Mattie's is the old Green Pastures farmhouse in South Austin, with a restaurant, an inn, a ballroom and a hall spread under heritage live oaks. A wedding here moves through several spaces in one evening, and the peacocks come with it. We have filmed full weddings here and a rehearsal dinner, and the flow is different every time.
Hero photo: Mattie's at Green Pastures
How a night moves through the property
The pattern we see most: ceremony on the front lawn at the farmhouse steps, cocktails on the lawn and porches, dinner in one room and dancing in another. One March couple had dinner in the tented Pavilion and danced in Marion Hall. An April couple ate in the Ballroom and moved to Marion Hall for dessert and dancing at 8 PM.
Each move is a reset for us. Guests walk, the band relocates or switches to a second system, and the light changes. Our timelines gave each move 10 to 15 minutes. In March a saxophone player walked guests from the ceremony to cocktails and again to dinner, which kept everyone moving and gave us music under the transition shots.
Photo: Mattie's at Green Pastures
Getting ready
The Inn sits on the same property. On our April day the bride and her party got ready in the Magnolia Suite at The Inn and the groomsmen used the Caretaker's Cottage, which the venue renovated in 2024 and describes as a getting-ready space with its own lawn and dressing room. The bride hid in the Cottage before the ceremony. Our March couple got ready off site and rode over about two hours before the ceremony.
Photo: Mattie's at Green Pastures
Rules worth knowing early
Mattie's is a working restaurant. Its brunch and dinner service can overlap your wedding day, and the venue does not allow indoor photography in the restaurant dining room or bar area while they are open. We plan detail shots and portraits for the lawns, porches and event rooms instead.
The neighborhood noise rules shape the night. On our April day amplified music outside had to stay below 65 decibels, outdoor music was off at 10 PM, and the band stopped at 11. In March the doors to the dancing room stayed closed during the reception because of the noise ordinance. Bands that want a soundcheck during cocktail hour do it at very low volume.
Parking, shuttles and load-in
Parking on site is valet only. The live oaks along the front drive limit vehicle height: a sprinter van can make it, but minibuses and motorcoaches drop off on Live Oak Street at the top of the driveway and stage elsewhere, since vehicles cannot idle out front. Vendors enter from South Fourth Street off Oltorf and check in at the valet stand. Bands have loaded through the back kitchen or across the front porch.
A real day here
A spring Saturday we filmed here (March 2025)
| 10:00 AM | Venue opens for setup; decor dropped on the porch outside the dinner tent |
| 2:40 PM | Bridal party leaves the off-site getting-ready location for Mattie's |
| 2:55 PM | Groom portraits with parents |
| 3:15 PM | First look with dad, then parent photos |
| 3:30 PM | First look as a couple with a vow reading |
| 3:55 PM | Wedding party photos, then family photos at 4:15 |
| 4:30 PM | Guests arrive to passed champagne and live music |
| 5:00 PM | Ceremony on the front lawn |
| 5:30 PM | Cocktail hour at the front of the house; extended family and newlywed photos |
| 6:30 PM | Guests move to dinner in the Pavilion tent; grand entrance at 6:45 |
| 7:44 PM | Sunset, with toasts at 7:50 |
| 8:00 PM | Guests invited into Marion Hall; first dance at 8:10 |
| 8:40 PM | Cake cutting; video coverage ends at 9:00 |
| 10:30 PM | Bar closes; last dance at 10:50 and strike begins at 11:00 |
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 Mattie's at Green Pastures in each season. Times are a starting point; your planner and venue will tune them.
Spring
| 3:00 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 4:00 PM | First look with dad, then a bridesmaid reveal |
| 4:15 PM | Groom's portraits with his parents and groomsmen |
| 5:00 PM | Wedding party tucked away in the suite as guests arrive |
| 5:45 PM | Ceremony on the front lawn |
| 6:15 PM | Cocktail hour at the front of the house; family photos first, then the wedding party |
| 6:45 PM | Couple portraits, about 20 minutes |
| 7:15 PM | Grand entrance in dinner in the Pavilion tent and dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Quick sunset portraits, about 10 minutes |
| 8:15 PM | Toasts, cake cutting, first dance and parent dances |
| 8:45 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 11:05 PM | Private last dance, then send-off |
In late March sunset came at 7:44, so a 5:00 ceremony left room for family and newlywed photos during cocktail hour before dinner at 6:30.
Summer
| 3:00 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 4:00 PM | First look, then couple portraits |
| 4:35 PM | Wedding party portraits, then immediate family |
| 5:20 PM | Couple tucked away in the suite; guests arrive |
| 6:00 PM | Ceremony on the front lawn |
| 6:30 PM | Cocktail hour at the front of the house; extended family photos |
| 7:30 PM | Grand entrance in dinner in the Pavilion tent and dinner |
| 8:00 PM | Couple slips out for golden hour, about 15 minutes |
| 8:30 PM | Toasts, then first dance and parent dances |
| 9:00 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 11:30 PM | Send-off |
Fall
| 1:45 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 2:45 PM | Bride with her bridesmaids, groom with his groomsmen, separately |
| 3:15 PM | Each side's family photos, still apart |
| 3:45 PM | Guests arrive; couple hidden in the suite |
| 4:15 PM | Ceremony on the front lawn, first sight at the aisle |
| 4:45 PM | Family photos at the ceremony site |
| 5:00 PM | Wedding party photos, then couple portraits while guests enjoy a long cocktail hour at the front of the house |
| 6:00 PM | Grand entrance in dinner in the Pavilion tent straight into the first dance |
| 6:10 PM | Dinner |
| 6:30 PM | Golden hour portraits between courses |
| 7:00 PM | Toasts and parent dances, dance floor opens |
| 9:45 PM | Send-off |
Winter
| 1:45 PM | Coverage begins with details and getting ready |
| 2:45 PM | Separate portraits with the wedding party; no first look |
| 4:00 PM | Guests arrive to live music |
| 4:45 PM | Ceremony on the front lawn, timed for the last of the light |
| 5:10 PM | Recessional; family photos first, while the light holds |
| 5:15 PM | Cocktail hour at the front of the house into dusk |
| 5:25 PM | Golden hour couple portraits, about 20 minutes |
| 6:05 PM | Grand entrance in dinner in the Pavilion tent, first dance, then dinner |
| 6:55 PM | Toasts and parent dances |
| 7:25 PM | Dance floor opens |
| 9:45 PM | Send-off |
Photo: Mattie's at Green Pastures
Common questions
What is the rain plan at Mattie's?
For our March couple, the weather plan was Marion Hall. For our April couple, the plan was to move the ceremony to the tent and porch.
Can a shuttle bus drive up to the venue?
Only vehicles up to sprinter van size clear the tree line on the front drive. Minibuses and motorcoaches drop off on Live Oak Street and stage elsewhere.
How late can the music go?
On our April day, outdoor amplified music ended at 10 PM and the band finished at 11 PM. The venue points to the city noise ordinance, which generally restricts noise from 10 PM to 7 AM.
Can we do an engagement shoot on the grounds?
The venue asks that formal photography sessions not take place on the property or grounds.
Planning a wedding here? Send us your date and we will tell you how we would film it.