Montana Wedding Guide - Montana Weddings Resource and Planner

Real Bride Blog: Rebecca and Mark

Hi all! Wedding plans are coming along and we're getting close now! Yay! I just hammered out all of the details for our wedding day photography schedule, and I'm so excited for the pictures. Melanie Nashan and I are doing some boudoir shots to start as a little something for me to give to my new husband...I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about how my body's gonna look, but I know Mark will love them!

Also, Mark and I have decided to see each other and do all of our posed shots before the ceremony. We decided to do this for a of couple reasons. First, Mark and I wanted to have a very intimate moment when we saw each other for the first time. I think, for us, it will be a more personal, loving, and intimate situation. We both get really nervous in front of a lot of people, so we wanted to remember that moment and not be so nervous about me falling on my face. Secondly, we want to enjoy every drop of our wedding that we have put so much time, effort, and money into.

I think photography is SO important for your wedding day, so that you can have those memories and snapshots to tell your wedding story, but we wanted to be able to mingle with guests at the cocktail hour and not be doing all of our posed shots then. Our guests will have spent a lot of money to get out to Bozeman (both of our families are from Wisconsin) that we want to make sure we can spend time with everybody and not be rushed after the ceremony. As a wedding photographer myself, I have noticed over time that when a couple does all of their pictures before the ceremony, it gives a relaxed, romantic feel to pictures and also to that time right after the ceremony. Couples that decide to do posed shots after still get great pictures with a lot of emotion in them, but usually want to hurry through it so they can enjoy the rest of their wedding.

We wanted to be able to enjoy finally being married, instead of running around trying to get the family together for a picture. I know it's not for everybody, but for Mark and I, it was a really good fit. Plus, we like to live on the wild side and tempt superstitions...

- Rebecca Bonson, soon-to-be Rebecca Hollis

Sneak Peek: Mike and Jessica Engagement Session in Bozeman

Mike and Jessica are getting married in October at The Woodlands. Nashan Photographers associate Chieko shot their engagement photos earlier this week in downtown Bozeman. The couple created a fun and playful atmosphere by carrying the color scheme of their wedding (pink and black) into the clothing that they chose for their engagement session.

Keeping with this week's theme of featuring gift ideas for your guests, we wanted to share with you the unique gift idea that Jessica and Mike are sharing with their wedding guests: the couple donated to a breast cancer charity in the names of each of their guests. At the wedding, they are giving friends and family pink breast cancer awareness bracelets, which continues with the theme of pink and black.

Check out the shots from their entire engagement session in the Nashan Photographers event gallery.

Labels: Bozeman, engagement session, event gallery, Mike and Jessica, Montana, Montana wedding, Montana weddings

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part IV

Personalized Packaging
An easy way to carry your theme throughout every last detail is to incorporate it into the way you package your gifts. Design your boxes or bags with the colors worn by your bridal party. Match the fonts on your tags to the font you used for your invitations. Think about what you want the life span of your package to be -- if it's made of sturdy material, your guests can reuse them.

Purchase simple and plain-colored boxes from a packaging store like WrapSmart
and dress them up with creative ribbons that coordinate with your colors.

Ask the supplier of your gift if they offer gift-wrapping services -- it can save you
and your family valuable time when you're preparing for the wedding day.

Don your gift inside see-through packaging and attach a poem, quote,
or phrase that you want to share with your guests.

The gifts you provide on your wedding day is a wonderful way to tell your guests just how much you appreciate their presence. Many guests will have traveled far to be with you, and a memento from your special day is a great way to say thanks!

Labels: Destination wedding, gifts, Montana wedding, Montana weddings, packaging, wedding planning

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part III

Gifts that radiate personal style
Give your guests a piece of yourself when you share with them one of your most-loved passions. If you're a jewelry-maker, give them one of your favorite pieces. Do you knit in your free time? Share your love of knitting by handing out something you've made, or a set of needles. The options are endless!

Share one of your favorite indulgences with your guests. You can even separate
it with gifts for the guys (your most-loved cigar), and gifts for the gals (your perfume of
choice). Friends and family will adore a favor that is something you enjoy as well.

This bride and groom gifted pine trees to their guests. The wedding was in the beautiful Big Sky,
and the couple wanted to share their love for the mountains and forests in a last way.

Nothing tells your friends and family more about your style than the music you listen to -- so share it with them!
Sit down together as a couple and put together a "mixed tape" for your guests to take with them.
Every time they hear these songs, they're likely to be reminded of the two of you.

One of our close friends, who happens to be an amazing photographer, personally printed one
of her favorite images and set them on the dinner plates for her guests to take home with them.

We hope you're grabbing some great ideas from these posts! Check back tomorrow for our final installment -- all about creative packaging!

Labels: gifts, Montana wedding, Montana weddings, wedding planning

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part II

Party favors
One of the best ways to start the celebration off right is to make sure your guests are cared for from the moment the arrive by having food and beverages readily available. It's easy to incorporate gifts for guests that are personalized to your wedding through this avenue.

Design beer koozies to match your Montana wedding's theme, and hand them out as soon as the guests arrive.
They'll be happy to sip on a beverage that stays cool, and they're sure to use them again.

Another gift that keeps on giving is a personalized wine key. Wine keys are classy and convenient,
and are typically an item that many people don't think to buy or renew on their own. And, personalizing
it according to your wedding's colors, theme, and date is easy and affordable to do.

Another fun way to incorporate a gift into the hospitality side of your wedding is through personalized cups,
beer mugs, wine glasses, etc. Have your wedding date and names etched on the glass and be sure guests know
to take them home. You can even create and name a unique cocktail that is specific to your wedding celebration.

Have more ideas? As always, share them in our comments! And stay tuned for tomorrow's post on how to incorporate your individual style into the gifts you give.

Labels: gifts, Montana wedding, Montana weddings

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part I

Celebrating your marriage is infinitely more enjoyable when you have your friends and family there beside you. At the end of the night, you want them to walk away with precious memories and a gift that will remind the guests of the wonderful time they had on your Montana wedding day.

There are a million different routes you can take when you're deciding on wedding favors:

purchase the gift and hand-craft the package according to your colors and your wedding's theme
you can opt for a complete do-it-yourself gift, which you build from the ground-up and is full of hard work and love for your guests
distribute a useful item that is personalized with your wedding date and names
hand out a gift that will aid in guests' entertainment for the night, such as those individual s'more packets above (which the recently wed couple Kari and Brandon Gardner handed out at their wedding in Bozeman, Montana. Many guests roasted the marshmallows over the candles adorning the tables at the reception!)

...and the list goes on. We have compiled some of our favorite Montana wedding guest gifts, which will be published on the blog in four installments throughout the week, to get your creative wheels turning.

Weather- or location-related gifts
Are you having an outdoor wedding in the hot sun, or are you nervous that it might rain? Will your guests be forced to trek along a dark path at the end of the night to return to their cars? Help your guests out by being prepared for them, and plan your gifts accordingly!

Umbrellas, nestled between the chairs in case it starts to drizzle...

...or collected in a basket right by the entrance.

Keep your guests cool with personalized fans...

...or keep them shaded with parasols.

Help your loved ones return to their cars safely at the
end of the night with personalized flash lights.

Guests will always appreciate the thought you put into the favors they take home at the end of the night, especially if it's one that keeps them dry or cool. Has anyone else seen this type of favor at a wedding? Please share it in the comments!

Come back tomorrow -- we'll be sharing ideas that revolve around wedding-day, or any-day, beverages.

Labels: Destination wedding, gifts, Montana wedding, Montana weddings, wedding planning

Featured in BRIDES

Melanie Nashan's beautiful image of these bridesmaids is featured in the BRIDES September 2009 issue. The shot is the opener for a spread on "Friends & Family," which provides ideas for vivid colors, great gifts, and advice if sibling rivalry appears in your wedding! Check it out on the stands today!

Wishing the Molitors a wonderful one year anniversary!

On Sunday, August 30th, Rachel and Eric Molitors celebrated their one year anniversary -- 14 time zones apart. Eric, who is in the Marine Corps, has been in Afghanistan since May, and Rachel lives in Honolulu.

A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from Eric's mother, Karen, with a special request. Eric, without internet or email access in Afghanistan, had called to ask if she would help him send flowers to Rachel on their anniversary. Together, they decided to send the exact flowers that were in their wedding ceremony. We were more than happy to help out. We contacted the planner, who contacted the florist, who assisted in arranging for this BEAUTIFUL bouquet to be sent to Hawaii.

Visit our gallery to see all of the images from this elegant wedding!

Wishing you all the best, Rachel and Eric!

Montana Wedding Guide is a local resource for brides and vendors. We pride ourselves on offering free vendor advice and ideas to ensure that every bride and groom have the wedding of their dreams.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Real Bride Blog: Rebecca and Mark

Friday, September 18, 2009

Sneak Peek: Mike and Jessica Engagement Session in Bozeman

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part IV

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part III

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part II

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Gifts for guests on your wedding day, Part I

Friday, September 4, 2009

Featured in BRIDES

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Wishing the Molitors a wonderful one year anniversary!

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