Baylee and Sander Jaks - Colorful Private Ranch Wedding

Set on a private property in Shiner, TX, the Sestak-Jaks wedding was a uniquely curated wedding to remember.

From the moment we met with Sander, Baylee and Baylee’s mom, Shelley, we knew that this wedding would be special. Not only was Baylee and Sander’s love for each other evident (which is something we are a sucker for, of course), the idea was to take a gorgeous piece of family property and turn it into an ethereal, open-air wedding venue where nature was the star. Design being our wheelhouse, it was music to our ears! The hand-built elements, stunning floral, and whimsical color palette were the perfect accent to the love story of Baylee and Sander on display this October day in Texas.

It was such a joy speaking with Baylee after the wedding to relive her big day and find out more about some of the unique details.

From Church Camp to the altar…

It all started at youth camp the summer of 2021…

Even though Baylee and Sander had known each other since the 3rd grade, it wasn’t until the summer of 2021, when they both volunteered to be sponsors at their church’s youth camp, that they connected. From that moment forward, they continued to talk, hang out, and get to know one another better. They both prayed and asked God if their relationship was supposed to be something more, and began dating on October 1, 2021 (exactly one year prior to their wedding day). As their relationship continued to grow, they knew they were meant for each other. Right before starting her last semester at Baylor University, Sander surprised Baylee in Waco and asked her to marry him. Faith has been and continues to be the cornerstone of their relationship. Making it official was something they both had hoped for, prayed for and were grateful to God for.

Picking the perfect wedding colors and style

When we asked Baylee what the inspiration behind her color palette was, she was quick to respond with flowers. “I love flowers and all those good earthy, natural colors!” Which was perfect for a venue set entirely outdoors and surrounded by nature. She picked a dusty rose color for the bridesmaids to wear and a dark indigo for Sander and the groomsmen. “I wanted the lighter colors of the flowers to really pop and make a beautiful statement!” Make a statement they did! The natural elements of the venue were heavily accented with stunning floral arrangements made by Uniquely Set Floral Design, our sister company. The property came to life with the addition of colorful flowers and additional greenery.

Transforming the property to a wedding venue

It takes quite a bit to take a blank piece of property and turn it into a functioning venue to host a wedding. One of the most unique aspects used to pull this off was the array of hand-built elements. “The structure where the reception was held was definitely the biggest hand-built element of the venue. We went back and forth between renting a tent or just having tables out in the open, until we found these beautiful trusses from someone local. Once we saw them, the vision for the structure came to life! It added so much more character and we were able to hang chandeliers and twinkle lights and lots and lots of smilax for a dreamy, fairytale look!”

Vintage furniture was another aspect that really transformed the property. There was a “tea time” area that was comprised entirely of furniture Baylee and her mom found on Facebook Marketplace, borrowed from her Grandmother, or even found on the side of the road! “Mixing it all together, we created unique and cozy seating areas and beautiful display tables for food, drinks, cakes and more!”

Lastly, the infamous moss-covered chair, as Baylee calls it. The moss-covered chair was inspired by Shelley’s Pinterest searches when planning for the wedding. After finding the perfect chair, they enlisted Sander’s mom to help them cover it in moss, and it turned out to be one of the most stunning photo ops we have seen!

Incorporating their love for music

One of the things that Baylee and Sander bonded over from the beginning was their love of music. Sander plays the electric guitar in their church band, and Baylee graduated from Baylor with a degree in Horn Performance. When we talked to Baylee about one of the things that was a must-have, she answered with a string quartet. She had always dreamed of having one play at her wedding, and it fit their theme perfectly. They chose Terra Vista Strings out of Austin, TX to perform the ceremony music. “As soon as I heard the music change for me to walk down the aisle, my eyes filled up with tears. The piece I chose for my processional was The Swan from Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. It is a less traditional wedding piece but it is one of my favorites. It was also one of the first classical pieces I learned to play on the piano when I was about 13 years old.” Needless to say, it was everything Baylee had dreamed of and more.

“It really was the perfect day.”

When recalling the wedding day, you could hear Baylee beaming just in her writing to our blog questions. She was truly happy to be officially married to her best friend and love of her life. It’s safe to say Sander felt the same way! They were grateful to honor God by coming together as one in marriage and to have their pastor and friend, Pastor Clif Abshier marry them in front of all of their friends and family. “He really made the ceremony special and was patient with me as I tried my best to say my vows through the streams of tears running down my face.”

Talking to Baylee was a beautiful reminder that while their wedding was absolutely beautiful, the true beauty of weddings is the start of a marriage between two people who love each other more than anything! Congratulations, Baylee and Sander! It was such an honor to be a part of your special day.