Texas Two-step
InStyle, May 2000
Lynda Liu

It was hitching time at the 25,000-acre Cibolo Creek Ranch in Shafter, Tex., May 1, 1999, when Dixie Chick Emily Erwin, 27, married 35-year-old singer-songwriter Charlie Robison.

The preparations: The bride and groom were actively involved in all phases of their wedding, from planning floral arrangements to screwing in light bulbs for the reception. "Everything was done with such love," says Karen Krattinger-Sternberg, a partner in the company that manages the Dixie Chicks, who helped coordinate the wedding details.

The reception: Guests dined on herb-roasted game hens and wild-rice salad under an outdoor tent. Lime-green tablecloths, made by Emily's mother, were accented with green-and-white candles of varying sizes, as well as floral centerpieces by Jenny Grisham, of Americana in Alpine, Tex. Grisham used about 2,000 roses, tuberoses, blue delphiniums, white and pink larkspur, and pale green bells-of-Ireland. "The flowers were stunning," Krattinger-Sternberg said.

The cakes: The square, four-tier vanilla wedding cake with coconut and pecans, by Ivey's Emporium in Alpine, was covered in hazelnut Italian meringue and white-chocolate ivy leaves and pink roses. Ganache and strawberries topped off the four-layer, flourless chocolate groom's cake, by Cibolo.

The music: A mariachi band played before and after the ceremony; later a DJ spun tunes for dancing. Guest Kelly Willis sang "Chuck E.'s in Love," and singer-songwriter Bruce Robison, the groom's brother, sang his "Just Married." The three Chicks performed "Cowboy Take Me Away," which Erwin's big sister, Martie Seidel, co-wrote for the couple.

The splashy ending: After an evening of dancing, some of the guests ended up in the pool and hot tub – in all their finery.