Welcome to our mountain wedding wonderland! Today, we’re thrilled to dive into the heartwarming story of Sydney and Michael, a couple whose love story began amidst the laughter and lights of a county fair. Their journey, marked by five years of cherished memories and culminating in a breathtaking proposal on a picturesque hunting trip, is a testament to the beauty of love found in the great outdoors. As avid lovers of nature, Sydney and Michael embarked on their matrimonial adventure in the rustic embrace of a family farm, where every detail echoed their passion for the wild and the wonderful. From DIY decorations adorned with feathers and dried flowers to a dance floor aglow with the warmth of string lights, their wedding radiated with the charm of handmade elegance. Join us as we unravel the enchanting tapestry of Sydney and Michael’s rustic ranch wedding, a celebration as vibrant and timeless as the mountains themselves.
How did you meet?
Michael and I met through mutual friends at our county fair the summer before our sophomore year of high school. We exchanged Snapchats and started going on dates in September 2016.
What is your proposal story?
We got engaged on our five-year anniversary of dating on September 29, 2021. September is hunting season, so our date usually consists of looking for elk. We drove the four-wheeler for a ways and began to walk to a spot we had been to quite a few times. When we got there, Michael insisted that I be the one looking through the binoculars. When I finished looking, I turned around to find him on a knee with a ring. It was a perfect proposal!
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding
Pinterest definitely inspired my wedding ideas! I looked at all boho, rustic, and Western wedding ideas and put my own spin on things. I love crafting and wanted a “Pinterest wedding” without the price tag of one, so I made a lot of our decorations myself. It was honestly really fun and rewarding to DIY a lot of our stuff.
A friend of my family built an amazing mural and bar for it (a bar which he made using no nails, it’s like one big, amazing puzzle). We used the barn at the wedding for food on one side and the bar on the other. It was a very unique and meaningful detail of our wedding. Lastly, we wanted to showcase all of our relatives that have been married in our lives. We have no divorces on either side of our family, which is kind of rare, so we asked for relatives’ pictures and made cards to put: how they were related to the bride or groom, when they got married, and how long they were married. It was a really cool way to do a memory table and show the strong marriages in our family.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Bride: I wore a dress by Rish Bridal. I bought it from Bespoke Bride in Boise, Idaho. My gown is called “Florence by Rish.” I wore a silver engraved necklace, bracelet, and hair comb from Artevae on Etsy. My boots are made by Fenoglio Boot Co., which I purchased from The Wild Ride Boutique.
Groom: Michael wore a white button-down with a suit jacket and tie that we bought from Amazon. His boots are Ariat, and his pants are Cinch Carter 2.4. He wore a Rodeo King felt chocolate hat and a hat pin made by Rising B Jewelry. He also wore a custom belt made by our wonderful florist and a custom buckle by Tito’s Custom Buckles on Etsy.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
It rained the entire night and morning before the wedding. I am normally one to have everything planned and perfect, so the rain wasn’t ideal. I just remember not caring at all if things were set up or wet, I was just truly so excited to get to marry my best friend. I think that’s how everyone should feel on their big day, and I really hope they get to!
The whole day was honestly so perfect, and there’s not a single moment that I didn’t love. There are a few memories, however, that were really special to me. First was my first look with Michael. He thought the whole time he knew what my dress looked like, and I really surprised him when I picked out something completely different than the style that I had originally loved. I just remember the way he looked at me during the first look at it is a favorite memory of mine.
Next was having a mini dance party with my bridesmaids right before we went to the ceremony. It was so much fun and made me relax before going down the aisle.
Another memory I loved was getting to have my great-grandparents there. They mean so much to me, so having them there was very important to me.
Lastly, after Michael and I first dance, we invited all of our married relatives to come up and join us for a dance to the song “Long Line of Love” by Paul Overstreet. Family means so much to both Michael and me, so it was one of my favorite parts of our day to be able to share that dance with them all.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
We did most of our stuff DIY. When we got engaged, I bought a Cricut (best purchase ever). My Cricut helped me make all of our signs for our wedding. I also did all of our centerpieces and table decor. One of my favorite DIY was the wine barrels that we put on every corner of the dance floor. We put a pole in each one and planted flowers around them. We then hung outdoor string lights from the poles, it was so pretty! Michael also made our altar — it was time-consuming and difficult but turned out so worth it!
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
While all of the details were my favorite, there are a few that stick out! First, we had my grandpa’s horse buggy there for gifts to go in. It has been in the family since — and passed through — generations. Another detail was our venue. My dad moved to that house when he was in fifth grade. All of my favorite childhood memories take place at that house. When my grandparents were ready to downsize, we moved in, not wanting the place to leave the family. Some of my aunts and uncle have gotten married there as well, so being able to do the same was really cool. Last summer, my dad started renovating a 100-year-old barn on our place. He was told, “It would be cheaper to tear it down and build a new one,” but the meaning that one held was worth the time and money to him.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
I would definitely advise future couples planning their wedding to tackle wedding plans one chunk at a time and prioritize the most important aspects of their big day first. Also that your engagement to wedding time will seem like forever at first, but wedding planning time goes much faster than regular time! Soak it all in and enjoy getting to plan such an important part of your journey. Things may go wrong, but just remember you are getting to marry the love of your life, and that’s all that really matters!
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