A Rustic, Ranch Wedding at Besler's Cadillac Ranch in St. Onge, South Dakota

High school sweethearts Mackenzi (21 and a student) and Patrick (21 and a student) met in English class after Patrick transferred schools. "He was new in class and sitting alone, and when I walked past him, I noticed he was staring," Mackenzi says. "I decided to sit next to him and make small talk. We hit it off right away." The proposal came several years later at Roughlock Falls in Spearfish. "He had written 'marry me' in candles and was waiting patiently on one knee in front of a waterfall," the bride explains. For their June wedding in St. Onge, the couple settled on Besler's Cadillac Ranch for both the ceremony and reception. "I only had one request: I wanted to be able to ride my beautiful Palomino horse up to the aisle," the bride says. "It's something I've dreamt about since I was a little girl." Upon seeing the rustic venue (complete with a wooden chapel) the couple immediately fell in love. "It has a beautiful, little outdoor chapel in front where we had our ceremony," Mackenzi says. "The reception site was just a few short yards away inside of the so-called 'party barn.' It had a bar, DJ stage, room for seating, dance floor, deck and fire pit so we could roast s'mores. The venue even let us rent out small cabins around the property." With a rustic, elegant theme in mind, the bride created dozens of DIY details, including silk flowers for her pink and ivory bouquet along with a handmade cake stand, guestbook and ceremony programs. But despite the handmade details and love for the space, the bride explains that it was the guests who made all the difference. "Because our venue included a large camping area, our guests had the option to bring a tent or camper, so it allowed us to celebrate without worrying how everyone would get home. You could truly feel the love in the barn as we all danced the night away."