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There’s a saying “everything is bigger in Texas,” and Kimberly and Clint proved that to be true with their colorful Gage Hotel wedding in Marathon, Texas. The couple knew they wanted to incorporate their love for the desert into their special day, so when they came across the historic hotel, they knew it was the one. Their desert theme was apparent with a coral and sage color palette, Mexican blankets, margaritas, and succulents decorating the space.
The dreamy day also included a DIY macrame backdrop, custom handwritten gift bags for the wedding party, boho wedding fashion that’s to die for, and a donkey-led parade down the streets of West Texas. That’s right–a police escort even stopped traffic for this lively fiesta.
If you’re searching for desert wedding inspo, look no further. These photos beautifully captured by Jadie Photography will have you ready to break out the maracas and tequila!
I wore my hair in a fat fishtail braid, tied with a piece of my mother’s wedding dress, which was my “something old.” My Matron of Honor offered me her stunning diamond earrings, so that was my “something borrowed.” The chic, military-inspired hat I donned at the reception absolutely made the look. As for the hat’s custom details, I had a Dry Creek Turquoise thunderbird pendant that I found on a girl’s trip in Fredericksburg added–and it’s permanently mounted on the hat–and represented my “something blue.” There’s also leather cording and my mother’s wedding dress carefully twisted with horsehair & sage around the hat.
Choosing A Gage Hotel Wedding
About a year before the wedding, we went on what we are called “the West Texas tour,” with the Gage Hotel being the last venue on our expedition. We had seen photos of the Gage and had a brief conversation with them over the phone to get an idea of what it would cost to celebrate there. It was definitely not in our budget, but I thought we should check it out anyway. When we pulled up, we looked at each other and said, this is it, we have to make this happen. We were determined to make it happen, and we did!
A DIY Backdrop
At the ceremony, we flaunted a 12-foot handwoven macramé backdrop that was handcrafted and woven by my mother and me. It was a learning experience for the two of us–we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into–and an opportunity to plan and bond prior to the big day. All in all, it took us about 42 hours to construct. We watched countless hours of YouTube videos to learn how to tie all the knots and weave an exquisite masterpiece. The macramé now resides in our stairwell, and it’s a daily reminder that with patience and persistence, we can do anything we put our minds to.
A Parade Down The Streets of Marathon
One of the coolest and most memorable aspects of our wedding was the donkey processional from the ceremony site to the reception and cocktail hour. Unbeknownst to me, we had a police escort, and all traffic passing through town stopped for our mini parade. Our beautiful donkey named W.T. led the way to the party! In addition, our guitarist Nick strummed some fun Latin tunes on the march over while everyone held hands and danced with maracas.
Congratulations again to Kimberly and Clint on their colorful Gage Hotel wedding. We’re so thankful that Jadie Photography was there to capture their special day. To get started on planning your own dream desert affair, check out these southwestern color palettes!
Date and location of wedding: The Poe Museum in Richmond, VA. 2/29/2020
Our offbeat wedding at a glance: The theme was a rustic garden with a goth twist in plums and burgundies in an enchanted sea of green. The Museum’s Founders were inspired by Poe’s poem “To One in Paradise.”
Thou wast that all to me, love, For which my soul did pine— A green isle in the sea, love, A fountain and a shrine, All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers, And all the flowers were mine. ~Edgar Allan Poe
We chose to do a handfasting wedding with a ring exchange. [Editor’s note: we’ll be sharing the full handfasting ceremony script in a few days!] We felt that it was more of our style and the way we feel about each other.
Photos by Aniko Levai Photography
We walked separately on the brick garden steps across the “sea of green” and met at the fountain. He offered me his arm and I then took it as we walked towards the Poe shrine where we would stand and speak our vows. This was done as a symbol of being apart and joining together as we walked past our friends and family.
Our rings are unique. Mine is a gothic wedding set (with skulls) and Lee’s was an ogham ring with the wording of my choice, which was our wedding song “Nothing Else Matters.”
I had a custom necklace engraved with our wedding date from Pyrrha’s “We Two Are One” that features two ravens holding a ring in a heart to reflect on our chosen venue. The description: The ravens on this talisman are symbolic of a strong and mysterious force surrounding you. Together they hold a ring, signifying a faithful and loving bond.
We also had custom bowties made in our wedding colors for The Poe Museum’s resident cats Edgar and Pluto!
Tell us about the reception: We treated our guests to a guided museum tour while we were having our photos taken after the ceremony.
We had our first dance to a cover of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica by singer Lissie when the guests returned from their guided tour.
We had a hot chocolate bar, hors d’oeuvres, and then celebrated with a cake ceremony.
What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding? The biggest wedding challenge was staying true to our personalities. Establish boundaries from the start. It is your day because when you look back, you get to enjoy the look, feel, and photos. We also felt so loved by our friends and family that traveled a great distance to celebrate with us on our wedding day.
My parents were not able to travel, so my mother made me my “something blue” from a piece of light blue cloth from a quilt my nanny made that I treasure. It is so old, it is falling apart, but that just means how dearly I loved the quilt she made me when I was smaller. It felt like I had my nanny and parents with me that day.
Imagine a snow-capped mountain reflected on glass that is surrounded by a luscious green forest. Now, end that stunning scenic route with a quaint dinner for two and you’ll get Sam and Ashley’s North Cascades elopement. Sam and Ashley chose a mountainside elopement to celebrate their love for each other and for the great outdoors. From getting ready together and writing vows, to professing their love with the mountains as their witness, this elopement was anything but ordinary.
After exploring through meadows and sneaking a few romantic kisses, Sam and Ashley headed back to their log cabin for a home-cooked meal and to read notes from their loved ones—so incredibly heartfelt. Thankfully, Wild Coast Photography captured every moment from start to finish. Lace-up your boots and let’s head to the North Cascades.
The Couple:
Sam and Ashley
The Wedding:
North Cascades, Glacier, Washington
Be Present And Enjoy Every Moment
Because we had so much time to ourselves that day, we had lots of special little moments that we’ll always remember. We started by taking a run together out along the Nooksack River, showered and made breakfast, then sat writing our vows until our photographer arrived. One of our dearest friends officiated, and she spent the whole week prior asking us questions to help us reflect on our relationship and what we loved about each other. We were primed to just be present and enjoy every moment.
A North Cascades Elopement Moment
During our ceremony, we shivered through our vows, tears nearly freezing on our cheeks. Probably the most memorable moment was just after the ceremony, we continued exploring the stunning meadows and found ourselves yards away from the photographers. Thinking we were alone, we laughed, cried, and snuck a few kisses—it was absolutely perfect. When we received our gallery from Jenn, we found that moment. We’re off on our own, next to a big evergreen, mountains shining behind us. From afar, she secretly captured it so now we have that image forever. It’s definitely one of the more special shots.
Wedding Advice: It’s Your Special Day
Do what you and your partner want, what will be meaningful for you. Try not to feel obligated to do what’s expected of you. It’s your special day and you should celebrate it in a way that honors your relationship, rather than anyone else’s preconceived notions of what a wedding should be. Find a photographer that can understand your vision for your day, matches your vibe, and will elevate your experience and memory of the day without being a focal point.
Be open to going with the flow and it will all work out. You can have the best, most fool-proof plan, but when you’re planning an outdoor adventure wedding, things can change in minutes. Be okay with changing locations at the last minute, shivering a little, having photos with coats on—as long as you embrace wherever the day takes you and focus on each other, it’s going to be perfect.
Every element of our wedding dinner was special to us. Sam made our pizza dough from scratch, using our own sourdough starter. We made prosciutto, arugula & pear pizza, which was the first meal we cooked together when we started dating. We brought our favorite red wine to pair with the pizza. Plus, we have a tradition of seeking out cheesecake wherever we travel, so for our wedding cake we had our neighborhood market, Little Lago, bake us a cheesecake. Everything they do is delicious but this was over the top – it was the best cheesecake ever and we enjoyed it all week.
Here at Junebug, we’re all about personalizing your wedding and making it unique to who you are as a couple. Regan and Jack’s vibrant outdoor wedding did just that as the pair laced up their rollerblades and skated around El Paso in their wedding attire. Aside from the most epic wedding portraits–captured beautifully by Abby Jo Photography–the special day was also complete with DIY florals from Flower Moxie, an emotional ceremony, and some delicious dessert options–we’re talking pie and cake. So keep scrolling to see how these two lovebirds let the good times roll (literally).
To save money, we decided to order fresh flowers and put our own bouquets together. It was the best decision ever. We ordered fresh flowers from Flower Moxie and picked them up at a warehouse. They sent us so many tutorials and videos that were so helpful. The day before the wedding, my bridesmaids and I had time to arrange our bouquets and boutonnières for the groomsmen. I’m happy we chose to do it this way!
Soaking Up Time With Those Who Could Make It
We loved so many things about the day, but getting our photos taken was one of our favorite parts. We finally got to be together, love each other, and be close while Abby and Eva captured our love. During our ceremony, our pastor invited us to look out to our family and friends who were there to support us. We had to cut down our guest list towards the end, but we were able to have our closest people with us.
A Vibrant Outdoor Wedding At The Legacy Building
Our photographer mentioned The Legacy Building when we were searching for a venue. We went on a tour and fell in love! The whole place was stunning, and the family who owns it is so sweet. Tabitha was so easy to work with, gave us great ideas, and was so flexible when the pandemic got in our way. We loved how everything came together, and our style went right along with the venue.
Congratulations again to Regan and Jack on their vibrant outdoor wedding! Big thank you to Abby Jo Photography for sharing the special day with Junebug. To nail your own perfect DIY “I do’s,” check out our guide on planning the perfect DIY wedding!
This couple originally planned a Bali destination wedding, but then transformed their plans. Instead, their destination wedding turned into a California desert Airbnb ranch micro wedding fully prioritized intimate moments. The change couldn’t be more perfect. Mahalia and Nathan let fate play its course in the planning of their wedding—happy with any twists and turns their wedding planning took, as long as they were doing it together.
With the help of event planner Blush and Bloom Events, the couple brought to life their dream COVID-conscious wedding day—packed full of intentionality and fun. The beautiful neutral-toned floral arrangements, by Fleurish, complimented the naturally muted desert backdrop. Remember, large over-the-top wedding venues aren’t what make weddings memorable. Masaya Desert Ranch—and Airbnb nestled in the foothills of Joshua National park—proved to be the perfect ceremony and reception space for an intimate micro-wedding.
Photographer Tayler Ashley captured every moment that made Mahalia and Nathan’s micro-wedding one for the books. If you’re searching for inspiration for planning an unforgettable Airbnb wedding, keep scrolling. You’ve come to the right place.
The Couple:
Mahalia and Nathan
The Wedding:
Joshua Tree, California
Prioritizing Love In This COVID-Conscious Wedding
The most important thing when it came to planning our COVID-conscious wedding was the intimacy of the overall day. We wanted to make sure that our guests—along with ourselves—truly felt nothing but love.
Memorable Hand-Written Vows
Our vows were without a doubt the most memorable aspect of the day. We’re pretty private people, so it was a life-changing moment for both of us to place our hearts in a vulnerable place for all our closest friends and family to hear. Also, our dog, Simba, was an essential part of our wedding as well. He wore his bow tie and got to celebrate on the dance floor with us.
Airbnb Ranch Wedding Venue
We found Masaya Desert Ranch on Airbnb, and once it popped up on our phones, we knew we had found our place. Masaya Desert Ranch has a beautiful outdoor space, and that pretty much sold us. It was beautiful, soothing, and romantic. Everything there, from the setting and the seating to that incredible backdrop of the house, is immaculate!
Embracing The Unexpected During The Planning Process
Take out all of the other people and wedding planning lists and ask yourself what it could be if it were just you and your partner. Go from there. Think of what you enjoy doing and what you want to share with your guests—you can’t go wrong. Having a micro-wedding was much easier to plan, and you can genuinely add your panache to it! If any changes need to be made, roll with it. You just never know where you might end up and how cool it will be. Instead of a destination wedding in Bali, I ended up in the middle of the desert in a gorgeous Airbnb and dreamy sceneries. I loved the sound of anything as long as I was going to do it with Nate.
Including Loved Ones Through Music
My good friend, James, is incredibly talented, and I asked him to create an instrumental piece of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” for our unity sand ceremony. It meant the world to Nate because he grew up listening to Pink Floyd. My friend is honestly remarkably talented, like goosebumps-up-your-arms good, and he contributed something beautiful to our unity ceremony!
Congratulations to Mahalia and Nathan, and big thanks to photographer Tayler Ashley for the dreamy inspo-worthy images that made us feel a part of their beautiful Airbnb ranch wedding.
Weddings in 2021 are getting smaller and intentionality is quickly becoming the top priority. If you’re feeling inspired to trade your over-the-top wedding venue for an intimate Airbnb, check out the top wedding Airbnb venues in every state.
