October 10th, 2020 / Whitefish, Montana
How did your love story begin?: I met Noah while he was working on a jobsite in South Texas. At the time I was teaching yoga at a studio in my hometown. It was an extra hot, humid day in October in Corpus Christi, when Noah walked into my evening class. We locked eyes, and I knew in that moment, our souls recognized one another. He stayed after class and we talked late into the evening. He mentioned that he was in town for work, so naturally I assumed I'd never see him again, but he showed up at my next class, and the class after that, and that class after that... three years, a couple of months of long distance, and two cross country moves later, here we are; married in Milwaukee. He proposed on New Years Day 2020 on Bradford Beach at sunrise, and we knew we wanted to make this year one of the best years of our lives. We set the date and set to planning.
What was your vision for the wedding?: We knew from day one that we wanted to have a destination wedding. We have a dream of one day moving out to the mountains and Montana had always been a place we wanted to visit so we figured we'd make a trip out of it. I won't lie though, Noah did a lot of the planning, he's a virgo-moon so those organizational skills are no joke. We had originally envisioned something like an intimate dinner party with our closest friends and family. We knew we could make it happen but Covid would have to force us into some creative problem solving. We knew renting anything like a hall or restaurant was out of the picture, so instead we opted for a large enough Airbnb that could function as a place to stay and grounds for a ceremony and reception in case the weather turned bad. We were keeping our fingers crossed the whole trip that we could still keep the ceremony outdoors inside of the stunning Glacier National Park, at Apgar Amphitheater.
We got rid of events like a Bachelor/Bachelorette party and offered our guests to come out a few days before the wedding and make it more of a group trip. This would allow more financial flexibility for guests and the bridal party, taking away the pressure of needing to spend more money in an already difficult year. This ended up being the best idea. We were all able to hike and do activities together, and genuinely enjoy time outside of just the wedding day. We offered the Airbnb rooms to our guests which also helped make the trip more cost effective and fun; the whole time we were there felt more like a boozy adult slumber party. Guests had the options to stay in one of our two Airbnbs we rented or they were free to stay somewhere more private. We hired an incredible farm to table caterer who cooked and plated a gorgeous duck confit dish and the best appetizers. We ditched large floral arrangements for one single centerpiece and we used the bouquets as arrangements throughout the house. Our goal was to keep it simple, elegant, romantic.
It ended up being such a fun filled week, I think everyone who stayed in those Air bnbs are family for life, it was a blast. We couldn't have asked for a more stunning ski house to stay in, everything from the scenery to hospitality our first day arriving there just blew us all away.
Tell us all about your dress!: My dress was so beautifully unexpected! Lockdown really threw a wrench in my time line. I knew with such a short wedding dress shopping window I would be limited in my options, but every one of the ladies at Strike had my back. Strike was my dream choice for where to find my dress and I was keeping my fingers crossed that I'd find the one there. As soon as I walked in, Emily took care of everything. She kept my expectations realistic with my time frame (I was shopping in July for an October wedding, oof) and she really listened to my wants. I knew I wanted timeless, classic, with a sexy silhouette. The Gardenia from Alena Leena was the second dress I put on, and I knew it was the one. In addition to my dress, my mom handmade a gorgeous lace detailed white motorcycle jacket to set it all off.
You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?: We knew the likelihood of rain on our day was high, and mother nature did not fail; it rained. Our photographer was absolutely amazing and guided us through the best plan of action to get the shots we wanted and work with the rain. The original game plan was to take our photos in Glacier National Park, which was about a 45 min drive from our Airbnb and then head straight to our ceremony location at Apgar Amphitheater. Guests would meet at our main Airbnb to be shuttled to the park by party bus for the ceremony and shuttled back for the reception. Once we arrived for photos (side note- I had forgotten my earrings in my rush to beat the rain, my father-in-law made the trip back and forth to drop them off just for these photos! A saint, I tell you!), it was sprinkling just enough to feel extra chilly in a dress and heels. Jennifer got us going and ferried us to different locations in the park as the rain started to get a bit worse. Noah and I were getting soaked, I decided to just take off my shoes and have fun with it, we played in the rain like kids and enjoyed this moment to just be together in such a magical, ethereal place. By the time we finished our photos, I made the call to my dad that we needed to move the reception into the house. Luckily during planning we picked a large enough Airbnb that could work in case of bad weather. Every single guest pitched in to transform our cozy cabin into the most beautiful ceremony spot. My bridesmaids were ready and waiting for me when we arrived back to blow-dry, re-pin, wipe down, and tidy me up. Maybe two, or three, tequila shots in, and it was go time. I married my best friend, my rock, surrounded by everyone we love. We danced to our homemade playlist and had the most amazing caterer cook dinner for all of us in what felt like, our own home. I look back and I am so grateful for the rain, for the change of plans. It was a wedding for sure, but for so many of us, it was just what we needed this year, a pilgrimage of sorts, to celebrate love, to celebrate living.
What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: Have fun, it goes by so fast! Relax your shoulders, soften your jaw, take deep breaths. Give yourself a moment to step back and take it all in, (insert happy sigh here) everyone is there to celebrate something you've created with someone else: love, and that's pretty dang special!
Gown: Gardenia by Alena Leena from Strike Bridal Bar
Veil: Danni by Haute Bride from Strike Bridal Bar
Photographer: Jennifer Mooney Photography
Caterer: Sam Basset
Florist: Mums Floral Arrangements
Hair + Makeup: Lana Golinsky
Cake: Delectable Catering and Desserts
