We kicked off our wedding
weekend with our closest friends and family in from all around the country with
a Yellowstone National Tour. Most people had never been to Montana, so they
were blown away at the beauty. We had two large sprinters and spilt up the guys
and girls. There were a lot of laughs and the scenery was amazing. Thursday
night, we did our welcoming party at Bucks with an amazing dinner capped off
with and incredible double rainbow. Saturday morning was so special. We kicked
of the day with an intimate yoga class, taught by my sister/maid of honor for
about 25 people in the Spa room of Rainbow Ranch followed by a group
breakfast. We had the entire lodge
booked, so it was so nice running into our friends & family, and by
Saturday everyone knew each other.
I was worried about the
weather because it had been raining on and off each day. and our ceremony, and
our pictures, were outside. We had
a backup plan, but it was less than ideal. As I was walking to my room to put my dress on it was still
raining. With just 156 minutes
before we were scheduled to start our pictures, we walked out to go to our
destination and the sun came out! After pictures and a little champagne, the clouds were back and it was looking
a little dicey. However, with just
30 minutes until the ceremony, we decided to just go with it! It wasn’t raining as the bridal party
started down the aisle, but it was still cloudy. I started my walk with my mother. As I crossed the bridge and faced our guests, the sun came
shining down. Rance was emotional, the setting was so beautiful…it was perfect!
Timothy Tate, our
officiant, asked everyone to be
present and began with his opening which was so heartfelt and touching. The
violinist and classical guitarist started “Bitter Sweet Symphony”, and as we
stood there looking at each other and then the most magical thing happened…it
began to lightly mist onto us. It wasn’t enough to be even be concerned about . It was so surreal. Then it stopped and
the rest of the day was sunny. We proceeded with our vows and as we kissed, our
dogs came together from each side (they were in the wedding) and apparently
kissed each other too! After the ceremony, everyone was coming up and saying it
was the most beautiful ceremony they have ever attended.
The night continued with a fun cocktail hour, amazing food
and desserts and an off the charts 13 person band that got everyone out of
their seats. We even had guys joining the band, including my husband. It ended
with people on the dance floor until 2am and people sitting around the fire pit-roasting
s’mores. It was so special and so much more than I could ever imagine.
Advice to Future Montana Brides
Just relax and enjoy
it all! Montana is so laid back, which makes it easy to do!
The Vendors
Rehearsal Dinner: Buck’s T4 (Welcoming Party)
Ceremony Venue: Rainbow Ranch
Reception Venue: Rainbow Ranch
Florist: Avant Floral
Catering: Rainbow Ranch
Cakes & Desserts: Rainbow Ranch
Bar Service: Rainbow Ranch
Band: Groove Merchants
DJ: Groove Merchants
Sound & Lighting:
Rentals: Montana Party Rentals
Hair & Makeup: Theory & Indulgence
Wedding Dress-Designer: Lian Carlo
Invitations: Laura Cook Designs
Lodging: Rainbow Ranch
Transportation: Big Sky Taxi
Cinematorgrapher: Scenic Route Films
Officiant: Timothy Tate
I was very happy that I chose Chicago Wedding Venues to celebrate my wedding. Their manager was easy to deal with and was very helpful. He was also open with us changing a few items on our menu. On the day of the wedding, the service was impeccable and the staff was very friendly.
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