Big Bend National Park is probably my favorite place to be outside. The contrasts of the Chihuahuan Desert is continually impressive to me. Luckily, my dear friends also share this love for the park and I was fortunate enough to design and construct the florals for their wedding. In October, we explored possible ceremony sites along easily-accessible trails so family and friends of all abilities could attend.

We decided on the open space below the pour-off of Burro Mesa. The walls rise from the desert wash some 60 plus feet into the air, creating a natural, 3-sided room. Even in late April, this area can get quite hot, but we lucked out with overcast skies and even intermittent sprinkles. Because of National Park Service regulations, you can not have organic plant material on the trail. This created a challenge in designing the body wear for the grooms and party. I instead made boutonnieres and bouquets out of paper and copper wire, playing off of the colors of the desert.

To help define this natural cathedral, I constructed faux Ocotillo branches out of wire and glass beads and used them to flank either side of the grooms.

With the ceremony concluded, the guests and party made the mile-long trek back to the parking area. I'm always interested in the flora, so I have to stop to take photos along the way.

The reception set up began shortly after at the Chisos Mountains Lodge about 20 miles away. I was able to use plant material here, so that made my job a bit easier.

As a twist on traditional cake toppers, the grooms used roadrunners made from wire and beads. These were created by citizens of Boquillas, a small, Mexican village across the Rio Grande from the park.

I loved this wedding location and it comes at a great value! The staff was beyond helpful and it was all a seamless process. Contact the lodge for more details about their event reservations. And a big thanks goes to Elizabeth Thacker Photography for shooting and providing all of these great images.