After 30 years of taking everybody else’s ideas and building homes for his clients, Lon Danley attended a family member’s wedding and started looking around the venue and thinking: “I could do this.” He took the chance to put all of his own ideas into his own building project, and in 2010, the owner opened the doors of Lost Mission.

Constructed completely out of straw bales, the authentic mission chapel replica is known for its distinctive old-world Spanish architecture and details like handmade doors, light fixtures, and windows all built in an on-site workshop. “We made every door on the property—even the bathroom stall doors. It creates a very custom and authentic look,” says Event Coordinator Sara Wiens. The chapel even has an old bell with a long rope that couples, after they’ve been announced husband and wife, can go down the aisle to ring. “It’s a nice memory for them,” Sara says.

Off of Highway 46 between Boerne and Highway 281, Lost Mission sits on 26 Hill Country acres surrounded by majestic oak trees. Both the chapel and reception hall are open year-round, offering couples climate-controlled comfort. The chapel seats 240 guests while the reception hall accommodates up to 400 with a new 7,000-square-foot patio available for additional outdoor seating. With the patio—featuring café lighting and a 40-foot fire accent wall—couples can host as many as 600 reception guests. A separate patio off of the chapel and shaded beneath a canopy of oak trees can be setup with folding chairs and is another nice option for those wishing for an outdoor ceremony.

Lost Mission only hosts one event per day and rental includes the entire venue as well as linens, place settings, and bar service and alcoholic beverages. Beyond that, brides and grooms can bring in outside vendors. Five hours are included in the rental but Lost Mission invites couples onto the property as early as 10 a.m. so they have all day to decorate and prep in the bride’s suite and groom’s den. If couples wish, Lost Mission can provide day-of coordination.

Other perks at Lost Mission include ample free parking and cart service for handicapped and elderly guests. But what really sets Lost Mission apart is its beautiful buildings. “The chapel has an emotion to it,” Sara says. “It makes you feel something just being in there.” As for service, you don’t just rent the space at Lost Mission—you get an entire staff that works to ensure every event is an exceptionally pleasant experience for each couple. “We all love this place, we love working with each other, and every day we have a good time, we work really hard, and we get to go to a great party every weekend,” says Sara.

Lost Mission’s weddings bring guests from across the country and around the world, but whether it’s a bride from San Antonio or a guest from another country, the reaction is always the same—the celebration was better than any of them could have ever imagined. “Our couples and their guests get a great taste of Texas but a very elegant experience at the same time.”