See All The Gorgeous Photos Of The Romantic Dinner Ree Drummond Hosted At The Mercantile

We got this mantel when we first opened The Merc in 2016, and it cracks me up that we have never managed to find an actual use for it, or a permanent spot for it. But it just seems to pop up in the most interesting places! I loved it here near the entrance of the event. I think this should be its permanent spot!

I have decided that ranunculus are a top three flower for me, next to dahlias and hyacinths. And pretty much every other flower on earth. 😊 In the background you can see the Kodak picture moment---not really Kodak in nature, but those of certain generation will know what I'm talking about! Scroll to the next pic.

Ummm...how gorgeous is this? It's kind of Enchanted Garden meets Rose Garden meets Prom meets Debutante Ball and I love it so, so much. Great job, Merc team!! (Keep scrolling to see what the backdrop looks like in guest photos...)

I always love getting to see the official photos of each couple. Everyone gets snazzed up, and so many people wore red/pink! This was such a sweet couple.

Sheriff Terry and his beautiful wife, Dana, always attend the dinner. Terry is a fixture at The Mercantile, and so many visitors know him well. He isn't technically a sheriff, but that's what we call him because he just makes everyone feel like everything's gonna be okay. We love Terry!

I loved this couple! So much fun, and they were definitely excited for a night out. (I want this rose wall in my house. That would go perfectly with our ranch decor, wouldn't it?)

I love that some couples buy tickets together and come as a group. And let's talk about the style choices in this photo---LOVE! I can't decide which outfit I'd rather wear, they're both so gorgeous. I think I'd have to go with the red because I can never resist a puff sleeve!

Each year of our event, we have two or three friend couples come, which is always a good time! (And I always love more redhead representation, of course.)

This fella was celebrating a very significant medical milestone, and it gave us all something extra to be grateful for that night. And on a superficial note: What a cute dress! I would wear it as a tunic with leggings because I haven't shown my bare legs since 2005...but cute either way!

We drew names for a gift basket for the gals in the house; it contained a bunch of cute things from The Merc store (including that Mackenzie Childs teapot, oh my!)

The team had fun putting this basket together! I think that body spray is called "Men Don't Stink" or something like that. I love picking out all the cowboy gear for The Merc store. It's one of my favorite categories!

Here's a glimpse at the passed hors d'oeuvres the Merc chefs offered. I couldn't possibly pick my favorite one; flavor everywhere!

It is always great for our chefs to step up and cook in front of an event. Oscar answered questions from the audience and explained each dish as he made it.

This made me laugh: He told her to be ready for dinner, that he was going to take her someplace special. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but they wound up having a great time! At least that's what they told me...

Oh my gosh. This was a dinner in itself. Ravioli in a brown butter sauce with roasted squash. My dream dinner!

Filet with demi glace, roasted mushrooms, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. This would be Ladd Drummond's ideal meal, hold the mushrooms, hold the asparagus, and hold the demi glace. 😂 (I will just eat his.)