Guess who is coming to the wedding? Could it be beer packing Burros?

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Miniature Donkeys are such a big part of Old Glory Ranch as we have over 30 of them grazing peacefully in our pastures. The mini burros have been part of the landscape at OGR and an integral part of our events since we opened in 1997!

Many times, people come to Old Glory because they have seen the donkeys online or heard about them from friends. These little charmers are not always the first thought of a newly engaged couple as they begin compiling the guest list.  However, beer burros are a wonderful novelty to add to your special day!  As you are planning who to invite to your wedding at Old Glory Ranch, don’t forget the most sought after guests… miniature donkeys.

Frequently, couples think the children at the wedding will adore the donkeys, but your adult guests will love these beer packing burros just as much.

There is little else that is as unique as miniature donkeys serving bottled beer, juice boxes or bottled water during cocktail hour.  They create a bond with your guests to help them begin those initial conversations, as two families become one.  The donkeys are also an icebreaker at corporate events or private parties, creating a more relaxed atmosphere.

They are very skilled and versatile as they can serve numerous other items such as chips and queso.  The donkeys often have their pictures taken as much as the bride and groom.   The mini burros are never released from “duty” until all the “people guests” have had an opportunity to take that priceless selfie with our “donkey guests.”

For more information about our donkeys, how to incorporate them into your Old Glory event or to purchase purchase your very own, visit our Miniature Donkeys page.

Finding vendors for your Texas Hill Country Wedding

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Finding vendors for your Texas Hill Country wedding can be a daunting task, not to mention time consuming. Where does one even start? You may have cousin Josh who strums a pretty mean guitar that could play during your ceremony, or a friend in college that can make angelic music come from her cello. Or, remember that cool Texas Hill Country DJ you and the love of your life danced the night away to? Yes, there are those, but they may also come with a lot of unknowns. Will they be on time? Will they be dressed appropriately? Will they follow your instructions? Do you have someone who can manage all of them leaving you open to enjoy your event?

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Most brides either know exactly what they want and have mentally played through their entire wedding day from beginning to end a million and one times, or there are those that have an idea but don’t know where to start, and yet others that welcome input, guidance, recommendations and all they want is to show up on their special day and enjoy it, leaving all the planning to someone else. And there are the brides who want to do everything themselves, soup to nuts, as they say. There is no right or wrong answer, but people have to be put into place to execute your event from beginning to end, period. And you probably won’t want cousin Lucy who has no experience whatsoever running the show. Weddings are never a one man/woman show, it is far too overwhelming. Especially for those brides planning a destination wedding, or those who are still going to school, or have just stepped into a new career field after college, where will all this planning time fit into their schedule?

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Typically the first thing a couple secures is the venue. With that out of the way, most venues also offer either in-house catering or bartenders, wedding coordinating, bakers, or they offer preferred lists of vendors they have worked with before and trust and can guide you to your ‘vendor match made in heaven’.

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Decide what is the most important to you and budget from there. For some it is the venue, others it’s the food & beverages for their family and friends, there are those who cherish the decor and flowers, while some brides say it is the dress, and yet others say it is the sanctity of the union. If you can prioritize your preferences, then consider that in the financial aspect, and you will be well on your way to mapping out your big day.

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Here at Old Glory Ranch we take a lot of the guesswork out of your planning by offering an in-house experienced day-of wedding coordinator for your Chapel Hall wedding and reception, along with an experienced site manager who will handle the vendor details for your event. We also offer in-house fresh floral & decor which many of our clients have raved over saying their guests have commented on it being the most beautiful flowers they have seen at any wedding. That, and the full service we offer garner the most glowing reviews from our clients.

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Miniature donkeys at Old Glory Ranch

Mini-miniature donkey Christopher Columbus

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We’d like to share our own version of a St. Christopher Columbus story with you!

While Old Glory Ranch’s main focus is hosting amazing weddings and corporate events here in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Suzanne McCord, owner of the ranch, also raises and sells miniature donkeys. These adorable creatures have become quite popular and are often seen at events wearing brightly decorated wicker baskets and serving as “beer burros”!

A new addition arrived on Old Glory Ranch in the form of a miniature donkey who has been named St. Christopher Columbus [born the day after Columbus Day 2014]. His mother had a stillbirth in May of 2014 leaving us to believe she was no longer pregnant as a twin birth is uncommon with miniature donkeys. So we were a bit surprised when she gave birth in October to little Christopher. He was a pretty tiny little guy and was rejected by his mother right away. More than likely because of ‘animal instinct’ feeling that he wasn’t the healthiest of babies. In order to keep him safe, we stepped in.

Baby Christopher taking a bottle.

Baby Christopher taking a bottle.

We tried surrogate mother miniature donkey’s who also rejected him leaving only one option to give the little guy the fighting chance he deserved. Thus, Christopher became a ‘bottle baby’ and had lots of surrogate ‘Mothers’ in the form of Old Glory Ranch family and staff members who fed him around the clock for many weeks. He has delighted us with warm nuzzle greetings as we entered his pen to feed and stolen a bit of each of our hearts. If he could crawl in your lap, he would [he even tries!]! While his beginning proved to be a tough struggle that included a couple bouts of pneumonia, and other infections which required antibiotic injections several times a day, we felt he was pretty much out of the woods as he neared his 2 month birthday. We had been told by our vet that he will probably be very small even as an adult. For the first few visits to the vet he rode in the Old Glory Ranch manager’s pickup, not the trailer, but in the back seat of the truck like the ranch dog!

Surrogate Mothers came in all sizes!

Surrogate Mothers came in all sizes!

Katie takes a turn feeding Christopher.

Katie takes a turn feeding Christopher.

Suzanne often refers to him as the ‘million dollar donkey’, saying he will more than likely be a permanent fixture here. One day he will earn his keep by becoming one of our working donkey’s where clients and guests of weddings and events can get to know him as well. He continues to follow us around more like a puppy than a donkey. He likes to frolic and play with the other baby donkey who is younger than him, yet nearly twice his size!

When this piece was initially started, Christopher gave us an additional scare with yet another infection, so rather than having a sad ending to his story, we wanted to give him plenty of time to become what is ‘normal’ for him before finishing the first chapter of his story. He has proven to be quite a fighter and bounced back from that infection and celebrated his 4 month birthday earlier this week!

Today [2/13/14] he will be completely weaned from the bottle and will continue to frolic and play with his donkey, canine, and human friends. He’s really quite the celebrity even greeted one of the UPS drivers this week who was a bit surprised at the sight! We think he could be the first of his kind, a ‘dogkey’!

See more photos of our adorable miniature donkeys.

Baby Christopher then...

Baby Christopher then…

Baby Christopher now!

Baby Christopher now!