These days anything goes for weddings, with themes based on favorite movies, bridesmaids that aren’t identically dressed, and bridal gowns in colors other than ivory... Without the confining box of tradition, brides are able to create their ultimate dream wedding.

Rustic Country -Ashelee Bartizal knew from the moment she got engaged to her now husband Clint how she wanted her wedding to look. “Clint and I, when we first met, spent a lot of time up in Valley Springs,” Ashelee said, “and we both are huge fans of country.” So naturally the two of them instantly selected the theme of “rustic country.” Finding the venue was as easy as choosing the theme for the event. When visiting a family friend’s ranch, Ashelee immediately envisioned her ceremony being held underneath the oversized oak trees and the reception taking place in the covered outdoor arena. From there Ashelee and her entourage of friends, family, and fiancé went to work on creating beautiful country inspired details and decorations.

Ashelee sought inspiration from various do-it-yourself websites and magazines, creating a binder full of inspirational photos as she went. Mason jars hung from shepherd’s hooks to line the aisle Ashelee walked down. She filled the jars with wildflowers in no specific color scheme, just sticking with bright, cheerful hues. Tables were covered with white linens and burlap, and random old trinkets were spread across them. “I went to a bunch of barns in the area and got things like horseshoes,” Ashelee said. She also pulled in an old tractor, decorated it and incorporated it into the theme. “We pretty much used everything that was at the ranch,” Ashelee said. In addition to the barn pieces, Ashelee hung paper bag stars in the trees and put old doors and windows in the pathway between the oak trees and the arena, hanging photos inside of them with twine.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen wore cowboy boots, all the men carried flasks in their pockets, and Clint concealed a pocket watch. Attendees showed up in country casual, straying away from the traditional high heels and fancy suits. “Everybody came in jeans and flannels,” Ashelee said. “Nobody came dressed up.” Guests drank from mason jars with straws adorned with handlebar mustaches for the gentlemen and red lips for the ladies. Ashelee’s bouquet was filled with white flowers with a pop of yellow, pinecones, and wheat sprays, all wrapped in rope. Her daughter Isabelle carried a bouquet adorned with a nest filled with blue robin’s eggs, a watchful bird, and a butterfly. “For the last month and a half before the wedding, I don’t think there was a single night that Clint and I went to sleep before 3:00 a.m.,” Ashelee shared. “It took a long time, but it was worth it.”

One special element that was vital to Ashelee and Clint was making sure that Ashelee’s three year old daughter was involved in the day’s festivities. Wearing miniature cowboy boots herself, Isabelle helped Ashelee’s father walk her down the aisle, and then played at Ashelee and Clint’s feet throughout the ceremony. Part of the event involved the couple washing each other’s feet as they sat in old rocking chairs, and then they washed Isabelle’s feet together. “She always thought she was the one getting married,” Ashelee said.

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