Nathan and Robyn described their wedding as “a yee-haw showdown”, where the cowboy theme was woven into every detail of their day. With cacti, bejewelled suits and neon lights, their own backyard was transformed into their venue. The guests were dressed in their cowboy best too which really added to the theme.
“We both love western wear and vintage aesthetics and wanted our day to be uniquely us,” Robyn shared. “Our whole wedding was pretty much all DIY with a lot of help from our talented loved ones from our decor and styling to our cake and flowers. It was also quite non-traditional and relaxed. For example, we didn’t have bridesmaids and groomsmen, just a combined wedding party of our dearest friends, and we wrapped up our ceremony with a couple of shots of tequila. All our guests really got behind our cowboy theme too donning hats, bolos and boots.”
Their biggest DIY project was transforming their own back garden into their venue. This saved them money on hiring a traditional wedding space, but it was their biggest cost and a lot of work! Robyn continued, “We wanted a bomb entertaining space that would not only be perfect for our big day but that we could also enjoy long into our future. There were too many projects to list but we did a full backyard renovation including landscaping. Transforming our backyard into a Texan ranch, crafting a custom barndoor arbor, planting a cactus garden and sourcing hay bales for seating. We also and thrifted mismatched vintage glassware, horseshoes and other decor and furniture. Almost nothing was new or rented.”
Despite the joy of the day, and the enjoyment they had while planning, it wasn’t without its challenges. “As soon as you think you’ve finished planning and preparing, you discover there is more to do,” Robyn laughed. “What started as simple ideas soon became more intricate as we tried to make our day as perfect as it could be. I think the real challenge was just trying to get our specific vision to come to life, as we did it all with just the help of our friends and family and without any real event planning experience. Just having the patience and open-mindedness to allow our visions to shift and come together.”
Besides the obvious first dance and kiss, the couple’s highlights of the day included seeing everyone embrace the theme with their outfits, enjoying BBQ around the fire pits and dancing well into the night. Their advice to future engaged couples? “There’s a lot of ideas around what a wedding should or shouldn’t be, but don’t be afraid to do it your own way”, they concluded. “A wedding is what you make it! You’ll want a day that feels right for you and not someone else.”
