A Rustic Wedding at the Safari Wilderness Ranch in Lakeland, Florida

Stephanie Wehrmann (24, works in operations and finance) and Robby Thigpen (24, a financial advisor) first met as children in kindergarten. The couple went through school together but did not start dating until years later. After two years of separation, they were reunited in 2012 when they accidentally ran into each other. Stephanie and Robby became engaged in the same spot as their first date, by the water upon his boat. “It was private and low key, which was perfect for us,” says Stephanie. The center diamond in her engagement ring belonged to Robby’s mother. About a year later, the couple had a rustic wedding with neutral accents at a unique location: the Safari Wilderness Ranch in Lakeland, Florida. The venue is co-owned by Stephanie's father. “It was very special to us to have our wedding there since I've been feeding animals there and visiting it since before it was even open to the public,” says Stephanie. They were wed outdoors in front of 190 friends and family members before moving to the venue’s barn for their reception. Stephanie, Robby and their guests, enjoyed a buffet dinner to the tune of a ten-piece band. Each guest was given a homemade chex mix in a mason jar as their wedding favor.