Montana Wedding Magic
Holland Lake Montana Magic Photo: Green Door Photography
Jennifer and Kevin are fun and funny. They described themselves and their ceremony as laid back and casual, but the attention to detail and the level of thoughtfulness was clearly executed by someone with some precision and drive. They also clearly had the blessing of some Holland Lake Magic for their Montana wedding celebration. Their day came together perfectly.
Reflections on a Montana Wedding. Photo: Green Door Photography
On their third date, Kevin asked Jennifer to go on a three-hour drive. She said “No way!”, because she couldn't imagine being in a car with anyone for that long. At six months, they took on a four thousand mile, eight state, ten-day road trip and after their connection really grew strong, a three-week road trip became no big deal and they’ve obviously moved all the way into a new level of commitment- vowing to spend the rest of their lives together. Clearly their combination of casual approach balance with clear intention has been working for them.
Flowers by Bitterroot Flower Shop in Missoula Montana. Photo: Green Door Photography
The weather this late August afternoon was powerful, even for Montana. There was a visually strong sky, a little rain early, which lingered as threatening but held off for the ceremony itself. Instead, we were greeted with sweaty hot and bright sun, which matched the vibe of anticipation, humor and rolling with it. Thankfully the weather shifted quickly to a nice breeze for the crowd photos and reception, ending the day with more dramatic sky and the tease of sprinkles throughout.
Holland Lake Ceremony Site. Photo: Green Door Photography
This wedding was a classic non-denominational ceremony interwoven with references to road trips, vows that were personalized with code words and inside jokes, and so much laughing. Having their puppy as ring bearer with the most sincere face and composed human handler added a full second layer of straight man/funny man contrast, which was simply delightful.
Sir Andy Travis of Canterbury. Photo: Green Door Photography
Kevin and Jennifer had visited Holland Lake Lodge in early June and were smitten and charmed. They quickly booked it as a fantastic spot to house their gathered guests and create an intimate gathering for the full day. These two did their vendor research online, coming from Colorado and using all local vendors to MT. They specifically wanted a secular ceremony and after our initial conversation on the phone, we all felt it was a good fit for us to work together.
Photo: Green Door Photography
Andy, (Sir Andy Travis of Canterbury, a.k.a. Andrew Peapaws) the dog was heavily featured as a main attraction to the ceremony- he was the ring bearer and was so handsome and well behaved. I heard his handler, nephew Aiden, ran out of cheese early in the event, so considering that, he was especially well behaved.
Photo: Green Door Photography
The vows that Kevin and Jennifer wrote to each other were the centerpiece of the ceremony. They had commissioned special books to house those vows and that was a really thoughtful and sweet addition to the moment. This attention to detail was continued through the flowers, place settings and activities for the family.
Photo: Green Door Photography
The best part of this day was all of the laughing. The moment that the bride Jennifer snorted with laughter just created an explosive ripple of glee through the wedding party that then broke into the crowd.
Photo: Green Door Photography
Laughing at the Lake. Photo: Green Door Photography
Mom said, “It was simply just so beautiful.”
Knowing that this laid back couple was aiming to create a ceremony that would serve them and also be comforting to their old school traditional vibe high-strung Lutheran and Catholic families (their words), I think we successfully struck the balance!
Grandma, who lives on an army base in Maryland, pulled me aside just after the ceremony and shared these words of deep blessing:
“It was one of the greatest weddings I’ve ever been to in my whole life!”
VENDORS
Photography: Nicole Wickens of Green Door Photography
Venue and catering: Holland Lake Lodge
Florals: Bitterroot Flower Shop
Music: The Receptionists
Wedding Officiant: Bespoke Ceremonies Montana
“We had an absolute pleasure working with Audrey as our wedding officiant! She was by far the most patient and easiest person to work with throughout our entire wedding process. We had a lot of fun with her, and her communication and organization were beyond our expectations. Thank you for being a part of our wedding, Audrey!”
Love at Holland Lake Photo: Green Door Photography
Are you excited to get started on planning your epic adventure wedding in Montana too? Want to elope just the two of you? Want to have your closest family and friends there too? Let’s do it!
Want to see the grounds without the wedding layer? Click on the oval below for a little video venue visit.
