Article on a sought-after wedding venue

Alternative online newspaper The Bozeman Magpie and local favorite  Katie Lineberger Thomas introduces those that aren't in-the-know to a pristine and delightful wedding and event venue.  Any guesses as to where such a treasure might be?  ;)

The article is brought to life by the beautiful images taken by Lauren Brown Photography who shoots at The Woodlands at every opportunity we can have her!  She always brings  warmth with her fresh perspective as she captures the beauty and personality of each event.

Now that you know the talent lowdown, take a peak at what other people are saying about The Woodlands. 

Rustic Elegance at The Woodlands 

by Katie Lineberger Thomas

New Beginings

I have been terrifically absent in my blogging communications so I am peaking in to say hello to those who find themselves cruzin' The Woodlands page.  We are in fact. . .still here and lovin' life as much as always!

New Beginnings seem to be everywhere and just as our brides are starting out on their wedding journey, which inevitably leads to that even more important marriage journey, fresh starts are happening here too.

We enjoyed the off season break by powering through the final stages of building our home and then did the 'dreaded move' which has been followed by the much anticipated 'settle in'.  Ah, it is truly and indescribably good to be home!  My sweet husband started work on our home 5 years ago (yes, five. . .you read that right!) by moving mountains and felling trees.  What a man! Then we practiced our zen like patience while the trees harvested from this very property dried and then he milled, and milled and milled the logs for all the siding, flooring, beams and more.  Now you are getting a picture of how 5 years can pass by!  We always paused during wedding season to give our full focus an attention to our amazing clients, so with starts and stops, lots of planning, a million and a half decisions and with love in our hearts, our home came to fruition.

It's not unlike planning a wedding!  So many choices and considerations and factors and costs and weighing of what is important and what is unnecessary.  Then balance two people's opinions and educate yourself about things you have never thought of before, put your time management skills to the test and eventually it all adds up to one really big, wonderful event creation that speaks of two people, their lives, their histories, their future and their people.  The accumulation of which is what living life is really all about!

So wherever you are at in your journey, we know, we understand and we have been there (in several different ways!)  We hope to help you with your process of creation.  Whether it's through our suggested floor plans, assistance with linens, finishing touches or services that help you live in the moments of your day instead of working your way through it, we have your back!

So the wonder of all the new beginnings in 2011 settles in.  Wedding season and fresh starts for sweet couples are happening every week around here.  Planning is in full swing for 2012 clients with some dates still available for those just starting out and we even have one more big new beginning to share with you! 

Just in time for our coming off season, we will have a new little life {translation: a precious baby. . .girl!}that will be joining our family here!  So if you see me and I look bigger than last time we met. . .don't worry yourself with questions on whether I have just discovered chocolate for breakfast, I am indeed pregnant.  ;)  All this wonderfulness in one place is enough to give me a huge burst of joy and energy.   I hope to share that with you!

After. . .Ever After

Our 7th Annual Bridal Event, Ever After had a great turn out even though the weather wasn't very inviting. Brides, grooms and other attendees all enjoyed themselves immensely. One couple raved about how much they got accomplished in one setting.  Even better, a groom said "This wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  It was really pretty cool" ;)

After playing with colors, fabrics and textures in the planning stages, we opted for a rich eggplant, a smoky violet and accents of pewter and deep mossy green.  It was a rich warm feel to come into after braving that chilly day.  I would like to thank each of our colossally cool vendors for their energy and enthusiasm.  Let me take a moment to introduce you to them in case you didn't get the joy of meeting them in person.  Each vendor's mention will take you to their website so you can check them out.


The Zebra Cocktail Lounge offered great expertise on one of the most important parts of any great event, {The Bar}!  And they offered some wonderful selections of delightful yet affordable wine and champagne tastings to help keep your large group happy and your pocket book not hurting.  They even featured a purple color coordinated specialty cocktail of Black Cherry Mojitos. 

Custom Dining Experiences  greeted guests with one of my favorite appetizers, Shaved Rare Beef and Red Wine Onions with Maytag Blue Cheese and Cracked Black Pepper. Yum!  Lauren Brown Photography and Larry Stanley Photography showed off their flair for amazing photography and their warmth with each of the clients that they work with.  Both these photographers are now offering weekday discounts to Woodlands clients! 

Larry took one brave and beautiful model, Charity, outside to play in the deep snow (in heels, no less) and captured these photos.  The hot little red number and the necklace is by the lovey After 5 and Weddings, who always wows people with the stunning gowns they bring each year.  The make up and bracelet was by the charming ladies at Indulgence, who always specialize in bringing out each woman's natural beauty and glow. 

Red dress & Necklace by After 5 and Weddings

Tess, from Happily Ever After gave brides a big sigh of relief when they realized how much easier she makes the ceremony process.  She officiates, leads rehearsals and has wonderful tools to help you put together a ceremony that fits you without re-inventing the wheel.  Leslie from Leslie Lukas Wedding & Events displayed floral options from wholesale flowers for the DIY'er to full floral displays and was chatting with brides about her coordination and planning options.  More to come on her DIY floral arranging classes coming this spring! Brides options are extensive with this warm and creative lady as your talented resource.

Leslie Lukas, floral designer extraordinaire

Boy was Elle's Belles a hit.  How can you not get excited about all the delectable samples? Elle brought the ever popular cupcakes, showcased her full wedding cakes and of course her famous cookies make the best favors!

Suelto Boutique turned up the heat with their sexy lingerie options.  Perfect for a fun boudoir shoot or well, just any time you want to feel fabulous!  Pop into her store to check out the red lacy set of lovelies I couldn't stop ogling and they will start you a wish list. 

Venus Catering offers down to earth, delicious and wonderful options for catering, from rehearsal to wedding receptions alike.  Joe Trudgeon was booking DJ gigs right and left, so I know we will see a lot of him as always and if you don't have a DJ, talk to him.  Kene with Eye in The Sky Photography introduced people to his fresh perspective and style as well as featuring his associate photographer, Tori, for those who are looking to trim the budget a bit without sacrificing quality.  Country Flower showed off their beautiful floral options and had some sample bouquets for the models.  Alara had everyone realizing it was high time to explore jewelry that is fresh, unique, classic and as cool as you are.  They can custom design rings or help you find an attendant gift everyone would love.  One of our brides is working with them to design an arm band to wear on her wedding day.  Love it!

Montana Party Rentals made everything look beautiful as always and this year they introduced their new rental concept, Vintage Rentals, which I have been waiting for someone to do for the longest time. Hurray!  Now you can bring a truely unique element into your event. 

Vintage Rentals by Montana Party Rentals

Priscilla at Ro Sham Bo brought in all her amazing textures and prints for albums, invitations and so much more.  Our local kitchen store, Baker Street gave people a wonderful and personal source for wedding registry.  I hope you get a chance to deck out your kitchen with some of their 'must haves' {I couldn't live without my Microplane grater and my garlic peeler}.

So there you have it.  The longest blog post ever.  Yet what better way to introduce you to the resources you are looking for, to help make your day flow smoothly.  To each bride, attendee, vendor and friend that came by, a warm thank you for your smile last Sunday. We appreciate each individual's contribution and presence. It helps bring meaning to what we do.

Wedding Flashback June 2010 ~ Whitney & Kevin

Midsummer in the wedding world is pretty much non-stop.  There is never enough time to blog or share all the wonderful events we get to be part of at The Woodlands.  While we are settling in for some deep breathes this winter, I will be blogging about a few more from 2010 to help inspire the next round of brides for 2011 and to reminisce and honor the weddings of this last year.

This beautiful event had all the elements of Montana including a big chuck wagon turning out great wood-fired Tri-tip, mixed with feminine elements of pale pinks, vintage pearls and accents of burlap for a fresh and unique feel.  Whitney was inspired for the event's overall feel when she found the perfect lacy, vintage wedding gown. Many antique family heirlooms where woven into the decor including a teacup cake topper that belonged to her Great Grandmother.  The food and flowers were all from local vendors in Three Forks, as the couples family are cattle ranchers there.  There is so much to be said for keeping it local and close to home!

The bride, Whitney Lin, is a talented wedding photographer herself and it's always a high honor for one photographer to choose another fellow photographer to shoot their own wedding, so it came as no surprise that Whitney picked the sweet and bubbly red-head, Cali Sparing Photography to capture her day.  Thank you to Cali for all the wonderful photos below and thanks 'a-lot' for making it so hard to choose which ones to post, as there were so many to choose from! :)  So sit back and soak up the lush, the green, the tall, the trees, the vintage, the beauty and of course the fun.

                                                        And they lived happily, ever after!

The Woodlands Bridal Event of the year - Ever After

It is the most wonderful time of the year!  You may be thinking of Christmas but no!  It's time for The Woodland's delightfully different and outrageously beautiful bridal event 'Ever After'!  So grab a pen, (or your Blackberry)  mark your calendar and call all your friends! 

The festivities are one day only, January 9th, 2011 (only a month or so away!). Once you shake the snow off your boots (boots are always a good idea in a Montana January) and you are relieved of your coat, you will find yourself with a choice of champagne, hot cider or another delicious beverage by The Zebra Cocktail Lounge & Catering.  Our great room will be decked in the splendor of this years chosen colors: purples, moss greens, lavender and charcoal and the room will be filled with super fun and amazingly talented vendors to chat and mingle with. 

Nibble samples from our caterers or view some beautiful photography, try on a wedding dress (or five!) by After Five and Weddings, check out papers and invitations, music, sexy lingere and so much more.

There is no other event like it and rumor has it, this one is the most fun!  We aren't biased around here. ;)

An updated list of the vendors at The Ever After event will be posted shortly.  Oh and one final note, you do not have to be a bride to attend.  I have had past brides come and mingle just to revisit the memories of their day at The Woodlands.  Mom's, friends, and bridesmaids come to gather info for a bride in a different state or one that can not attend.  Or you can pop up just to say hello.  My husband even puts on a tux for the day so that is worth seeing right there!  I can't wait to meet and mingle with you all.  We will be here to help you make the wedding planning process as easy as it is fun!

Happy Autumn, strangers!

Well, you may (or may not) have noticed that I have been a bad, bad blogger lately.  Life slid easily from weddings non-stop to a whirlwind of catch up and reconnecting with other projects that were back-burnered during the intensity of wedding season.  To sum up, I had my first weekend off since May and that was a slice of joy.  I escaped to the spectacular Double T Ranch and got my groove on with those fine ladies there, Private Chef Sarah Knecht and all my Assets for a flurry of cooking, tablescaping and photo shooting that ended in a prime rib dinner under the stars. (Photos and details to come on that adventure soon!) I went garage sailing for the first time all season.  I went to my grandfather's 80th birthday celebration in Portland and I made cookies with my daughter.  A little less work and a little more balance.


With this spectacular autumn we have been experiencing, I was inspired to sift through some family photos that Melanie Nashan, of Nashan Photographers did for us this time last year.  Life seemed so busy and it was a challenge to find the time to do this, however without Melanie's gentle encouragement, I would not have these treasures. {Thank you, Melanie!}  I love that we have these memories to reflect on.  I thought I would share them since they do give you a delightful peak at a Woodlands autumn with the glorious foliage and a peak at the people that make the Woodlands all that it is to you.  May your autumn be full of blessings and may you discover bountiful harvests in all your endeavors.

Happy Anniversary: Jane and Tim

A little reflection is a good thing and with that thought, I welcome you to this segment of our blog where we celebrate a couple that joined their lives in the space under our Woodland trees a year ago.


Last September we had a truly delightful and genuine couple that fell in love with our property for their wedding.  They touched us with their kindness, appreciation and open hearts.   They celebrated with a simple yet beautiful fall reception featuring copper and garnet with accents of burnt orange for a lovely fall scheme.


The lovely Miss Janie O of Janie Osborne Photography was there to capture the warmth of the group and the delightful Mollie Eckman coordinated the details with style as always.  The ceremony was officiated by the wonderful Tess Jones of Happily Ever After, flowers by Avant Floral and the linens customized by The Woodlands (as always!)

Here are some thoughts and wisdom that Jane shared as she looks back at the day.


 What was the best decision you made?


"I think the best decision I made, hands down, was to enjoy not just the wedding day itself, but every step of the planning process leading up to it.  I knew I wanted my wedding day to be peaceful and harmonious and joyful, and that if I spent the entire year stressing and panicking over the linens and flowers and seating arrangements, then on the day itself I'd look around at those things and associate them with how stressed I felt when I was deciding on them.  Because I decided that planning for a joyful day should be a joyful process, when I looked around on my wedding day I was thinking about how much fun the last year had been and how much fun married life would be going forward."


What was a favorite moment you remember?


"We held the ceremony outside on a perfect fall day.  The sun was shining and there were fluffy white clouds in the sky.  It wasn't too hot or too cold - everything about the weather was ideal.  During the ceremony and afterward, during some of the picture taking, little bits of white cottonwood fluff began to float down from the sky onto the meadow.  Post-ceremony a couple of the kids had the best time chasing the fluff around.  It was like a magical fairy land."



"This isn't a description I throw around lightly: it was absolutely perfect. Elsa was a joy to work with during the planning - and thank you again for providing our dream location!"

 

Thank you Jane for your wonderful perspective.  It was an honor and joy to have Tim and Jane at The Woodlands to celebrate their day.

All the best to them and here is to many, many more joyous years to come!

Happy Anniversary!