Over eight years ago, the Internet brought Maia Watson, a travel agent born and raised in Austin, and Sean McGrath, a computer systems architect, of Grapevine, Texas, together. After two weeks of phone conversations, the couple met in person for their first date at an Italian restaurant. A dozen yellow roses, smiley face balloons (Maia’s favorite), and $17 lost on penny poker, the couple’s friends called them ‘as married as married gets without the wedding.’ On November 17, 2004, Sean made it official.

“Sean knew that I would be living in mortal terror if I turned 30 years old and wasn’t engaged,” said Maia. “My 30th birthday was approaching in November of 2004, so the engagement happened just in time.”

The couple had planned a hot air balloon ride, but that particular November day, the weather didn’t cooperate. They took a horse carriage ride downtown and stopped in front of the state capitol. “We are both so proud of Austin and Texas and as we stood in front of the Capitol, with the rain pouring down, Sean kneeled down and proposed marriage,” said Maia. “I was laughing and crying so hard that I didn’t give him an answer and the carriage driver had to remind me that Sean was still awaiting my answer. I quickly answered yes and we went to dinner. Once seated, neither of us was hungry and we spent the night lingering in the shock of the night’s events. It was a good kind of shock, though.”

Sean proposed to Maia with his mother’s favorite non-traditional cocktail ring, which she now wears on her right hand. Sean’s mother also graciously gave Sean her traditional wedding band and second engagement ring, which Maia now wears proudly.

Sean and Maia’s wedding was a complete reflection of the couple’s personalities, according to Maia. “I was adamant about not having a cookie cutter wedding,” she said. “I started to develop our wedding style by counting all of the cross stiched tablecloths that my grandmother had created over the years. Since we were planning a small wedding, I decided that if my mom, grandmother, and myself went into super work mode, we could sew the rest of the wildflower themed tablecloths for all of the tables. That was really the starting point for the entire wedding.”

The crafty bride-to-be and grandmother duo planned a day to pick wildflowers, which would be pressed and later incorporated into wedding favors. The couple and their families formed an assembly line, armed with beveled round glass and the pressed flowers, and handcrafted coasters for each guest. Additionally, Maia and Sean used handmade stationery for their save-the-date cards, invitations, and programs, always maintaining the wildflower concept.

“I found dinner and cake plates from the 1940s and 1950s online that reflected that era’s true feel,” said Maia. “Since I love crafts, I collected signatures on quilt squares instead of the standard guest book. We turned the handkerchief that my grandmother and mother carried in their weddings into the ring bearer’s pillow. It was important for us to include the people that we love into our wedding.”

After practicing the wedding ceremony, the couple’s wedding party spent Friday night at the Shoreline Grill. On Saturday, the groom and his friends played golf and Maia and Kelly, her maid-of-honor, Kelly, enjoyed spa treatments in Lakeway. Sean and Maia’s guests spent the night at The Oasis for a meet and greet, taking time to enjoy Austin’s beautiful outdoor scenery.

The couple’s cozy affair took place the following Sunday at sunset on April 23, 2006, in a gazebo at Star Hill Ranch. Sean’s heritage is Irish, so the couple played Celtic music while their 75 guests were seated. “We placed a single Gerber daisy in each chair and continued the nature idea the entire time,” said Maia. “Sean and I wanted an intimate wedding and weren’t interested in inviting our parents’ dentists or people that we didn’t talk to on a regular basis. It was amazing that almost everyone we invited were able to attend the wedding.”

Maia’s dress was as unexpected as the rest of the wedding. She wore an ivory gown with solid floral embroidery along the bottom, and pink, blue, and green flowers covered the unique design. Her maid-of-honor wore a cream white knee-length dress with a sage sash and delicate flowers along the skirt’s bottom.

Connie Larson officiated the ceremony and to Maia’s father’s embarrassment, Maia chose “ZippideedooDah” as the couple’s exit song. “We wanted the reception to be a time to be with our friends and family,” said Maia. “We chose that particular date so that we could also celebrate my parent’s 25th wedding anniversary. They were surprised when we presented a silver wedding cake to them and a birthday cupcake to Sean’s niece, born on that date, a year earlier.”

The Angelic Strings played throughout the cocktail hour and the seated dinner, where the main course, Beef Wellington, was served. “Our first romantic dinner was Beef Wellington and it’s been ‘our meal’ ever since,” she said. “Sean even made it from scratch once for me and that is no small feat.”

The McGraths continued the Texas Hill Country theme by serving a variety of Texas wines during the reception, since the couple often enjoys touring the Hill Country wineries. Instead of one bridal cake, Sean and Maia offered seven cakes, each decorated with different flowers. The flavors included tiramisu, chocolate, strawberry, and others. “One cake was not enough,” said Maia. “We went all out with all of the different flavors.”

Maia credited her event planner, Michelle Hope Lawrence of Michelle Hope Weddings for creating a cohesive event. “I had all kinds of ideas and always wandered off on a tangent,” she said. “Hope was instrumental in organizing the details and giving our wedding a definite vision.”

After their unique wedding, the McGraths left for their two-week Kauai honeymoon. “It was the two of us, a bungalow, and a hammock, literally 40 feet from the ocean, watching the sun rise and set,” said Maia. “We saw sea turtles the size of coffee tables, picnicked on the beach, and breathed in the incredibly quiet and romantic experience. We did the whole shebang and have the memories to prove it.”

Austin Resources

Best Man’s Tuxedo:
Men’s Warehouse

Bridal Gown:
Belle Saison

Maid-of-Honor’s Attire:
Foleys

Cake:
Sansalones

Caterer:
An Affair to Remember

Ceremony & Reception Venue:
Star Hill Ranch

Coordinator:
Michelle Hope Weddings

Florist:
Petal Pushers

Music:
Angelic Strings

Officiate:
Connie Larson

Photographer:
Kennedy Lindberg of Kennedy Lindberg Wedding Photojournalism

Rehearsal Dinner:
Shoreline Grill