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!

Just for Fun: Escape from Wedding in Subaru

Considering Montana's love affair with the Subaru, I thought this was a totally Bozeman appropriate post.  

P.S. Honey, if you are reading this, (even though it is charming) I do not, {I repeat}, do not want this for our second honeymoon.  Think sand, hammocks, sushi and Coronas - K? ;)  Love you!

Powerful wedding planning tools by Google & Style Me Pretty

The internet has dramatically changed the process of planning weddings.  Now brides are sitting in front of the computer screen and discovering creative ways to DIY, planning weddings in Montana from a far, and exploring more creative ideas than you (and definitely your fiance!) will know what to do with.  But thank heavens some of the daunting tasks of planning a wedding have become easier.

GoogleDocs and Style Me Pretty have teamed up to take the nightmare out of the large task of hunting down each person's address on your guest list.  It's like wedding planning software without having to buy the software.  This process allows you to send out a 'save the date' via email that acts as a request  for all your wedding guests to reply back to you with their current  mailing address so you don't have to hunt down the mailing address of nearly everyone you know.  It carries each guest's entered info right into a complete spreadsheet for you to work from, come invitation time.  Simply click on the GoogleDocs link for a super quick video that describes the whole process.

It is not fondly that I remember the task of address gathering for my wedding and I am 'googly-eyed' over the options that are out there now. Ok, enough with the puns.  Just check it out.  If you are planning a wedding or any kind of event now, you will save time and when we spread the love, the love always comes back, so really, everyone wins! ;)

A spectacular fall Montana wedding for Jenna and Joe

Jenna has an impeccable eye for detail and with her mom assisting with the vision and her dad there to build what she needed, like the gorgeous half wine barrels for their iced bottles and the redwood cake base, this fall wedding was truly made with love.  The grooms mom, Michelle of Budget Bouquets and More designed all the flower arrangements with the great height of curly willow, a variety of richly colored orchids and little succulents which were complemented by the natural touches of burlap runners and Montana slate.  Jenna and Joe love to dance so they did a unique room arrangement of square tables in a U shape around the perimeter of the room giving them a generous dance floor to kick their heels up!  Here is a few peaks at the room and the Michelle's beautiful tablesscapes.

The bride and groom showed off their smarts by choosing an all star cast of wedding vendors and as a result, their day was smooth and perfectly detailed.  Kene Sperry of Eye in the Sky was there to work his magic, capturing the moments right down to the detail with his amazing signature perspective.  It is always a pleasure to work with the great talents of our area and Kene is surely one of them.  Plus the guy has one hell of a smile.  The lovely fruit laden cake cake was by kick-ass Sarah of WeeBee's and the mouthwatering plated dinner was by Mr. Steven Kuntz of Montana Epicurean another super cool human being and foodie favorite.


Cheers to all the efforts that made this day just what Jenna and Joe wanted.  Now for Eye in the Sky's eye candy. . .

 

Picture this guys with a Tarantino-style slow motion scene set to music. . .

I know, cool.

:

Love the little nose nudge. . .

And the forehead touch. . .

  

Sigh.  Thank you guys for finding the perfect setting to celebrate your love in The Woodlands.

May blessings and light follow you always.

Stephanie & Justin's Wedding Slideshow by Doug Loneman

We were delighted to have the love, light and energy of the new Mr. and Mrs. Alexander at The Woodlands. This classically beautiful bride and her forever grinning groom will steal your hearts
as you view the moments of their day.

 Click here to take a peak into this Woodlands Wedding

Thank you Doug of Loneman Photography for your talent and beautiful perspective as you captured the emotion and the celebration of the day.  As always, truly beautiful work!

And to the happy couple, many blessings to you!

Chelsea & Adam's Complete Wedding Album by Larry Stanley

It's always fun to step into the special day of a sweet and beautiful couple like Adam and Chelsea.  Explore this July wedding album by a truly excellent photographer who works with zen-like calm, Mr. Larry Stanley.  Cake by Deliciously Beautiful, a delightfully light and fresh meal provided by Food for Thought and Day of Coordination by Elsa Campbell of The Woodlands.

Click here for Chelsea and Adam's July Wedding by Larry Stanley

Now an honored "Little Black Book" Montana wedding venue from Style Me Pretty.

Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book is a highly edited collection of wedding service providers that are  handpicked for their artistic and fabulous wedding skills.  This list has been compiled to help the discerning bride find the best without having to wade through the rest. Word has it that these vendors are the best of the best.

So on that note, allow me to trumpet the news that The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon is now, not only a Style Me Pretty, Little Black Book Vendor but we are currently the exclusive venue for the entire state of Montana!  After Style Me Pretty did the thorough interview process with The Woodlands, they shared with us that one of the reasons they loved The Woodlands was because of our sweet taffy like texture. . . meaning our venue is as flexible as it is delightful and beautiful.  So don't stretch your limits, find a venue that will flex to meet what you are looking for.  Whether it's a DYI explosion or a deluxe all-inclusive experience or anywhere in between, you will find the solution here. And be sure to check out Style Me Pretty's incredible blog, if you aren't a groupie already.  The depth of ideas and insight may capture you so much that you shouldn't be surprised if you totally lose track of time as you explore the site's fabulous wedding and event content.

Nicole & Jason's Montana Wedding: Personal touches and radiant sunshine

Nicole brought in some wonderfully personal touches to her and Jason's July wedding here at The Woodlands.  Nicole collected milk glass vases for over a year (that is dedication!) and then had them filled with the simplest hydrangea in vibrant periwinkle.  The cake (Good God, it's gorgeous) was a design by Carrie at Sweet Pea Bakery and featured an antique broach embellishment that complemented the broach on Nicole's dress and in her hair. They chose a more intimate half circle ceremony layout so their guest would surround the chuppah and the couple as they said their vows.  I have great appreciation for the beautiful traditions and ceremony the Jewish faith brings to their celebrations.

The Woodlands is honored to share some snippets of the day provided by talented local photographer Charlie, with Eubank Photography.  The photos are outstanding!   I can't get over how dreamy the whole day looked as the summer sunlight filtered through the trees and touched the ceremony with it's warm rays.

Congratulations Nicole and Jason!  It was a beautiful day and we were so honored that you chose The Woodlands.

Each Woodlands wedding is a personal translation.

Our first wedding of this weekend by Icing on the Cake was beautiful, fresh, and completely elegant with various shades of green and slate accented with beautiful white flowers in silver oversize mint julep vases.  The following day, a new wedding came through and translated our space into a punchy, relaxed and fun-lovin' atmosphere with bright orange crinkle linens, colorful Chinese lanterns, happy Gerbera daisies, a killer photo booth in the trees and our relaxed bride in a short lacy vintage dress... and cowboy boots. 

Instead of a cocktail hour after the ceremony, they did it before, so their guests drifted in and mingled on the patio with drinks and appetizers.  It may not be for everyone, but I personally loved the way it opens people up.  By the time the wedding ceremony rolled around, everyone was cheering for the wedding to start instead just cheering at the end!  What a great way to relax the intensity and formality of a ceremony if that is something you may be apprehensive about.

Every Woodlands translation tells a story about the bride and groom.  Weddings of our generation are so much more a personal expression then ever before, so what would your Woodlands translation be?  

Here on The Woodlands blog, we will be continually sharing our brides and grooms unique translations to inspire you as you shape your own.  When your celebration is sprinkled with elements that are truely yours, the day will only mean that much more.  When it's at The Woodlands it will only be that much more amazing. 

A Italiano Rehearsal Dinner, al Fresco!

We were blessed to have the warmest and most wonderful set of families here at The Woodlands this August for the Stevens wedding.  The bride was savvy and took advantage of our weekday discount and then added the option for the discounted 'day before the wedding' for their rehearsal dinner.  Jenni and Sy were engaged in Tuscany, Italy (so romantic. . .sigh) and Sy's mother, Denice wanted to honor that special wedding proposal by hosting a rehearsal dinner in true Italian fashion.  A mobile wood-fired pizza by the groom's sister was serving individual pizza's (one featured a red wine-rosemary sauce and shaved dark chocolate!).  With a look at the beautiful country Italian style that was created in the beautiful afternoon light of The Woodlands, it is safe to say that fun was had by all.  What a wonderful way to start a weekend of celebration.  That's Amore!

Meet my friend Morgan and her sassy blog!

Working in the wedding business is hard on the balance in your life.  I spend endless hours working at the computer on beautiful summer days and often into the night and since I know my brides would prefer to work with a happy, centered and sane person who's personal state is reflected in our interactions, I find the definite need to seek that balance.

My family is an amazing support and a trip to the hot springs so we can get 'our mermaid on' is always a great way to unwind.  However one of my crucial outlets to rejuvenate is my group of sassy ladies called The Assets.  We have this special sort of chaos that occurs when we come together that is uplifting and well, kind of like a whole other home.  It's five ladies, their midgets, their dogs and a whole lot of wine and amazing home cooked food that begins to evolve as we chop and laugh and sip and catch up between a few hollers at the kiddos.

By some great stroke of luck or genius, we are all in the wedding business so we do a lot of Tuesday get togethers since weekends are crazy but they always lift up my spirit for the next round of rocking the wedding world.

My friend and fellow Asset Morgan is the glue that keeps it all together, one of the great instigators and definitely the hostess with the most-ess.  She has just started blogging about our crew and she is witty, well written and generally brilliant, so you are sure to enjoy it. Plus she is one seriously talented wedding photographer.  So check out her blog Morgan LaMare Photography.

Megan & Adam's beautiful Montana Wedding

I received this wonderful email from Megan who had her wedding at The Woodlands this August.  It warms my heart when our brides, grooms or their families take the time out of their busy schedule to share with us what really made their day great.  Thank you for your feedback, which helps empower what we do and guides us with wisdom on how we might do it even better.

Dear Elsa, 

You have been wonderful to work with during this past year of planning and especially on the day of.  It was also a great help that my other vendors (DJ, caterer, photographer, officiant, bartender etc) knew the layout of the Woodlands and knew you. They all said the same thing: “Elsa is so great to work with!”

The Woodlands itself was gorgeous. So many guest came up to me during the reception telling me what a beautiful location it was—worth the drive! (most of the guests had driven from Billings or further). I loved that the bridal party and then my dad and myself crossed the bridge on our way to the aisle—the way I felt coming across that bridge is something I will never forget. 

The patio with the fire column were also a huge hit and keep people up and mingling.  The photos Blubird took look so beautiful with the backdrop of the lush wooded hillside in some, and the mountains in others. This woodsy yet elegant feel was exactly what we were looking for for our wedding—and the Woodlands was perfect!

Thanks so much for everything—I will recommend you guys to anyone looking to get married in the Bozeman area.

Megan

I threw in a storyboard of the event for you to check out the room and details.   The white paper lanterns are a 'Finishing Touch' offered by The Woodlands, which accomplished a brightening of the space against the dark rich eggplant, sage and mango colors. As always, click on photo to enlarge.  The cupcakes are by Elle's Belles.

 The Blubird images below by Meggan and Jennie Lynn are as always, beautiful!  I love the capture of that signature Woodlands light.  These two photographers are so professional, sweet, talented and welcoming which makes them a true joy to work with.  P.S. Love those purple shoes Megan!

And they walked off into the sunset.