Bridal Edition
Happily
A journey into enchanted events to find the magic behind ‘I Do'
Handcrafted wines infuse your celebration with warmth, elegance and flair From vine to vows
Be my valentine
Bride
Tying the knot on the most romantic day of the year
In this issue
January 2025
FEATURES
12 CRAFTING HAPPILY EVER AFTER
A journey into enchanted events to find the magic behind ‘I Do'
20 BE MY VALENTINE BRIDE
Tying the knot on the most romantic day of the year
28 FROM VINE TO VOWS
Handcrafted wines infuse your celebration with warmth, elegance and flair
AROUND TOWN
34 FAVORITE FINDS
Unique items from small, local businesses
36 SAVE THE DATE
See what events are coming up
38 FACES OF SEGUIN
Submitted photos from our readers
On the cover
Open the pages of our bridal magazine to discover a realm of inspiration and enchantment, where every gown, bouquet, and story shimmers with a touch of magic.
Vol. 11, No. 7
Seguin magazine is published twelve times a year by the Seguin Gazette.
Publisher
Elizabeth Engelhardt
Magazine Editor
Desiree Gerland
Writers
Nolan Alexander Alex Lowe
Dalondo Moultrie
ADVERTISING
Gay Lynn Olsovsky
Delilah Reyes
Graphic design Melissa Taylor
TO ADVERTISE IN SEGUIN Magazine Call 830-463-0766
Have Story Ideas? Let us know! seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com
To view the digital version visit issuu.com/seguingazette
Inside this bridal edition, we’re celebrating the folks right here at home who bring a touch of magic to every “I do.” Throughout these stories, you’ll meet local voices of crafters, storytellers, artists and dreamers — each weaving his or her unique talents into moments that feel downright enchanting.
I’ll admit, I haven’t been to a lot of weddings myself, but whenever I do, I’m struck by something profound swirling just beneath the surface. It’s not just two people promising forever; it’s more like tapping into some deep, universal force that quietly hums within us all. That shared energy, both familiar and a little mysterious, draws everyone closer, reminding us that love has a way of uniting hearts in a celebration that surpasses the ordinary.
Think of this issue as a peek behind the curtain, where personal passions and hometown flair can turn any wedding day into something truly extraordinary. We hope these features remind you that beyond all the planning and preparation, it’s the people and their creative spark that make each celebration shine.
Desiree Gerland
Magazine Editor
desiree.gerland@seguingazette.com
Small-Town Magic, Big-Day Dreams
Say ‘I Do’ in Seguin
There’s something about Seguin's warmth that goes beyond its Texas sunshine. Walk through the tree-lined streets, where neighbors know each other by name and local shops greet you with a friendly smile, and you’ll soon see why this town is destined to be part of your love story.
From the very first planning stages, Seguin’s charm will shine. Maybe you’ll schedule a cake tasting at a local bakery where they have perfected the delicate swirl of a decadent buttercream icing. While you’re there, a local florist might offer you a bouquet of wildflowers, grown just a few miles down the road — fresh, fragrant, and tied with a ribbon that feels like a piece of home.
You and your partner can take a stroll along the Guadalupe River, imagining guests gathered under century-old pecan trees, their laughter mixing with the gentle trickle of water and distant birdsong. Picture your wedding party posing before historic brick buildings and vintage storefronts, their cheerful presence frozen in timeless photographs. Perhaps you’ll find that perfect “I do” spot in a restored barn-turned-event venue, its rustic beams and candlelit corners bringing intimacy and elegance together in one unforgettable scene.
Your big day will be more than a moment in time; it will be a meaningful celebration woven from the local tapestry. Local musicians may serenade your guests with country ballads and soft acoustic tunes, while caterers prepare a mouthwatering feast inspired by the region’s freshest ingredients. As the sun sets, the evening sky painted with hues of rose and gold will frame you and your love, standing hand-in-hand and looking toward your future.
In Seguin, it’s easy to believe in the magic of small-town love stories. This is a place where the community wants to share in your joy, where the details feel personal, and where your big-day dreams transform into a memory that will forever make you smile. Make your vows in Seguin, and begin your forever with a touch of small-town magic. ♥
Crafting Happily Ever After A Journey into Enchanted Events to
find The Magic Behind ‘I Do'
Ahappy wife makes for a happy life. We’ve all heard the saying. It is good advice to follow. There may be no period of time that supports the truth of those words more than the weeks and months leading up to the actual wedding. The frantic days of worrying and fretting over the details of the big day are experiences almost every married couple remembers. In her role as a wedding planner, Kathryn Whitt knows she has one mission above all others.
“Our job when we are at the wedding is to make sure that even if a minor mishap does occur that it remains invisible to the bride and groom in terms of them being able to focus on and enjoy their big day,” she said. “We are there to manage the vendors who are working the event and to ensure that they are responding according to the bride’s vision that she has created for the day.”
A Seguin resident since 2015, Whitt is the founder of Katy Gee Consultants, a wedding and event planning service provider. Katy Gee Consultants offers a wide range of services designed to make
a bride and groom’s big day easy and memorable. A United States Air Force veteran of 21 years, Whitt has been interested in weddings as far back as 2005.
“My husband and I started dating in 2005. We got married in 2008. Right from the start, we were involved with wedding photography,” she said. “Around 2018, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after I retired from the Air Force. I didn’t want to have to carry a camera around to weddings forever. I loved weddings so I decided to get involved in a different aspect of the industry. I started very small, just doing day-of-event coordination, walking people through timelines and making sure their days went according to plan. So, we started that in 2018. By 2021, I had retired from the Air Force after twenty-one years and I began to pursue this full time. Now I offer everything from wedding day management to full blown, A to Z, wedding planning.”
The couple started coordinating in 2018. By 2021, Whitt had retired from the Air Force after 21 years and began pursuing the new endeavor full time,
Story by Alex Lowe
Phots courtesy of Brannen Photography, Miracle Vision and Walston
she said. Now, she offers everything from wedding-day management to fullblown, A-to-Z wedding planning.
Husband Richard Whitt has been at her side supporting her in the business.
“I knew as far back as when she was taking photos that she would be great at this,” said Richard. “She used to spend hours in front of the computer working on editing the images to get them just right. She was dedicated to making everything perfect.”
Kathryn and Richard make for an experienced team, each bringing their own strengths to the business.“I do all the planning and logistics for the event and, as we get closer to the big day, I will sit down with my husband and talk about where we might need him during the event,” she said. “He has a really good eye and vision for things. There are days when I may have a full plate during the wedding and in those cases, he really steps up and helps get things done.”
The Whitts have a powerful example from their own lives that illustrates just how important proper wedding planning can be. Every “I” must be dotted and every “T” must be crossed. And for goodness’ sake, the people presiding over the event need to be sure they know the players.
“When we got married, we had a backyard wedding,” said Kathryn. “We contacted an ordained minister to preside over the service. Now my name is Kathryn but when she got there, she decided that my name for the day was going to be Kimberly. The worst thing about that is my husband’s ex-wife is named Kimberly. So, all our pictures and other such things are labeled Kimberly instead of my correct name.”
Kathryn knows that there are several daunting challenges that go along with planning a wedding and coordinating the event on the big day.
“Managing the budget is probably the most challenging aspect. Then managing family expectations is important,” she said. “Finally, proper vendor selection is critical. Clients want to pay for a DJ with a playlist off their phone and a Beats Pill for a
speaker, but they want a DJ with the blow-you-away sound system and amazing mixing board.”
When clients choose Katy Gee Consultants for their wedding services, Kathryn always congratulates them on their engagement. She attempts to put their minds at ease while getting a quick overview of their desires and expectations.
“I start by discussing their vision for the wedding day so we can create a celebration that perfectly reflects their love story,” Kathryn said. “I tell them that they have made the best decision by walking through my door because they will no longer look at planning the wedding as a task but as a joyous moment!”She sees many interesting new trends in weddings for 2025.“I am seeing bold décor. Weddings will feature bold, vibrant linens in hues like cobalt blue, deep fuchsia and mustard yellow,” she said. “These colorful tablecloths make a strong statement, adding energy and personality to the reception décor. Pink and orange flowers are up 200%.”Richard said that older traditions are not as favored by the younger generation.
“The dollar dance is something you don’t see much of anymore,” he said.
Kathryn also sees fun, new ways that couples opt for in preserving their wedding day memories.
“I’m seeing fun trends like the use of wedding photo apps,” she said. “Couples are choosing to go with the QR code/ phone app that allows guests to take pictures and upload their phone pictures to a cloud service and then all the guests and the bride and groom can see all of the pictures after the day is over.”
Along the lines of live entertainment, bands and deejays are being joined by other on-site entertainers.
“I think lots of couples will be making use of live wedding painters,” Kathryn said. “These artists can either paint personalized portraits on the big day or create an illustration of the wedding venue as guests watch in realtime. It’s a great icebreaker and will provide a lasting keepsake from the special day.” ♥
Be My Valentine
Bride!
Tying the Knot on the Most Romantic Day of the year
Awedding day can be full of emotion and stress, but what is hopefully present on everyone’s special day is the love shared between one another.
Whether that is love between the couple being married, or the love shared between family members — new and old — the day is all summed up when the bride and groom take that memorable walk down the aisle.
And Guadalupe County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Sheryl Sachtleben hopes to fill that moment with love, tears, joy and a whole lot of laughter. Sachtleben was elected into office in January 2011 and has handled some of Guadalupe County’s civil and criminal cases. She has also tied the knot for several of her fellow Seguinites over the past 14 years — including free ceremonies on Valentine’s Day — and
Story BY Nolan Alexander
PHOTOS by Felicia Frazar
everyone of them has a special place in her heart, Sachtleben said.
“Crazy, it seems like yesterday when I started in January 2011,” she said. “I love to do (weddings) because they are easy, fun, cute and just all about love. I’m kind of a goofy person so I don’t talk about peace and doves flying. I just talk about love and I hope to make them laugh.”
What is great about the whole process is how flexible and easy it is to fit couples into the wedding schedule, Sachtleben said. It’s a short process that takes just two people or as many people as the venue can hold, but Sachtleben makes sure the bride’s and groom’s wedding day is one to remember, she said.
“For the most part, I just conduct the actual wedding ceremonies. It takes about 15 minutes and I make sure they read their vows; it’s my favorite part,” she said. “We are very flexible. Most people get married in the work week and at the courthouse.”
Most of the weddings Guadalupe County justices of the peace conduct are at the courthouse, but they don’t rule out destination weddings, she said.
“We can go to venues. I’ve done lots of cute destination weddings,” she said. “I’ve married people in their houses here in Seguin, ranches, one on Canyon Lake, the Big Red Barn, just everywhere in Seguin. Most people do come to the courthouse — I would say 90%.”
In her 14 years conducting weddings, Sachtleben said she has seen it all from the heartfelt tears of family members, to memorable speeches and even kids involved in wedding ceremonies. One particular memory from her second year on the job marrying a couple whose never-ending love for one another stuck with her over the years, she said.
“I married these two young ladies Sonya and Tracy back in 2012 and their vows choked me up bad. I have never seen two girls more in love,” she said.
“I married these two other ladies who read vows to the kids, said their promises to them. It was really cute.”
At the end of the day, Sachtleben said she can’t help keeping her goofy side out of the wedding and the couples seem to get a laugh out of it. Whether there are only two people attending or 200, the justice of the peace wants to make sure everyone in the courthouse knows that you tied the knot, she said.
“When I actually marry people, I do tend to try to make them laugh or cry,” she said.”It’s kind of a tradition I have, but after I marry a couple and they kiss, I always say ‘whoo hoo, they tied it up in here.’ It’s just something goofy I do, but it has caught on.”
If a simple wedding filled with laughter and, yes, lots of love is what you want then Sachtleben said she can’t wait to help you tie the knot and make your day extra special in her own goofy, fun-filled way. ♥
Digital Marketing Tools
From Vine to Vows
Handcrafted wines infuse your celebration with warmth, elegance and flair
Story by Dalondo Moultrie
For most brides and almost anyone planning a wedding, the devil is in the details. With that in mine, choosing just the right wine to serve at a wedding reception or other bridal event can make the difference between delight and disaster.
The folks at Windmill Farm Winery have what you need to make your wedding events special. And they allow you to give it your own special touch, said Kelsie J., a bartender at the winery.
Photos by Victoria Gaytan
“It’s private wine batch making. We have our entire menu you can choose from to make wine,” she said. “You get to be a winemaker for a day you get taught the wine making process, fermentation. You get to do it yourself and then pretty much a month later you can come back and bottle it.”
Robin and Ryan Richter own Windmill Farms Winery. The business provides guided wine making to guests interested in being a part of the process, Kelsie said.
Participants choose from any of the wines on the winery’s menu, she said.
“Usually what we tell people is if they’ve never visited us before to come in for the day or the evening, maybe get a flight or couple glasses to try some things,” Kelsie said. “That way, they know what’s on the menu and get to pick their favorite ones.”
From there, they can choose a day that works best for them, schedule it and complete the process of making the wine, she said. The fermenting
process then takes a minimum of about six weeks, though some wines take a bit longer. While waiting for the wine to age, customers can formulate ideas for their batch’s finishing touches.
That includes customizing labels, coming up with designs and determining how to present their special batch of 28 bottles or half batch of 14 bottles. After the six to eight-week waiting period, customers return to cork and bottle their wine, which includes adding the labels, corks and foil, Kelsie said.
The entire process can be a great event for couples preparing to take their memorable walk down the aisle to matrimonial bliss, she said.
It can be a romantic endeavor or a fun thing for bridal groups, Kelsie said.
“We’ve had couples come in. They get to put their faces or their engagement photos on their labels. They serve their own wine at their wedding,” she said. “Or sometimes they’ll have their bridal party come in and help them bottle. They’ll have their groomsmen and their bridesmaids. The bridesmaids have bought the batches for the bride and groom and had them come in together.”
Windmill Farm Winery makes sweet and dry wines, reds and whites, Kelsie said, but currently no sparkling wines are on the menu.
It can be fun being the vintner, she said. And it can make that special day — and the weeks leading up to it — a bit more special.
While brides, grooms and other wedding party members can make the perfect batch, the guided winemaking can be for anyone, Kelsie said.
“We make it a whole thing,” she said. “People do this for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, just because. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.”
The reason for bridal groups would be to make the experience their own, just like the wine they make and bottle. Windmill Farm can offer a special touch to make the wedding festivities pop like few others. ♥
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EVENT CALENDAR
Race into 2025: fourth – 7 - 10 am
Set a fitness goal and kick off the New Year with us at Creative Nutrition’s Race Into 2025 5k Run/Walk & Kids Run. Promoting health and wellness in the community and getting results together. Registration: https://creativenutritionjanuarykickoff5k.itsyourrace.com. Course is closed to thru traffic. Arrive BEFORE 7:15 AM for parking by the pavilion. The park gate will be closed at 7:15 AM to ensure the safety of all runners and walkers. Parking after 7:15 AM will be available at the Wave Pool or outside the park gate.
Location: Starcke Park East, 1412 River Drive East
STHSA - all breed open: fourth – 8:30 am
Calling horse enthusiasts of all breeds and backgrounds! Join us for a day of spirited competition, camaraderie, and fun at our All-Breed Open Horse Show. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor looking to show off your polished performance or a newcomer excited to experience the thrill of the show ring, this event welcomes riders of every skill level and horses of every breed.
Registration: https://southtexashorseshowassociation.com/
Location: Seguin Events Complex, 950 S. Austin St.
Martin Luther King jr. Celebration: sixteenth – 7 pm
This year’s theme – HOPE. LOVE. UNITY. embodies Dr. King’s timeless message that continues to inspire and uplift our community. The week long celebration will feature a vibrant lineup of events, culminating in the annual MLK Guadalupe March. For decades, our community has come together to commemorate Dr. King’s enduring impact, and this year promises to be no exception. We would be honored to have your participation, whether by attending, collaborating, or volunteering, as we reflect on Dr. King’s vision and his call to action for justice and unity.
Location: New Saint James Baptist Church, 302 A.J. Malone Drive
Third Thursday: Sixteenth – 4 - 8 pm
Businesses and shops in downtown Seguin are open with sales, events, snacks and fun! Each month features a different, exciting theme. Shop Seguin. Shop online or in store.
Location: Central Park, 201 S. Austin St.
9th Annual Fiber Show -
Seguin Art League: Eighteenth – 10 am
The Ninth Annual Fiber Show "Culture Keepers: the Craft Artists" will be held January 18 through February 15. Open to Seguin Art League members and other area fiber artists. Submission date is Jan. 18 at 104 S. Austin St., Seguin, from 10 to noon. Entries must go beyond mere function. The work should be structurally sound. Two-dimensional work must be equipped with wire for hanging. For more information call 830-305-0472 or write seguinartleague@yahoo.com.
Location: Seguin Art League Building, 104 S. Austin St.
SEGUIN MAGAZINE IS LOOKING FOR
FREELANCE CREATIVE WRITERS
We’re looking for writers of all skill levels who are interested in digging into the stories of local folks doing what they do best — smallbusiness owners, community artists, passionate volunteers, and everyday people making a real difference.
If you want to write the history of the neighborhoods, the faces, and the hidden talents that make our area special, we want you on our team. Send a brief introduction and writing sample to seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com
