Do you ever look at a stranger’s wedding photos and really, really wish you had somehow been invited to the wedding because it looked like such a great time? That’s what Rebecca Adelson and Quentin Cantu’s wedding was like.

Adelson, an Austin actress, singer, and model, tied the knot with Cantu, one of the cofounders of popular Austin hard seltzer company Ranch Rider Spirits, in New Jersey on July 25, 2021.

But the couple has actually known each other for 15 years, Adelson told me over Zoom. They met in college at George Washington University. It’s a story worthy of a romantic comedy.

“We met freshman year, and he was obsessed with me immediately,” Adelson said, laughing.

Adelson had a boyfriend, so they couldn’t get involved. But they kept running into each other. She sang with an a cappella group, and he was in a band. They shared a rehearsal space. After graduation, they ended up living in the same neighborhood. One night, they even ended up at the same bar. And the rest is history.

Cantu proposed during an anniversary getaway in a rental house on Lake Travis. The two were eating chicken wings for breakfast (there are no rules on vacation!) when he got down on one knee. He had a room full of their loved ones waiting for her when they got back from their trip, and hey celebrated even more when Adelson’s band played a gig at The Oasis.

“My band does a version of ‘At Last,’ and I had our other vocalist sing it so we could do a little ‘just got engaged’ dance,” Adelson said.

After that, the path to the altar wasn’t an easy one. Like many couples, Adelson and Cantu had to reschedule their wedding twice due to the pandemic. They were supposed to get married in August of 2020…then May of 2021…then it finally happened in July 2021. And it was worth the wait.

The couple got married at the Art Factory in New Jersey, a venue which was formerly a rope factory, so it fits the industrial vibe the couple was going for, Rebecca said.

And of course, Cantu being a founder of Ranch Rider Spirits, they had plenty of Ranch Rider on hand. Including an extra-special twist on the “his and hers” specialty cocktails that are popular at many weddings. An Aperol spritz for her and a mezcal ranch water for him, both canned with special labels featuring childhood photos of the couple.

There are so many special moments Adelson remembers most about that day, but there are a few that stand out. They loved their Austin rabbi so much, they flew him out to New Jersey to perform the wedding, so Adelson has fond memories of the ceremony.

“He’s so charismatic and he’s also an incredible musician and singer, so he was singing a lot of traditional prayers, and everyone was blown away. I loved every minute of that.”

She also loved incorporating Jewish traditions into the ceremony. Family members came up to give the traditional seven blessings, and she used her late grandfather’s shawl for the ceremony. They also got married underneath the same chuppah that many of Adelson’s family members have used for their weddings.

“All the cousins have used it, and we’ve had our Hebrew names embroidered in it, so I really loved that part.”

“His and hers” canned cocktails (an Aperol spritz for her and a mezcal ranch water for him), featured special labels with childhood photos of the couple.

Rebekah Paul Photography

“His and hers” canned cocktails (an Aperol spritz for her and a mezcal ranch water for him), featured special labels with childhood photos of the couple.

Before they ever met, Georgette Hoang’s husband knew he would date her one day. Hoang, formerly Georgette Raad, never met her husband, Long, when they had a class together at St. Edward’s University. But he Facebook stalked her for months, and they finally met after Georgette transferred to the University of Texas.

The pair started dating a year later, and eight years after that, they got married in a November 2021 ceremony at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church in South Austin, followed by a reception at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center on the UT campus.

Georgette’s favorite moment of the wedding was the second she saw her soon-to-be-husband as she walked down the aisle.

“We didn’t do a first look,” Georgette said. “We didn’t talk the day of, we didn’t text, we didn’t call, we didn’t see each other. We made it a point to not see each other after the rehearsal dinner. So I was walking down the aisle and we had a violinist. It was goosebump music. But [I was] just walking down the aisle with my dad, and Long and I were staring at each other. There were so many people there, and all we saw was each other. That was the most special part of the day for me.”

She said her husband isn’t a crier — but he let it all out when he saw her.

“I’ve never seen him cry like that,” she said.

Another favorite moment was the final dance of the night after the reception. The party filed outside to set up their sparklers for the couple’s grand exit, and the newlyweds took a moment to themselves to dance together to Etta James’ “At Last.”

After two postponements due to the pandemic, Georgette loved finally having all their family and friends together. They had a big wedding party — 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen — and loved bringing everyone together to celebrate.

But there was one special person missing from the celebration. Georgette’s uncle was Clifford Antone, founder of the classic Austin blues club Antone’s and the record store that shares the same name. Antone died in 2006, but Georgette found ways to make sure her uncle was around on her special day. They cut out one of his blue shirts into the shape of his initials and sewed it inside of her dress. They placed a photo of him on the memory table. And they even hosted their rehearsal dinner upstairs at Antone’s in his memory.

“He made an impact on the world for sure, and Austin and the music industry. But for me it’s beyond that,” Georgette said. “He just showed me how to be a good person. He would take his shirt off his back for anyone. I tried to keep his legacy living on in different ways.”

Georgette said Antone was like another parent to her when growing up. She said he always told her the story of when she was born, she was so little that he held her in the palm of his hand, and that was when he knew he would always take care of her.

Georgette said Antone still takes care of her, even more than 15 years after his death. She sees yellow butterflies often, which she views as him checking in on her. And right before she got on the phone for our interview, a yellow butterfly circled around her.

Georgette Raad and Long Hoang's sparkly wedding exit.

Yazmin - Photos by Yaz

Georgette Raad and Long Hoang's sparkly wedding exit.