An Outlaw Country Wedding with Dolly Parton Flair in Old Town San Diego

“My dad was into Outlaw Country, among a ton of other obscure genres that drove us all crazy searching for rare records at Christmas,” remembers bride Chloe, fondly, of her dad’s taste in music. “And I was able to rediscover it and develop a deep love for it as an adult.” 

So we’re thinking there’s something pretty romantic and meant-to-be about the fact that groom Mark has always been an Outlaw Country fan.

“By Outlaw we mean Willie, Waylon, Merle, Conway, Loretta, Kris, Hanks I-III, Charlie, Patsy, Dolly,” says the couple. And they used their love of the genre, its greats, and its retro, mid-century country western aesthetic to create an absolutely iconic spring wedding day among the historic architecture and Wild West vibes of Old Town San Diego.

We’ve got to mention: One of our favorite elements of this day—and one of the reasons the vision came together so seamlessly? Bride Chloe and planner + event designer Emily of Heartthrob Events have been friends for 20 years. With the iconic Cosmopolitan Hotel as the perfect setting, this funky Outlaw Country wedding took shape with plenty of bolo ties, cowboy hats, and colorful Dolly Parton flair.

We’re thankin’ our lucky stars that Amanda Gillian was there snapping these gorgeous photos! 

All right, y’all—let’s take a look at Chloe + Mark’s big day!

How fun are these wedding day paper goods from P&P Design Studio! The cow print! The Old World scroll font! They’re giving funky saloon vibes.

Keep an eye on those white wedding boots! They might make an appearance at the reception…

“I went to a few different shops, but then I wandered into Claire Pettibone, and she was an actual angel of a human, just from the first second of meeting her,” remembers bride Chloe of her experience finding this unique lace beauty of a wedding gown. “She was truly curious about the type of dress I was looking for, about the story I wanted my dress to tell, I guess is the best way to put it. I couldn’t have had more fun in that shop.”

You are going to love the springy wild flower approach that Cobra Lily Floral Design used to incorporate lots of joyful color into the day’s Old West design vision.

Groom Mark went vintage with his wedding suit! Loving that embroidered camisa vaquera.

The First Look

We’re head over heels for Chloe’s hair bow. Bows are one of our favorite wedding trends to watch!

Lauren Kolb styled Chloe’s half up half down bridal look, and Make-Up Therapy created her smoky, earthy bridal glam.

Definitely check out our collection of bridal capes and capelet ideas if you’re crushing on Chloe’s convertible bridal silhouette like we are.

And if a Western-inspired groom look is speaking to you, a bolo tie like Mark’s is an absolute necessity.

Pre-Wedding Portraits: Outlaws In Love

We absolutely cannot get enough of Amanda Gillian’s photography style. These dramatic, historical staged portraits are iconic.

And they utilize this unique venue so beautifully!

We just keep falling more in love with Chloe’s wedding day look. Explore our collection of the best lace wedding dresses and our list of the best high neck wedding dresses to lean into a similar bridal style.

The entire wedding party absolutely understood the assignment! Look though our western style guide to get on their level.

The Wild West vibe of Chloe + Mark’s day has us thinking of this cowboy chic wedding photo shoot in Texas and this rustic western wedding in the Sierra Nevadas.

The Ceremony

Here comes the Dolly Parton flair! Why not start the ceremony decor off with a fabulous custom velvet fringe wedding banner?

Archive Rentals absolutely knocked it out of the park with this mismatched antique wooden chair guest seating seup.

And the rugs! Check out our collection of aisle decor ideas we’re obsessed with for more clever + creative ceremony aisle setups like Chloe + Mark’s.

We LOVE the way Chloe + Mark opted for bright, maximalist color throughout their day. The ceremony’s floral arch is a perfect example of the way they kept things bright alongside the more muted neutrals of their Western design vision.

Chloe + Mark made gunslingers of all their guests with these unique wedding guest favors!

Wedding dress codes give guests a festive way to feel involved in the day and make for some incredible pictures. Like this one! That’s why they’re also one of our favorite wedding trends to watch!

Our Favorite Memory
The vows! So happy everyone laughed throughout both. Exactly what we wanted! 

Feel like drafting up something special to share with your person on your wedding day like Chloe + Mark did? Take a look at our wedding vow writing guide!

A Saloon-Worthy Celebration

Each table number featured the name of one of Chloe + Mark’s favorite Outlaw Country legends. We love the role the music played in the planning of their day. “We didn’t involve religion in any way,” says the couple of their approach. “Instead, we chose to honor and celebrate the community around us who we feel enabled us to become who we were before, and who we are today. And we both feel music is a pretty big part of what’s made us who we are, both respectively and as a couple.”

Assorted colorful vintage stemware pieces came together to make a perfectly mismatched, retro tablescape.

Those amazing bolo tie napkin rings? Those are an Archive Rentals specialty.

Western Wedding Guest Style

Loving the edgy elegance of this sheer polkadot ruffle sleeve maxi dress and those black elbow-length gloves! Especially paired with that western heart belt buckle choker.

Snag a red Bustier Gown by For Love & Lemons and a black bow choker to recreate this fabulous fit!

Newlyweds Now!

“A piece of advice is to be in lock-step with your planner,” says bride Chloe of working with her longtime friend. “We were so lucky with Emily. It felt like she had been planning our wedding for years! (She may have been. She may very well have been. We’ve known her for a while.) Not only did she listen to our vision but she executed it much more thoughtfully, and creatively, than we ever could. This industry is tough! A guiding light like Heartthrob Events is crucial.”

The evening’s feast was catered in house by The Cosmopolitan Hotel.

And that gorgeous vintage-inspired two-tier pink + orange wedding cake came from Hey There, Cupcake!

Our Advice
Turn the background noise off; it’s all about you two. Don’t ask for advice unless the person has been fully briefed on the collective vision AND budget, or at least unless they know you REALLY well. And remember, it’s just a day. No one’s gonna notice if you don’t have chargers, or if you go with the house linen—you’re gonna look amazing, you’re gonna be surrounded by love, relax into it as much as you can. 

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"I Have Met My Love Today" by John Prine
Recessional
"My Heart Skips a Beat" by Buck Owens
First Dance
"Walk Through This World With Me" by George Jones

Congratulations, Chloe + Mark, on your iconic Outlaw Country wedding! That rhinestone fringe reception dress and bridal jacket were the perfect way to end the night!! All the best from GWS!