At the Table: Inside Bradie & Luke’s Austin Wedding Menu
If there’s one thing we love about our job (and there are a lot of things, trust us), it’s Austin wedding catering.
There’s something about celebrating in the Texas Hill Country that never gets old. Maybe it’s the live oaks, the golden light, or the way every wedding seems to embrace great food, great music, and bringing people together.
Bradie and Luke’s celebration at Windemere Farms was a perfect example.
Bradie and Luke first met at Texas A&M, where playing middle infield together on an intramural softball team quickly turned into a friendship and, eventually, something more. They officially started dating during Bradie’s final year at A&M and spent much of their relationship long distance between College Station, Dallas, and Austin, with plenty of meet-in-the-middle dates in Waco along the way.
After years of long distance, their four-and-a-half-month engagement marked the beginning of a pretty exciting new chapter: planning the day they’d finally become husband and wife and get to call the same city home.
And when it came time to plan that day, food was always going to play a big part.
“We both love all different kinds of food, and so many of our memories together already revolved around restaurants, cooking, and sharing meals. We didn’t want our wedding menu to just feel like ‘wedding food.’ We wanted to choose things we genuinely loved and would be excited to eat ourselves.” — Bradie
It’s why one of our favorite parts of planning Bradie and Luke’s wedding was creating a menu that felt just as welcoming as the celebration itself.
Rather than opting for a traditional plated dinner, they envisioned an evening where guests could settle in, catch up with old friends, and discover something new throughout the night. Every course was designed to encourage conversation, invite people to explore, and keep the celebration flowing naturally from one moment to the next.
Rather than opting for a traditional plated dinner, they knew pretty early on that stations were the way to go. They wanted their nearly 200 guests to have plenty of options, plenty to eat, and the freedom to experience dinner at their own pace. Most importantly, they wanted the menu to feel like them.
As Bradie put it, “one of our biggest things was that we wanted our people to be FED! We didn’t want anyone leaving our wedding hungry or feeling like they only had one option.”
The result? Steak frites, spicy rigatoni, street tacos, tiramisu and beignets. Maybe not the most traditional combination, but that was precisely the point. “It sounds like a crazy combination when you list it all out, but we have absolutely zero regrets. It felt like us!” Bradie told us.
The first bite: setting the tone
We’ve always believed cocktail hour is more than the time between the ceremony and dinner. Really, it’s where the celebration begins (and the catering can set the tone).
For Bradie and Luke, that meant passed hors d’oeuvres that were easy to enjoy with a drink in hand and plenty of conversation. Bite-size Ancho-Honey Chicken Tacos layered creamy avocado purée, pickled onion, and queso fresco into a single bite, while Sweet Chili Tuna Tartare Sesame Cones paired avocado smash with fresh ginger and green onion for something a little unexpected. Caprese Skewers with marinated mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, basil, and balsamic glaze added a fresh, familiar favorite to the mix.
Behind the bar, guests could choose from house beer and wine or lean into Texas favorites like ranch waters, margaritas, and spicy margaritas. Later in the evening, espresso martinis made a welcome appearance for anyone looking for one more celebratory toast.
Why we love interactive dinner stations
One of the questions we hear most often from couples is whether they should choose a plated dinner, buffet, or stations. The truth? There’s no right answer. It all comes down to the kind of evening you want to create.
For Bradie and Luke, interactive stations felt like the perfect fit. Rather than bringing everyone through the same dining experience at the same pace, guests could wander between three distinct menus, build a plate that suited them, and enjoy dinner whenever they were ready.
Their menu is a great example of how interactive stations can offer variety without sacrificing a thoughtful (and delicious!) dining experience.The chef-attended Steak Frites station paired rosemary bistro filet steak bites with crispy truffle fries and a selection of accompaniments, from serrano chimichurri and smoked garlic aioli to caramelized onions and horseradish crème fraîche.
Nearby, the Tacos y Más station celebrated Texas flavors with tomatillo lime chicken, ancho brown sugar pulled pork, fresh tortillas, queso fresco, cilantro, pickled onions, chipotle sour cream, and Vestals’ house-made salsa roja. For those craving something comforting, the Al Dente & Divine station featured rigatoni tossed in vodka basil sauce alongside a crisp garden salad, artisan bread, shaved parmesan, and herb grilled chicken.
It’s a style of service we love because it feels less like “dinner is being served” and more like another part of the celebration.
And.. we might have proof that choosing food you actually love is always a good idea.
When Bradie and Luke recently received their wedding gallery, they celebrated by making steak frites at home and eating dinner together while looking through their photos.
“It was such a sweet little full-circle moment. I think it’s the perfect example of why I’m so glad we chose foods we truly loved for our wedding. Now those dishes are tied to such a special memory for us, and we get to recreate them in our own kitchen and be taken right back to that day.”
Ending on a sweet note
Wedding cake is an obvious choice, but as wedding caterers we also love when we get to give guests one more surprise before the night is over.
Alongside tiramisu shooters, Bradie and Luke chose a live beignet station where fresh beignets were prepared to order and dusted with powdered sugar just before serving. It was the perfect late-night treat, and the sweetest way to round out an evening centered around great food, great company, and love.
A seat at the table
For all the thought that went into the menu, Bradie’s favorite memory of dinner had very little to do with what was actually on the plate.
After years spent traveling between cities to see one another, there was something particularly meaningful about finally sitting together as husband and wife, surrounded by nearly 200 of the people who had been part of their story.
“Dinner under the tent is one of those memories I wish I could step back into for just a few minutes. I remember looking around and seeing all of the people who had loved us, prayed for us, encouraged us, and been part of so many different seasons of our lives, all sitting together at these tables eating, laughing, and celebrating our marriage.”
The Austin wedding vendors behind the day
A wedding like this doesn’t come together because of one person or one team. It takes talented creatives, thoughtful collaboration, and a shared commitment to making every detail feel effortless. We were honored to be part of Bradie and Luke’s day alongside an incredible group of Austin wedding vendors.
Venue
Windemere Farms
Planning & Coordination
Simply XO Events
Catering
Vestals Catering
Photography
Audrey Spiars Photo
Videography
Visuals by Kena
Floral Design
Teoxochitl Designs
Hair & Makeup
Hannah Zahner Beauty
Entertainment
Love & Happiness Band
Stage & Dance Floor
Teddy Kennedy Events
Photo Booth
Pixster Photo Booth
Hospitality is in the details
The best weddings aren’t remembered because of one big moment. They’re remembered because of dozens of thoughtful ones.
For our Austin couple Bradie and Luke, those moments showed up throughout the evening. A signature Spicy Margarita for the bride. An Old Fashioned for the groom. Espresso martinis served later in the night. And after the celebration came to a close, a newlywed basket waiting with champagne, charcuterie, ginger molasses cookies, slices of wedding cake, bottled water, and a handwritten note.
But sometimes, hospitality is just as much about the things guests don’t have to think about.
Luke has a severe nut allergy, something that can make dining at events stressful. From the beginning of the planning process, making sure he could enjoy his own wedding meal safely was a priority for our team. The event itself was specifically planned around an allergy to all peanuts and tree nuts.
“Vestals immediately made us feel comfortable and confident that it was being taken seriously. It was such a gift to know that on our wedding day, it wasn’t something we needed to worry about.”
To us, that’s hospitality, too.
And those are the details we love most. Not because they’re extravagant, but because they make people feel cared for. And at the end of the day, that’s what hospitality is all about.
Let’s bring your story to the table
Every wedding tells a different story.
Bradie and Luke’s was filled with Texas-inspired flavors, interactive stations, late-night beignets, and thoughtful touches that reflected who they are as a couple. Yours will look different, and that’s exactly the point.
At Vestals, we believe the best wedding menus aren’t copied from Pinterest or pulled from a package. They’re built around the people you’re celebrating with and the memories you want to create together. Because when the food is thoughtful, guests remember more than just what they ate… they remember how they felt.
And that’s exactly why we love what we do.
So whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or a celebration for hundreds, we’d love to help bring your story to the table. With teams serving both Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth, we create weddings rooted in exceptional food, genuine hospitality, and thoughtful details that guests remember long after the last dance.
Ready to start planning? We’d love to hear what’s inspiring your day. Here’s to good food, great company, and a celebration that’s unmistakably yours.
