A Western Wedding with a Deep-South Touch
Here's a round-up of some of our best ideas, guaranteed to wrangle plenty of sweet memories from you and guests alike.
A Taste of Things to Come
Give your guests a hint of the fun times ahead with an elegant star-embossed invite, tied up with saddle-stitch grosgrain ribbon. Splurge: pack the invite in a small box with a little shred and a bottle of the greatest barbecue or hot sauce that ever stampeded your taste buds.Plus, rev up the girls by planning a big night in, with a few rounds of Texas Hold'Em, and a whole lot of fruity cervezas.
Scouting Out a Spot
You can hold a great Western wedding in a passel of places: a barn or backyard, log cabin or hilltop park with a view, a working ranch or a great grassy field.But the ultimate setting? We think it's one of America's Old West replica towns. They come complete with coaches, horses, and sooty saloons where low-brimmed gangsters are happy to pour a few pints for your guests.
Roll 'Em Up and Dig In!
Hot and savory barbecue's what they'll be craving at any Western shindig. Fill your guests' bellies with hearty grub like mesquite burgers and garlic mashed potatoes, smoked chicken and pork ribs, ranch beans and coleslaw, German sausages and festively carved watermelon. Don't sweat too much over the plates and cutlery, though — simple is fine. In fact, some of the best-loved barbecue houses in Texas go with paper and plastic!Drinks: sweet iced tea, lemonade, and Big Red, Lone Star beer, margaritas and mojitos.
Sweets (besides the cake!): pecan pie, cobblers, and rich, decadent brownies.
Cowgirl Couture
What to wear for the day's Queen Cowgirl? A gown like Monique Lhullier's 2005 all-over Alençon lace gown would be sweet as sugar ... especially paired with a pair of Sandra Bullock-style white satin cowboy boots.
But if you're more of a denim girl at heart, you've got plenty of options. You're sure to find a seamstress who can sweep you into a long denim skirt with gorgeous lace inlays ... even a denim train. Pair with an oh-so-bridal lace camisole top and a pair of cowboy boots. And if you're feeling super-sassy? Add a brightly dyed crinoline skirt to peek out underneath.
When it comes to florals, go sweet and classic (yellow roses, anyone?) or casual wildflowers. But make your mark with a western bouquet wrap, whether it's a red and white silk bandana or a leather strap. Another popular option for on-the-range nuptials: tie a lucky horseshoe to the bride's bouquet. But tie it upside down so luck can "fill it up!"
But what about bling for the wedding party? Thrill your girls with a pair of gorgeous Southwestern-style turquoise and silver earrings they can wear with their gowns. And for the guys, a sweet custom belt buckle they can wear again and again.
Setting up Camp
Need a few ideas for rolling your hitchin' day back in time? Here's a sampler to get you started: if the site permits, bury a couple of wagon wheels near the entrance and dress up with flowers or ribbons. Use rustic wooden signs to point guests to the chapel, reception area or gift table.
Inexpensive mums are a great way to create a huge punch of color wherever you need: church steps, pathways or your wedding arch.
And speaking of arches, horse lovers can make theirs equine-fabulous by covering the frame with tulle, then setting a handsome saddle on top and hanging a flower garland from the horn. (Hang a few horseshoes upside with ribbon for even more interest ... and lots o'luck).
Serve food and drink from hay bales covered with wooden planks, dress up scarecrows or hay rolls as a hilarious "bride and groom," and set up a romantic wishing well for cards and sweet remembrances.
Use picnic style seating for the guests, and cover the tables with gingham or eyelet cloths. Jazz up tables with casual floral arrangements tucked into thrift-store cowboy boots, mason jars or watering cans. Tie off containers with pretty strips of gingham, and serve thirst-quenching bottled drinks from galvanized ice-filled tubs.
Not Your Average Wedding Album
It's the rare couple who can resist the drama — or one-of-a-kind photo ops — that a Western wedding offers. We've seen some adorable photos like these: the wedding party lassoing a hapless lass or cowboy, the bride wielding a (not hot!) cattle brand, or the best men staging a full-on shoot out with cap guns and holsters. And when the new husband and wife begins their recessional back down the aisle? It's time for the best men to toss their cowboy hats in the air and whoop it up!Full-Out Family Fun
But don't restrict all that horseplay to the wedding party — liven things up for the guests, too, with horseshoe throwing pits and sack races. Pump up the guys with a hand-rolled cigar station, and enchant the kids with star-studded gift bags filled with colorful bandannas and shiny sheriff badges. Tie up a Texas piñata, and set up a face painting station where the kiddies can get gangster-style handlebar mustaches.A Ring to Remember
Make this the party that never ends with intimate music (anything from a cowboy singer on a steel guitar to a full bluegrass band, complete with fiddles and banjos). Pile up a giant bonfire, with hay bale seating in a circle, and burn the home fires even brighter with sparklers for the kids ... or even overhead fireworks, for a fun and memorable splurge that caps off the night.You Might Also Like ...
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May 13th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Hi Ladies, I just wanted to point out that Snippet & Ink has put together (so far) four, count ‘em!, four really creative ranch or western-style inspiration boards, and she really goes beyond the usual boards, so I think you’ll find some chic ideas there for a ranch theme. If you do, let us know which ones you used!
Check out the 4 boards on this page (or click on the pic above): "A Little Bit Country", "Ranch Romance", "Summer Rustic" (lots of sunflowers here) and "Wide Open Spaces". (She’s the best … love her stuff.)
May 13th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Thanks for the info Patty. My fiance decided about 5 days ago he wanted a western theme wedding located at a frontier town, where the whole town is based on the 1860’s with gunfighters and all sorts of other fun stuff. So, needless to say I get to start all over again since my previous theme was nothing like this, so I really appreciate the information. Although, I’ve decided to go to a seamstress for the girls so I can get them all bustled saloon girl outfits. I really think its gonna be alot of fun and I hope your wedding is wonderful! Thanks again!
May 13th, 2008 at 11:56 am
The saloon girl dresses came from Wild West Mercantile (wwmerc.com) and they are wonderful! The maid of honor’s dress came from a different site but I can’t remember the name at the moment, as Heide ordered the dress herself. But no matter; they were awful! Our wedding is this Saturday and she only got the dress a week ago! (She ordered it the third of April!) Another site I recommend highly for their excellent customer service is Hazel’s Western Wear. I was in a panic trying to locate all that I needed, and bless their hearts, they went above and beyond to help me! Finally, we got all of the men’s accessories from Old West Gallery, and the owner, Peter, was a Godsend in helping us there as well. The Wannamaker rifle coat we ordered from there is absolutely stunning! Now that the day is just about here, I am almost disappoined! I have had so much fun putting all of this together. What a blast! God bless you all, I gotta get back to work now on all of the little stuff I forgot…..eeek!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Hi Patty,
I am just wondering where you got your saloon girl dresses from? Thanks, Mistty
March 12th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Hey all, thanks for the great ideas in re the flowers! I was panicking a bit, LOL!
Nicole, as far as decorations go, we have that pretty well down pat for our reception. For example, I made a cake table centerpiece using items from Michael’s; hay bales, picket fence boards and the like, and it came out so cute! Our theme is “Gettin’ Hitched” so I added two cowboy hats (one black, one white) with a lariat connecting the two, and two boots (matching the hats) fastened to the front of the fence along with an “old” signpost that says “Gettin’ Hitched” painted on it. We are using red bandanas for napkins (really cheap at Oriental Trading Company) and mason jars for drinking glasses. We bought the cutest cake topper too! My fiancee hated the cutesy kissing couple ones, so we found one called “lassoed” where the groom is on the ground and the bride has him lassoed by the leg. I love it! My fiancee is a former bullrider as well, (not pro, tho) so it all just fit. Finally, just to see if our guests “get it”, LOL, we are pairing up peaches and strawberries as decorations in a few places; I am originally from CA and he is from here in GA. Anyway, good luck to y’all and thanks again for the ideas!
March 11th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Patty, another thought? Mini sunflower bouquets. I know, it seems like a lot of color, but I personally think mini-suns look AWESOME against jewel tones. And they’re so unpretentious and country. Love ‘em.
Pretty-PLEASE post pics of your wedding when all’s said and done.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
For these dresses I would go with ivory flowers…check this out on flickr. flickr.com/photos/8742056@N04/1793820369/
March 11th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Help! We are having a western wedding with the 4 bridesmaids dressed as saloon gals …..all in different colors!! Dark colors: red, emerald green, midnight blue and a smoky dark purple. How on earth do I match flowers to this? What flowers should I use? My sis said absolutely no pastels and I agree! But now I am lost and dazed. Help, please!!
March 11th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Thank you for all your help! It has been great! Keep it coming, i really do appreciate it!
March 11th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Nicole, Have you ever heard of Paul Cameron Smith? If you have, He is now doing Wedding Invitations. If you haven’t heard of him, He’s a western Pencil artist and other mediums. If you go to his Website you can see his artwork and what the invitations will entail. Have people sit on Hay bailes. Things you could use in your wedding are:
Metal Pails
Horse Tack
Horseshoes
Saddles on Hay bails (Pictures could be taken on these also)
Hitching posts
Lariets
If you live on a ranch, and have a barn, walk around and don’t be affraid to use whatever stuff you have now for decorations. It add’s a personal touch! Also an idea for Centerpieces that I’ve actually used one time are Old cowboy boots with Sunflowers in them. (fake that is). For a Friends wedding I actually made a Horsehow cake Topper. If you have any friends that are welders or farriers they could come in handy with any ideas you might have with how to arrange the shoes if you choose to go that route. If you need anymore Ideas at all, you can contact me at GitRDunRdnckStyl@aol.com. Im also on Myspace. Just type in the email address I provided to find me if need be!
-Miranda
Fall Creek
Oregon
March 4th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Nicole, check out our Sunflower wedding page … we have some country-western brides here (some have already married I think!) who might be able to offer some invite suggestions.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I’m trying to put together a country western wedding. We are planning on getting married this spring. My husband is a pro bullrider we live on a ranch & the whole 10 yards. I need everything to be western.
I am having the most trouble trying to find invintations. I want them to be unique & our own. I’m just having trouble with everything. I want my dress to be a dark green, i don’t know if that would help with things. Also i want to involve sunflower….I just need some help, & ideas!! I would so appreciate it if you would help me out!
Thank you!
January 24th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Hi
I posted on my website most of the ideas we did, I have some more to put on there, but will do when i catch some time
Enjoy
Georgina
January 24th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Then, here’s a Washington state wedding that just blows me away, what with the water, that huge blue sky and the explosion of beautifully designed florals … a focus which clearly paid off. Look at how understated yet sophisticated the details are, like the boutonnieres. Plus, totally cute couple.
The bridesmaids all got to choose their own blue dress, and the result was relaxed and attractive. Who doesn’t just love wearing a blue dress of your own design on a sunny day? The hydrangea colors used here … periwinkle, lavender, pink … are very country and sweet.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:56 am
Got some really cute inspiration photos from other cowgirl brides. Granted, these aren’t in the deep south, the but spirit is there!
First up, a Wisconsin wedding: the horse and carriage is as sweet as sugar, the bride’s cowgirl boots are super-sassy, and those fall-theme flowers never looked cuter than here on this simple tulle-covered arch. The bridesmaids are wearing matching strapless fall-style ‘merlot’ colored gowns and look very elegant.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Whittney,
what part do you need help with? I’ve mentioned some ideas, but have plenty more.
For our favors we ended up with chocolates in the shape of Texas and personalized Tabasco bottles (not that expensive from TabascoCountryStore.com) and put those into small straw cowboy hats that I found at Hobby Lobby. We had Monarch butterflies (Texas’ state insect) as our centerpieces and a release during the ceremony.
I was trying to go classy, but Texas themed because we got married in front of a replica of the Alamo. I will say, of the 3 weddings in my family in 18 months time, mine got the most compliments, lol. My sister went traditional, my niece was somewhat traditional with a few Japanese traditions thrown in and then I went completely off the wall, lol.
If you give me some ideas as to what you’re looking for, I can probably help you with more.
SMILES!
Alana
(oh, and let me know if you’d like to handle it directly, I don’t mind posting my email addy)
January 16th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I had Hats as Corsages and also hand made Party favors, that are magnets they were put in a plastic clear bag.
I had pictures made and the guest signed on them. I havesn’t uploaded the pictures yet to our wedding website, ended up finding blue bonnets … out of luck locally.
And i have a picture of the cake too.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I am getting married in August. I need help planning a western wedding. I’m having the hardest time.
November 18th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
I am getting married on April 5. My weddin gis on a big plantation, all the guys are wearing black and white pinstripe tuxes with black shirts, black vests and bubblegum pink ties. My dress is strapless, a-line, vintage lace accented with pearls and crystals with a black sash. all my girls are in black evening gowns, two carrying white calla lilies and 2 pink gerbera daisies. I want a super unique wedding favor. For the name cards on the tables we are doing river rocks with their names painted on one side and our name and date on the other. I want to make all the favors as I have made the save the date cards and am in the process of the invitations. We both love to cook, I bake the sweets and he makes the dinner, Im very artsy we both love outdoors. Anyone with some ideas would be great!
July 16th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Ashley, what do you need help with, lots of ideas here, what have you already done??
July 14th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
i need help planning a country western wedding
July 12th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
hmm, silk bluebonnets are easy to get here, if your fiance has family still here, you might see if one of them can find them and get them to ya. Also, you might see if a local florist or florist supply shop could help you.
Otherwise, look up a few stores in major cities here, Houston, Dallas, etc such as Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or Garden Ridge and see if you can buy them over the phone and have them shipped to you. There’s a store here in Houston called Arne’s that has a site and you might be able to get them to help you.
Good Luck, and thanks!
June 19th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Hi Alana
I am From Aruba and marrying a Texan
I wanted to mix our local flowers with bluebonnets
but i can seem to find silk bluebonnets to buy online anywhere
please if you can help me out by telling me where you are getting your is very helpful
I am in Aruba currently
Thanks for the Help
and Congratulations
June 12th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
One idea I was given for some center pieces were old boots from the thrift store (I’m using my kids’ old boots) with some flowers in them (I’m going to use some silk bluebonnets for a Texas theme). That’s for the rehearsal dinner which will be a BBQ, then for the wedding we’re giving favors of bluebonnet seed packets and chocolates in the shape of the state of Texas.
You can probably get western style shirts in your wedding colors for you bridesmaids to wear with a long A-line denim skirt that would look really cute. Just check your local western wear store, they should have plenty to chose from.
As for you wearing boots, why not? I had a friend who wore red cowboy boots under her wedding dress, it was great!
Another center piece idea is some mini hay bales with little cowboy hats and whatever kind of flower you want to use (I’d use wildflowers, they just say country to me).
Good Luck!!
May 15th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Thanks Crystal that helps. OK–I am having the wedding in a little country church to please my grandmother. I want it real simple, I want to wear cowboy boots, but I don’t know if I should. What are some ideas for decorations at the church and at the resiption-which is at the community center. I want the bridesmaids to wear something that is modern yet has a touch of 1800s. I am using the Wanted posters for invitations. Crystal–question about the wedding you said you went to that the bridesmaids wore denum skirts what kind of shirt did they wear? Help me if you can.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:42 am
It all depends on the formality of the wedding. I attended a informal country garden wedding two years ago were the bridemaids wore demin skirts with cowboy boots - it was adorable! If you are looking for something a little more formal, for with a tea length gown in your wedding color with a demin or gingham print sash. For some examples: www.chryscrossbridal.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=357 - for a more form fitting version or if you want a fuller skirt, a bridesmaid version of something like this one: www.chryscrossbridal.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=248. The right colors and hint of gingham print and you’re set.
Paisley prints also work well for a country feel.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I need some ideas for bridesmaids dresses for a cowboy/country and nothing fancy for my wedding.