Posts Tagged ‘Montana’
Old West Wedding Inspiration in Montana
From the photographer, Stella Kelsie Photography: There’s just somethin’ ’bout a cowboy. We wanted a western themed couple, but not the typical modern western bride and groom we see so often here in Montana. Instead, we drew inspiration from the past, with a groom that looked like he was straight out of an old west movie, a horse, and a ghost town that once was home to real life vigilantes. Our bride had enough of a modern touch to appeal to today’s brides, but not lacking in old west glam. Her bouquet was a reflection of the sunset, that one that every good cowboy rides into at the end of the day.
Our handsome cowboy stole his beautiful bride’s heart, and we all enjoyed the evening’s spectacular sunset over the sagebrush of the wild west.
The Style Team
Photographer: Stella Kelsie Photography | Event Planner: Events by Autumn | Floral Designer: Earth Within | Dress Store: Velvet Bride | Makeup Artist: Shear Art Salon | Groom’s Attire: Jones Leather and Livestock | Location: Bannack Ghost Town
A Glacier National Park Engagement Session
From Brittany: Travis and I met, of all places, in a bar. We are both quite tall and we just locked eyes across the room over everyone else’s heads, and we have been inseparable ever since. We live in Minnesota with our dog Euchre. I had seen so many beautiful pictures of Glacier National Park and had always wanted to go. When we got engaged, I was determined to have our engagement pictures taken at Glacier. Marianne Wiest Photography gave us exactly what we asked for and then some. The photoshoot was relaxed, fun and full of breathtaking mountain scenery. Our pictures came out amazing and we had such a fun vacation in Montana.
A Soft & Dreamy Spring Inspired Shoot
Although winter officially began yesterday, this romantic shoot has us dreaming of spring already. We LOVE the stunning bouquet and floral crown by Diamond Events and Floral incorporating Pantone’s 2017 color of the year, greenery! Photographer Kiralee Jones, beautifully captured the backdrop of white flowering trees and the gorgeous bride in her romantic Claire Pettibone gown.
THE STYLE TEAM
Photographer: Kiralee Jones, Photographer // Hair Stylist: CS Bridal Styling // Floral Designer: Diamond Events and Floral // Makeup Artist: La Vita e Bella // Dress Store: Willow Bride
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Styled Shoot: Calm Before the Day
From the stylist: Christina Stevens, CS Bridal Styling:
The inspiration behind this shoot was to take you through the intimate peaceful moments a bride has before the pandemonium that hits once she embarks on the grand march to her soon to be. We wanted to showcase our bride, Kadie as she patiently awaits the arrival of her groom. She has chosen to opt for a quiet elopement style destination wedding. Not wanting to skip the traditional fare that one looks forward to while planning a wedding, they decided on a pristine mountain location. They dreamed of an intimate celebration at a luxury hotel/venue for their weekend escape; with careful consideration and selection of their vendors to give them everything they had dreamed of.
THE STYLE TEAM
Concept, Event Styling and Hair Styling: Christina Stevens, CS Bridal Styling // Concept & Make Up: Britlee Penney, La Vita e’ Bella // Model: Kadie Claire // Photographer: Dina Remi Studios // Dress: J. Scott Couture // Flowers: Conrad Floral // Venue: The Lodge at Whitefish Lake // Cake: A Whole Lotta Yum
A Homegrown Garden Wedding in Montana
From the bride, Robin: After eight adventurous years of dating, Tyler got down on one knee after we hiked to the top of Wayna Picchu, a site overlooking Macchu Picchu. From hiking to train rides to buses, we didn’t have service for days, so we were able to relish in our engagement and begin fantasizing about our wedding. We were in the midst of a three month backpacking journey and started counting how many countries we will have had been to together by the end of the trip, and realized it would be 22. We quickly decided that travel should be the theme of our wedding, and every table should be a country that we have been to together.
I am a very creative person, so it was hard for me to not DIY everything! But honestly, some of the best advice I got was to leave it to the professionals, so week of you can relax and enjoy the moment with everyone. Thus, I just incorporated DIY into a few special, heartfelt areas.
The venue of our wedding was decided before we were even engaged: my parents’ 400 acre farm in Montana. It was so special and heartfelt to get married at my home. We had a lot of fun incorporating the things most important to us into our wedding: travel, Montana, music, and friends/family.
Tyler and I are concert junkies in San Francisco, so we knew we needed as much live music as possible, which ended up being all of it! We had a cellist in the secret garden for the entry music and processional. And as soon as we said “I do,” a bag piper started playing (to represent my Scottish heritage!) to escort the guests to cocktail hour. At cocktail hour, we had acoustic guitar, and after that a fiddle player (from the band) escorted the guests to the reception where the rest of the band was waiting to play the rest of the night!
The travel theme was most evident at the reception. Our guest book was a globe, our seating directory was bag tags directing you to a country, travel books and maps were everywhere, and we had photos of us from around the world on all of the tables.
Everyone’s name was painted on a river rock from Glacier National Park and placed on their table setting. I also photoshopped a greeting and thank you card that was on everyone’s place setting.
I’m sure every bride says this, but it is truly hard for me to pick a favorite memory of the day. Everything was so special, that I was truly blissed out on love for months to follow, just reminiscing every moment and detail. From yoga with my bridesmaids in the morning, to serenading each other with our vows, to Tyler whispering how beautiful I am and how much he loves my dress (win!) during the ceremony.
The dance floor was packed until nearly 2am! I have to admit, I do think we had the best wedding band ever!!
MY ADVICE:
I really struggled with the invite list since we are both from a small town and wanted so many people to be there, but at the same time, wanted that intimate feeling. Looking back at the wedding, I am glad I ended up sending out all of those extra invites and having more smiling faces there to support us. It is not everyday that you get to see everyone you love from all facets of your life get together in one place to support you: relish in that.
Secondly, only look at blogs and Pinterest in the beginning to gather your own ideas, but once you make a decision, move on! You can’t keep second guessing things and changing ideas because you will never get anywhere, and, not to mention, your vendors might get annoyed!
Plus, for me, who was getting married outdoors in Montana, I had to keep remembering that the natural setting is beautiful by itself, so I don’t need to keep stressing about dressing it up. There is something to be said about letting the surroundings speak for themselves.
Thirdly, DIY is great, but also stressful. Even without DIY, the week of your wedding can be overwhelming trying to navigate everyone, see relatives, get ready, RELAX, etc. So incorporate it where you can, and let your vendors do the rest. They are extremely good at what they do – just trust them!
And lastly, take a few minutes throughout the day and night to soak it all in. Everything is moving so quickly that it is easy to get flustered and let it all slip by you in a whirlwind. Step aside and just look around you to take mental pictures of your hard work, the love that surrounds you, and the best day of your life!
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photography: Marianne Wiest Photography // Coordination & Styling: Joyce Walkup // Videography: Britney Paige Cinematography // Catering: Cuisine Machine // Liquor: Casey’s Bar & Grill // Band: Savannah Jack // Rentals: The Party Store // Flower & Design: Beargrass Gardens Florals & Events // Photobooth: The Fotowagen // Cake: A Whole Lotta Yum // Dress: Rue de Seine Bridal // Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August // Groom & Groomsmen: J.Crew // Makeup: Kristen O’Leary // Hair: Zachary Morad
An Intimate Pajama Ceremony in the Mountains
From the photographer, Lauren Brown Photography: On a crisp, snowy January day, in a little resort town high in the Montana mountains, Amy and Patrick became husband and wife. Theirs was not the traditional wedding, in fact far from it. Opting for a small, intimate ceremony, this fun and freewheeling young couple said “I do” in the close company of loved ones in a small spa room at the Rainbow Lodge Ranch in Big Sky, Montana. Keeping it the definition of casual, the gorgeous Amy wore custom kimono-inspired silk pajamas with Patrick and the wedding guests following suite in their own assortment of comfortable and cozy nightwear. Patrick’s mother officiated the warm and joyful candlelit ceremony. The couple read their handwritten vows while settled atop pillows made to look like logs. While theirs may not have been a day filled with familiar wedding customs, it was a day filled with the most important element of any wedding – love.
On the Ranch in Montana
Laura got married in Hawaii, but she was missing a part of home, Montana. So, a few months after the wedding, she scheduled a shoot with photographer Jacilyn M on her families ranch in the Bitterroot Valley. Laura wanted her favorite horse, which she had raised from a foul by her side along with a spectacular backdrop of mountain and pines. We’d say Jacilyn M perfectly captured Laura’s western roots!
