Couples celebrate Texas in wedding ceremonies

Texas is big, of course. And as a theme, it’s huge in weddings right now.

Whether it be in old barns or stately venues across the county, couples are tying the knot surrounded by things that conjure the spirit of the Lone Star State and the beauty of the land.

Consider that one of the most popular wedding venues on the upper Texas coast is the Conservatory at The Bryan Museum in Galveston.

The Conservatory features an elegant European design of intricate metalwork and emerald-green glass on the museum’s lush, curated gardens. Just steps away is the museum.

“It really is the perfect place for a Texas-themed wedding as we have one of the largest collections of art and artifacts of Texas and the American West,” said Peter Ochoa, director of events at The Bryan Museum.

Brides love the property because it has a great mix of the old and the new, Ochoa said.

“The building was built in 1895, but the glass Conservatory is new construction,” he said. “We are on an acre of landscaped gardens and have over 5,000 flowers, plants and trees.”

The grooms love the rustic feel of the museum and the brides love the bling factor of the Conservatory and the romantic feel of the gazebo, Ochoa said.

A pair of Lucchese boots would be right in step at the venue.

“What’s really refreshing is that the conventional rules of wedding attire have been completely replaced by personal expression,” Ochoa said. “Very few wedding gowns are pure white these days, and I’ve seen brides get married in everything from Manolo Blahniks to cowboy boots and even rhinestone sneakers. Couples aren’t afraid to be creative and we love that.”

Picture this: A bride stands in the foreground clad in a long, lacy gown, with pale, wispy grass nipping at the tops of her cowboy boots. Behind her, in the distance, there is a weathered red barn, its chipping patina achieved through years of use and Texas thunderstorms. She looks ethereal and polished against the rural backdrop, and still, utterly at home on the range.

If you’ve been anywhere in the vicinity of Instagram in the past year, odds are, you’ve seen a post like this.

“Brides today want comfort, simplicity in design, and interaction with nature,” said Kristi McKim, owner of SallyBrooke Weddings in Bacliff. “They love a setting that allows for yard games and photos with tall grasses in the background. Something more personable, different and comfortable.”

Although she has owned the property since 2002, McKim debuted her business last year, in part because of the strength of the rustic wedding trend.

“Texas weddings feel romantic and fun in 2018,” McKim said. “There has been a move away from more stuffy, formal weddings of the past.”

Venues such as SallyBrooke harken back to Texas roots. Whether you’re a native or not, living in Texas means feeling a connection to its frontier past, and SallyBrooke is complete with a weathered barn, an amenity that draws many Texas brides.

“It’s so beautiful with all of the natural wood, the gray to green to brown tones,” McKim said. “It’s a simple, natural space to host a wedding.”

In SallyBrooke’s barn, there are chalk-painted tables, mismatched chairs and unique chandeliers, a well-worn array of accoutrements that fit well with the setting.

“A lot of people when they think about a barn wedding in Texas, they immediately think of barrels and cowboy boots, that whole look,” McKim said. “But, there’s also something beautiful about the contrast of rustic wood with very elegant crystal votives and candlelight with black and gold as the main colors.”

But almost any color scheme works in a rustic environment, said Tara Richardson, who owns The Borrowed Flea, a vintage rental service in Friendswood.

“You can do a lot of different things with color — depending on the season and the bride’s preference,” Richardson said. “If you’re going to go bold, it’s good to add little touches with maybe your linens and your florals. If you want to go a little more monotone, think about using greenery and elements that add texture.”

In 2018, Texas weddings rely less on yards of burlap and armies of Mason jars and more on a balance of threadbare and modern flair.

“Boho works well when you have a really natural, neutral backdrop,” Richardson said.

She styled one recent wedding in which a bride chose to highlight the location’s sweeping views with a neutral palette and pops of fuchsia.

“The décor was clean — not modern but clean,” Richardson said. “The bride chose a few key pieces and then laid down all of these wonderful Oriental rugs and floor pillows that integrated with her color scheme.”

Creating outdoor seating areas is one way to make a barn wedding feel more sumptuous and dreamy.

Still, there’s nothing quite like the great outdoors, so Richardson cautions brides not to overdo it on the décor.

“What’s wonderful about these spaces is their natural beauty,” Richardson said. “They’re homier. It feels like a reunion, a gathering of all of your closest people. When you remove all of the distraction, it allows everyone to relax.”