Billy and Taylor's 'Western Chic' Colorado Ranch Wedding by Mastrosimo Photography

I have been featuring western weddings here on the blog for years now, as I feature many weddings from he USA. However I have seen western weddings becoming more of a trend, weather it be styled shoots, or the weddings themselves. Many a wedding lends itself to this style, depending on the location and also the venue. Today’s wedding is one of those. Taylor and Billy were married in June of last year at La Joya Dulce a luxury ranch venue in Colorado. They filled their day with rustic touches, the most beautiful wild flowers and a nod towards their ‘Western Chic’ theme. The whole day is full of love, western style and a whole lot of fun, all captured perfectly by Mastrosimo Photography.

Our wedding day truly felt perfect, seeing our vision come to life and all of our friends and family blend together so seamlessly was incredibly special. It went by far too quickly, but it was without a doubt the best day ever.

Taylor and Billy were married on 28th June 2025 at La Joya Dulce in Colorado. ‘We spend every Fourth of July in Steamboat, and my parents live there full-time, so it’s always been a really special place for us. We wanted to get married somewhere that felt personal and meaningful, but also offered a fun destination where our guests could enjoy a full experience. We had 80 guests. We took two years to plan our wedding. It was important to us to choose the perfect weekend where we could enjoy the beautiful spring weather while everything was green and vibrant. We also wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to save and thoughtfully select our vendors without feeling rushed.’

How they met
We met while coaching girls traveling club volleyball. I had been coaching there for several years before Billy joined, and I quickly found myself looking for any excuse to be around when he was there—whether that meant volunteering to cover extra practices or even organizing a coaches’ dinner so everyone could meet (which was definitely not just for him!). We first met in October 2017 and officially started dating in February 2018, and we’ve been together ever since.

The proposal
We were house sitting for my uncle in La Jolla for a couple of weeks, and during that time we went to La Jolla Cove one evening to watch the sunset. A few days later, Billy suggested we go back to the same spot to meet some friends before dinner.
On the way there, he was acting so nervous—sweaty, saying he felt like he might throw up—but I didn’t think too much of it since he’s always had a bit of a weak stomach. When we arrived, our friends texted saying they were running late, so we decided to walk down to the beach on our own.
While we were standing there, I spotted someone in the distance and said, “Oh look, there’s Dakota,” and Billy quickly said, “Nope, that’s not Dakota”—which it absolutely was! He was clearly trying to throw me off. Moments later, he dropped down to one knee and proposed.
Out of the corner of my eye, I started noticing people coming toward us taking photos, and after I said yes, I realized he had secretly arranged for several of our friends to be there. I was completely blown away, I had no idea it was coming, and the fact that he planned such a thoughtful surprise made it even more special.

How did you allocate your budget?
Our budget was definitely one of the more challenging parts of planning, we ended up having to adjust it a couple of times along the way. We were very fortunate that both of our parents contributed, which allowed us to create the day we envisioned.
We focused on choosing vendors who were reasonably priced but also people we genuinely trusted and felt excited to work with.

How did you choose your photographer?
Our photographer was the first vendor we booked after securing our venue. Since photos are something you have forever, it was really important to us to find someone whose work we loved, who understood our vision, and who we felt completely comfortable working with.
We were especially drawn to a more candid style, as neither of us feels particularly photogenic and we didn’t want to spend a lot of time away from the celebration posing for photos. It was important to us to have someone who could capture the natural, in-between moments, not just of us, but of our guests as well.

The dress
My dress was by Ines Di Santo, my shoes were from Tecovas, and my jewelry was a family heirloom from my grandmother. She passed away before I was born, so wearing her jewelry was a really meaningful way to honor her.

The suit and bridesmaids
The suit was a Vera Wang rental from Men’s Warehouse, and the bridesmaids purchased their dresses on their own.

Theme or colour scheme
Our theme was “Western Chic,” and we carried that through both the design and the guest experience. We wanted the day to feel elevated and stylish while still embracing the charm of the ranch setting. For attire, we encouraged guests to have fun with the theme—anything from cocktail to formal wear was welcome, with optional western touches like cowboy boots, bolo ties, belt buckles, and statement jewelry.

Flowers
Our flowers were absolutely beautiful. I envisioned a mix of colorful, wildflower-inspired arrangements, and our florist completely brought that vision to life—I couldn’t have been happier with how they turned out.

Decoration
Our décor really leaned into our “western chic” theme, blending rustic elements with more elevated details. We had a “Something Blue” bar set in a converted horse trailer, whiskey barrels topped with florals, vintage wheelbarrows, and farmhouse tables that helped create the ranch-style atmosphere.
We also incorporated unique touches like a wagon wheel bar, a single ski-lift chair, and even a roping dummy for guests to play with, which added a fun, interactive element. To balance the rustic feel, we layered in soft drapery, fairy lights, and tea lights to create a warm, romantic ambiance throughout the space.

Food
Food was a really fun part of our wedding, and we wanted it to feel both elevated and approachable for our guests. During cocktail hour, we had a mix of stationed and passed bites, including fresh fruit and artisan cheeses, house-made chips with lime seasoning and avocado, and a variety of small bites like local sausages, shrimp, caprese skewers, and veggie potstickers.
For dinner, we served a family-style meal that felt warm and inviting. It started with a seasonal salad and fresh bread, followed by mains like Colorado chicken with peach BBQ and beef with a red wine marinade. Everything was paired with delicious sides like truffle mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and grilled asparagus.
To keep the party going, we also had late-night bites, Frito pie. Guests could grab a bag of Fritos, cut it open, and load it up with their favorite toppings, which was such a hit. Since so many weddings we’ve been to serve things like chicken fingers and fries, we wanted to do something a little different that felt more like us. My dad’s side of the family is from New Mexico, so it was the perfect personal touch.

Wedding cake
We had a bright lemon cake with fresh wild blueberry filling, topped with classic buttercream. We actually designed the flavor ourselves, which made it one of our favorite parts of the planning process and added a really personal touch to the day. For our guests, we did mini cupcakes of the same flavor. They were a huge hit, my uncle ate twelve and said they were the best cupcakes he’s ever had!

Entertainment
We had a DJ who kept the energy up all night and really understood the vibe we were going for. He helped us curate a playlist that appealed to all generations, which kept the dance floor full all night long. He even mixed in a few line dancing songs, which was such a fun touch and fit perfectly with our western theme..

Who supplied the stationery?
We used Shutterfly for our Save the Dates and Wedding invites.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We did a mini-moon in Santa Fe, NM for a long weekend and we plan to celebrate again in Japan. We hope to ski and eat all of the delicious food we can!

Personal touches
One of our favorite personal touches was our guest book, which Billy and his dad made together. It was a large wooden “E” for our last name, and we had all of our guests sign it throughout the night. It made the piece feel even more meaningful knowing the time and effort they put into creating it together.

Special moments
One of the most special moments of the weekend actually happened during our welcome party. Billy’s family surprised him with his grandfather’s watch and wedding ring. His grandfather passed away in 2010, and it meant so much to Billy to have something meaningful like that to wear, especially since I had my own family heirlooms.
I had quietly reached out to his mom beforehand to see if there might be something special for him, but at the time, she wasn’t sure. So when his uncles presented the watch and ring to him, it was a complete surprise to both of us. Billy was incredibly emotional, it was such a thoughtful and meaningful gesture, and a moment he’ll never forget.

Advice to other couples
There are definitely highs and lows when it comes to planning a wedding, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times with all the decisions and expectations. Try not to get discouraged, decision fatigue is real, and balancing input from both families can be challenging.
Be firm on the things that truly matter to you as a couple, and be open to flexibility in areas where you’re willing to compromise. And most importantly, remember that no one else knows what your original vision was, if something doesn’t go exactly as planned, your guests will never notice. Just focus on being present and enjoying the day together.

Biggest surprise
My husband is from Tucson, AZ, and when he moved to Colorado, he was amazed by all the cows. Every time he went fishing or biking, he’d send me pictures of them. So I surprised him with a “moo-bile” bar during cocktail hour—two adorable cows with satchels of beer that we got to lead around. He absolutely loved it, and so did our guests.