Dan and I met on AOL Instant Messenger when we were in 8thGrade (back in the day before Myspace). We finally decided to meet in person at the Mount Helena Music Festival. Our "first date" must have gone well, because the next day Dan asked me to be his girlfriend, and we have been together ever since. Dan and I went to rival high schools in Helena, MT and then went to college together at Montana State University. After I graduated from MSU, we moved to Los Angeles so Dan could pursue his music career and I could attend law school.
Dan and I have always loved cruising, so we decided to spend our 10-year anniversary on a cruise to Mexico in 2012. On the last day of the cruise, which was our anniversary, Dan took me up on the balcony to watch the last sunset where he got on one knee and popped the question.
The Wedding
After moving to California, Dan and I began to appreciate the beauty Montana has to offer and couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. Both Dan and I’s moms were very involved with the wedding and all the decorations were handmade. It was truly a “Pinterest-worthy” wedding. The weather during the day started out beautifully, and about half hour before the ceremony, the clouds started rolling in. We almost had to move up the ceremony a half-hour earlier to avoid the rain, but I was not ready yet! We ended up having the ceremony at the planned time and right as I started walking down the aisle, the dark clouds quickly swept by us without a drop of rain! Once the fear of rain had gone and calmed our nerves, the rest of the night went without a hitch. Lucky for me, my dad owns the Lewis and Clark Brewing Company, so we had plenty of craft beer and even our own wedding beer brewed especially for us, Happily Ever After. We had our very good friends from the Clintons play and my (now) husband and his band surprised me with a compilation of love songs during the reception.
Advice to Future Montana Brides
Take your time! Dan and I were engaged for a little over two years, and I loved the engagement period! By the time the wedding came around, I did not feel stressed and I felt very comfortable with where we were at. I also suggest having a wedding at a venue that provides services/supplies like the dinner, tables, chairs, etc. Chico did a great job and it was so nice to not have to worry about renting things last minute or not having enough of something. Chico was also great at reminding you when to do the “cake-cutting” or the “dinner toasts,” because it’s very easy to lose track of time.
The Vendors
Photography: Lauren Brown Photography
Rehearsal Dinner: Mountain View House, Chico Hot Springs
Ceremony: Field of Dreams, Chico Hot Springs
Reception: Chico Hot Springs
Florist: West Mont Flower & Trading Co.
Catering: Chico Hot Springs
Cakes & Desserts: Chico Hot Springs
Photo Booth: Big Sky Photobooth
Band & DJ: The Clintons
Wedding Dress Designer: Stella York
Gown Shop: Eskay Bridal
Tuxedo Rentals: Eskay Bridal
Lodging: Chico Hot Springs
Officiant: Larry Murphy
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