“I love themed parties more than anything; and when they are patriotic, All-American themed parties, I couldn’t be happier,” reveals Lindsey Armstrong. So it’s no surprise that she and her fiancé, Ryan Strawn, organized a country-style barbeque extravaganza to welcome loved ones to their Fourth of July wedding weekend. To capture a slice of Americana, Lindsey wanted to take the Independence Day celebration portrayed in the classic film Pollyanna to the next level and combine it with the ambience of a popular dance hall in Hunt, Texas.

Lindsey’s family’s Paso Robles, California, vineyard – the same location where the bride's vow exchange took place – provided the perfect rustic and scenic setting. A U.S. flag was displayed on the weatherworn corrugated metal roof of a barn, which also sported a Stars and Stripes fringe of banners all along its edges. Market lights were draped over the structure, adjacent dance floor, and surrounding tables. In keeping with the patriotic Fourth of July color palette, country-inspired arrangements of red, white, and blue flowers with sunny touches of yellow in clear vases – interspersed with candles in glass vessels – lined the center of bare wooden tables featuring attached benches.

Staples of the summer holiday, including mouthwatering hot dogs and burgers, were dispensed from an Airstream food trailer. Guests picked up cloth napkins from crates stamped with the name of Lindsey’s family vineyard. A “Sweet Tooth Booth” offered fair treats such as hand-spun cotton candy, caramel apples, “Texas Sized” chocolate chip cookies, churros, and ice cream. Frosty margaritas served in Southern-style mason jars cooled off the revelers.

Fun pre-wedding activities included wagon rides around the property grounds, cornhole games, and, of course, fireworks. The couple also selected an entertainer that reflected their love for old country music. Not only did the performance add a memorable soundtrack to the festivities for the bride and groom, it certainly spurred line dancing and kept the dance floor crowded throughout the night.

“Aside from the ceremony and marrying Ryan, my favorite part of the weekend was the entire Fourth of July barbeque,” asserts Lindsey. “It was the single best party I have ever attended thanks to DFW Events [and all our vendors].”