This Ranch Wedding in Santa Barbara Was All About Queer Cowboys, Casablanca, and Dazzling Florals

Delegating wedding planning tasks was also an exercise in collaboration. The pair hired Nina Moore to take on planning, while Josie tackled the aesthetics and Nick kept contracts in order. “Luckily with my skills in graphic and environmental design and Nick’s superb financial skills, we had all our bases covered,” says Josie. “Nick reviewed vendor contracts and was keeper of the budget, while I got to hand-pick and design all the visuals.” Another important task to dole out? The role of officiant. “When we were talking about who would marry us, we had two requirements. First, they had to know each of us very well. Second, they had to have been married for a long time,” says Nick. The couple realized only their parents would fit the bill. “So, instead of having our dads give us away, we had them marry us. It was a nice way to get to know each other and bring our families closer.”

While Josie took charge of the visual design, the two “brooms-to-be” were both very involved with their wardrobe plans for the weekend. For the colorful rehearsal dinner at a private residence, Josie and Nick both donned Bode shirts, prints, and Gucci loafers to spice up their ensembles. While Josie wore a repurposed tablecloth shirt to bring color to her outfit, Nick balanced patterned Perte D’ego pants with a white lace top. “I think it was the summer of crochet and lace shirts,” she adds.

Next on the itinerary was the rustic Cowboy Chique welcome event at Cold Spring Tavern. The couple made sure their ensembles were perfect as they rolled up in a Brokeback Mountain–embellished bus. “I’ve always dreamed of being a cowboy, so I’ve had a beautiful Stetson hat and Lucchese boots just waiting for this moment,” says Nick, who wore a white fringed set by Bode. “I wanted a fun bridal moment since I wasn’t going to be wearing all white during the wedding.” As for Josie, she wore a look she calls “all-black cowboy that cruised up to a disco slightly confused about what to wear.” Accessories were key to the outfit, including a pair of glam boots from Boot Barn and a Kemo Sabe hat—“it has a little authentication note inside it that says ‘don’t fence me in’ and I thought that was cheeky.” Josie adds, “Now this may be a shock, but the star piece was the belt and it was probably $10 on Amazon.”

Neither Josie nor Nick wore a dress on the big day, but they did both wear custom suits from the tailors at Watson Ellis. “Melissa and Kat are dream makers,” gushes Nick, who had the team create a look inspired by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. “We wanted to bring that style into 2023,” she says. “They sent me a sample of this crushed silk fabric that they sourced. I was apprehensive at first, but ultimately decided to trust the experts. I love that I did. The jacket is unique and modern, softens up the look, and overall makes the outfit special.” To complete her look—and introduce a nod to her roots—Nick had her friend, jeweler Elizabeth Kranz, create a bolo tie featuring the Fergie motto and crest on a bloodstone.

Josie embraced classic bridal white in a custom suit design that matched her own creative spirit. “Melissa and Kat were so open to working with me and my wild ideas,” she says. One unique detail the trio came up with was to create piping with tulle. Seen on the seams of the suit coat, the tailors worked to find a fabric that would perfectly coordinate with Josie’s skin tone. “I am not one to ever go with any sort of lace or tulle, but what made this piping so interesting was the dimension it was bringing to a classic white suit,” she says. The designers also decided to add a touch of Western detailing with a curve on the back of the coat and silver buckle straps on the side of the pants. A vest was the final piece of the puzzle proposed by the Watson Ellis team. Josie adds, “If we were doing a vest, I wanted an absurd amount of buttons.”

The wedding party was also encouraged to get creative with their suiting. “We just thought it would be so fun to see everyone in suits that made them feel their best,” shares Nick. “Josie chose a specific color palette that people stuck to, but we weren’t super choosy about what people wore exactly. It was a fun way to see everyone express themselves.”

The ceremony, led by their fathers, brought on an intense wave of emotions for both newlyweds. “I couldn’t get all of my vows out without crying. It meant so much to me,” shares Nick. “I was doing my absolute best to stay in the moment.” Josie adds, “I thought I was going to pass out—literally. I am not a fan of public speaking and I tend to nervous laugh, but Nick just gripped my hands immediately and I went full tunnel vision! I can confidently say I blacked out and don’t remember seeing anyone during the ceremony. Sorry friends!” At the end of the “blur” of a ceremony, Nick says they were so excited that “I didn’t give my dad a chance to pronounce us married before we walked down the aisle!”

After taking a moment for themselves (and enjoying “a very necessary drink”), the Fergie-Bunces headed to cocktail hour to have a personal moment with every guest. The party then migrated to the reception terrace. Defined by a “custom formation” that Josie designed with bold draping of a chartreuse mesh fabric, the space featured woven pendant lights and unique, green floral displays by Puni Petals.

“We wanted it to feel more like a party, so right after the father-daughter dance, we opened up the dancing and buffet,” shares Nick. “Everyone could choose when they ate, drank, or danced. The DJ was incredible and for the last couple hours we had amazing live musicians join.” The now-married couple can now confidently say it was the best day of their lives. “We love looking at the pictures and remembering all of the little moments,” they share. “The greatest thing is looking back at all of the little steps we took to get to this point—all the missed connections to now living happily together in New York City.”