My Montana Wedding 2023 | Vol. 1

Couture: Mimi’s Bridal

Photo: Three Sisters Photography

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cammi Sullivan

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Matthew Wetzler

MAGAZINE COMMITTEE

Bethany Cady

Amy Deering

Sam Dennison

Lana Golinsky

Katie Jimenez

Porsche Keller

Alex Shenemen

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

Sam Dennison

Destination DJ

VICE PRESIDENT

Bethany Cady

Mimi’s Bridal

TREASURER

Porsche Keller

Porsche Jean Photography

SECRETARY

Kristen Opperman

The Kopper Kitchen

EXPO VICE PRESIDENT

Star Ironside

The House of S&M

EXPO CHAIR

Lori Huestis

Empress Tents & Events

SOCIAL CHAIR

Alex Shenemen

Big Top Collective

MAGAZINE CHAIR

Matthew Wetzler

Thewmatt Photography

My Montana Wedding is the official publication of the My Montana Wedding Association P.O. Box 8731, Kalispell, MT 59904 (406) 250-3213

This is an annual publication with 6,500 copies for distribution.

Don’t miss the annual My Montana Wedding Expo & Style Show: Saturday, January 20, 2024

Flathead County Fairgrounds, Trade Center Building, Kalispell, MT Visit www.mymontanawedding.com/expo for more info. Visit us at www.mymontanawedding.com.

On the cover: Thewmatt Photography

Carrie Ann Photography, see page 14

My name is Sam Dennison and I get the honor of being the president of the My Montana Wedding Association and all of its wonderful vendors. There are many to choose from and you will get to see great examples of their work in this magazine.

By the way, Congratulations! I’m sure you’re very excited about planning your wedding and getting everything just right for your special day. However, as you start to explore the wedding industry, you may find it can be overwhelming with so many different options.

Firstly, set time aside early to make sure you find the correct vendors for you and your partner. These wedding vendors here in our association are eager to make your day special and memorable.

Secondly, the wedding industry is constantly changing, and there are always new trends emerging. While it’s important to stay up-to-date, it’s also important to focus on what you and your partner want for your wedding day. This day is all about celebrating your love and commitment to each other, so make sure you plan a wedding that truly reflects you both.

Thirdly, planning a wedding can be stressful, but it’s important to remember to enjoy the process. Take time to celebrate each milestone, and don’t forget to involve your partner and loved ones in the planning. This can be a wonderful opportunity to spend time and create some beautiful memories together.

Finally, don’t forget to take care of yourself during the wedding planning process. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and excitement, but make sure you take time to rest, relax, and practice self-care. Remember that your mental and emotional health is just as important as your wedding day.

I hope these tips help you navigate the wedding industry here in the great Flathead Valley and throughout the planning of the wedding of your dreams. Remember that the most important thing is to celebrate your love and commitment to each other, and everything else will fall into place.

Congratulations again, and best of luck with your wedding planning!

Sincerely,

Sam Dennison, Destination DJ President, My Montana Wedding Association

Unique & Luke

BAR SERVICES

Treasure State Hospitality treasurestatehospitality.info

COUTURE Mimi’s Bridal mimisbridalmontana.com

MUSIC & DJ Mike Murray mikemurraytunes.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Thewmatt Photography thewmattphotography.com

RENTALS & DECOR

Celebrate Events & Party Rental celebraterentals.com

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

VENUE Snowline Acres snowlineacres.com

We met on the sunny day of July 18 th , 2020 in my hometown near Anchorage, Alaska. Our first date was a tandem bike ride along the Pacific Ocean, where Luke joked that it was our first “trust-building exercise.” After discovering a mutual love of Jesus, tacos, and the great outdoors, it wasn’t long before I moved to Luke’s hometown, Kalispell, MT. Our dates that followed included hiking, coffee shop Bible time, biking Going-To-The-Sun Road, camping under the Big Sky stars, and road trips. Glacier National Park is home to so many of our cherished memories together.

One day, while paddling around in a canoe on Lake McDonald, Luke pointed at the shoreline and said, “Look!” To my surprise, there was a huge lit up sign he had made that read “Will you marry me?” Luke pulled out the ring and successfully attempted to get on one knee without tipping over our canoe in the middle of the lake.

May 21st, we exchanged vows in front of the snow-peaked mountains and blooming aspen trees with over 300 family members and friends. Spring is our favorite season, hopeful and full of anticipation for new beginnings, just like a wedding day! My mom made all the flower arrangements, and other family and friends helped with more details, like hair and makeup, charcuterie tables, and décor. Since we joke that my love language is popcorn and Luke’s is Mexican food, we served tacos for dinner and had a dessert popcorn bar for treats, alongside our favorite local beer and cider. It was the best day of our lives! We were so blessed by joining our loved ones together, from near and far, in celebration of our marriage! We are so thankful to all the people who helped make our Montana wedding everything we had dreamed of and more!

If you’re planning your wedding, we encourage you to enjoy the process and focus on each other over everything else. Your wedding day is yours, so make it one that you will love!

Claire & Joel

LODGING Haymoon Resort haymoonresort.org

OFFICIANT Best Day Officiants bestdayofficiants.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Carrie Ann Photography carrieann-photography.net

TRANSPORTATION Wild Horse Limo wildhorselimo.com

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

VENUE Haymoon Resort haymoonresort.org

We met through playing soccer, we were actually friends for many years before dating. Since we’ve been together we’ve played on at least one co-ed soccer team together!

Our wedding was small and intimate. We still wanted to have immediate family with us, but wanted the day to really be about us! We worked with our amazing local vendors, Carrie Ann Photography and Raul with Best Day Officiants to make the day about us. We spent the day together! From getting ready to packing a go bag and exploring the park during photos. We did not do a first look as we helped each other dress for the ceremony. Gasp! We know, it’s unconventional but it’s also who we are as a couple! And our families were there to witness, but we stood on shoreline alone and recited our vows just to each other. Our ceremony was very small but we also planned a reception for back home to celebrate with all of our families and friends! We got the best of both worlds!

Use local vendors and ask questions. They are incredible and are exceptionally helpful with any questions that you might have. Not only are they experts in their field but they know the area to be helpful both for your ceremony and on the days before and after, if you need a recommendation for just about anything, they can help. Additionally, if you are doing a destination wedding (like we did), ask questions, if you don’t ask no one can clarify or help, so you can have the least stress on your big day!

We actually went out to Glacier National Park a year before our ceremony. We were able to meet some of our vendors ahead of time. Get a feel for the area and spend some time exploring thr Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park. This was really helpful both for planning and allowing us to not feel like we needed to cram everything into our wedding trip!

Jessica & Clifford

We met in 2010 while we were working together. Even though we worked together, we didn’t interact with each other much at first. One day I got tired of working with someone I didn’t talk to and finally said hi to him. A few weeks later I got a text from a random number asking me over for a drink after work. It was Cliff. He got my number from the employee contact list and invited me over. That was the first of many hang out sessions for years to come. We each had our own reasons for not pursuing a relationship at first, but we enjoyed spending time together as friends. We spent a lot of time together. We would go out or stay in, go to the movies, or go shopping. We did so much together, but by far, my favorite times were the hours we would spend together just talking and laughing. After about two years Cliff finally asked me to be his girlfriend, but so many years later we can’t remember when/where that happened. Because our relationship was built on friendship, we seamlessly fell in love with each other. It is easy to fall in love with someone who started as your best friend.

Every choice we made for our wedding was about us, and only us. We were the only two that mattered on one of the most important days of our lives. It was specific to us because it was all about us, which I think sometimes can get lost in the hustle of a big wedding. We had plans to go to dinner at the Belton Chalet, but at some point during the day we decided we didn’t want to go out to a restaurant. We thought going back to our house and getting pizza sounded much better than sitting down for a formal dinner, so that is what we did. When we went to pick up our takeout order at the pizza shop everyone in the restaurant cheered as we walked in. I think strolling into the local pizza shop in full wedding attire to pick up our takeout order was unique, but then again, the whole day felt special and unique.

The advice I have for other brides planning their Montana wedding is to enjoy the scenery and soak up every minute of being in such a beautiful place. Don’t stress! I would also tell any bride getting married in Montana, especially Glacier, not to check the weather. It changes so quickly, and honestly even if you know the forecast, what can you do about it? Remember your wedding day is all about you and your future husband, and don’t let anything distract you from the two of you being the focus and priority of the entire day.

Mysha & Rob

CAKE & DESSERTS

Montana Wildflour montanawildflour.com

CATERING

The Kopper Kitchen thekopperkitchen.com

LOCAL ACTIVITIES Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

LODGING Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

MUSIC & DJ RMF Entertainment rmfdjs.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Marianne Wiest Photography mariannewiest.com

PLANNING Big Day Celebrations bigdaycelebrations.com

RENTALS & DECOR

Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

RENTALS & DECOR

The Party Store

thepartystoremt.com

VENUE

Paddle Ridge

glacieroutdoorweddings.com

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

VIDEOGRAPHY

Skeeter Johnston Productions skeeterjohnstonproductions.com

Love in the time of a pandemic, certainly not how I ever dreamed of meeting my husband, but life rarely turns out quite the way we imagined. Rob and I went on our first date after a mutual friend set us up in early 2020. We hit it off quickly, and the hours flew by as we spoke about our families and careers, how our love of outdoor adventures had led us to our little Colorado mountain town, and of course about the mysterious virus that was wreaking havoc on the world. COVID lockdown went into effect the day after our third date, and although our professional lives as a hospital physician and a police officer kicked into nightmarish overdrive, we still made it a priority to spend time together hiking, camping, skiing, and finding ways to decompress and help keep one another centered and sane. He became my rock during those first few months, and now, a little more than three years later, I can’t imagine my life without him. We are so grateful to have found one another, and we’re incredibly excited to continue to navigate all of life’s unexpected twists and turns together as we move to Montana this summer to start the next chapter in our lives!

We weren’t afraid to bend or break certain traditions in order to create a wedding day that reflected who we are as a couple and highlighted many of the things we find most meaningful—family, friends, and the stunning natural beauty surrounding us. We chose a venue just down the road from where my parents had met and eventually gotten married. My mother walked me down the aisle, and Rob and I found ways to honor our fathers, who have both passed away. We had a whiskey blending ceremony, as well as a ring warming ceremony during which our guests passed around our wedding bands and warmed them with their wishes, prayers, and blessings. Rob’s uncle was our officiant, and his nieces and nephew were our flower girls and ring bearer. We chose a venue that enabled our guests, who had already made the effort to travel to Montana to celebrate with us, could all stay on site together for the weekend. It felt intimate and joyful, and we were lucky to have glorious autumn weather to help make the day feel even more perfect.

Wedding planning is fun and exciting, but it’s easy to get bogged down in the details and feel overwhelmed, especially if you live out of state. Start by hiring a wedding planner who will help take all of your ideas and bring your wedding day vision to life with minimal stress—working with Katie was the best decision we made. This is your day, and you want to be able to relax and savor each moment as much as you can, because it’ll fly by in a heartbeat!

Erin & Bruce

JEWELRY McGough & Co. mcgoughandco.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Porsche Jean Photography porschejeanphotography.showit.site

Bruce and I met online at a time when both of us were giving up on love! Bruce logged on March 3rd of 2021 after weeks of being absent from the website. My face just so happened to pop up under recommended matches. He sent me a message and I thought he was so sweet. We fell in love hard that fall and after I met his beautiful son, we both knew we wanted to be a family! We did long distance, him living in Idaho, and me here in Montana for the first year of our relationship. He moved here in June of 2022, we got engaged in July, and were married in October! I had met my person, and I didn’t want to waste any time being apart. We truly believe that God led us to one another at the perfect time.

We had a smaller budget than the typical wedding so finding a venue that could accommodate that here was challenging. Yet, I was determined to have a beautiful wedding in my hometown no matter what. We found a quaint and charming church in the countryside and I fell in love. I love fall and wanted to include the outside scenery in my wedding. Celebrate helped me set up my reception, and we ate BBQ made by friends and family. My ring belonged to my Great Grandmother and McGough & Co. did a wonderful job making it mine without taking away any sentimentality from it. I wanted my wedding to feel intimate, I wanted to be able to say “Hi” and hug every single guest. We ate yummy food, danced till our feet hurt, and laughed over and over again. It rained the whole day, however, while our guests ate cake Bruce, Porsche, and I snuck out onto the back road and took some photos. We made sure to carve time into the schedule for us to have small amounts of time when we could be alone. We had our first look before the ceremony where we read personal vows that we had written for one another in the privacy of the empty church. The day was all about celebrating our love story with those who love us.

Weddings should be fun and enjoyable to look back on. No matter what your wedding budget is, you can still create the day that is perfect just for you. Don’t stress the little things, they really won’t matter three months down the road. Surround yourself with people who love you unconditionally. Brides, eat before the wedding, take deep breaths, and enjoy the experience. Make sure to communicate what your vision is with your family or your wedding planner. Find moments throughout the day to have special moments with your partner. My number one advice is don’t cut costs on the photographer. Half of my budget went to my photographer and she was amazing. Porsche contributed so much to my day and my experience. She truly looked out for me and helped me keep things organized. Choose your vendors wisely, read reviews, and let them do their jobs. You will not regret it!

Nicole & Ryan

CATERING

Piggyback BBQ piggybackbbq.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Alicia Magnus Photography aliciamagnusphotography.com

RENTALS & DECOR

Celebrate Events & Party Rental celebraterentals.com

RENTALS & DECOR

Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

VENUE

Diamond B Weddings diamondbweddings.com

We met through close friends shortly out of high school about 10 years ago! We became a couple in 2015 and have been inseparable ever since. We are truly the best of friends.

My husband and I love the outdoors but he has always loved Glacier. We travel to Bowman Lake every year to camp so I thought, why not do it in the place he loves and that we both find so incredibly beautiful! Also, Montana is super pet friendly. We included our dog Odessa in our ceremony. She was our flower dog!

I would tell prospective brides to relax breathe and enjoy the process of planning your wedding. I planned our wedding from North Dakota and made sure to have venue booked out plenty of time in advance because venues typically book up the quickest! I made sure to tell myself that no one will notice the things that aren’t finished or didn’t turn out the way you may have hoped. It’s only one day, so enjoy it in every way, because it’s truly the best day!

Caitlin & Wesley

BEAUTY & NUTRITION

Bridal Bliss Hair & Makeup By Lana bridalblissmt.com

OFFICIANT Best Day Officiants bestdayofficiants.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography by Brogan photographybybrogan.com

PLANNING Big Day Celebrations bigdaycelebrations.com

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

Wesley and I had crossed paths many times, many moons ago. He used to frequent my previous place of work where I was a bartender. From there we had lost touch and I had taken up a new career as a Realtor. I check my phone one evening to a message from a random number reading “Got any houses for sale?” From there, we rekindled just as if no time had passed. We had our first “date” buying flip furniture off Facebook Marketplace in sketchy backwoods Tennessee and ended the night at Texas Roadhouse. The rest is beautiful history. We are now expecting our first child, due in late August.

Our special day was perfect. I would do it the same way a thousand times over. It was just the two of us, the officiant, photographer, and the planner. It was intimate, beautiful, and stress free.

My advice would be to do it !! There is nothing better than marrying your best friend amongst God’s beautiful creation. Big Day Celebrations did such a good job making sure everything was perfectly planned and effortless for us. We loved Katie and the rest of the team that worked putting this together for us.

Anna & Kyle

CATERING

The Kopper Kitchen thekopperkitchen.com

OFFICIANT Best Day Officiants bestdayofficiants.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Dina Remi Photography dinaremiphotography.com

PLANNING Big Day Celebrations bigdaycelebrations.com

RENTALS & DECOR

Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

VENUE Great Northern Resort greatnorthernresort.com

Kyle and I began dating our senior year of high school. Simply asking for him to send me some notes turned into a never ending conversation that will now last a lifetime. We were inseparable from that day on; whether it was sitting together in class or going out to dinner, long drives, and movies on the weekends. We both enjoy being outdoors and spending quality time with our families, and we did all of that together. Our relationship grew stronger over the years that came as we spent hours having both serious and silly conversations. One night, we were talking until two in the morning in the driveway of my parent’s house, and that’s when I knew that I would spend the rest of my life with him. I could not have found a better partner.

Most brides picture a large wedding filled with hundreds of people, but I had the opposite in mind. We gathered our family and told them we wanted a “micro” wedding in the mountains. Glacier National Park was on our bucket list and we decided, why not have the wedding in Montana and invite our family to join us for a short vacation to start the new journey that our lives were entering? Most of them thought we were crazy, but there we were, an engaged couple from Texas planning a wedding across the country. The best part of having a small wedding is being able to make it represent us. Something as simple as having donuts and cinnamon rolls instead of wedding cake made our day special. The week before the wedding, we left Texas and started our honeymoon “early.” Kyle and I packed up our Jeep and drove approximately 2,000 miles. We planned one of the most scenic routes we could in order to see America’s natural beauty along the way. We even camped in our Jeep one night under the stars just outside of Yellowstone National Park. When we finally arrived in Montana, about six days later, our families were there. We spent this time hiking and enjoying each other’s company while exploring the beauty of the mountains. Some of the most enjoyable and remarkable memories we have of our wedding are not only due to the great venue and ceremony, but also the time we had together with our families.

The one thing I can advise future brides wanting to plan their wedding in Montana is to just do it! If you live out of state, make sure you hire a wedding planner. Katie made the wedding planning experience as easy as it can be. She kept me updated with important deadlines and was always a text or phone call away. She took all my ideas and wishes and turned them into reality and was super supportive throughout the whole journey. Montana will now forever have a special place in my heart, and Kyle and I cannot wait to return one day and explore even more of what it has to offer!

Ashley & Michael

BEAUTY & NUTRITION Majestic Mountain Beauty majesticmountainbeauty.com

CAKE & DESSERTS Cakes by Debi cakesbydebi.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Mountain Life Photography mountainlifephotography.com

VENUE The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. lodgeatwhitefishlake.com

Mike and I grew up about eight miles apart in southeastern Washington, but we went to different high schools and played different sports growing up, so our paths didn’t cross until 2016. Mike had already graduated college and I was entering my senior year of college, but we were both working on getting experience hours to apply to physical therapy school. The day we met, I immediately went home and told my mom there was a cute guy at the physical therapy clinic. Fast forward to New Years Eve of that year, we had our first date where we went skiing, which resulted in me taking Mike into the backcountry and both of us falling into a tree (LOL). Luckily that didn’t scare Mike at all, and we’ve talked to each other every day since then. We made it through three years of having a long-distance relationship during physical therapy school as Mike went to school in California and I was Virginia. We finished graduate school in 2020, and have been working in Montana since then. After 4.5 years of dating, Mike proposed in Glacier National Park, and we got married a year later!

None of our family is local to Montana, so our wedding, in a way, turned into a destination wedding for most of our guests. Our families were able to turn the wedding into a mini-vacation and see the area that we are absolutely in love with.

My advice to other brides planning their wedding is to be yourself and make decisions based on what is important to you. There’s nothing better than getting married in Big Sky Country!

Mary & Connor

CATERING Desoto Grill desotogrill.com

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

LODGING North Forty Resort northfortyresort.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Marianne Wiest Photography mariannewiest.com

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

VENUE North Forty Resort northfortyresort.com

Freshman year of college, Conner and Mary met on the most romantic app the internet has to offer, Tinder. They enjoyed many adventures from the start, spending their weekends camping on the beach, four-wheeling in OHV parks, and boating on local lakes. Their love started in the great outdoors and grew with every passing recreation. They survived long-distance with Mary’s engineering internship in Lodi, California. Over the years, they continued their love of travel and camping in Yosemite, Tahoe, the Bitterroot Valley, Nashville, and Las Vegas. After college, Mary and Conner bought a house on the lake to continue their beloved camping trips with a little more comfort. In June of 2021 Conner got down on one knee in front of their closest family and friends to ask Mary to make him the happiest man on Earth by marrying him.

Conner and Mary have always been avid National Park enthusiasts, growing up camping and hiking was their first point of common interest during the initial Tinder trials. When it came time to plan their wedding, they sat down and scrolled through Pinterest to build their vision board and stumbled upon an article entitled “This is your sign to get Married in Glacier National Park.” They wanted to bring their closest family and friends on this important adventure with them and after one look at the photos they were hooked! Mary started with the National Park theme and found the “Ranger” invites which she was immediately obsessed with. This became the color scheme and building block for the wedding adding a retro National Park spin to signs and decor. The rustic feel was amplified in the amphitheater style venue under the gorgeous Montana greenery. The North Forty Resort transported all of the guests to a block party style cabin in the woods. Conner contributed the whiskey and cigar bar and convinced the entire wedding party to go white water rafting as part of the rehearsal!

The saving grace for planning a destination wedding is the preferred vendors list. After picking a venue, ask for the preferred vendors list to get the inside scoop on the top vendors for the area. This list is going to be vetted and the vendors will already be familiar with your venue. From there, asking questions of your vendors about the venue or other vendor suggestions based on your style and preferences helps fill in the gaps. The professionals who work weddings year round will be one of your best resources for weather, style suggestions, and color matching elements of your venue if you don’t get the opportunity to see it in person.

Alexis & Michael

CATERING

Famous Dave’s BBQ famousdaves.com

FLORAL Mum’s Flowers mumsflowers.net

LODGING Haymoon Resort haymoonresort.org

MUSIC & DJ The V Team DJs the-v-team.net

PHOTOGRAPHY A Rose Photography arosephotographymt.com

RENTALS & DECOR

Celebrate Events & Party Rental celebraterentals.com

TRANSPORTATION Wild Horse Limo wildhorselimo.com

TRANSPORTATION Harlow’s Bus Service harlowsschoolbus.com/ locations/#montana

We met through a mutual friend at a party and this same friend was able to be our officiant at our wedding!

Since many of our guests are not local to the area, we wanted to create an adult summer camp experience for the weekend! Haymoon Resort was the perfect retreat for many of the guests to be able stay on the same property in cabins. The first day the guests arrived, we listened to live music at Gunsight Saloon and then rented out Hank’s Hatchets. The day before the wedding, we rented pontoon boats out on Whitefish Lake and had the rehearsal dinner at Abruzzo. The wedding day was held on the property at Haymoon and then the after party took place at Blue Moon Nite Club. We really took advantage of all that the area had to offer!

We were fortunate to have a lot of help for setup and tear down but I wish I would’ve outsourced it so I could’ve slept in the day after the wedding!

Haymoon Resort

haymoonresort.org

Wenhao & Michael

We met online and started to have conversations after Michael spotted my picture travelling in Iceland. He commented on my picture with “Iceland?”. I almost didn’t respond but he was saved by his extremely adorable picture with his dog. We love to travel together, and we fell in love when exploring nature together.

I hadn’t seen my family for over three years because of COVID. My mother overcame a lot of obstacles, traveled across the globe, came to my wedding, and walked me down the aisle. Having her there meant the world to me.

My advice is it’s your day. Do what makes you happy.

Paige & Christopher

CAKE & DESSERTS

Montana Wildflour montanawildflour.com

FLORAL Mum’s Flowers mumsflowers.net

LODGING Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

MUSIC & DJ

Destination DJ destinationdj.biz

PHOTOGRAPHY

Thewmatt Photography thewmattphotography.com

RENTALS & DECOR Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

VENUE Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

It was the Fourth of July in Big Sky, Montana. Mutual friends introduced us, and we spent the day getting to know each other. After a few dates, we decided we liked each other enough to try long distance between Bozeman and Missoula. A year into our relationship, Chris got accepted in a Masters program in Alabama so we moved across the country together. In the South we found our best friend (dog), Clark, and got in engaged. After Chris graduated we found our way back to Montana where we got married just outside Glacier National Park that summer.

We knew we wanted to get married near one of our favorite places. Glacier showed off with perfect weather and an amazing sunset, which kicked off a night of non-stop dancing with family and friends.

Don’t stress about trying to please everyone else and don’t worry about the little details the day of. Everything will come together, and it will be the best day of your life. Oh, and get yourself a Jenna, one of our best friends who took control and made sure the day was perfect.

Tabatha & Michael

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

MUSIC & DJ

Destination DJ destinationdj.biz

PHOTOGRAPHY

Amber Lynn Photography amberlynn.photos

VENUE

The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. lodgeatwhitefishlake.com

VIDEOGRAPHY

Skeeter Johnston Productions skeeterjohnstonproductions.com

We met on a dating app in 2017 and quickly fell in love weeks after! We both love to travel so picking Montana to get married was perfect for us.

We live in Minnesota and always wanted a destination wedding. My husband had been to Whitefish in the past and loved it there so we thought this was a perfect opportunity to get both sides of the family out to Montana to explore! Our families turned it into a vacation and came early and it was so fun for both sides to get a chance to get to know each other!

Less is more. Montana is so beautiful we didn’t feel like we needed to spend time and money on decorations and I encourage other brides to think the same! Spend time thinking what will matter the most to you in 50 years and looking back on your wedding. Take 20 minutes to spend quality alone time with your spouse to take it all in because the day goes so fast!

Laycee & Kellen

BAR SERVICES Glacier Park VFW Lounge Catering kalispellvfw.com

CATERING Piggyback BBQ piggybackbbq.com

COUTURE

Mimi’s Bridal mimisbridalmontana.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Kiralee Jones Photography kiraleejones.com

VENUE Diamond B Weddings diamondbweddings.com

We met January 23 rd, 2021. We knew it was love at first sight, exactly like the fairytales.

We went above and beyond and bought everything we needed ourselves. Ie: cutlery, goblets, linens, DJ equipment, flowers even the cake and donut table was made by us. We set up the wedding the day before and took it all down the night of, after everyone went home.

The best piece of advice is to use a planning guide that gives you at least a year to plan, prepare, and take action. Having a right-hand lady is also incredibly helpful. Support local, use local flower, dress, gift shop, and venue when able. Otherwise we took full advantage of online shopping, but none of this would matter without having an amazing photographer to capture all the details you spend so much time planning.

Kristin & Michael

CAKE & DESSERTS

Miss Patticakes misspatticakes.com

CATERING

The Kopper Kitchen thekopperkitchen.com

FLORAL Mum’s Flowers mumsflowers.net

OFFICIANT 406 Officiant 406officiant.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Marianne Wiest Photography mariannewiest.com

VENUE

Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

Michael and I met back in 2013. He’s originally from Georgia, and my family moved there from Philadelphia when I was young. We met when I was starting Nursing School and he was working for a commercial construction company in Atlanta. We are seven years apart, but happened to meet at the wedding of mutual friends, and then again the following day on the lake. We went to a bar that night, and it was absolutely perfect! It took Michael a few days to track down my number through friends, as his phone didn’t save my number that night! That next week we went on our first date and have been together since that exact day!

Fast forward a few years, and both of our jobs—him a welder and me a new nurse—led us in different directions which resulted in us being long distance for six years. I would travel to him every month and this is what started our love for National Parks!

Hoping and praying he would propose soon, like any girl, I secretly started planning my dream wedding. I found our incredible photographer, Marianne Wiest, on Pinterest and showed him the amazing photos and about my dream to get married there!

On 10/11/2020, Michael proposed to me in Montana at Glacier. It was perfect! He set up our GoPro camera and asked to take pictures, I was skeptical because he’s not the picture taking type of guy, but I agreed! And I’m so thankful I did! The wedding planning had officially begun... then COVID hit.

So for two years we planned our dream wedding in the place our forever began, Glacier National Park! Since our wedding had been delayed, Michael planned a road trip back to Montana for our year engagement to take our engagement pictures in the park! Marriage is a beautiful adventure and we are so grateful to have started ours in Glacier National Park!

Our last name is Green and Michael wanted to wear a green suit, so we ended up having a custom one made and it was a perfect for us!

My best advice is enjoy every moment of it! Remember what brought you to this moment! Don’t sweat the small things because when you look back on your special day, none of that will matter!!

PHOTOGRAPHY

VENUE Snowline Acres snowlineacres.com

Rebecca & Seth

Maxine & Danny

FLORAL

Mum’s Flowers mumsflowers.net

LODGING

Cedar Creek Lodge glaciernationalparklodges.com/ lodging/cedar-creek-lodge/

PHOTOGRAPHY

Amber Lynn Photography amberlynn.photos

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

VIDEOGRAPHY On the Fly Films ontheflyfilmsmt.com

We met each other while working together at a local bar in the summer of 2012. We spent the next year growing closer and sharing experiences ranging from snowboarding trips, Chicago Bulls basketball games, zip-lining adventures, and countless dinner dates until we fell in love floating over the rolling hills of Galena, IL on a hot air balloon ride. In the years that followed, we have continued to grow our love, building a home together, getting our first dog together, and welcoming our beautiful daughter, Emery.

Our wedding day was unique and special because, much like our love story, we were exploring completely new adventures together. We knew we wanted to elope and say our vows surrounded by beautiful lakes and mountains. After much research, we chose Montana—which we both had never been to before—and it was the best decision ever. When we decided to elope and not have any family or friends there with us, we knew we needed to hire a team that would support us every step of the way. Our plans to have our ceremony at Avalanche Lake took a turn due to flooding and road closures, but fortunately enough Amber, Erin and Brittanie were ready with a backup plan that ended up being even more magical than the original. Lastly, we ended our night by taking out a beautiful restored rowboat named “Sacred Dancing” at Lake McDonald. We had the whole lake to ourselves as we rode off into the sunset as husband and wife.

Advice I would give to other brides planning their Montana wedding is to hire a team that is local and knows the area, be open to options and realize that some things are out of your control (like weather), and most importantly do what makes you happy. At the end of the day, your day will be beautiful no matter what because Montana always delivers.

Jordan & Justin

CATERING

The Wich Haus thewichhaus.com

FLORAL Mum’s Flowers mumsflowers.net

JEWELRY Jensen Jewelers jensen-jewelers.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

A Rose Photography arosephotographymt.com

VENUE Glacier National Park nps.gov/glac

We met in high school and college. We were just friends in the beginning. Over time Justin kept asking me out though, and I finally gave in and went on a date. He was very persistent and swears he knew from our first date he was gonna marry me. Honestly, I didn’t think he was gonna sweep me off my feet, but he did.

Our wedding was unique in that we only did things that made us happy and did not do the traditional stuff that people expect in a wedding. We sat down when planning our wedding and thought of all the things we wanted to include and we decided not to add anything that made us feel uncomfortable. We secretly eloped since we did not want a big wedding and just had a big “surprise we are married” party in lieu of a wedding ceremony .

Do what makes you happy and make sure to have fun! It’s you and your partner’s wedding, not anyone else’s so do what’s right for you.

Bethany & Devin

BEAUTY & NUTRITION

LIVE Hydration Spa livehydrationspa.com/kalispell

CATERING Desoto Grill desotogrill.com

COUTURE Mimi’s Bridal mimisbridalmontana.com

FLORAL Pure Happiness Wedding Flowers purehappinessweddingflowers.com

JEWELRY Riddle’s Jewelry riddlesjewelry.com

MUSIC & DJ

Destination DJ destinationdj.biz

PHOTO BOOTH

Destination DJ destinationdj.biz

PHOTOGRAPHY Amber Lynn Photography amberlynn.photos

We met In high school and quickly fell in love. We had our son very young and separated. We got back together in 2019 and have been inseparable ever since. Our love story is so special to us because our time apart allowed us to really become a strong couple for our son.

We absolutely loved our wedding! We want to thank our amazing wedding planner Lynn, who happens to be Devin’s mom. She went above and beyond to give us the black tie wedding we were wanting. Definitely something you don’t see in Bigfork, Montana frequently.

If you can find it in your budget get a wedding planner, get on My Montana Wedding’s vendor directory and start looking. Book ahead and remember to enjoy your day. It is all about your love story coming to life.

Bar Services

Atanaha Events Center atanahaeventcenter.com

Desoto Grill desotogrill.com

Glacier Park VFW Lounge Catering kalispellvfw.com

Glacier Park Weddings glacierparkweddings.com

Grain & Grove Experiances grainandgrove.com

Hellroaring Saloon & Catering hellroaringwhitefish.com

Mavericks Casino Mobile Bar Services maverickscasino.net

Piggyback BBQ Catering piggybackbbq.com

Spinnaker Bar Service facebook.com/spinnakermt

Sunrift Beer Company sunriftbeer.com

The Wich Haus thewichhaus.com

Treasure State Hospitality treasurestatehospitality.info

Craft Society Salon craftsocietysalon.com

The Edge Salon theedgesalonkalispell.com

Elorah Massage & Spa instagram.com/ elorahmassageandspa

Glacier Beauty Co. glacierbeautycompany.com

LIVE Hydration Spa livehydrationspa.com/kalispell

Majestic Mountain Beauty majesticmountainbeauty.com

Montana Wedding Officiants aaronaliceanderson.com/ montanaweddingofficiants

Breweries & Distilleries

Sunrift Beer Company sunriftbeer.com

Copacabana Grill copa-grill.com

Desoto Grill desotogrill.com

Famous Dave’s famousdaves.com

Farmer Meets Foodie farmermeetsfoodiemt.com

Hell Roaring Saloon & Catering hellroaringwhitefish.com

The Kopper Kitchen thekopperkitchen.com

Piggyback BBQ Catering piggybackbbq.com

Porteus BBQ porteusbbq.com

The House of S&M facebook.com/thehouseofsm

The Wich Haus thewichhaus.com

Wagyu Wagon wagyuwagonmt.com

Cake & Desserts

Bakes and Cakes by Bri bakesandcakesbybrie.com

Beverage Consultants

Grain & Grove Experiances grainandgrove.com

Hungry Horse Liquor Store liquorinthecanyon.com

Mavericks Casino Mobile Bar Services maverickscasino.net

O’Brien’s Liquor & Wine obriensliquor.com

Roaming Taps, LLC. roamingtaps.com

Sunrift Beer Company sunriftbeer.com

Treasure State Hospitality treasurestatehospitality.info

Cakes By Debi cakesbydebi.com

Farmer Meets Foodie farmermeetsfoodiemt.com

Miss PattiCakes misspatticakes.com

Montana Wildflour LLC montanawildflour.com

Sweet Traditions, LLC mtsweettraditions.com

Swirl instagram.com/swirlcottoncandy

Coffee

Saddle Up Espresso facebook.com/saddleupespresso

Beauty & Nutrition

Bespoke Beauty bespokebeautymt.com

Bridal Bliss Hair & Makeup by Lana bridalblissmt.com

Busybee IV Hydration & Wellness busybee-iv.com

Catering

406 BBQ facebook.com/406BBQKalispell

Atanaha Events Center atanahaeventcenter.com

Couture

J Scott Couture jscottcouture.com

Mimi’s Bridal mimisbridalmontana.com

Elopements

406 Officiant 406officiant.com

Amber Lynn Photography amberlynn.photos

Bespoke Ceremonies Montana bespokeceremoniesmontana.com

Big Day Celebrations bigdaycelebrations.com

Carrie Ann Photography carrieann-photography.net

Celebrant Sarah celebrantsarah.com

Christina Adele Photography christinaadelephoto.com

David Clumpner Photography davidclumpner.com

Dina Remi Studios dinaremiphotography.com

Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

Honeybee Weddings honeybeeweddingsmt.com

“I Do” Officiate tomparisido.com

Jewel Basin Weddings jewelbasinweddings.com

KTay Photography ktayphotos.com

Montana Wedding Officiants aaronaliceanderson.com/ montanaweddingofficiants

Mountain Life Photography mountainlifephotography.com

Mountainside Weddings mountainsideweddings.com

On the Fly Films ontheflyfilmsmt.com

Photography by Brogan photographybybrogan.com

Rocky Mountain Inn Bed & Breakfast rockymtninn.com

Three Sisters Photography threesisters.photography

Thewmatt Photography thewmattphotography.com

Timbers Event Center timbersevents.com

Woods Lodge woodslodge-mt.com

Floral

Alpine Designs alpinedesignsmt.com

Bev’s Bloomers bevsbloomers.com

Farm to Market Floral facebook.com/farmtomarketfloral

Foolish Blooms Farm foolishbloomsfarm.com

Hawthorne House hawthornhouseflowers.com

Mum’s Flowers mumsflowers.net

Pure Happiness Wedding Flowers purehappinessweddingflowers.com

Rose Mountain Floral rosemountainfloral.com

SG Weddings & Events sg-weddings.com

St-Char-Ro Floral and Event Rental stcharro.com

Invites & Stationery

Dear Dahlia deardahlia.mypixieset.com

Noteworthy Paper & Press noteworthystore.com

Lodging

Cedar Creek Lodge and Conference Center glaciernationalparklodges.com/ lodging/cedar-creek-lodge/

Flathead Harbor Resort flatheadharbor.com

Haymoon Resort haymoonresort.org

Hilton Garden Inn kalispell.hgi.com

Kandahar Lodge kandaharlodge.com

Lodge at Whitefish Lake lodgeatwhitefishlake.com

North Forty Resort northfortyresort.com

Jensen Jewelers jensen-jewelers.com

Kehoe’s Agate Shop, Inc. kehoesagateshop.com McGough & Company mcgoughandco.com

Riddle’s Jewelry riddlesjewelry.com/store-locator/ riddles-jewelry-store-kalispellmontana-59901-31

Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

River Meadow Ranch rivermeadowranch.com

ROAM Beyond roambeyond.travel

Rocky Mountain Inn Bed & Breakfast rockymtninn.com

Star Meadows Ranch starmeadowsranch.com

Whitefish Bike Retreat whitefishbikeretreat.com

Woods Lodge woodslodge-mt.com

Floral Preservation

Blooms to Heirlooms bloomstoheirlooms.com

Local Activities

Flathead Harbor Resort flatheadharbor.com

Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com

Whitefish Bike Retreat whitefishbikeretreat.com

Jewelry

Music & DJs Officiants

Destination DJ destinationdj.biz

Eric Allen Duo musicbyericalan.com

Glacier Keys glacierkeys.com Mike Murray mikemurraytunes.com

Noise Box Productions noiseboxproductions.com

Peak Audio peakaudiokalispell.com

RMF Entertainment rmfdjs.com

Ross Bridgeman rossbridgeman.com

Sidecar Audio sidecaraudio.com

The Receptionists Music thereceptionistsmusic.com

Treasure State Entertainment treasurestateentertainment.com

V-Team DJ’s the-v-team.net

406 Officiant 406officiant.com

Bespoke Ceremonies Montana bespokeceremoniesmontana.com

Best Day Officiants bestdayofficiants.com

Celebrant Sarah celebrantsarah.com

“I Do” Officiate tomparisido.com

Montana Wedding Officiants aaronaliceanderson.com/ montanaweddingofficiants

Whitefish Productions whitefishproductions.com

Photo Booths

Alicia Magnus Photography aliciamagnusphotography.com

Destination DJ destinationdj.biz

Pixelated! Photo Booth Gigs pixelatedgigs.com

Mountain Life Photography mountainlifephotography.com

Open Eye LLC danielledeleon.com

Photography by Brogan photographybybrogan.com

Porsche Jean Photography porschejeanphotography.com

Sierra Janelle Photography sierrajanellephotography.com

Thewmatt Photography thewmattphotography.com

Three Sisters Photography threesisters.photography

Treasure State Entertainment treasurestateentertainment.com

Parties & Showers

LIVE Hydration Spa livehydrationspa.com/kalispell

Rocky Mountain Inn Bed & Breakfast rockymtninn.com

Swirl instagram.com/swirlcottoncandy

Timbers Event Center timbersevents.com

Triple B Ranch Weddings and Events, LLC triplebbbranchvenue.com

Twinkle Twinkle Little Tents twinkletwinklelittletents.com

Waters Edge Winery & Bistro wewinerykalispell.com

Photography

A Rose Photography arosephotographymt.com

Alicia Magnus Photography aliciamagnusphotography.com

Amber Lynn Photography amberlynn.photos

Carrie Ann Photography carrieann-photography.net

Chris Holguin Photography chrisholguin.com

Christina Adele Photography christinaadelephoto.com

Crown Photography mtcrownphoto.com

David Clumpner Photography davidclumpner.com

Dear Dahlia deardahlia.mypixieset.com

Dina Remi Studios dinaremiphotography.com

Evelyn Pace Photo & Video evelynphotovideo.com

Kiralee Jones Photography kiraleejones.com

KTay Photography ktayphotos.com

Kyle Stansbury Photography kylestansburyphotography.com

Marianne Wiest Photography mariannewiest.com

Planning

Always Planning, LLC alwaysplanningevents.com

Big Day Celebrations bigdaycelebrations.com

Big Top Collective bigtopcollective.com

Book of Love Wedding & Events bookofloveweddings.com

Cultured Travel culturedtravelllc.com

Dear Dahlia deardahlia.mypixieset.com

Dreaming of I Do dreamingofido.com

Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

Goldfinch Events & Design goldfinchevents.com

Hitched Party hitchedparty.com

Honeybee Weddings honeybeeweddingsmt.com

SG Weddings & Events sg-weddings.com

St-Char-Ro Floral and Event Rentals stcharro.com

Professional Services Rentals & Decor

Ashley Lake Estates truenorthmanagementmt.com

Bears Den Lands & Home bearsdenlandandhome.kw.com

Big Top Collective bigtopcollective.com

Busybee IV Hydration & Wellness busybee-iv.com

Compass Chiropractic compasschirowf.com

Cultured Travel culturedtravelllc.com

Elorah Massage & Spa instagram.com/ elorahmassageandspa

Celebrate Event & Party Rentals celebraterentals.com

Empress Tents & Events empresstentsevents.com

Hitched Party hitchedparty.com

Northwest Convention Services northwestconventionservices.com

Peak Audio peakaudiokalispell.com

Quartermoon Restrooms quartermoonrestrooms.com

Red Barn Luxury Restrooms redbarnrestrooms.com

St-Char-Ro Floral and Event Rentals stcharro.com

The Party Store thepartystoremt.com

Twinkle Twinkle Little Tents twinkletwinklelittletents.com

Spa

Busybee IV Hydration & Wellness busybee-iv.com

Elorah Massage & Spa instagram.com/ elorahmassageandspa

LIVE Hydration Spa livehydrationspa.com/kalispell

Travel & Transportation

Ashley Lake Estates truenorthmanagementmt.com

Bigfork Rentals Inc bigforkrentalsinc.com

Cultured Travel culturedtravelllc.com

Harlow’s School Bus Service goharlows.com

Travel Savvi facebook.com/travelsavvialexis

Wild Horse Limousine wildhorselimo.com

Venues

Ashley Lake Estates truenorthmanagementmt.com

Atanaha Events Center atanahaeventcenter.com

Blacktail Mountain Resort blacktailmountain.com

Diamond B Weddings and Events, LLC diamondbweddings.com

Dog Creek Lodge of Montana LLC dogcreeklodge.com

Flathead Harbor Resort flatheadharbor.com

Flathead Lake Lodge flatheadlakelodge.com

Glacier Park Lodge glacierparkcollection.com/ lodging/glacier-park-lodge/

Glacier Park Weddings glacierparkweddings.com

Gratitude Ranch, LLC facebook.com/Gratitude-RanchMontana-109077917594238/

Grouse Mountain Lodge grousemountainlodge.com

Haymoon Resort haymoonresort.org

Hilton Garden Inn kalispell.hgi.com

Hitched Party hitchedparty.com

Holt Stage Hideaway holtstagehideaway.com

Jewel Basin Weddings jewelbasinweddings.com

Kandahar Lodge kandaharlodge.com

KwaTaqNuk Resort kwataqnuk.com

Lodge at Whitefish Lake lodgeatwhitefishlake.com

Mountainside Weddings mountainsideweddings.com

North Forty Resort northfortyresort.com

Paddle Ridge glacieroutdoorweddings.com River Meadow Ranch rivermeadowranch.com

ROAM Beyond roambeyond.travel

Sky Ridge Ranch skyridgeranch.com

Snowline Acres snowlineacres.com

Star Meadows Ranch starmeadowsranch.com

The Barn at Finley Point barnatfinleypoint.com

The Nest on Swan River, LLC thenestonswanriver.com

The Silver Knot thesilverknot.com

The Venue at Montana 45 thevenueatmontana45.com

The Wich Haus thewichhaus.com

The Timbers Lodge timbersevents.com

Triple B Ranch Weddings and Events, LLC triplebbbranchvenue.com

Whitefish Bike Retreat whitefishbikeretreat.com

Woods Lodge woodslodge-mt.com

Videography

Big Top Collective bigtopcollective.com

Glacier Wedding Films glacierweddingfilms.com

On the Fly Films ontheflyfilmsmt.com

Open Eye LLC danielledeleon.com

Skeeter Johnston Productions, LLC skeeterjohnstonproductions.com

Treasure State Entertainment treasurestateentertainment.com

Whitefish Productions whitefishproductions.com

B

Big Day Celebrations 1

Bigfork Rentals 73

C

Cakes By Debi 57

Celebrate Event & Party Rentals 29

E Empress Tents & Events 21

F

G Glacier Wedding Films 37

H Hilton Garden Inn 2

House of S+M 37

L LIVE Hydration 94

M

McGough & Company Back Cover

Mimi’s Bridal 21

Montana Wildflour 45

My Montana Wedding Inside Front Cover & Inside Back Cover

N North Forty Resort 13

P

Piggyback BBQ 73

Porteus BBQ 57

Farmer Meets Foodie 29

S Sweet Traditions 73

T

The Edge Salon 45

The Lodge at Whitefish Lake 5

The Nest on Swan River 94

Thewmatt Photography 57

Triple B Ranch

Weddings & Events 7

W Woods Lodge 95

Alicia Magnus Photography, see page 30