Victorian Old West Wedding at Star Ranch: Lynnette + Gris

star ranch wedding

Lynnette + Gris both come from an artistic background (Gris is an illustrator of children’s books and Lynnette from a performance background). With Lynnette’s taste being more glamour and Gris’ being a bit rugged, they made sure their wedding reflected both a soft feminine atmosphere and a masculine charm. They were first inspired by their family heritage – and the pioneers that paved the way in a much simpler time. Their wedding became a celebration of their roots and love for each other. Visually their theme became realized through a Victorian/Old West theme with a natural history museum touch. They both love horror + halloween, but steered away from anything they felt was too gimmicky for a traditional wedding.

From Lynette: “It was a celebration of our roots as well as our love for each other. That is what we wanted our guests to feel when they arrived. We even posted signs requesting that guests put away their cell phones and refrain from uploading pictures to their networks. For one day we wanted our friends and family to enjoy the company, the moment and the magical wonderland around them”.

Such a unique + fun wedding – definitely would love to have been a guest at this wedding! Thanks to Phil Chester for the photos and congrats to Lynnette + Gris for having the wedding you both dreamt of.

wedding poster

john wayne

chalkboard sign

hanging feathers

skulls filled with flowers

hanging feathers

wagon wheel chandelier

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Canon in D and Bridal Chorus

Recessional: The Wedding March

First Dance: I Love How You Love Me – Bobby Vinton

ceremony

ceremony

chapel ceremony

ceremony

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

I asked a friend of ours to surprise Gris by performing an acoustic version of "Love in your Eyes" by George Jones during the lighting of the unity candle. It was such a magical moment looking into the eyes of my soon-to-be husband, hearing such a lovely rendition of the song, all while surrounded by family and friends. It was said (and video and photos prove it) that throughout the song, two hawks circled above the chapel. It was a such spiritual moment.

ceremony

just married

wedding party

bride

bride and groom

bride and groom

ranch wedding

bride and groom

bride and groom

rice exit

tailgate foods

wedding guests

wedding robbers

wedding poster


My husband proposed to me with a portrait he spent months painting. I wanted to share this gift with everyone so I displayed the painting on an easel next to our cake table.

pumpkin escort cards

skull filled with flowers

white tablescape

white tablescape


There are many details that are personal to us because we thoughtfully handcrafted each to decorate the ranch. White rabbits and a magician were incorporated to represent our meeting at the Magic Castle, among countless other symbols that represented our love and luck for the future. On one of our first dates at a coffee house, we were graced with the company of a honey bee that buzzed around my head. My husband didn’t want to upset the bee in fear that it might sting me. So we both sat there awkwardly waiting for it to go away. To immortalize this moment I had necklaces made with real honey bees embedded in ember for the bridal party and my two nieces. My husband and I love to rummage through old stuff (flea markets, thrift stores, antique malls,…etc.). One of our first sales we bought an unopened pack of clip-on Kentucky ties. These were all worn by the groom, the groomsmen and the two fathers. Little details like these had meanings known to us but remained elusive to our guests. Everywhere we looked was a reminder of the hard work and help that created this magical world. Many talented individuals came together and contributed their own skills which made our vision a reality.

branch tablescape

hanging pins

general store bar


I love sweets. It is a huge part of my childhood so I wanted to offer a self-serve candy bar to our guests. We decided to set it up as an old general store to fit with the Victorian Old West theme and stand out from other candy bars that I’ve seen. We focused primarily on nostalgic candies that we both grew up enjoying like candy cigarettes, root beer barrels (an old favorite of my grandma’s), salt water taffy, black licorice, abba-zaba, candy buttons, chick-o-sticks…etc.

layered cakes on deer

star ranch

sparkler dance

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Plan the big day together and make it a day of celebrating your past, present, and future. Working together to create a day that reflects the two of you is both trying a rewarding. We went through a lot from the moment he proposed to the moment we said our vows. But everything in-between made the day that much more emotional and magical. Things won't turn out perfect and things will go wrong. But overall, try to remember that beyond all the details, this day is about your union and the love you share.

venue name: Star Ranch, Corona, California // bride's shoes: stuart weitzman hand embellishments (teeth, feathers, rhinestone encrusted balls) // bridesmaid dresses: Alfred Angelo // hair stylist: hair: Danielle June of Madame Pompadour // makeup artist: hair: Danielle June of Madame Pompadour // catering: Chicken and Beef Pot Pies from Moffetts Chicken pie shop // music: DJ Dais // photography: Phil Chester with assistant Nick Radford (you can see more from the wedding on Phil's Blog) // floral design: The Little Branch // hairpiece: flower hair piece by The Little Branch and feather piece by my dear friend Mather at Cadaver Couture // cinematography: Crescent Bay films // cake: Red Velvet and Guinness Beer spice cake by Nickel Diner, traditional two tier wedding cake by Sweet Art Cakes // cookies: DeLuscious Cookies // taxidermy peacocks: Natures Design Online // magician: Georges Robert

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