Ryan and Kolby Hensley
Tell us about your love story!
How did you meet?
We met on Tinder! It was during COVID, which certainly made dating a little different.
How did you know he was “The One”?
Soon after our first meeting, we found a reason to see each other every single day after that. Who else would I want to spend that much time with besides “The One”?
How did he propose?
One the way to a work event, he took a detour which led to roses, candles, and a ring! We made it to my event just a few minutes late, and with a much heavier left hand!
Describe your wedding planning process.
Who helped with the planning?
I did most of the planning myself with a little help from TikTok and Pinterest. My mom, sister, and bridesmaids helped along the way, too.
Did you hire a planner or day-of coordinator?
Yes because it was required by the venue. If not, I would have tried to DIY that too! She turned out to be phenomenal and helped so much!
Did you DIY any aspect of your wedding?
Everything! I sourced all of the decorations and linens myself because I couldn’t find a rental company that had exactly what I was looking for.
For my mom and the bridesmaids’ getting-ready outfits, I thrifted Polo Ralph Lauren denim button-downs and embroidered each person’s initials on her shirt. They had matching embroidered socks, too—even our flower girl got a denim outfit! Each of my girls, as well as I, had personalized embroidered name tags on our dress hangers.
For the church, I DIYed the wreath sashes hanging on the outside doors with our monogram, which we incorporated throughout the entire wedding weekend. Inside, guests received personalized tissues and fans featuring the same monogram
At the reception, I created our “Love That Came Before Us” display and our “Fetch Your Seat” seating arrangement. Our cake table featured a ceramic plate that we painted ourselves and used to share our first slice of cake. Tea and water were served in monogrammed cups.
I designed all of the bar signage and décor, from the backdrop and topiary-style “H” to the frames and custom decal on the front of the bar, which featured the same design as our envelope liner. On top of the bar sat a bowl filled with lemons that I branded by hand.
Each cocktail table had a handmade bar menu. We also made cornhole boards featuring our envelope-liner design and personalized torches for the cigar bar. For our sparkler exit, guests received another custom cup that read “Land of the Free Drinks” as a fun nod to the Fourth of July.
Did you have a specific theme?
Elevated backyard wedding meets shrimp boil—on the Fourth of July! Think blue gingham, lemons, silver serving dishes, and sparklers.
How many guests were invited?
Around 200. We received some declines because of the holiday date, which we expected. We’re incredibly grateful for all of the guests who chose to spend their Fourth of July celebrating with us!
Where did you save the most?
My dress was probably our biggest save. It would have cost more than $4,000 if I had ordered from the designer I originally had my eye on.
We also saved by DIYing so many details, including the chargers, bar signage, personalized lemon place cards, and more. We chose nontraditional outfits for the groomsmen, which saved them from having to rent suits. Instead, we chose Poncho shirts they could wear again, and we bought each of them khakis.
Where did you splurge?
The venue and tent rental were our biggest expenses. Our venue is nontraditional and had only hosted a few family weddings, so it was up to us to bring in the tents, tables, restrooms, chairs, bar, fans, and everything else we needed. You definitely can’t have an outdoor July wedding in Texas without a tent and fans!
But the venue was beautiful, and the staff was amazing. We were even able to stay there for the entire weekend as part of one package price. It included lodging for 22 people, the rehearsal dinner meal, wedding-day breakfast and lunch, and Sunday brunch. It wasn’t inexpensive, but for the experience we had, it was absolutely worth it.
Why did you choose your venue?
I didn’t want the typical all-wood or all-white wedding venue. I also wanted weekend lodging for our wedding party. I couldn’t find anything around Central Texas that checked all of my boxes while remaining affordable.
A coworker recommended that I look into Santos Patronos Ranch. When I spoke with the owner, he told me he would be having his own wedding there in the coming months, which would only be the second wedding held at the property.
I toured it soon afterward and knew it was the one. The lodge had an elevated Western feel, while outside there were beautiful wide-open spaces. It is a true working ranch with cattle.
Because they hadn’t hosted an event quite like ours before, we worked together to make sure every detail was considered. It turned out beautifully, and by the end of the weekend, the venue staff truly felt like family.
Did you incorporate any special traditions or sentimental details in your ceremony or reception?
One of my favorite sentimental details was displaying photographs of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days on a board titled “The Love That Came Before Us.”
We also included a ring-warming ceremony. Our wedding rings were passed around the church, and each guest was asked to say a quick prayer or well wish over them. We began with our moms, who are our biggest cheerleaders.
Another unique touch was drawing two names at random from our church guests to sign our marriage license as witnesses. It ended up being Ryan’s sister, Allison, and my mom, Kelly!
What turned out to be your best decision surrounding the big day?
Handwriting personalized letters to each guest was one of the best decisions we made. We used the letters as seating assignments, with each guest’s name and table number written on the outside of the envelope.
The seating display was called “Fetch Your Seat” as a way to honor our dog, Hunter. We received so many compliments about the personal notes that writing 150 of them was completely worth it!
Is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have splurged on more help with setup on the wedding day. We relied heavily on friends and our day-of coordinator, and having additional hands would have made things much easier.
Tell us About
Your dress:
I ordered my dress from Etsy! The shop, GaladrielBridal, is located in Vietnam. I sent them a few inspirational photos from TikTok showing styles I loved, along with my measurements. Once it arrived, I had it altered and customized by Moonlight and Moss.
Your flowers:
We chose to keep the flowers simple, focusing primarily on my bouquet as the focal point. They were created by a friend of my mom’s. Although I love flowers, I didn’t feel they needed to be a huge splurge for the backyard-wedding atmosphere we wanted.
The food:
We had to do something a little different here, too! We thought a shrimp boil would be unique and perfect for a summer wedding, so we chose Comal Crawfish Company.
The food was fresh and delicious. They also served chicken tenders for guests who didn’t eat seafood, and the french fries were absolutely delicious!
The cake:
Our cake was created by local home baker Amy Perrenot, who was recommended to me by a friend. She made a stunning bar cake—vanilla with strawberry filling. It was beautiful, tasted even better, and was surprisingly affordable!
Recap your big day for us
What made you cry?
A lot! But my favorite cry was seeing my husband waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
What were the most memorable moments?
Once all of the formalities were over, we changed into our second outfits and were so much more comfortable. We spent the rest of the night on the dance floor having fun!
Did anything unexpected happen?
Very few things actually went according to plan! The pen didn’t work when our witnesses went to sign the marriage license. One of the large fans stopped working. Some of the décor wasn’t placed correctly. My hair wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. Whataburger got our late-night snack order wrong. And the sparkler-exit song we were so excited about ended before we actually got to walk through!
By the end of the night, my husband and I were simply rolling with the punches. Our guests didn’t know about all of those little imperfections, and at the end of the day, none of them really mattered.
Advice and Looking Ahead
What’s the best advice you can give a bride and groom planning their wedding?
Nothing went perfectly, and the day definitely had its stressful moments—but we survived!
Soak it all in and make it a point to have fun, because it goes by so quickly. I wish we had given ourselves more time simply to enjoy the day instead of being pulled in so many different directions.
What did you look forward to most as Mr. and Mrs.?
Relaxing and soaking it all in after the wedding. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for our little family!
Local Vendors:
Wedding Venue: The First Church – Heritage Village, downtown Seguin
Reception Venue: Santos Patronos Ranch
Photographer: Firefly Photography
Caterer: The Culinary Room
Rentals: Hill Country Event Rentals
Makeup Artist: Southern Tease
Hair Stylist: Southern Tease
Bartending/Beverage Service: Whiskey River Bartending
Music/Entertainment: Crossroads DJ
Wedding Coordinator: Events by Grace SA
Dancefloor Lights: Flawless Table Co
Alterations: Moonlight and Moss
Dessert: The Culinary Room
Late Night Snack: Whataburger
Bathroom: C&Y Lonestar Luxury
Cigar Roller: Ruiz Cigars
Party Bus: Celebration Party Bus
Classic Car: Valor Restorations
Wedding Music:
Processional: Turning Page Instrumental – Sleeping at Last
Bride’s Entrance: You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
Recessional: This Will Be – Natalie Cole
First Dance: 4th of July – Shooter Jennings
Mother/Son Dance: Neon Moon – Brooks and Dunn
Last Dance: Empty Glass – Gary Stewart
Grand Exit: Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue – Toby Keith
