Hyatt Regency Lost Pines sits on the lower Colorado River between Austin and Bastrop, and it has more event spaces than most couples will ever look at. The wedding we filmed there used the Riverbend Barn. It is a newer barn with vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and a wall of glass, and it handles a ceremony and a reception in the same room without feeling cramped.
Hero photo: Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa
The Riverbend Barn
The resort lists the Riverbend Barn for up to 450 guests, with about 2,300 square feet of patio and more than 3,000 square feet of lawn outside. The big glass gable is the feature. On our April wedding the ceremony was set inside, facing that window, so the trees outside became the backdrop.
That setup is good for film. Daylight comes in from behind the couple, the room is quiet, and the ceremony does not depend on the weather. Expect bright windows behind faces, so we expose for the couple and let the view go a little bright.
Getting ready and the ceremony
Both sides got ready on site, and the couple chose not to do a first look. Hair and makeup ran from noon to 3:00 PM, with the bride's photos at 4:00 PM and the groom's at 4:30 PM.
At 4:55 PM the bride moved into hiding at Riverbend before guests arrived. The invitation said 5:30 PM and the ceremony actually started at 5:40 PM. That ten minute buffer is worth copying at a resort this size.
Cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace and the flip
After the ceremony, guests moved to cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace, which the resort describes as a private space in a pecan grove next to the hummingbird garden. Family photos were set up on the path there, with the gardens behind. The jazz band from the ceremony moved over too.
Meanwhile the resort flipped Riverbend from ceremony to reception, and the rental company took down the ceremony draping. The rain plan kept the ceremony in Riverbend and moved cocktail hour indoors to the Baron's foyer.
Reception
Guests sat for dinner at 7:00 PM and the couple came in through the main door at 7:25 PM. Cake, toasts and all three dances were grouped at 8:15 PM, then the dance floor opened and the uplighting changed color. Ice cream service started at 9:30 PM at the back of the room.
The last dance was at 10:45 PM with a sparkler send off, and strike began at 11:00 PM.
- Ceremony inside Riverbend, facing the window
- Cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace
- Rain plan: cocktail hour moves to the Baron's foyer
- Riverbend flips from ceremony to reception during cocktails
A real day here
A spring Saturday we filmed here (April 2025)
| 12:00 PM | Hair and makeup begin on site |
| 3:00 PM | Video arrives; hair and makeup finished |
| 3:30 PM | Bride gets dressed |
| 4:00 PM | Bride's pre-ceremony photos |
| 4:30 PM | Groom's pre-ceremony photos |
| 4:55 PM | Bride moves into hiding at Riverbend |
| 5:40 PM | Ceremony in Riverbend, facing the window |
| 6:00 PM | Cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace; Riverbend flip begins |
| 7:00 PM | Guests seated for dinner |
| 7:25 PM | Couple introduced through the main door |
| 8:15 PM | Cake cutting, toasts and first dance |
| 9:30 PM | Ice cream service starts |
| 10:45 PM | Last dance and sparkler send off |
| 11:00 PM | Strike |
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 Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa 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 in Riverbend, 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 on the Pecan Terrace |
| 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 | Sparkler send-off |
With a 5:40 PM ceremony in April, there was still plenty of daylight through the Riverbend windows.
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 in Riverbend, timed for the last of the light |
| 8:10 PM | Recessional; family photos first, while the light holds |
| 8:15 PM | Cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace 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 | Sparkler 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 in Riverbend |
| 5:15 PM | Cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace; 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 sparkler send-off |
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 in Riverbend |
| 3:30 PM | Cocktail hour on the Pecan Terrace; 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 | Sparkler send-off |
Common questions
How many guests does the Riverbend Barn hold?
The resort lists the Riverbend Barn for up to 450 guests.
Can the ceremony and reception both be in Riverbend?
Yes. On the wedding we filmed, the ceremony and reception were both in Riverbend, with a flip during cocktail hour.
What is the rain plan?
On our wedding the ceremony was already indoors, and cocktail hour had a backup in the Baron's foyer instead of the Pecan Terrace.
Planning a wedding here? Send us your date and we will tell you how we would film it.