Wednesday is an unlikely day for the pews to be packed in the chapel at The White Magnolia. Typically, the grounds of the Kentwood venue see the most traffic on weekends or even Friday evenings. But this was different, and not just because the event was for the venue owners’ youngest daughter and sister.

On a crisp weekday in November, guests from across the country found their seats amid a backdrop of overflowing baskets of hydrangeas and the soft setting sun to watch as Karrigan Cagley and Bryce Graves said, “I do.”

The reason for the mid-week fête can be found at the rodeo. Karrigan and Bryce live and breathe rodeo, and have since they were young. They originally booked their wedding date at Karrigan’s family’s venue on a weekend they had nothing by way of horse wrangling on their schedule. However, when an event came up, they knew plans had to change.

With the majority of their guests being friends from the rodeo circuit, the move to a weekday proved to be ideal for everyone, as it was a logical stop between the previous weekend’s event in Waco and the following weekend’s in Miami.

“All the rodeo people treated it like a layover,” Karrigan’s sister Callie Richardson notes. “I think we invited close to 600 guests, and there was a great turnout.”

But while Karrigan was particular about the event’s date, that is where her attention to wedding detail ended. “I didn’t even know what time it started,” Karrigan recalls with a laugh. With plenty on her rodeo plate, she handed over the reins to her mom, Janet Henderson Cagley, sister, Callie, and wedding planner Angela DiVincenti Babin of Angela Marie Events, the same planner who masterminded Callie’s wedding to her husband Charlie at the then-newly constructed venue back in 2016.

“We wanted to do something different,” Angela says. “So we decided to really highlight outside and all the moments that can be created on the property.”

Drawing guests out of the indoor reception space, the lawn was transformed with string lights, lounge seating and plenty of tables. A color scheme of blue, green and white complemented the lush surroundings, transporting guests to a slightly western-ified European countryside.

“We added the cowhides to bring in Karrigan and her style,” Angela says of the rugs that were rented from one of The White Magnolia’s regular vendors. “It’s all about balance, and that really tied everything together.”

“I didn’t know they were setting up outside, so it was a complete surprise to me,” Karrigan says. “It was so special. There was a bar back my dad built, and the string lights made everything feel magical.”

And the magic continued after the cake was cut and the sun went down, as The Mustache Band took the outdoor stage. Despite it being a weeknight, guests partied until the wee hours of the morning, with Karrigan closing out the night with a rendition of her favorite song, Toby Keith’s patriotic hit, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”

“It was the best time of my life,” she recalls. “I just remember being so happy.”

Karrigan and Bryce ended the night by sitting back, literally, and relaxing on the grass as they watched friends and family make the most of the celebration that served as the start of their next chapter.

“It really was so special for our family, having built the venue for my wedding and then having Karrigan’s there a decade later,” Callie says. “And to have my three daughters there, too … it was very special.”

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CEREMONY & RECEPTION The White Magnolia / PLANNER & FLORIST Angela Marie Events / CAKE Clark’s Cakes and Confections / INVITATIONS Angela Marie Events / BRIDAL GOWN Belle Sorelle Bridal / HAIR Kelly Hopper / MAKEUP Stephanie Bullen Hopkins/Jenna Levert Kelley / VIDEOGRAPHER Heartbeat Films / ENTERTAINMENT The Original Magnolia String Quartet/The Mustache Band / RENTALS Element /
OTHER VENDORS Fleurèvermore/Weddings by Wren & Ellie/Nuage Designs