Last Minute Minister for a Wedding
This midsummer evening wedding was blessed with the bluest sky, a gentle warm sunshine, clear air, high energy, and an atmosphere of humor, glitter, and delight. Not exactly last minute, but late in their planning process, I was so honored to be brought in as the minister for a wedding of these two charmers.
Marisa and Michael were excited to find an inclusive venue that could house many guests, support both a ceremony and reception on location, and that was also close to Glacier National Park. The Glacier Homestead fit all their needs, had a stunning view of the mountains and was private and serene except for the lively dance music and the bubble machine at their reception.
Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
The couple met at a shitty dive bar and had more fun than some people do in a lifetime. Michael said “I absolutely hated the puffy cheetah print jacket that you were wearing, but what I didn't know is that would turn out to be the only thing I ever didn't like about you." Their life together moved with the fast-forward button pressed down, quickly adding a daughter and soon after a second daughter, who have brought much joy and excitement to their lives together.
Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
Sharing stories, playing board games, rooting for favorite football teams, long car drives, late nights watching stand-up, days filled with snowboarding, disc golf, and of course playing with their kids, they described themselves as best friends and are truly enamored of each other and their young family. Buying a house mere days before their flight to Montana, they are both bold and powerful and have created such a strong foundation both tangibly and emotionally, and are perfectly set up to move forward with force into our world.
Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
Marissa wore a silvery white dress that glittered and shone, truly creating a vibe in which she was the queen of the castle. Their two daughters were dressed in sweet creamy lace with sparkle bows and were the enchantments of the evening. The ladies of the wedding party dressed in an array of sunset colors while the guys sported handsome suits with fancy coordinated sneakers on their feet. I dressed in a neutral dark blue with lace edges on my cap sleeves and wore my orange drop earrings with my logo bee insignia. I chose a plum cover on my ceremony script binder to coordinate with the party.
“We were late with hiring an officiant and Audrey was still available thankfully!! We could not be happier with our choice. She set deadlines for vows (I am a procrastinator and needed this) and gave us feedback on them. She thought of stuff to help incorporate our two daughters into the ceremony which was really important to us. Anyone would feel comfortable with her she is very inclusive and loving and it shows!!”
The children in this family are still quite young and were graciously assisted by various grown-ups to process down the aisle creating an atmosphere of frivolity and patience as one scattered flower petals and the other two nestled in arms watched peacefully from the side.
Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
Two different flower installations caught my eye as beautiful adornments to both the wooden altar and in the reception tent as a ceiling centerpiece. The altar decor was created by TwoKaysFlowers.com and the inside centerpiece was the work of Sandy Mytty, assistant wedding coordinator for Weddings By Sara.
‘Til Death. Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
My favorite moment of this day was at the time of the ring exchange. The three-year-old in the front row held the boxes that contained the wedding rings. She was quite content to keep holding said boxes and had no intention of approaching the front when it was time to put the rings on the fingers. The bride and groom thought they could entice her forward but I was pretty sure they would need a stronger action for success. After some sweet talking and distractions she relinquished the boxes and we were able to get those rings on the fingers, get the kiss documented and move on to celebrating this wonderful occasion.
Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
Mike and Marisa planned this wedding for more than a year and only in the final month did they decide to involve an officiant. Their wedding planner put out a call for available officiants on Facebook and with a recommendation from my cousin, an" I'm available” message from me and a jogging of her memory that though she was in Missoula and I was in Kalispell, we had actually met at a Wedding Expo and “Wouldn't she like to put me in touch with the couple?” we connected. The couple and I worked quickly together to craft the ceremony. I guided the writing of their personal vows and put together a short and sweet event to celebrate their marriage with family and friends.
Photo: elizabethsamuelphotography
Marisa and Michael had a unique story to share and included that story as part of their personal vows. I served that sharing by providing them with a “Write your Own Vows that Wow” worksheet, feedback to each of them individually to align length and tone, and made sure to have the most recent draft printed out for each of them to use at the ceremony itself in a way that maintained the surprise element for each of them.
It was such a delight to be included in this celebratory day! I have such admiration for their patient and sweet parenting, their “seize the day” attitudes and their allegiance to their sports teams. There was quite a team working behind the scenes to produce this destination celebration for this family and I was privileged to be included in that team.
The Team
Officiant: Audrey Hyvonen of Bespoke Ceremonies Montana
Venue- Glacier Homestead
Photographer: ElizabethSamuelPhotography
Wedding planner- Sara Mytty @weddingsbysarallc
Assistant planner-Sandra Mytty @myttysandra
Rentals-@empress_tents_events
DJ - Justin Krauss NoiseBox Productions
Florist-@twokaysflowerfarm
Catering-@406_bbq
Baker-@susan.shea.13
