Paddle Ridge: A Glacier National Park Wedding Venue with a VIEW

MAJESTIC VIEW

Pulling into the parking lot of what used to be known as the Glacier Outdoor Center rafting company and fly shop I couldn't imagine the way that the natural grandeur of the local mountains would follow me up the back hill as a stunning backdrop for the ceremony site available at what is now known as Paddle Ridge’s Park View Pavilion. If you’re planning a destination wedding in Montana, this gem should be at the top of your list.

Whether sheltered by the roof and windowed walls or gathered together on the extended platform and lawn, your congregated guests will be privileged to witness and experience the most majestic and tremendous views one can imagine possible while celebrating your wedding with you. You will certainly want to hire a photographer promising to capture all of the extravagance as your guests will be tempted to capture it on their cell phones and the results will look like mine - shadowed, too much cloud focus and missing the ceremony with their distraction.

Outdoor ceremony site with wood railing, mountain view and blue sky — The Majestic View from the Ceremony Site with Glacier National Park as the backdrop

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR

Montana’s locations range from plains, lakes, ranches, meadows, fields and of course mountains. Among the highlights, the views of and within Glacier National Park are vast, breathtaking and tremendous. Wanting to share such beauty with close family and friends is a natural desire and a specific challenge in regards to accessing the park. Glacier Outdoor Weddings, the next door neighbor to the park, provides a perfect solution to this challenge by including: the view, the space and amenities for your gathering, additional lodging and even some rafting and fly fishing package perks. It's the best of both worlds where you can easily cater to the needs of a broad range of guests, enjoy the intimacy of a natural setting without 60 other visitors and their vehicles, and still be less than 10 miles from Lake McDonald and trailheads to countless breathtaking hikes.

The largest challenge in this space is for me as the officiant: to engage the congregation in the occasion of your beautiful wedding while they are both well-distracted and in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds them. I'm up to the challenge! This is a really terrific ceremony spot but, your ceremony will be just as memorable!

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INTIMATE OR GRAND

In response to changing access and permit protocols at Glacier National Park, the Glacier Outdoor Weddings packages have expanded beyond the regular full wedding offerings to now also include a smaller and shorter time window option: The Ceremony Package. This allows couples with a small guest list and short ceremony planned to access the Parkview Pavilion ceremony site in a two hour window and then proceed later to the park for photos or off-site for a reception or gathering. Perfect for a weekday afternoon, you can bypass the wedding permit system required for park based weddings, which is a fantastic strategy for reducing overall hassle and thus enhancing your day’s enjoyment.

full wood reception hall with antler chandelier and string lights — Glacier Outdoor Weddings Park View Pavilion Indoor Ceremony site

COMFORT

The buzz words that came to mind when I first entered the Park View Pavilion on the early spring chilly day I visited were warm, bright and full. The indoor space sets up easily for a range of uses - a set up of chairs for a service, side tables for mingling, buffet tables or a cleared area for dancing - loads of configurations and an onsite staff ready to assist any snags. There’s a nearby cabin for the wedding party to use in preparations and a few options for processionals that will wow and delight. Having a bathroom available to your guests is not a topic that is often discussed in the general wedding planning world, as it’s often assumed to be a component of a venue, but when the closest alternate consideration is the National Park next door, whose amenities are scarce, raw and shared by the general public, suddenly the topic becomes quite relevant and impressive. Rest assured - all wedding and ceremony packages include use of the bathrooms!

two story wooden cabin with a bear decorating the outside — Wedding Party Prep Cabin

IS IT A WEDDING VENUE WITH ONSITE LODGING? YES!

They have a lodge, a house and lots of cabins: a sweet array of options that will ensure a safe and successful short trip “home” for you and your guests after your wedding night.

I had the pleasure of touring this venue and was able to gather a few photographs and a bit of video to share a bit more with you. I included a little footage of the drive from Kalispell MT to share some casual nature sightings and add a little flavor of the beautiful Montana “Big Sky Country” roads.

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Audrey visits Glacier Outdoor Weddings, next door neighbor to Glacier National Park

Next be sure to visit their website to get all the news, current offerings, and some professional-level photography of their past weddings and events: GlacierOutdoorWeddings.com

For all my Venue Visits you might say:

Hold on a moment - You’re just unrestrained with praise!

Are there any flaws to this spot?

Sure! Everyplace has a growing edge :)

But I’m not noting those here - I’m all about sharing what works really well.

I’m happy to have a private conversation if you have any concerns. Email me your questions: audrey@bespokeceremoniesmontana.com