Whitefish Wedding Ideas and Inspiration

Luxurious Montana Wedding at Bootjack Farm

Caroline and Ben knew their love deserved nothing but the most luxurious celebration, so that’s why they chose a stand-out team of vendors to carry out their big day at Bootjack Farm. Shaping the mood and feel of the event, Goldfinch Events & Design planned a distinctively memorable day without a hitch. A creamy neutral color palette drove the design, as seen throughout Mums Floral Design’s lush floral designs. If you’re dreaming of a large wedding, this one has all the inspo you need to pull off the best day of your life. Get lost in the beauty in the full gallery, captured by the talented Jeremiah and Rachel Photography!

From Jeremiah and Rachel Photography… Caroline and Ben celebrated their love with a full week of festivities in their favorite place, Whitefish, Montana. Having spent summers here and falling in love with the natural beauty of the state, Ben popped the question in the summer of 2018. Ben and Caroline gathered 300 friends and family and exchanged vows at the lovely Bootjack Farm, with the wedding designed by Goldfinch Events on August 31st. They brought in the perfect blend of Montana with the jazz of New Orleans, the bride’s hometown!

This classic couple chose a creamy neutral color palette, with fun unexpected elements like a roaming reception with different food stations for a fun and eclectic dining experience. A star of the show was the 1,000 square foot floral ceiling suspended above the tent’s central bar and dance floor! Cozy seating was tucked into every corner which made the giant affair feel intimate and comfortable. Guests enjoyed the custom burgundy bar and raw oyster bar during cocktail hour set among a walled garden, and an eight-tiered wedding cake in its own private garden with another suspended floral ceiling made for the most sweet and romantic aroma!

Ben and Caroline stayed true to their Southern roots and had each of Caroline’s 13 bridesmaids pull a charm from the cake, each symbolizing something special. Caroline and Ben are a very loved couple and that was evident with their large bridal parties, with the maids in blush silk gowns, and the men in classic black tuxes, but the true VIP was the bride’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Albert! A very special guest appearance of country music star, Pat Green, sang his famous song, and the groom’s favorite song, Wave On Wave for the first dance!

It was definitely a highlight of the day and Pat stayed to play a short set for the couple on their guests! Next up Taylor Pace Orchestra led the party all night long with a huge brass section, which then led the newlyweds out for the night with a classic New Orleans second line!

Now This is How You Do a Fourth of July Wedding Weekend

A gorgeous sail cloth tent, deer peeking in on the ceremony and a chandy graced in greenery… these are just a few moments you can expect from today’s fete planned by Habitat Events. Set on Fourth of July weekend in Whitefish, it fully represents the great outdoor scenery of Montana, and oh, did Simply Sarah capture it all so beautifully. Take a peek below!

From the bride, Caroline… Evan and I met when in Dallas I was home for Thanksgiving in 2016. At the time, I was living in New York and had just accepted a job transfer to London. Evan happened to be coming up to New York the weekend after we met, and we hung out every day together. Soon we started dating from New York to Dallas, and I moved to across the world. We fell in love over countless FaceTimes and many trips between London and Dallas to see each other. After a year in London (despite being on a three year visa…), I moved back to Dallas in March 2018. Evan proposed in October 2018 with a grand scheming that included a dinner with his parents. The day of, his mom called me and canceled, so Evan suggested I come over to his house that night instead for dinner. I walked into his house to find candles leading up the stairs to a room full of flowers, anecdotes from our long distance relationship and Evan standing in the center. He so sweetly proposed then then Evan surprised me by having my family and friends there to celebrate with us.

Guests arrived on Thursday, July 4th and we spent the day at The Lodge pool and going out on the lake. That night, friends and family hosted a July 4th Welcome Party at Casey’s Rooftop Bar. We ate delicious food and watched the fireworks from the roof, then headed to the Great Northern for dancing. On Friday July 5th, we left the day open for guests to explore Whitefish and go into Glacier National Park. The rehearsal dinner was attended by our wedding party and family at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. Following the dinner, all wedding guests were invited to a Post-Toast on The Lodge lawn which included wine and a smores station. On Saturday July 6th, the bridesmaids started the day with yoga and a bridal brunch and the groomsmen went fly fishing. Guests continued to explore Montana until the wedding started that evening!

The wedding was hosted at Everett Ranch, a private ranch owned by family friends. We had a beautiful sailcloth tent for the ceremony and reception. My bridesmaids and I came in on a white trolley, which I loved. Following the ceremony, we had a cocktail hour then a seated dinner. The dinner tables were long wooden tables that were perfect touch for our elegant family style meal. Following first dances and cake cutting, we hit the dance floor and stayed there all night! Our vision was an intimate party of our closest friends and family having an amazing time in a beautiful place. The aesthetic of our wedding was romantic and modern yet still allowed the beauty of Montana and the great outdoors to show off for our guests.

I would absolutely recommend Sarah to other brides. People tell you that you spend a lot of time with your photographer but I quickly realized this is so true. From noon to midnight I was with Sarah and Will and they were professional, energetic, timely, adaptable, friendly, and thoughtful. Sarah checked on me throughout the day so make sure I was doing okay and happy. After the ceremony, Evan and I had so much fun taking photos and taking with Sarah and Will. Sarah and Will are so easy-going which made posing and certain photos not awkward at all. We were all having fun together and during the process. Their easy-going nature made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera.I am so glad we worked with Simply Sarah for our wedding!

This is the Perfect Blueprint for a Romantic Ranch Wedding

If a romantic ranch wedding is on your agenda, please take a trip with us to the gorgeous state of Montana with Greenwood Events and Jose Villa today. Every single detail compliments the beauty of Whitefish and Big Mountain Ranch to a T… from the moody blue sky mimicked in the invitations by Ella Jackson to the greenery-draped bar that resembles the flowing river. Have a look right here for the entire collection of inspiration.

From Darci of Greenwood Events… In the valley below the Whitefish Mountain Range sits the charming location of Big Mountain Ranch. We were thrilled to work with Jose Villa to capture the essence of a modern Bride with detailings of a sophisticated ranch design.

Vintage plateware and etched heirloom crystal stemware highlighted the tabletop. Soft, romantic florals in whites, ivory and soft yellows illuminated against the bright Spring backdrop of the lush Montana ranchland.

Wearing a fashion-forward Galia Lahav gown our Bride radiated sophistication, with a natural glow. Earthy makeup and a classic hair style pulled together the perfect look sharing an effortless, but yet timeless Bridal style.

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Rustic Montana Wedding Infused With “California Cool”

Lindee and Todd’s wedding day wasn’t just about celebrating their love, but about bringing two families together in a meaningful way. Goldfinch Events & Design helped blend their California style with the rustic Montana setting, and even the couple’s children got in on the fun. “We made sure that each of our kids’ personalities were especially incorporated somewhere within the wedding,” added Lindee. Watch how the day unfolded in the gallery captured by Jeremiah and Rachel Photography.

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From Jeremiah and Rachel Photography… Lindee and Todd are some of the kindest people we’ve ever met, and spending just one minute with them you’d understand why these two are so perfect together. Lindee and Todd live in California, but chose the beautiful state of Montana for the joining of their families to honor Lindee’s family and upbringing. Cara from Goldfinch Events did an amazing job at blending their cool California vibe with the rustic side of Montana. One of our favorite parts of this wedding was the obvious love they have for their children. Everyone was so involved and caring, and it’s not often that I cry at weddings, but I definitely cried at this wedding. Todd’s three stunning daughters and Lindee’s handsome son all seem as if they have been siblings all their lives and it was so touching to see how happy everyone was that this day had finally arrived!

From the Bride… Our inspiration came from the blending of our families. Every decision, every detail was all about everyone being comfortable and having a good time. We made sure that each of our kids personalities were especially incorporated somewhere within the wedding. From my teenage boy wanting to wear his first bowtie, Todd’s oldest daughter using her wedding coordinator work experience for our ceremony, Todd’s middle daughter loving 50’s music, to Todd’s youngest begging to wear Converse at the reception…we made it all happen! It makes our photo album that much more special when we see those little details, and the huge smiles that accompany the details!

It was also very important to Todd and I to incorporate my rustic Montana farm girl upbringing with his casual California surfer style. Thank goodness for Cara Finch at GoldFinch Events for helping us to bring our ideas and visions to life! It was such a joy to share all of this with friends and family who came from near and far to be with us on this very special day.

Our wedding day was most certainly a celebration of us…”us” as in Todd and I, but it was also so much more… It’s now “us” as a family of 6, and for that we are forever blessed. A special thanks to Jeremiah and Rachel for capturing our big day and big love on 8/8/16 with your beautiful photography!

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Rustic Glam Montana Summer Wedding

What started as a family friendship turned into so much more after a fun-filled, fateful trip to Nashville. Fast forward a few years, and these cuties are saying “I do” at the gorgeous Glacier View Lodge. With Jeremiah & Rachel Photography, along with Moonstone Pictures, capturing every moment, it’s a happy ending to one sweet fairytale. Hop on over to our VAULT to see it play out from start to finish!

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From the Bride… Justin and I first met at a high school golf tournament. Justin built a long friendship with my brother, Joseph. Justin began joining our family for many dinners, whitefish trips, rounds of golfs, and Griz games. From there, I tried to set up ALL my friends with this sweet, handsome, and laid back friend of my brother’s. Eight years into our friendship, the infamous trip to Nashville, Tennessee happened. My family was headed to Nashville for the Griz Game. My brother could not make the trip so we had two open tickets. My Dad pressured Justin and Kevin O’Day to join us. (The point of the story here is that this trip was the first time Justin and I had hung out without my brother around!) On the last night of the trip, Justin and I were dancing and flirting all night in downtown Nashville on Broadway Street. Several cocktails later, he leaned in and whispered in my ear “If we’re gonna do this, we have to, like, get married!” . . . and here we are!

We went to Whitefish, Montana for our two year anniversary. Justin had picked up the ring that morning and proposed to me just hours later in my favorite place! We celebrated by having a wonderful dinner at Stillwater Fish House and ending the night with champagne and chocolate! Justin and I wanted one thing when it came to our wedding, which was for everyone there to have a wonderful time and remember it as an incredible celebration. We wanted it to be timeless, elegant and magical. We knew right away Whitefish would be our location. We looked at Glacier View Lodge and knew it was the perfect location to host our 250 guests, for both the ceremony and reception. The color palette fell into place when I found my dress and bridesmaid dresses; ivory, blush, champagne gold and of course, sparkle! The floral was very important in our event design. We wanted the floral to set the scene right away for our guests… romantic and dreamy. Our wedding planner, Cara, did an amazing job on all the floral arrangements, centerpieces, rose petal aisle, and arbor. As the cellos played, our guests were greeted with gold sugar rimmed champagne – cheers to us! It was really important to us that our ceremony was very personal and special, not only to us, but all our guests too. We wanted everyone to enjoy this moment. We chose Justin’s cousin as our officiant to make it more personal. Tucker did an incredible job sharing our story. Our favorite moment was when we exchanged the vows we wrote together. A truly incredible moment. We walked out to “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne while our family and friends tossed Flutter Fetti on us, making for a great photo-op! Then came cocktail hour with live music by Fresh off the Vine and amazing passed appetizers by Bravo Catering! We moved to the beautiful huge tent for our reception. It was important to us that during dinner only Frank Sinatra was played, per Justin’s request, in honor of our late grandpas. We were moved to tears by the unbelievable speeches made by our Best Man and Tripod of Honor (I had 3 MOH). We shared this warm September evening, under a beautiful Montana sunset, surrounded by all those who love us. It was truly magical and the best night of our lives.

My advice to other brides is to do what makes you happy as a couple. It’s impossible to please everyone and ultimately it’s your day. If you can, hire a planner and a videographer. The day will fly by and you’ll need a go-to person for all those little things (and BIG things.) As the bride, you do most of the work leading up to that day, but on the day-of you are busy and it’s impossible to do it all yourself. Having a videographer capture the details of the day helped me relax knowing that I will be able to relive all the parts of the day I missed. Pinterest is great but overwhelming with endless options. Decide what you want and stick to it. Finally, allow others to help. It takes a team to make the day come together, whether they are hired or not. Also, try to remind yourself to keep everything in perspective. At the end of the day, all that matters is the love you have for the one standing next to you.