A classic green and white color palette, beautiful details by Empress Tents & Events, and a stunning day on Whitefish Lake made this day perfection. Photography by Vendor Collective Member Carrie Ann Photography.
"It was Jordan’s idea to get married in Montana! I am originally from Billings, and he is from northern Virginia, so when he expressed interest in doing a destination wedding I knew it had to be Whitefish. Even though I hadn’t been since I was in high school, I still remembered the area’s stunning beauty.
We were beyond lucky to not have to reschedule our wedding. In fact, the entire planning process just worked out. In early March 2020 I found my wedding dress and had a wonderful girls' weekend in NYC with my bridesmaids. In mid-March 2020, we were in Whitefish to take engagement photos, view venues and meet vendors, and the day after our trip, the world as we know it shut down. We were able to lock in key the big ticket items just in time - it definitely pays to plan ahead!
Since most of our guests were coming from out of state, we wanted to give them the full Montana experience. Our guests arrived Wednesday night and kicked off the festivities with cocktails overlooking the lake at our venue, the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. Around mid-day on Thursday we arranged for guests to tour Glacier National Park. We rented the park’s open-air, red historic buses and spent the afternoon engulfed in breathtaking scenery. We finished the night at the Great Northern Bar and Grill in Whitefish with a live country band. On Friday morning, the men and women split up. I took my friends horseback riding through the mountains and Jordan went golfing with his. We rendezvoused late afternoon for our wedding rehearsal followed by dinner at the Grouse Mountain Lodge for our wedding party and close family. After dinner and a number of heart felt speeches, we met the rest of our wedding guests at the Blue Moon Rodeo in Columbia Falls. This turned out to be the most memorable event for our guests. What’s more Montana than boots, bulls and beer?! After the rodeo we danced the night away at Blue Moon Bar. These events made our wedding that much more special. It gave guest a chance to meet or get reacquainted, so by the time the wedding occurred the air was already full of love and so much fun!
Our wedding was so magical! We had a beautiful set up on the lawn overlooking Whitefish Lake. We had an open bar prior to the wedding, which included our specialty cocktail, huckleberry vodka lemonade. My dad walked me down the aisle to a string trio. My friend, Megan Sinclair, doubled as our officiant and bridesmaid and had the most beautiful, light-hearted and comical stories to share with our guests. My favorite part of the ceremony was reading Jordan my vows. We had both considered not writing our own, thinking it would only add stress to our day, and instead simply repeating the traditional generic vows. I’m so glad we took the risk because that extra work made the whole ceremony that much more personable and memorable. After the ceremony we took pictures with friends and family. My most favorite moment of the day came afterwards. Jordan and I escaped the mayhem and took about 45 minutes to ride on a stunning speedboat on the lake. It gave us a moment to step outside of all the excitement and to soak in the fact that we were husband and wife! It was our only moment together alone all day - we popped a bottle of champagne and soaked up the sun. Once back on shore the craziness continued with speeches, dinner and lots of dancing. Our band, The MAC Band, had seven members and did an amazing job of keeping the crowd pumped up. The dancing continued through an incredible red/orange sunset over the lake and Jordan and I both ended up on friends’ shoulders. We continued the party well into the evening at Casey’s Bar and Grill. Everything was perfect!" – Salone, the bride
Glacier National Park Adventure Session
VENDORS
Photography | Carrie Ann Photography (#MBVendor)
Accommodations | The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Bar & Beverage | The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Cake & Desserts | Fleur Bake Shop
Catering | The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Dresses & Menswear | Bride: Stephen Yearick from Bridal Reflections in NYC; Bridesmaids: Adrianna Papell and Jenny Yoo; Groom: Chris Cartisano; Groomsmen: The Black Tux
Floral Design | Pure Happiness and Flowers
Gifts & Decor | Empress Tents & Events (#MBVendor)
Hair | Ty Nykole Hair & Makeup
Makeup | Brette Cady
Jewelry | Earrings – Karen Willis Holmes
Music & Entertainment | The Mac Band
Officiant | Megan Sinclair, friend of the bride
Planning & Design | Empress Tents & Events (#MBVendor)
Rentals & Decor | Empress Tents & Events (#MBVendor)
Stationery | Minted
Venue | The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Videography | Brian Crain
Beautiful!!! What month was your wedding? I’m hoping for a summer wedding in Big Fork with some activities in Whitefish but I’m concerned about the weather.