Kerstyn & Jakob

Kerstyn's mom, Heather, reached out to me in February 2025. Kerstyn and Jakob were getting married that May on the family's ranch in Washoe Valley, and the theme was sunflowers, antlers and a rustic ranch, dirt, hay and horses included.

Nevada Star Ranch sits right under the mountains, with a meadow for the ceremony and a big barn for the reception. Heidi Peinthor Photography captured the whole day.

A live violinist played the prelude, and the ceremony was unplugged. The wedding party walked in to Good Horses by Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert, and Kerstyn walked across the meadow on her dad's arm to the last minute of Old Sierra Nevada by Dave Stamey.

They said their vows under an arch made of antlers, then walked back up the aisle as husband and wife to I Cross My Heart by George Strait.

Everyone headed to the barn for cocktail hour, with plenty of Zach Top, Cody Johnson and Chris LeDoux. The wedding party came in to Party People by Florida Georgia Line, and Kerstyn and Jakob made their grand entrance to Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big and Rich. Dinner was BBQ, and the wedding day was also Heather's birthday, so the barn wished her a happy birthday too.

Their first dance was All I Need Is You by Dave Stamey. Kerstyn danced with her dad to Those Boots by Lainey Wilson, and Jakob danced with his mom to My Wish by Rascal Flatts. They cut the cake to Make It Sweet by Old Dominion, and later we played the shoe game.

They asked for cowboy western all night, and the barn floor stayed full: Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson, Footloose by Blake Shelton, Check Yes Or No by George Strait, Neon Moon by Brooks and Dunn, then Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex and the Cupid Shuffle by Cupid. We closed the night with the Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper.

Out on the dirt road at golden hour, Heidi caught the two of them with the mountains behind them. Thank you, Kerstyn and Jakob, for having me out at the ranch.