Colorful Secret Garden Wedding in the Montana Woods

For our first date, I took her on a 7-mile, 2,000 feet elevation gain hike up Mt. Aeneas. Hikes are a great way to weed out someone who does not like the outdoors or, more importantly, cannot hold a 4+ hour conversation without alcohol. We made it to the summit after seeing a ton of mountain goats and a bear. While taking a breather, we saw a goat go down a little trail under a cliff of ice and decided to follow it to the stream below. The sun-dried shale sitting on top belied the copious watery run-off from the ice pack above and after about 20 yards all of our footing gave way. We were stuck on a pack of ice in the shade with no footing back the way we came. Even in peak sunlight in July, sitting on ice in shorts in the shade gets really cold really quick. To make matters worse, being under the overhang meant no phone service. After about an hour of yelling for help, we got a response from a couple of Bostonians smart enough not to go off trail. They threw us down a jacket and called emergency rescue for us. Another few hours passed until we heard a helicopter close by. Unfortunately, it was too windy to land; and fortunately, they did not dangle a rope and harness or my already wet shorts would have been wetter. Instead, we waited another few hours for a literal tank to plow it’s way straight up the hill and have some rescue technicians come down. The guy who rescued us casually walked down to us in sandals making it all the worse for our already bruised Montana egos. I asked if Hope wanted to get dinner on the way home, she politely said she would rather shower and pick out the pieces of shale sticking out of her leg. Fair enough. I definitely thought I would not be getting a response from her ever again, except maybe her dad showing up at my door with a gun. But I must have done something right, because she answered my next invite. She did, however, insist she choose the next hike. Two years later, I forced her to go back with me to the same spot. What she did not know, is I had contacted some of her friends to go up before us and set up a picnic overlooking the spot we got trapped. I also carried her tiny golden short-haired dachshund up in my backpack, with a 4 carot diamond on a ribbon around her neck. When we reached the summit, we popped some bubbly that her friends had left and enjoyed. Not long after, I got on one knee, holding up her dog (whose fur totally buried the ring that she did not see) and proposed. I said something to the effect of: “we’ll face many cliffs in our life, but no matter what cliff we get stuck on, I’ll always be there with you.” And, I know this sounds tacky, but I turned on my iPhone voice memo recording for the whole thing and am glad I did (it’s an easy win to playback for any anniversary).

Hope chose a classic clean lined a-line satin gown for the ceremony. It was important to the bride to work with all local vendors so she was incredibly lucky to find such a timeless gown at our local Bridal shop, Mimi's Bridal. She then changed into a more form-fitting gown with fun sleeves for the reception and sunset photos! The absolute best part of the entire day's fashion choices was Hope changing into her Mother's wedding dress to exchange private vows and signing the marriage license with Drake. She can officially say she got married in her mother's dress!

Hope didn't have an official bridal party, but her loving friends and family wore a mix of yellow, orange and pink dresses! We made sure to capture photos of the group together as they looked incredible set against the forest and garden backdrop! Hope's sister-in-laws walked the couple's sweet doggies down the aisle in lieu of bouquets, wearing a beautiful lace yellow dress and pastel watercolor dress.

The Bride's signature drink was a vodka lemonade served with an edible floral garnish. The Groom's signature drink was a whiskey ginger mule with a lime garnish. While guests were arriving they were greeted with cold Arnold Palmers to make their way to the ceremony. The cocktail hour hosted a raw bar and charcuterie display. For dinner, guests were served herb-encrusted beef tenderloin topped with a huckleberry demi glaze. A classic Montana staple! Late night smores were passed and a surprise coffee bar serving espresso and lattes kept the guests cozy and warm around bonfires.

The flowers for Hope and Drake were the main feature of the wedding. Hope's dream was to have flowers everywhere, and Mum's Flowers delivered! The ceremony was tucked back on the property so the design team took the opportunity to create a "secret room" and have the guests enter through a floral arch to the ceremony location. The ceremony was quite literally breathtaking. The aisle was lined with lush florals in a color blocked rainbow display featuring tons of delphiniums, giant alliums, poppies, and roses. The full floral arch matched in styled with color-blocked florals in purples, yellows, corals and blues. Luscious centerpieces graced the custom bars at the cocktail hour and reception space. Guests found their seats with custom escort cards adorned with pressed flowers. Disco balls were tucked into arrangements to add some fun sparkle to the evening in unexpected ways! Even the desserts were adorned with pressed edible flowers.

Hope and Drake chose to read their vows privately after their first look. Hope had also changed into her mother's wedding dress for the moment! After their vows, they signed the marriage license with their siblings surrounding them to be their witnesses. Hope walked down the aisle to a string quartet playing "Invisible String" by Taylor Swift. Hope's two brothers performed the ceremony making it an intimate and extra special affair.