Lost Mission

Set on a private road in the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio, Lost Mission is a wedding and special-event venue built around an authentic mission-style chapel and reception hall, surrounded by oak trees off Highway 46 near Spring Branch. The property was built beginning in 2009 by contractor Lon Danley, who drew on his New Mexico upbringing to construct the buildings from more than 6,500 stacked straw bales finished in white stucco, in the style of Old World Spanish architecture. Handcrafted details from Lost Mission's on-site workshop appear throughout the property, including hand-carved white oak and cypress doors, wrought-iron sconces and chandeliers, 1890s pews shipped in from a Pennsylvania church, and a mission bell reclaimed from a Kerrville farm. The climate-controlled Mission Style Chapel seats up to 240 guests beneath stained-glass windows, while the Modern Reception Hall accommodates up to 350 guests and features a 40-foot firewall, wood trusses, a rock fireplace, and a built-in bar. A 7,000-square-foot patio with cafe lighting and a stream-side path connects the two spaces. Lost Mission hosts one wedding per day, with rental packages that include round guest tables, cross-back chairs, a bridal suite and groom's room, a ceremony sound system, and setup and cleanup staff.