Four Seasons Hotel Austin sits downtown on the shore of Lady Bird Lake, and its Back Lawn is the reason most couples book it. Everything happens in one building and its grounds, so we spend the day filming instead of driving. The lake gives us a backdrop that no ballroom can.
Hero photo: Four Seasons Hotel Austin
Getting ready in the hotel
At a September wedding we filmed, the bridal party got ready in a hotel room the planner called Violet Crown, with pastries in the morning and lunch served there at 11:00. The groomsmen arrived already dressed to a separate room, Stones Crossing, where the planner pinned boutonnieres.
Having both sides in the same building means one of us can stay with the bride for her dress and the first look with her father while the other films the guys. The couple then had their own first look at the stairs at 3:00.
Photo: Four Seasons Hotel Austin
Ceremony, the lawn and the dock
The hotel describes the Back Lawn as a lake-view garden setting for weddings. The rehearsal for our September couple happened on the lawn the day before, and the ceremony ran from 5:30 to 6:15 with a chuppah and live musicians.
During cocktail hour we took the couple down to the dock for a few minutes. In mid September the sun set at 7:37, so 6:30 was about an hour before sunset, when the light on the water starts to settle. If you only plan one portrait stop here, make it that one.
Photo: Four Seasons Hotel Austin
Reception inside
Guests were invited inside at 7:10 for a ballroom reception. The hotel lists its largest ballroom at 7,029 square feet. The couple ate privately in Ballroom A before their entrance, and the bride later changed there after cake cutting.
The night opened with the grand entrance, first dance and the hora before dinner, which kept energy high and gave us the big moments early. Toasts came between courses, and the dance floor opened at 8:45.
Timing and logistics
The venue access window for our couple started at 10:00 AM, with rentals arriving between 10:00 and noon. The send-off was at 11:30 PM through a line of guests, and vendors had to be out by 12:30 AM.
- A ketubah signing worked well in the getting-ready room at 4:45, after it was tidied and set with a round table.
- Hotel staff took coffee orders for the bridal party in the morning.
- The hotel's press materials list an outdoor banquet capacity of 600.
A real day here
A September Sunday we filmed here (September 2025)
| 9:45 AM | Hair and makeup set up in the getting-ready room with pastries and coffee |
| 1:45 PM | Hair and makeup finished; pajama photos |
| 2:10 PM | Bride gets dressed in the suite |
| 2:30 PM | Groomsmen arrive dressed; boutonnieres pinned |
| 2:40 PM | First look with her father, then with the bridesmaids |
| 3:00 PM | Couple's first look at the stairs, then portraits |
| 3:30 PM | Wedding party photos, with family photos at 4:00 |
| 4:45 PM | Ketubah signing |
| 5:30 PM | Ceremony with live musicians |
| 6:15 PM | Cocktail hour and extended family photos |
| 6:30 PM | Couple portraits on the dock |
| 7:20 PM | Grand entrance, first dance and hora (sunset 7:37) |
| 8:45 PM | Dance floor opens after toasts and parent dances |
| 11:30 PM | Send-off through a line of guests |
Sample timelines by season
Sunset in Austin moves by three hours across the year, and it decides almost everything else on the timeline. Here is how we would shape a day at Four Seasons Hotel Austin in each season. Times are a starting point; your planner and venue will tune them.
Spring
| 2:45 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 3:45 PM | Bride with her bridesmaids, groom with his groomsmen, separately |
| 4:15 PM | Each side's family photos, still apart |
| 4:45 PM | Guests arrive; couple hidden in the suite |
| 5:15 PM | Ceremony, first sight at the aisle |
| 5:45 PM | Family photos at the ceremony site |
| 6:00 PM | Wedding party photos, then couple portraits while guests enjoy a long cocktail hour |
| 7:00 PM | Grand entrance straight into the first dance |
| 7:10 PM | Dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Golden hour portraits between courses |
| 8:00 PM | Toasts and parent dances, dance floor opens |
| 10:45 PM | Send-off |
Summer
| 4:45 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 5:45 PM | Separate portraits with the wedding party; no first look |
| 7:00 PM | Guests arrive to live music |
| 7:45 PM | Ceremony, timed for the last of the light |
| 8:10 PM | Recessional; family photos first, while the light holds |
| 8:15 PM | Cocktail hour into dusk |
| 8:25 PM | Golden hour couple portraits, about 20 minutes |
| 9:05 PM | Grand entrance, first dance, then dinner |
| 9:55 PM | Toasts and parent dances |
| 10:25 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 11:30 PM | Send-off |
Fall
| 2:00 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 3:00 PM | First look with dad, then a bridesmaid reveal |
| 3:15 PM | Groom's portraits with his parents and groomsmen |
| 4:00 PM | Wedding party tucked away in the suite as guests arrive |
| 4:45 PM | Ceremony |
| 5:15 PM | Cocktail hour; family photos first, then the wedding party |
| 5:45 PM | Couple portraits, about 20 minutes |
| 6:15 PM | Grand entrance and dinner |
| 6:30 PM | Quick sunset portraits, about 10 minutes |
| 7:15 PM | Toasts, cake cutting, first dance and parent dances |
| 7:45 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 10:05 PM | Private last dance, then send-off |
In mid September the sun set at 7:37, which put the best light on the lake during cocktail hour.
Winter
| 12:00 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 1:00 PM | First look, then couple portraits |
| 1:35 PM | Wedding party portraits, then immediate family |
| 2:20 PM | Couple tucked away in the suite; guests arrive |
| 3:00 PM | Ceremony |
| 3:30 PM | Cocktail hour; extended family photos |
| 4:30 PM | Grand entrance and dinner |
| 4:55 PM | Couple slips out for golden hour, about 15 minutes |
| 5:30 PM | Toasts, then first dance and parent dances |
| 6:00 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 8:30 PM | Send-off |
Photo: Four Seasons Hotel Austin
Common questions
Where are wedding ceremonies held at Four Seasons Hotel Austin?
The hotel offers its Back Lawn, a lake-view garden setting, for weddings. Indoor ballroom space is also available.
Can the whole wedding party get ready at the hotel?
Yes. The couple we filmed used separate rooms in the hotel for the bridal party and the groomsmen, plus a private room for the couple's dinner break.
How late can a reception run?
Our September couple did their send-off at 11:30 PM, with vendors out by 12:30 AM. Confirm your own end time with the hotel.
Planning a wedding here? Send us your date and we will tell you how we would film it.