Have you ever dreamed of getting married in the mountains surrounded by horses and cattle? Well, the spectacular setting at Longhorn Guest Ranch fit the bill for Stephany and Andrew and set the stage for one of the most amazing days ever!

If you’re looking for some fun wedding inspiration not only from the venue perspective but for super touching traditions, keep on reading…

Stephany and Andrew met at work in September of 2016. He was in the same position as she and was the person who ultimately taught her how to do her job. They started out as just friends, occasionally grabbing a beer or two after work or going out to the pool hall with friends. They officially began dating on Christmas of 2017.

On Christmas morning in 2020, Stephany had one final present to open from Andrew. It was a medium-large sized wrapped box that had no weight to it and inside of that box was another wrapped box, and another, and another.

Finally, there was one remaining box left to unwrap and inside of that box was a set of instructions for a scavenger hunt which included the first clue. Each clue had a sweet note or inside joke that outlined our relationship and the fourth and final clue led her out to her car. From there, she was instructed to come back inside to warm up (while doing this all in her pj's).

When she got back inside and shut the door, she turned around to see Andrew on his knee holding a ring and asked, "Will you marry me?"

Then, in Stephany’s words, she “Ugly cried and of course, said yes!”

They chose to get married at Longhorn Guest Ranch, deep in the mountains of SW Idaho. It’s a fantastic venue with the perfect blend of natural beauty, friendly Longhorn cattle + Highland cows, a nice mix of horses and dogs and ridiculously cool old rustic buildings with just enough improvements to make them feel perfectly dressed up. As a working ranch, guests can interact with the cows and horses!

I always do a site visit ahead of my weddings and first visited Longhorn the week leading up to Stephany and Andrew’s big day and I can confidently say it is on top of my favorite wedding venues. The weather was incredibly gorgeous and the kindest owner, Victoria, took me on a scenic tour by quad. The entire venue encompasses 214 acres. Along the way, we soon realized we share a deep love for animals, and we happily rode around like two peas in a pod.

On their wedding day, Stephany got ready upstairs in the main lodge with the help of her mother and bridesmaids while Andrew got ready with his best men in one of the quaint rustic cabins.

WEDDING TRADITIONS

Below are some of the noteworthy wedding traditions they used, which included special personal touches:

Before putting on her boots, Stephany’s dad gave her a lucky penny to put in her boot!

Stephany had an extremely emotional first look with Andrew’s sons and read a super sweet not a dry eye in the house letter to them.

The bride and groom asked their grandmothers to be their flower girls and it was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen!! The granny flower girls later danced together at the end of the night.

Andrew’s son was ring security for the ceremony - with a special sheriff badge - making him extra official.
Both Stephany’s father and step-father walked her down the aisle, one passing her on to the other.

Following their first kiss + dip at the alter, the entire bridal party donned their shades, walking down the aisle like total rock stars.

After the ceremony, we headed out to the pasture for photos with the super-friendly Highland cows, horses and Longhorn cattle. I was honestly in paradise! The trees and grass were green, there were blankets of purple flowers everywhere and we were surrounded by the stillness and these fabulous creatures. Hanging out with Stephany and Andrew was a blast - they were such fun and so easy to kick back with!!!

We returned to friends and family awaiting and the big celebrations began! Pour Choices Country Style Mobile Bar served drinks to guests out of their beyond cute trailer and DJ Dave’s Mobile Disc Jockey cranked up the tunes. The food from Big K BBQ was delicious and the toasts were pretty dang sweet.

The final touching traditional element they incorporated was a money dance (set to the song Could I Have This Dance) in which the male guests - especially the little boys - paid to dance briefly with the bride, and the female guests - especially the little girls - paid to dance with the groom. It was adorable! Each held a little white bag to carry their loot.

To sum up, touching traditions, often with a fun twist, can really bring emotional elements to your wedding day. Here are my top 7 favorites from this most wonderful day:

Dad giving the bride a lucky penny for her boot
First look with her sons-to-be and a heartfelt message
Both grandmothers as flower girls
Groom’s son as the ring bearer wearing a sheriff badge, called ring security
In the case of both a dad and step-dad, having each walk the bride part way down the aisle
Bridal party donning shades as they exit
A money dance

There were countless other fun touches, but these really stood out to me. Details like these culminated in making this day that much MORE heartfelt.

By the end of the night, both young and old were cutting it up on the dance floor and the love between Stephany and Andrew was absolutely glorious. Once again, I am so grateful to get to document moments like these and am constantly blown away not only by the magical way true love originates but how it radiates in every way outwards.

Following all my weddings, I typically make a short Instagram reel set to music. There are some moments that need video and motion. In this case, I used the song they used for their money dance: