Willowhouse, Terlingua, TX
A Few of Our Favorite Micro Weddings at Willow House
Francesa and Marco’s Wedding
This earthy and romantic micro-wedding at the Willow House was destined to stand out from the start. When Francesa and Marco reached out to us, they knew they wanted a small and intimate desert wedding. After cancelling their original pre-COVID plans to have a 300 person wedding in the Philippines, these two romantics knew there was a bigger purpose - and they trusted us completely to design an earthy, sophisticated micro-wedding in West Texas.
We put our full heart into bringing this day to life. We went from 95 degrees to a full on storm with massive wind gusts, lightning strikes and rain cover, and this was by far one of my favorite weddings we’ve ever been a part of.
For our color palette, we leaned into earthy colors and textures to accentuate the gentle, muted tones of Terlingua’s natural landscape. We chose natural linen hues to blend with the mountains and desert earth. And we loved finding unique, warm neutrals to bring in the darker tones of the surrounding canyons, then pairing them with blush accents to mirror desert sunsets - every detail intentionally blurs the line between natural setting and constructed design to create a raw, organic feel.
We knew Francesa and Marco trusted us to create a completely unique and personal micro-wedding experience, so we designed a non-traditional ceremony site set in a field of ocotillo. We built a freestanding ceremony installation with raw wood pillar stacks at different heights to make sure we didn’t obstruct the view of the mountains, and we worked closely with Open Road Florals to create large, unique floral arrangements with desert textures.
We designed the reception tables with the same level of care, arranging delicate pebbles to line the guests’ place settings and complement the organic surroundings. The clay set floral arrangements and the natural raw linens amplified the luxury desert design. And instead of traditional place setting chargers, we draped blush organic linen across the table from setting to setting to create an opposite runner effect.
This earthy and romantic Willow House destination wedding reminded us that destination can mean anything you want it to. It’s your day. Even with a rare thunderstorm that sent guests running for shelter mid-reception, this wedding ended up being one of our favorite desert weddings of all time, and in the words of the bride, “it was even more us than we ever could’ve hoped.”
Photo: Jordan VothVenue: Willow HouseDesign and styling: Mae&Co CreativeFlorals: Open Road FloralsHair and makeup: Hello Flawless ArtistryRentals: Loot Rentals / Nuage DesignsWedding dress boutique: Winnie Couture. Kathleen and Thomas’ Wedding
Even the smallest gathering can be extravagant, and Kathleen and Thomas’ luxury micro wedding at Willow House is no exception. Grounded in the rugged, arid landscape of West Texas, Willow House is a perfect destination wedding venue for couples seeking to unplug and embrace the wild natural beauty of the American Southwest.
As a couple who spent much of the pandemic traveling to remote AirBnbs and unique desert locations, Willow House felt like the perfect for this intimate destination wedding. Kathleen and Thomas fell in love with the venue’s thoughtfully designed casitas with unobstructed views of the Chisos Mountain Range, and we couldn’t have been more honored to design a luxurious, desert wedding in this space.
For their ceremony, we wanted to amplify the remote feeling of being in the middle of the desert by creating a unique and low-profile custom arch installation. Every detail was inspired by the surrounding desert landscape: we tucked desert elements and grasses around the ceremony aisle and seating to create a lush, organic feeling. And the ceremony installation juxtaposed jagged natural rock with soft sage and ivory blooms, creating a natural and elevated feel that mirrored the surrounding ocotillos, blooming upward in the harsh desert landscape.
After the ceremony, we elevated the minimalism of the desert landscape with modern ambiance. Clusters of pillar candles, quartzite atop the bar, branches placed throughout the tablescape – all of these details felt so in tune with desert surroundings. And for the reception dinner, we designed a luxury, neutral tablescape styled with stone tableware, ivory and sage linens, smoke colored glassware and matte black flatware to add an elegance and softness without competing with the desert surroundings.
This authentic and intimate destination micro wedding was all about creating magic in the middle of nowhere, our specialty. And we loved every second of it.
Photo: Dionne Kraus PhotographyVenue: Willow HouseDesign and styling: Mae&Co CreativeFlorals: Color Theory Design CoVideo: Goodco StudiosRentals: Loot Rentals Paper goods: Wildhouse Ink