Wedding Diaries: Elegant Destination Wedding Near Yellowstone in Montana
Planning a wedding?! Let us take a moment to extend our congratulations – such an exciting time! We hope you enjoy the process and that you’re inspired by Kelcy’s “Elegant Montana Modern” destination wedding at 320 Guest Ranch located between Yellowstone National Park and Big Sky.
Maybe you’re here looking for design inspiration, or maybe you’re hoping to plan an event similar to this one in Montana. If you are thinking about planning a destination wedding in Montana, we highly recommend working with a local wedding planner. We had an amazing experience working with Lauren Schoenborn of Beautifully Born Events, and we were so impressed with her throughout the process, as well as the services of all of the vendors she introduced us to. We’ll link to all of our vendors at the bottom of this blog post!
All photos are courtesy of the talented Troy Meikle, who shoots in a fine-art style in both digital + film (which we love!).
set the tone with your wedding invitations
Kelcy & her now husband loved creating their wedding invitations with Minted! The online retailer made it SO easy to envision the end result throughout the process and also work with in-house designers to customize the colors, fonts & layout to turn a few pre-existing designs (“Romance” invitations + “Classic Composition” RSVP cards + “Fresh Air” enclosure cards detailing the accommodations & Western-themed welcome party) into a unique invitation suite they could call their own. Plus, the letterpress invitation options provided a luxurious, classic look they loved – and since Minted’s letterpress invitations come with the Euro-flap envelope, they had envelope liners featuring a watercolor illustration of the venue created on Etsy.
getting ready & first look
One of the goals for the wedding was to create an upscale “summer camp” vibe, and part of that was choosing a venue that offered enough accommodations for all of their guests. 320 Guest Ranch has a vast array of cabin options – from one-bedroom log cabins and multi-room riverfront cabins to three-bedroom cabins and mountain chalets – perfect for couples, families, and groups of friends to make memories over the course of a wedding weekend. The groom and groomsmen got ready in the newlyweds’ historic cabin built in 1927 and the bride and bridesmaid got ready in one of the mountain chalets where the maid of honor and mother of the bride stayed!
Kelcy and Nick also decided to do a first look, so they could get some portraits before the big day – and also get family photos before the ceremony since they wanted to enjoy cocktail hour with their friends and family. In hindsight, they were thrilled with this decision since it was such a beautiful part of the day before it started pouring! Unfortunately, family photos had to be taken inside due to rain, but they were still able to get some photos of their wedding party before the rain started coming down. Their only regret is not getting more family photos outside after the ceremony once the rain had stopped, but they didn’t want to pull anyone away from cocktail hour since – let’s face it – everyone needed a drink after worrying about the weather!
elegant Montana ranch ceremony décor
Montana weather can be unpredictable, and while the welcome-party weather the day before was warm & sunny, as was the morning of the wedding day, torrential rain swept through the area just before the ceremony (not to mention the horrible flooding that occurred the day after, shutting down Yellowstone National Park). While Kelcy and Nick had to do family photos inside, they were thankfully still able to have the outdoor wedding ceremony they envisioned after pushing the ceremony 30 minutes in hopes that the weather would cooperate – and it did!
Situated in front of the ranch’s horse pasture, the venue’s wooden arch was adorned with romantic flowers and fresh greenery matching the wedding party’s bouquets and boutonnieres. Bridesmaids wore mismatched dresses in differing patterns, fabrics, and styles, all within the wedding color palette, while the groom wore a blue suit and his groomsmen donned matching grey suits. Kelcy walked down the aisle with her mom to Sam Smith’s acoustic rendition of “Latch,” which still brings tears to her eyes each time she hears it.
destination wedding cocktail hour favorites
Cocktail hour is typically Kelcy’s favorite part of attending a wedding, so she wanted to make sure they were able to enjoy it with their guests. While unfortunately the rain led to plans changing and sadly having to move the outdoor lounge area inside and eliminating the outdoor bar and cocktail tables by the river, the newlyweds were so excited to spend time with their loved ones before sitting down for dinner.
The couple’s signature cocktails made their first appearance: Nick’s Old Fashioned, Kelcy’s skinny margarita (spicy upon request!), and the Kordiaks’ Montana mule with bourbon (or vodka). Montana definitely wasn’t ready for the mostly Arizona/California attendees who love their tequila – they had to run out and grab more to fulfill everyone’s preferences! Guests found their seating assignments on table seating charts attached to a floor-length wooden mirror with golden wax seals on the outside of the reception tent.
elegant “Montana modern” tented reception décor
Since the venue’s tent was all white, Kelcy and Nick wanted to bring in some of the greenery from outside, so fresh greenery was added to the top of the tent. Table linens alternated between a solid sage tone and a textured white-and-cream linen, and the sweetheart table showcased rustic wood. Florals were kept low to encourage conversation between everyone, and place settings were topped with elegant menu cards crafted by The Inspired Event shop on Etsy. After dinner, drinks, and heartfelt speeches from their loved ones, the couple shared their first dance to Elvis Presley’s classic “Can’t Help Falling In Love” before celebrating with friends and family until midnight.
Though there were of course a few mixups throughout the day – mostly due to weather, it was a destination-wedding weekend they will never forget. Kelcy and Nick can’t wait to go back to Montana to celebrate future anniversaries!
Our amazing team of vendors:
Beautifully Born Events - wedding planner & designer
Troy Meikle - photographer
Running Bare Aesthetics - hair & makeup
Rivini by Rita Vinieris - bridal gown
The White Dress - bridal salon
Armani, Hello Molly, Lulus, Reformation & Show Me Your Mumu - bridesmaid attire
Robed With Love - getting-ready attire
SuitShop - groom & groomsmen attire
Eliza J - mother of the bride dress
Brilliant Earth - wedding rings
Rowan and Larch - floral & event design
Minted - invitations
The Inspired Event - day-of paper goods
Untamed Petals - bridal earrings
Joe’s DJ Service - entertainment
Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma & Zola - registry
BBJ La Tavola - linens
Montana Party Rentals - rentals
Sweet and Tarte - cake & desserts
320 Guest Ranch - wedding venue & catering
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We hope Kelcy’s destination wedding in Montana inspires your own special day! If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. A lot went into the making of this wedding & we couldn’t include everything in this blog post. Their wedding was also featured on InsideWeddings.com if you’re interested in seeing even more photos!
For more wedding-related inspiration, get inspired by Kelcy’s bachelorette weekend in Temecula, see Brooke’s gorgeous sunset-toned destination wedding in Cabo, shop stunning wedding guest dresses under $250, and read our guide to finding your perfect wedding dress. Happy planning!