Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1376329
have a bare structure, you see what the building truly is," she says. The glimpse of the concrete ceiling in the real estate listing is what sold Brubaker on what might be hidden behind the 60-foot wide cinder-block walls that previous owners had installed. One of Brubaker's biggest obstacles during the renovation process was her status as an out-of-state builder. She knew the ins and outs of California laws and the quirks of her local city hall. But Texas was a different beast, and she had chosen a contractor who wasn't local to La Grange. Those two factors, on top of the usual unwanted discoveries of opening up old buildings, put the project way behind on completion. Yet the reward for "taking all of the makeup off" the old ice plant was that a breathtaking interior emerged. The ugly duckling had turned into a swan. The raw white concrete space with huge windows was set to metamorphose into the ultimate wedding venue. In the Texas wedding world, brides have unlimited choices when it comes to barn weddings and farmhouse venues, but this is the only venue that's "Ice ice, baby." While renovations were taking place, the photographer's daughter, Lexi O'Brien, a n d h e r fiancé, Tyler H j o r t i n g , w e r e heading to Texas. The couple had been on the road for a few years in their reno- vated school bus/skoolie named One Wild Ride. They had covered most of the western states and Baja, Mexico, on their adventures, amassing a healthy social media following (28.6K on @onewildridebus) and a feature story on domino.com. The Ice Plant Bldg. was going to be a family affair, with the couple tapped as an integral part of running the burgeoning business. The building was due to be finished in late 2019, and Brubaker knew from experience with her wedding venue in California that "it would take at least two years to get the business really up and running." In early 2020, The Ice Plant Bldg. was still a construction site, but a couple walking by took a peek inside and Miss Ima Hogg, James Dick, and Faith Bybee Dani Brubaker, Lexi O'Brien and Tyler Hjorting with Logan 17