A Breathtaking Natural Wedding at Terlingua Ranch Lodge in Terlingua, Texas

Dramatic natural scenery? Check. Remote destination? Check. Unique to Texas? Absolutely, y’all! Valerie Wolf (27 and a florist and owner of Davy Gray)

Dramatic natural scenery? Check. Remote destination? Check. Unique to Texas? Absolutely, y’all! Valerie Wolf (27 and a florist and owner of Davy Gray) and Taylor Chambers (28 and a sous chef) traveled to Big Bend National Park throughout their relationship, so they wanted to share their wedding weekend with loved ones at the magical Terlingua Ranch Lodge. Their day began with an intimate sunset ceremony in front of an epic mountain backdrop, where guests gathered around picnic benches scattered with colorful blankets. Valerie and Taylor personalized every detail: They wrote the whole ceremony themselves, including their vows, and included the knot-tying unity tradition and readings from their families. Valerie even made all the colorful floral arrangements, from the wildflower-inspired bouquets and decor to the little cactus centerpieces. The rustic fete was full of Texas details too: Valerie and Taylor gave their guests custom “Howdy” tote bags with Texas treats at the start of their wedding weekend (pralines and cactus koozies, anyone?). At the cocktail hour, guests sipped on Austin-brewed beers before kicking up their heels to two-stepping tunes. But that’s not all: Taylor completely designed the wedding weekend menu with Tex-Mex selections straight out of his personal family recipe book. The Nichols was on hand to photograph all the sweet, candid moments, including the sweet wish lantern send-off at the end of the night. See the incredibly pretty details, below.

The peach, pink and white hues in Valerie’s bouquet were inspired by the sunsets of Big Bend National Park in Texas. Garden roses, spray roses, ranunculus, poppies, foxglove, chamomile, and clematis composed the arrangement.
Rustic Neutral Wedding Invitation
Texas-Themed Destination Wedding Welcome Bag
Valerie wore her hair in a low chignon with a half moon flower crown to highlight the natural details on the back of her wedding dress. For her makeup, she added drama to her eyes and kept the rest soft and romantic.
Valerie’s bridesmaids (her two sisters) wore bright white midi dresses with low cutout backs paired with rustic brown leather bootees. Complete with Margot Wolf Jewelry-layered necklaces, their look was trendy and modern.
Valerie and Taylor added wooden benches around their ceremony location for half of their guests and let the others gather around for an intimate atmosphere. They surrounded the rustic wooden wedding arch with urns filled with fresh flowers and brought in vintage rugs to create the aisle.
Piano Outdoor Ceremony Music
Natural Wildflower Wedding Arch Decor
Sparing no detail, Valerie and Taylor hauled in a piano to their ceremony spot. Valerie’s parents walked her down the aisle to “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, performed by Bryan Mammel of Blue Healer—a fitting choice for this talented florist.
Big Bend Natural Wedding Ceremony
Half-Moon Flower Crown
Neutral Flower Girl Dresses
Ivory Boho Wedding Dress
Taylor wore a dark charcoal gray three-piece suit with a blue paisley tie, colorful striped socks and his beloved Helm boots. His brothers, the groomsmen, wore lighter gray suits with lavender paisley ties and brown leather dress boots.
Colorful Vintage Lounge Furniture
Texas-Inspired Cocktail Hour Menu
Custom Corn Hole Lawn Game
Big Bend National Park Wedding
DIY Chalkboard Tex-Mex Reception Menu
Guests sat at rustic wooden picnic tables for the reception, each with a hand-dyed indigo ombre napkin—a DIY project by Valerie and her bridesmaids. Since it can get chilly after sunset in the desert, traditional blankets scattered throughout the benches helped everyone stay warm and cozy throughout the evening.
Designed with Valerie and Taylor’s family-style picnic table reception in mind, the centerpieces were long and narrow in style. They included roses, ranunculus, Icelandic poppies, foxgloves, snapdragons, tulips, clematis, chocolate cosmos, chamomile, eucalyptus, bay leaves and olive leaves. Potted cacti and pillar candles filled in the spaces between the wild floral centerpieces.
Outdoor Wedding Reception Blankets
Red and Peach Poppy and Garden Rose Centerpieces
Small Potted Cactus Centerpiece
Big Bend Outdoor Reception With String Lights
The dessert buffet was totally DIY, from the cupcake stand Taylor crafted from the homemade sweets. A single-tier wedding cake topped tiers of miniature cupcakes, surrounded by a variety of cookies and candied pecans (it was a Texas wedding, after all).
Blue Paisley Groom's Tie