This Couple Threw Multiple Western-Inspired Pre-Wedding Events at a Wyoming Ranch

Hutton Phillips and Robert “Bobby” Cooney were just children when they first met, but even at a young age, they knew their connection was something special. In June 2008, the two of them crossed paths at a summer camp in Maine, where they spent all summer writing each other love letters—bridging the gap between the boys and girls camps, which were miles apart. Five years later, they reconnected in Chicago and felt just as comfortable in one another’s presence as they did that first summer.

In December 2020, Hutton and Bobby traveled to Aspen, Colorado with their families to enjoy the holidays. During their trip, the couple took a snowmobile tour to Maroon Bells, where Bobby got down on one knee. Hutton was in complete shock. “I was shaking so hard that we had to put the ring back in the box for the ride home,” she recalls. When they returned to the house, the surprise continued: The pair’s family and friends were all there to celebrate the duo’s new relationship status.

After basking in their engagement, the couple chose Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming, as their wedding venue, partially because the site could easily accommodate a weekend of events. Before they said “I do” on August 27, 2022, the bride and groom threw multiple festivities: two rehearsal dinners, a campfire, and a welcome party, each with a botanical and Western feel. 

Read on to see each stunning detail behind Hutton and Bobby’s pre-wedding events, planned by Lauryn Prattes Events and photographed by KT Merry.

After Hutton and Bobby’s original wedding venue fell through, they asked their planner to gather a list of locales that would potentially fit their vision. Out of all the sites, Brush Creek Ranch stood out to them the most. Before making any decisions, the couple decided to tour the spot in person, and the setting blew them away. “We wanted somewhere where our family and friends could have a weekend-long experience and be able to get to know one another, and Brush Creek was perfect for that,” Hutton explains. 

Before welcoming their wedding party and immediate family to their rehearsal dinner, Hutton and Bobby snapped portraits in the pasture, surrounded by horses. For the event, Hutton sported a white linen and silk Zimmerman dress, featuring puff sleeves and floral appliqués. “I wanted something romantic that felt feminine and ethereal, which would stand out against the natural elements of the setting and décor and against the most masculine style of the other weekend events,” Hutton describes. She paired her look with Cult Gaia heels, a Dior floral-printed scarf, a Bottega Veneta handbag, and a yellow floral Latelita ring—which caught her eye on the way to her wedding dress fitting. A loose ponytail and a pink lip also helped shape her playful, delicate look.

Bobby suited up in a custom linen ensemble by BLVDier. “He worked with owners Zach and Kirsten Uttich to design something light and airy that was structured and well-fitted—yet still felt casual,” Hutton says. The groom accessorized with ostrich cowboy boots as a prelude to the rest of the weekend’s Western theme.

Once their inner circle arrived for the gathering, everyone sipped on lavender gin fizz cocktails, complete with floral ice cubes and a sprig of lavender, while admiring the picturesque views of the mountains and the canyon that stretched out below them. 

Then the group made their way over to the rehearsal dinner site: a sprawling field, overlooking two mountain peaks. “We loved the idea of holding what would feel like an intimate dinner party in an unexpected location,” Hutton notes. Upon their arrival, friends and family saw a banquet table and a baby grand piano nestled in the vast meadow. “It was magical to see that type of instrument in the middle of such a rustic and rural setting,” Hutton says. Their guests also shared similar sentiments. “Seeing the surprise on our guests’ faces when they saw the piano was a highlight that we will remember forever,” the bride expresses.

To execute their vision of a garden party in the mountains, the couple worked with their planner to pull elements, colors, and textures from the surrounding landscape. Vases brimming with local wildflowers and sagebrush, which had a loose and organic feel, complemented the natural terrain. Throw blankets were draped across each high-back chair, infusing the space with a homey, cozy touch. The scalloped chargers, pink chrome plates (reminiscent of a mountain sunset), and handmade menus pressed with blooms completed the botanical setup.

During dinner, the couple and their loved ones savored a five-course tasting menu that the chef prepared on site, using ingredients fresh from the property’s farm and greenhouse. The lineup consisted of vegetable crudite, melon gazpacho, venison carpaccio, duck breast, and lemon tart. “It was incredible to see the meal come together in a makeshift kitchen out in the field,” Hutton remarks.

While Hutton and Bobby were spending quality time with their immediate family, the rest of their wedding guests were having a blast at a separate party, a creekside barbecue with a Western-inspired theme. “We didn’t attend this event as we were at the rehearsal dinner, but we were told guests didn’t want to leave,” Hutton shares. During the gathering, the group drank bourbon-infused peach tea and ranch water in Topo Chico bottles and noshed on a feast of assorted meats and homestyle sides. They also played a myriad of games—archery, cornhole, horseshoes, and ax throwing—and danced to a bluegrass band, Burn It Blue.

The couple envisioned a “casual and approachable” feel for the décor, which they achieved with wooden furniture, potted plants, and a denim-inspired runner.

After the separate rehearsal dinner events came to a close, the entire crew reconvened for a campfire during sunset. “When we decided to lean into the camp theme of the weekend, we knew it wouldn't be complete without a campfire,” Hutton reveals. “Having met at summer camp as kids, we have a handful of campfire songs and traditions that are so special to us, so we saw it as an opportunity to have our friends and family join us on the first night of the wedding weekend for a campfire complete with s’mores and a singalong.” Guests roasted monogrammed marshmallows while sitting on benches wrapped in Faribault Mills blankets stamped with the Chicago flag—nods to Hutton and Bobby’s hometowns.  

The bride and groom both revamped their wardrobes for the campfire. To fit the Western aesthetic, Hutton changed into Gucci jeans and a white denim jacket with fringe that she found on Revolve. Bobby also sported an outfit change, which consisted of a Ralph Lauren button-down shirt with a geometric print, blue jeans, and Tecovas cowboy boots. 

On the following day, for the final pre-wedding event of the weekend, Hutton and Bobby organized a welcome party, which also had a Western camp theme. A wooden frame with a “Camp Cooney” sign—a tribute to their new last name—greeted guests and set the tone for the event. 

Everyone showed up in their best Western outfits, including the couple. Hutton sported a long-sleeved lace mini dress by Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini, a Bottega Veneta white leather belt, a suede cape from Western & Co., python boots by Miron Crosby, and a Kemo Sabe cowboy hat. Bobby dressed for the occasion in a suede Ralph Lauren blazer, white jeans by BLVDier, Tecovas ostrich boots and a matching belt, a Kemo Sabe cowboy hat, and a bolo tie.

Like every prior function, food and drinks abounded. Lauryn assembled whiskey sours and the venue’s famous strawberry mules on a granite and wooden table, which was positioned in front of the expansive pasture. An assortment of local flowers in sunset tones, grasses, and golden foliage animated the display. 

Once guests walked inside the venue, they helped themselves to cheeses, deli meats, and local jams. “I am known for my charcuterie boards, so before we even selected a venue, I knew that we had to have an oversized charcuterie display at our welcome event,” Hutton says. Waitstaff also passed out sliders with “Camp Cooney” branding, one of the couple’s favorite details from the party.

The furniture and decorations also helped bring the bride and groom’s vision to life. They infused the site with Western textiles, including leather, cowhide, suede, wood, and plaid.

In addition to dining and drinking, guests had the chance to express their creativity by decorating cowboy hats, which had “Camp Cooney” hat pins. “Guests wore their new hats throughout the weekend, and they ended up being the perfect favor for our friends to remember the weekend,” Hutton reflects. “This station was the most popular and was busy all night.

At the end of the night, Hutton and Bobby joined their friends and family on the dance floor while country singer Charley Jenkins performed. According to the bride, the Nashville Star finalist put on “an incredible performance.” The party continued at the saloon, where the couple sipped on whiskey sours, played pool, and made memories with their loved ones.