“Shane and I met at a concert, Margarita Salsa Festival in Waco, we eloped last year at a Turnpike Troubadours concert at the Red Rock Amphitheater in Colorado – I’m a Texas country music artist, so when I started the initial planning process I knew I really wanted the whole event to feel more like a country music concert rather than your typical wedding reception. I found out really fast, it’s all in the details! It’s The little things that really turn out to be the big things, and I’m so proud of the whole thing. Speaking of details,Shane is in love with anything to do with a violin so I hired the ceremony live violinists as a surprise to him as well, he loved them. “Wildest Dreams” by Taylor swift played as the bridal party walked down the aisle and listening to it before I got out of the cherry red 1971 GMC pickup My dad drove me down to the ceremony in, is a moment I’ll remember forever. Something you dream about as a little girl and never forget when you get to make the dream come true.

The metal altar Cross was a vision I had while driving around checking cows last Fall. Our entire ranch is fenced in a rust red rectangular tubing Fence and I asked Shane to build it for us out of the same metal, and boy did he! We “Planted” the cross in front of the Salado creek that runs through the heart of our ranch for the Ceremony site and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Our florist Heather of Terroir Designs had to trust me when I told her the cross was going to be 14 feet tall, and seven feet wide. She totally brought my rustic fall floral vision to life without making it feel monotenous. I knew immediately after meeting with her she was the perfect woman for the job after she prayed over our marriage and wedding.

For the reception area, I went with two sail cloth tents from Peerless tents for a more romantic feel, and used one of them for a table and seating area and the other for the band and dance floor. We pulled two flatbed trailers in side by side for our favorite texas country music band, Braxton Keith, to play on as a stage. it truly gave off big ranchy Yellowstone vibes! The custom made wooden dancefloor and sawmill shavings added to the Texas dancehall aesthetic I really wanted to accomplish.
Shane’s family is big into team roping so I knew we would need to entertain lots of cowboys and keep them fed, Texas style BBQ from the family favorite Schoepf’s was the only way to go! Brisket and smoked turkey were the stars of the show.

JC Jones our photographer, is so near and dear to our hearts. She was the only one I knew from the very beginning I was going to use as a photographer hands down, and she’s shot Shane and I so often over the years I knew he would feel comfortable infront of the camera with her behind it. Her work is incredible and I love the editorial vibe that shines through. Having a photographer that you’ve worked with before and are comfortable with makes taking wedding pictures such a breeze especially when it rained ALL day up until the very start of the ceremony.. literally it rained until 4:05 pm and didn’t stop raining until 3:00am! She is one of the sweetest most down to earth humans I know, I trusted her and her
vision and she delivered tenfold.

Designing the stationary and signage was one of my favorite parts of planning the entire wedding! I originally wanted the invites to look like a rodeo poster, so I took that idea and molded it until I had the final form. Our save the dates looked like concert tickets, and even had a few lines from one of my singles “Kiss a Cowboy.”

Interestingly enough, My dear father inlaw, Billy Pipes, was an integral part in helping me plan an event this large (Over two hundred guests.) he put on huge open to the world ropings at the Wildfire Arena he built in Salado, bought a trailer company, built them a new manufacturing plant, opened a trailer sales dealership and western store next to it all, giving away trucks and trailers and putting on some of the largest events in team roping for their time! If it wasn’t for him and his extensive business and event knowledge, I wouldn’t have been able to put together an event this big!

Planning the wedding was a fun experience, but our love story is still my favorite one to tell. Shane walked past me the first night we met in Waco at the Margarita Salsa Festival and turned right back around to come say hi and introduce himself. he told me he was going to marry me that night we met! He came to every concert I played in Texas That year afterwards, and six years later he made good on his promise. I thank God for him and his love for me every day, his strength in leading our family, and best of all, he’s my best friend. A true Texas Cowboy & gentleman through and through, forever taking my crazy ideas and making them come to life.”

– Kathryn Pipes

Photographer: JC Jones Photography jcjonesstudio@gmail.com | Instagram: @jcjonesphotography
Dress:  @sarahseven @bluebridalaustin
Venue: Wildfire Ranch pipeskathryn@gmail.com | Instagram: @wildfireranchtx
Florals: Terroir Designs terroirflowers@gmail.com  | Instagram @terroirdesigns
MUA: Beauty By Misha | Instagram: @beautybymishamua
Hair: Delaney Shelton | Instagram @laneydrisk
Tents: Peerless events  | Instagram: @peerlesseventsandtents
Ceremony Music: Sienna String Quartet | Instagram: @siennastringquartet
Band: Braxton Keith | Instagram: @braxton.keith
Professional Sound: Texas Tour Gear | Instagram: @texastourgear
Dj: Any Event Productions info@anyeventproductionsllc.com | Instagram: @anyeventproductions
Catering: Schoepfs BBQ | Instagram @schoepfs_bbq
Tables & Chairs: Lavie event rentals
Stationary: Kathryn Pipes @kathryn_Pipes
Signage: Kathryn Pipes @kathryn_pipes
Linens: Tablecloth Factory tableclothfactory.com
Decor: Kathryn Pipes @kathryn_pipes

Location: Wildfire Ranch, Salado, TX