Amanda and Rob's first wedding dance in the barn. Montesino Ranch is located three miles from Wimberley, Texas.
Montesino ranch is a retreat from the
wedding industry
Tucked away in the Texas Hill Country, Montesino Ranch offers a local farm setting for weddings—an escape from the city’s demands. This series of photographs, spanning nine years, show scenes from weddings and rehearsal dinners on the ranch.
Text and photographs by Bill McCullough
In the spring of 2015, my wife, M, and I drove to Wimberley, Texas, to photograph the wedding of John and Diana at Montesino Ranch. It is a working organic farm 50 minutes (give or take) southwest of Austin, in the heart of the Texas hill country, and this was our first trip to the ranch. My initial memory is turning off the Interstate, out of the four-lane traffic, onto Flite Acres Road, which follows the twists and turns of the Blanco River. Billboards and truck stops were replaced by century-old live oaks, Bald Cyprus trees along the river, and fields of native wildflowers and grasses covering the hills and ranch. I've lived in Texas my whole life, and I never tire of driving through the Wimberley Valley. It is beautiful. Usually, I am wired before photographing a wedding, so having this time to slow down while negotiating the river road is a gift. Once we cross a low-water bridge on the Blanco River, the ranch is roughly half a mile up the road and sits secluded around an outline of mountains and hills.
Montesino Ranch is unassuming, with no gaudy, over-the-top Texas structure; they let the land speak for itself. Juniper, mesquite trees, prickly pear cactus, switch grass, and low stone walls lead the way to the main structure, a sizable open-air barn made of wood and metal, 30 feet tall. It is both unpretentious and impressive at the same time. We drive along the ranch roads to visit the locations where events will take place throughout the weekend, discovering the 1910 vernacular Texas guest houses, contemporary guest cabins, stables, Montesino Mountain Lookout, rows of organic vegetable beds, and an outdoor farm kitchen. We see folks unloading sound equipment; I meet the couple's friends and family as they help ice down drinks, and someone mentions dancing at dusk. I'm excited to start photographing because I see so many great scenes, but M and I need to unload our equipment and figure out the best place to park. This was when I met Pam.
Pam is the owner and ranch manager. Her enviable, self-sufficient farmer skills enable her to confidently troubleshoot any issue, from fixing pizza ovens to removing a stain from a bride's dress. She works in the background and never hovers. Her philosophy, as stated on her website, is clear: “We view your wedding as a family reunion that shouldn't be rushed.”
It's easy for me to warm up in the first minutes of taking photographs because everyone is engaged with activities—taking selfies with a small herd of goats, petting horses, walking the grounds after a day of travel, and organizing last-minute party details. My photography style is to roam and document moment-to-moment, to be flexible with the flow of the event, and not to manage or alter the natural rhythm of what is organically happening. It's good photography when everyone is involved in the festivities, not the camera.
As the evening passes sunset, the sky changes to a deep blue, like thick cobalt glassware. Guests tell stories at the bar. I can't hear what they are saying, but I see facial expressions change as arms and hands flutter back and forth in front of the viewfinder. At the same time, I see aunts and cousins roasting marshmallows in the background over the campfire. John, the groom, grabs a mic, gathers the party for a unifying welcome, and invites everyone to dance. The rehearsal dinner ends with a loose dance party in a wide-open cove on a dirt road. Unlike rented parquet dance floors, dancers can move around, coloring outside the lines with plenty of room under the stars.
Diana's mother roast marshmallows at a campfire during rehearsal dinner.
Wood fired pizzas with fresh goat cheese served during the rehearsal dinner.
A goat grazes in the field near the Lee House on the couple's wedding day.
Diana's mother and best man watch the bridal party getting ready.
Diana getting ready in the Lee House Apartment above the horse stable.
Amanda and Rob's (with sister) wedding portrait in April in a lavender field.
Denise getting ready in the farmhouse cabin.
Matt, the groom, lays out his custom wedding suit.
Jessica's bridal portrait taken in the farmhouse on the day of her wedding.
Whitney and Bradley, wedding guests, get ready in a guest house.
Amanda is a costume designer and painter based in New York. "I tell stories through the things people wear. I work with rhythm, nature, movement, and connection. I play for the team, and keep the vibe up."
Wedding guests take photographs in a field near the barn. Weddings in the 1950's and 60's usually had one photographer. Now, every guest has a camera in their pocket and the dynamic has changed. Weddings in the last 70 years have evolved from shorter receptions with punch and cake in the afternoon to extended celebrations spanning two or three days.
Diana leaving the Lee House on the way to see John the groom in the peach orchard.
John and Diana on the way to their ceremony.
Wedding ceremony with guests and family standing in a field near the barn.
Ceremony at Montesino Ranch.
Live oaks on Montesino Ranch, Wimberley, Texas.
Rob and Amanda's wedding ceremony by the Blanco river.
The couple took a walk alone along the Blanco River after their ceremony.
An old school bus transports guests up to the Hilltop Pavilion for the ceremony and back down to the barn for the reception.
Wedding guests gathered at the Hilltop Pavilion before the wedding ceremony.
At the top of the hill near the Hilltop Pavilion, family assembled for group portraits with a view of the valley below.
Dinner outside the barn before moving inside for toasts and dancing.
Bird's-eye view of the reception dinner.
Family and friends of the bride and groom gave speeches and toasts after dinner.
Toasting!
Denise and Matt cut the cake in the barn before dancing.
Croy and the Boys kick off the dance party during the reception in the barn.
Diana and John dance as newlyweds.
Guests watching the first dance.
Amanda, Rob, and guests join together in a hora dance during the celebratory Jewish folk song, Hava Nagila.
Rob, the groom is a film and video producer based in New York. "Let's not tell our mothers beforehand they will be lifted during the hora."
Wedding friends danced and drank in the barn during late night hours.
After a long night of dancing, John and Diana waived to the crowd during their wedding sendoff.