A Beautiful Boho-Meets-Vintage Wedding in Texas Hill Country

When Kaila and Laine Strickland began planning their March 30, 2019, wedding in Driftwood, Texas, they didn't want the day to be a typical Central Texas affair hosted in a "modernized barn," a staple in the region. In fact, they chose their venue—the sophisticated Stonehouse Villa—because it was quite the opposite. "We wanted to stay away from a country theme and we fell in love with Stonehouse Villa’s modern, yet vintage, vibes," the couple recalls.

It was there—during an outdoor ceremony and tented reception—that Kaila and Laine's hybrid wedding theme with boho, whimsical, rustic, and vintage elements came alive. "We knew we wanted our wedding to include a lot of greenery to accent the Texas Hill Country, and we envisioned a lot of vintage décor," Kaila and Laine explain. "We wanted the greenery to be whimsical and airy to accent the romance of our vintage vibes."

But in addition to their playful vintage visions, the pair also made sure to put another element on display: Pride. "We wanted to show our pride in being a same-gender couple and so we found little ways to reflect that throughout the course of our big day," they share, including a custom sign that read "Love Wins" and a reading from the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage during the ceremony.

For more on Kaila and Laine's boho day in Texas (which the brides planned themselves!) scroll through—photographed by Gloria Goode Photography.

Kaila tried on several dresses before slipping into this strapless Pronovias number. "I loved it instantaneously," she says of the gown, which featured a deep sweetheart neckline and lace overlay.

She carried a whimsical bouquet of pink roses, greenery, and silver sage eucalyptus.

Kaila satisfied both the "something old" and "something blue" traditions in her beauty look, wearing her mother's engagement band and a blue sapphire ring (a wedding gift from her sister) on her right hand. She did, however, ditch a veil and instead pinned back her curled hair with a custom floral comb to match her bridesmaids.

"Up until the day of the wedding, I thought I was going to wear a sage green collared shirt under my white blazer even though I never really loved the way it looked," revealed Laine. But, she made a last-minute switch the day-of, wearing a floral 7Diamonds collard shirt with her white J. Crew suit instead. "I am so glad that I did and Kaila loved the whole look," she says.

She accessorized with gold loafers, white earrings from her mother, an engraved watch, and succulent boutonniere. Laine also kept one very sentimental accessory hidden in her jacket pocket: her great-grandmother's handkerchief.

The couple didn't intend to do a first look—their photographer actually encouraged the moment—but the moment turned out to be one of their favorite memories from the day. "To be able to have that intimate moment with each other and take it all in, just the two of us, was pretty magical," recalls Kaila and Laine.

The couple first met in 2014 at a mutual friend's New Year's Eve party and a proposal would come four years later while on a hike in Denver. "We were posing to take a picture in front of some beautiful Red Rock mountains when Laine got down on one knee," exclaims Kaila.

Kaila picked the shade of her bridesmaids' gowns and then let the girls pick the rest. "I came across the most gorgeous sage green dress and decided right then I wanted that to be what my girls wore," she explains. "I sent them a few dresses in that sage green color and told them they could pick whatever cut of dress they wanted as long as it was that color."

After Kaila chose sage green for her bridesmaids, Laine "wanted to make sure [her] side would compliment that." So, she had her crew (including her twin brother!) wear floral-patterned button-down shirts, khakis, and succulent boutonnieres for the occasion.

"We were so lucky to have no family drama and immediate family that allowed us to plan our wedding without any pressure or opinions," reveals the brides of the planning experience. "We were able to make our dream wedding come to life, which was so special for us."

Sticking with their vision, Kaila and Laine's outdoor ceremony mixed boho and rustic elements. Floral arrangements of pink roses and greenery lined the stepping stone aisle while a white wooden arch covered in vines served as the focal point.

Laine made her way down the aisle hand-in-hand with her parents to "Sailing" by Boyce Avenue.

After, Kaila was escorted by her father while "A Thousand Years" by The Piano Guys played.

During the ceremony, the couple exchanged handwritten vows.

"After we read our vows, we had our officiant read a portion of the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage to commemorate such a monumental moment as we got legally married," the newlyweds remember.

Exiting the ceremony proved to be one of the couple's most beloved memories. "This moment was so surreal for us," they describe. "Walking back down the aisle with all of your loved ones cheering you on, holding hands with the person who just became your spouse—it was such a special moment full of pride and joy. We cherish that moment!"

Perhaps as a testament to their relationship, the easiest factor of wedding planning was deciding on details. "Our vision was so in sync and so we did not have to go back and forth on anything when it came to décor items," explains the couple. "We had the same vision for our big day and it all came together so seamlessly!"

Underneath the reception tent, guests were greeted with a sign that read "We were together, I forget the rest" and a sea of wooden banquet tables to seat 115 family and friends.

Centerpieces of greenery, lanterns, and votive candles topped each table. Guests found their seats with wooden die cuts of their names.

To thank guests for being a part of their special day, Kaila and Laine gifted everyone custom koozies in navy blue and sage green that commemorated their wedding date and same-sex love.

While Kaila's sister (and matron of honor!) and Laine's father gave speeches, guests dined on a family-style meal of feel-good food like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, Coca-Cola sweet potatoes, and grilled veggies.

"Do not sweat the small stuff," they advise couples planning. "Do what you want to do—not what your family expects you to do. Most importantly, spend your money on an amazing photographer. Pictures and videos are the only things that you get to take away from your wedding other than memories!"

Sam Smith's "Make It To Me" was the soundtrack for their first dance. Later, the fight song of Kaila's alma mater Texas A&M blasted through the speakers followed by the University of Texas's fight song since Laine's mother and several of Kaila's uncles went to the rival school. "It was a lot of fun," say the brides.

The couple's two-tiered vanilla wedding cake wasn't the only dessert they served that night. "We had a choice of cake or build-your-own doughnut bar. It was a huge hit with the guests and made the menu even more fun and unique."

To Kaila and Laine, their wedding day is all about "unconditional love." Adding, "Being an LGBTQ+ couple, we felt so lucky to be surrounded by family, friends, and vendors that support our love so fiercely and celebrated with us in a way that we never could have dreamed up." In short: Love Wins!