2017 Montana Wedding Event

March 6, 2017March 5, 2017Leave a comment

On February 18 we set up at A Montana Wedding Event. The past few years this bridal expo, put on by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, has be held at the Grantree Inn, but this year’s event was moved to a much larger venue, The Commons at Love and Baxter. There were dozens of quality vendors for couples to chat with, and some awesome food truck, coffee, and cocktail options to enjoy. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the different booths, meeting new vendors, and seeing familiar faces.

For the History in the Making booth, I envisioned a wall of greenery, a beautiful wooden table, and unique little accents to round out the tablescape (I’m obsessed with the wooden candle holders my husband helped me make) The floral design, created by the always amazing Sue at Wild Blume, had heavy focus on greenery with touches of white, and really tied together the organic, rustic vibe of the whole design.

Here are a few of my favorite images–Enjoy!

I have to send out a HUGE thank you to my husband Ryan who put up with my pestering and built me this gorgeous table and bench set.

He’s pretty much the best 🙂

Simple Elopement Styled Shoot

July 21, 2016July 21, 2016Leave a comment

One of the things I love most about being in the business of weddings is seeing how special and unique each wedding is. Some folks want to throw a big party, surrounded by friends and family. Other couples would rather keep it short and sweet–hosting a ceremony with just a few witnesses, or even simpler as just husband, wife, and officiant. That was the inspiration behind this mini-shoot with Simple Reflections Photography.

We wanted this elopement shoot to be simple, sweet, and romantic. We set up a picnic blanket and accented it with an antique basket, vintage jar lanterns, and a delicious pie. Our bride was decked out in an adorable dress from Moda Fashion Truck. She carried a simple bouquet of white hydrangeas, and our groom stayed casual in jeans and a tie.

Can we talk about how stinkin’ cute this real life husband and wife are? Seriously the most perfect models for this shoot! 🙂

Here are a few more images for your viewing pleasure–Enjoy!

Interested in Eloping? We’re happy to help! We offer an elopement package that’s almost completely customizable and would love to talk with you about your dreams for your day.

2016 Montana Wedding Event

February 22, 2016February 16, 2016Leave a comment

This year marked my second year as a vendor at the Montana Wedding Event, and I was really excited about the opportunity to meet new couples and new vendors!

This year my booth design started with these ah-ma-zing giant letters! I had so much fun building them, and hope to get a lot of use out of them in the future.

Since I knew the letters would create a wow factor, I wanted the rest of the design to be simple but complimentary. As I was developing the design, it seemed to be heavily feminine so I consulted with my husband on a few different ideas to keep it “man friendly” while still pretty and elegant. But true to my typical design aesthetic, this table is affordable to re-create on almost any budget.

So, here are just a few pictures from the show. I hope you all like it as much as I did!

See those pretty chair sashes? Watch for my post on how to make them in the near future 🙂

Mountain Inspiration-a mini styled shoot

February 17, 2016February 17, 20161 Comment

It was Super Bowl Sunday, and I had some time to kill before the big game. I also had a table and chairs in my car from the Montana Bridal Event the day before, so my mother in law and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous 40 degree day and head up the mountain to Hyalite Reservoir for an impromptu mini shoot.

Luckily these amazing views make up for my lack of professional photography skills. It was such a fun day that left me feeling really inspired.

For an adventurous couple wanting an authentic Montana Winter wedding, it doesn’t get much better than this!

Yes, even being buried up to my knees (and sometimes hips) in snow pack, I had such a blast!

History in the Making @ the Helena Bridal Fair

February 13, 2016February 13, 20161 Comment

In January, I made the trip to our state capital to “set up shop” at the Helena Bridal and Anniversary Fair. It was my first time at the Helena Civic Center, and after driving through a blizzard to get to the event, I was pleasantly surprised by the awesome variety of vendors, set up on 2 levels. I got to set up on the mezzanine.

Pretty cool view, right?

For my booth, I wanted the space to feel warm and welcoming.

My amazing hubby built me this gorgeous fireplace mantle.

My favorite element? Definitely the table!

The inspiration started with a beautiful antique recurve bow. From there I decided I wanted to create a rustic, elegant design with a lot of natural elements.

I constructed the table runner from fresh ferns and alstroemeria. The bow rested on a small set of antlers. Candles, set in gold mercury glass and mason jar lanterns, were scattered among the ferns (with less overhead lighting, this design really comes to life!)

The place settings featured gold chargers, ivory napkins, and a single alstroemeria.

To pull the design together, I rented wooden chairs from Montana Party Rentals. If I’m being totally honest, these might be my favorite chairs ever.

Behind the Design:

When I created this design, I really wanted it to show that it’s possible to bring your passions into your wedding design. While I used a recurve bow (perfect fit for my love of all things authentically vintage and my husbands love of hunting), it could easily be altered to fit other elements, such as fishing rods, skis, or oars.

It was also so important to me to showcase a design that was unique, beautiful, and affordable. Trust me, this table looks way more expensive than it actually was! (and that makes me love it so much more!)

Here’s a few more shots. Enjoy!

October 17–a beautiful day for a Bridal Tour!

October 27, 2015October 27, 2015Leave a comment

I was so absolutely excited to be a featured designer on the Montana Bridal Tour 2015!

This year the tour featured 4 beautiful venues, and I was lucky enough to set up at the historic Story Mansion, located just blocks from downtown Bozeman.

Our venue featured authentic farm-to-table pulled pork created by Claudia’s Mesa, an amazing bluegrass trio called Acony Belles, gorgeous gowns from Plume Bridal, and model styling from Brooklynn Studio. Merissa Lambert Photography, our featured photographer, captured the fun moments throughout the day.

The Story Mansion sits on a full city block, and many wedding receptions take place on the grounds. Gallatin Event Rental set up a tent on the lawn to showcase one of the many ways that couples can use the space.

Oh, and a big congratulations to Zebra Catering and their delicious sangria for winning Bride’s Choice–Signature Drink!

Enjoy the images and behind-the-scenes design tidbits!

Design Inspiration:

I really wanted the Story to have a feeling of richness and warmth that only seems to happen this time of year. Being inspired by the season, the venue, and the mixing of textures and materials, our design theme was Fall Sangria.

We used shades of purples, greens, ambers, golds, and reds for the focal colors. I chose ivory for the table linens, which allowed the other colors to pop. The wooden chairs, rented from Montana Party Rentals, matched the original golden wood trim that’s found throughout the Story.

As a literal nod to sangria, I cut the bottoms off of various wine bottles, illuminated them with flameless candles, and placed them on the staircase in the foyer. (FYI real candles look beautiful in the bottles, but they cause the glass to get extremely hot)

Stacy with Big Announcements did a fantastic job designing the custom paper pieces that accented the tables.

The floral, created by Karen’s Floral Artistry, added a simple, beautiful elegance to the tables. Karen followed through with my idea of mixing fruits with florals by adding pears and grapes to the centerpieces.

the table designs:

While both tables had the same plates, flatware, and glasses, I used accent pieces to create two different designs. Both tables featured beer bottle candle holders, which were cut in a similar way as the wine bottles. They were one of my favorite design elements.

Table #1

The place settings on the first table featured golden woodgrain chargers, a menu card, place card, and a golden fabric accent band. Alongside the beer bottle candle holders, the centerpieces also featured red pears and gold mercury glass candleholders. The look was completed with a thin green fabric band wrapped around the tops of the chairs.

Table #2:

The second table had a completely different design, and was meant to be a bit more interactive from a guest’s perspective. The place settings were simple, featuring a rustic woven charger and a small bowl of fruit.

Yes, real, edible fruit. (A lot of people were surprised by this) There was a mix of red grapes, purple grapes, and blackberries. The bowls that held the fruit were made from the bottoms of the wine bottles I had cut for the stairs. Interesting AND economical.

Finally, there was a sweetheart table, placed in front of the beautiful fireplace. Karen decorated the mantle with a large wooden garland and floral arrangement. The place settings included glasses of fruit, mercury glass candle holders, and a small floral arrangement. The chairs had strips of gold fabric wrapped around the top.

So, there you have it! I really loved how the whole design came together, and it was so much fun to work with all the other vendors. Here’s a few more shots of Team Story: