Glamorous Wild West Wedding

Sometimes there are weddings that we come across that just leave us breathless--and this is one of them. At first glance, you would never believe that Laura and Rob’s wedding took place in an open field in San Juan Capistrano. After a beautiful proposal on an apple farm, the couple set out to transform the West Coast into the Wild West. They enlisted the help of Donna Urban Events and Crosby + Jon Design to create an eclectic ranch wedding inspired by Rob’s active role in local law enforcement.

When the guest list for Laura and Rob’s wedding grew to nearly 350 people, their dream of holding the reception in a rustic barn went from tricky to nearly impossible. Instead of giving up, Crosby + Jon Design and Donna Urban Events choose to create their own venue from the ground up. It took months to plan and weeks to construct, but the result was beyond incredible. The “barn” was actually a facade built on the groom’s father’s land from salvaged barn wood with an 80–by-140-square-foot tent attached behind it. Now known as the “pop-up barn,” this old-fashioned barn raising will never be forgotten.

Upon arrival, guests made their way past antique trucks and wagons to witness Laura and Rob say “I do” in front of an altar created from an antique wooden sheep gate. The aisle was covered in a mass of white flowers, and soft bluegrass music filled the air as the couple exited and the celebration moved to the showstopping pop-up barn.

Every nook and cranny within the reception space was bursting with rustic elegance, courtesy of Archive Rentals. Antique wagon-wheel chandeliers hung over the dance floor, and a combination of round and long wooden tables filled the room. Four different custom-built “horse stalls” were scattered throughout, each serving as a food station offering a unique menu. The reception décor included hay bales, saddles, trunks and vintage photographs, with every area adorned in luscious red roses. After dinner and the couple’s first dance, Laura revealed the “Donut Shop,” which was an ode to Rob and all his fellow active and retired law enforcement members in attendance. The remainder of the night was a blur of dancing, desserts, Scotch and custom cigars, which were enjoyed around a campfire before the couple rode off into the night on their 21st-century horse: a vintage 1967 Shelby Mustang.

Rings: Robbins Brothers