Mia went to her wedding planner BASH with a specific vision after seeing a wedding they had previously designed in Big Sky. Designer Kait wanted to ensure that some of Mia's California roots were intertwined in the aesthetics to make it feel fresh and airy; like the sea. Blues, whites, and greens infiltrated the interiors of the tent and bled into all facets of the design. Wood and leather elements were incorporated to bring in a Montana earthiness while still staying classic and clean. Captured by Charleston wedding photographer ELIZABETH LANIER it was a beautiful wedding that will stand the test of time!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS LOCATION? When Jason and I got engaged, he gave me the reins completely. “Whatever you want is good for me” (what a guy!). I grew up in Santa Barbara, which is obviously a huge destination spot for weddings. I love it there but it didn’t feel like “us”. Something was drawing me to Wyoming/Montana and once I flew out there to look at venues I immediately knew we had to get married there. Montana truly feels like God’s country.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WEDDING STYLE? I was really drawn to the French toile look. Knowing how beautiful Montana is, I didn’t want to use any colours that would take away from the natural beauty of the setting.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS/ATTIRE: I knew from day one that I wanted a timeless, simple dress. I kept my mind open of course, but I just never pictured myself getting married in a big wedding dress. I tried on all different kinds of dresses, and fell in love with a dress at LOHO BRIDE in LA by KATHERINE TASH. I didn’t go home with the dress that day, but decided to reach out to Katherine directly to see if we could work together to make my perfect dress. To my surprise she said yes! Working with Katherine was such a wonderful process. I told her my dreams and my custom dress came to life in pretty much her first sketch. We started with one of her designs as a base, and I added the off the shoulder straps and corset to make the dress more “me”.
DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: Green and white with pops of blues. For our ceremony, because we had the beautiful mountains behind us, I knew I didn’t want to put a traditional arch to block our guests' view. I wanted it to feel like we were subtly surrounded by flowers and to have them complement our setting. HABITAT FLORAL did a wonderful job of executing my vision!
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Our ceremony was my favourite part of the day. Our pastor, Jon Ireland, did a wonderful job officiating our wedding. It was emotional and beautiful and it felt like we were the only two people in the whole field. Jon had suggested writing tributes to our parents, which was an idea Jason and I loved as we are very close with our families. When he read them, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
The second most memorable moment was o
ur first dance. We took lessons for three months prior to the wedding! The dance started out slow to our song and then we broke out into a hip-hop dance to Nelly. It was so fun to entertain our guests and to see their reactions! Doing dance lessons together was also really special.
WHAT ASPECT OF THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU BOTH? One thing we prioritised was the music. We wanted our guests to have the best time, and we agreed that a live band was a must. We went with Jukebox Productions out of Idaho and they were a HIT. The dance floor was truly full all night. Family and friends who don’t normally dance at parties were dancing and it was the best.
ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? I wanted to do something to honour my grandmother who passed away, so I secretly had an owl patch sewed in my dress. My grandmother loved owls. Little did I know that my mom also wanted to surprise me, and she had some fabric from her veil also sewed in my dress. I didn’t see it until she was helping me get in my dress. It was such a special moment – and so sweet that we surprised each other and had the same idea!
I had a groom's cake made for my husband to be. I had all the things that make Jason who he is on there. Dirt bikes, cowboy boots, a golf cart, a drone. He loved it!
Another detail I loved was our “guest book”. We used After the tone, where our guests could record a voice message for us. We got about 15 minutes of audio back and it is truly so special to have everyone’s voices memorialised forever.
Finally, our invitation designer really captured what I was looking for in our wedding day design and day of details. Kait, my wedding planner, gave the inspiration for the western themed French toile look – I love it so much I would use it as wallpaper in my future little boys room! We also snuck an owl into the invitation and throughout the day of details (for my grandmother).
A huge thank you to Charleston wedding photographer ELIZABETH LANIER for sharing this utterly beautiful Montana wedding with us. Specialising in destination weddings, Sarah and Will of Elizabeth Lanier Photography, capture sophisticated, adventurous, and wildly in love couples all over the globe. Their passion for documenting authentic love stories and genuine relationships between the clients they photograph inspires discerning couples worldwide to entrust their most cherished memories to Elizabeth Lanier Photography. Head over to their portfolio to see more and be sure to check out this Fresh, lush green and white wedding inspiration.
