Weddings are traditionally a pretty good place to meet potential love interests. But for Allison Young and Jeremy Scott, an engagement party in December of 2010 was the setting of their initial love connection. “We met at my sister’s engagement party,” Allison says. “He was working with my sister’s fiancé. My sister introduced us, we started talking, and we were drawn to each other. He’s the most loving, easy-going person. We instantly connected.”

Two years into the relationship, Allison suspected nothing when Jeremy casually suggested they pop by the ranch where his mom lives to take her out to dinner. “When we got there, his mother told us that she was running late, but that there were some new kittens in the barn. I’m a huge animal lover, so we went over there,” Allison says.

Upon entering, Allison was met with a romantic surprise setting complete with tea lights, hydrangeas, and a huge painted sign that read, “Will you marry me?”

“It was so pretty,” she says. “Jeremy was suddenly on one knee. There was a photographer hiding to capture the moment. It was perfect.” And back at the house, family from both sides was waiting to celebrate the big news.

Once that party was over, it was time to start planning the main event. Allison says she knew what she wanted from the start. “I love the outdoors. I’m very simple, but I like glamour at the same time. I knew I wanted something easy and outside—something that brought my family and friends together for an entire weekend.”

To that end, she chose Wildcatter Ranch & Resort because of its beauty and also because of the 16 cabins and hotel onsite that would allow all her guests to stay in one place.

Allison turned to wedding planner Jordan Payne to help make her vision of Texas romance a reality. “I knew she saw my vision,” Allison says. “It was a huge relief. I knew she was going to be the one who could make all this happen.” The wedding and reception combined the best of the outdoors and more traditional affairs—there were horses, hay bales, cowboy boots, and barrels, but also lace, beautiful floral arrangements, and an elegant tent.

Jordan also made some magic happen when it came to the music. Allison had her heart set on walking down the aisle to “When The Right One Comes Along,” a song written by the band Striking Matches and performed on the television show Nashville. “I threw it out there to Jordan, and Jordan came back and said that the band had agreed to come play it live. They sang it while I walked down the aisle, and then they played ‘God and You’ for our first dance,” she says.

In the end, the happy couple and their 175 guests couldn’t have been more pleased. “Jeremy loves the outdoors and horses. He was thrilled with the venue, too,” Allison says. “I kept waiting for something to go wrong, but nothing ever did. It just went perfectly. It still amazes me.”

—Laura Kostelny

There were horses, hay bales, cowboy boots, and barrels, but also lace, beautiful floral arrangements, and an elegant tent.