating her last name). The local wedding planners at Blue Events & Co. helped organize a car show as part of the event, which originally started as a traditional getaway-car moment for the newlyweds.
“When we started making our guest list, I began thinking about our friends' modified cars spread around the parking lot and thought, ‘Why not gather them all at the entrance?’" Baird-Ballew says. “That turned into, ‘We should just park in the middle of the venue,’ which turned into a way to celebrate our love story and the place where it began. It was a true Fast and Furious dream.”
Although the wedding itself was unconventional, they also kept a few things formal and seasonal. The November event included nods to autumn, including the bridesmaids' long burgundy gowns and tie accents on the groomsmen's tuxedoes. There were also notes of purple in the florals and on the cake by Kayla Knight Cakes.
One spectacular highlight were the towers of champagne for guests to enjoy at their leisure.
For brides looking to plan their unconventional wedding day, Baird-Ballew offers this advice: “Embrace your vision and don't be afraid to break the mold,” she says. “Find vendors who love fresh ideas and can navigate the challenges of a non-traditional space. Be flexible and prepared to adapt, and communicate clearly with your entire team to ensure everyone is on the same page.”
Wedding planner: Blue Events & Co.
Venue: Camino Real Ranch
Catering:Hank's Austin Catering
Cake:Kayla Knight Cakes
Florals:Lavender & Lily Floral
Photography:Samantha Webb Photography
Makeup & Hair:LoLa Beauty
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Know of an Austin-area wedding to consider for publication? Email brianna@culturemap.com or stephanie@culturemap.com. Weddings must have taken place since January 1, 2023. Find more information about submissions here.
