Montana Farm Wedding from Jose Villa + Joy Thigpen Part III

And here we go, on to Part III of the amazing wedding that gave our first Style Me Pretty Weddings book life and took it from an idea to an oh-my-gosh, I'm holding it in my hands today moment. The perfect real wedding that Jose Villa and Joy Thigpen sent our way many moons ago, that literally helped turn our book into something real. Because it was so beautiful, we had to find the best possible way to showcase it. And to use it to teach other brides that no matter where you get married, no matter what your resources are, you can have a wedding that is as lovely as those you see on the pages of your favorite blogs. Or books. Remember, all proceeds from today's online book sales will go to the families of Newtown.























There aren't enough words in the English language to properly thank Jose Villa and Joy Thigpen. This wedding is what wedding dreams are made of and it's the reason that I find so much joy in my everyday. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for letting me share it with the world! And to the bride and groom who let us in and gave us permission to have a front row seat...you are amazing.

And as if all these beyond beautiful photos weren't enough, NP Films sent along the videos that will keep you gushing all day long.

There is SO much more in the book with inspiration for literally every make and model of bride, every budget and every style. This is a crazy approachable wedding book, that is pretty enough to grace your best bookshelf but portable enough to toss in your bag and pull out over lunch with girlfriends.Oh and did we mention that it's on stands TODAY and you can buy right here!!??

From Joy Thigpen ...I think the most important thing for the bride was having the wedding at the homestead. Her great-grandparents were the original homesteaders on that land, and it was the same house and farm that her Grandma Hazel now lives in. Rachael once lived there and attended school in a one-room school house down the dirt road. Every inch of that place means so much to her. Her 4-year-old brother was not a ring bearer but a "ring guard" as that was much tougher. The groom's family made/brought traditional Lebanese fare that was really exotic and delicious.

We used a collection of flowers including hydrangea, burgundy lady slipper orchids, irises, agapanthus, artichoke, sweet peas, chocolate cosmos, dahlias, ranunculus, lilac, peonies and roses. We really have FiftyFlowers to thank for the abundant and gorgeous blooms. They did whatever they could to ensure we got the florals we needed and the result was truly beautiful. 

The wedding itself was a bit more stressful than usual as Montana was flooding for the first time in 50 years. And, this was supposed to be an all outdoor wedding! But the bride and groom were really really great and had amazing attitudes and were so wonderful to work with. In the two days leading up to the wedding as we all thought about back-up plans, everyone kept saying, "Well, at least we know we'll have beautiful flowers!" So the grandmother's basement-turned-floral-studio really was a constant source of encouragement to the family. In the end, we got the first two days of sunshine in three weeks, and the ground dried out enough for us to have the wedding on her family's farm, which meant so much to the bride. (Not enough to keep my rental car from getting stuck in the mud at 1 a.m. after the wedding, but that's another story!) 



Wedding Photography: Jose Villa Photography / Wedding Venue: The Bride's Family Farm in Floweree, Montana / Floral + Event Design: Joy Thigpen / Wholesale Flowers: FiftyFlowers / Officiant: Reverend Jan Witman / Wedding Cinematography: Nathan Pickett Films / Catering: Zac's Montana Kitchen / Bar Service: Rocking K Bar / Wedding Cake: Cakes From Cabin Ridge / Cake Topper: Lollipop Workshop / Wedding Invitation, Program + Escort Card Design: Rifle Paper Co. / Calligraphy: Molly Suber Thorpe of Plurabelle Calligraphy / Vintage Stamps: Verde Studio / Map: Laura Condouris of Trial by Cupcakes / Music: Capital City DJ (406-227-8644) / Montana-Shaped Cookie Favors: Cakes From Cabin Ridge / Rentals: Celebrate Event & Party Rentals + Strobel's Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Shuttle Service: Great Falls Historic Trolley / Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara / Wedding Dress Modifications: Nazzy Nazari / Bride's Reception Dress: Melissa Sweet "Fiesole" / Bride's Veil: Vera Wang + Nazzy Nazari / Bride's Ceremony Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Bride's Reception Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride's Backup Shoes: Hunter / Bride's Jewelry: Custom by Wilson / Hair + Makeup: Mar Romero of TEAM Hair and Makeup / Bridesmaids' Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Groom's Suit + Shoes: Paul Smith / Groomsmen's Suits: Kohl's / Groomsmen's Ties: The Tie Bar