K+A

ERIN+ANDREW MONTANA

October 4, 2019

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Erin + Andrew wanted to create the wedding of their dreams, but finding the perfect venue was challenging. To have a wedding in the middle of nature, pairing rustic and chic elements, was no easy task. Then they visited GREEN VALLEY RANCH in CORAM, MT and immediately knew it was the prefect backdrop for their celebration.

This destination wedding was planned by LYNN MALMBERG OF EMPRESS TENTS & EVENTS who also provided the floral designs. You must see this gorgeous pairing of rustic chic in the gallery below.

FROM THE BRIDE+GROOM

What was the inspiration for your wedding day? We were inspired by the idea of creating something beautiful in the middle of nature. Our goal was a wedding that was rustic yet incorporated chic elements. That was complimented by a neutral color palate to let the greenery of the valley and mountains shine. What materialized was a feel of elegance in the simplest way and our wedding reflected our favorite things in life.

How and why did you pick your wedding venue?? Green Valley ranch is an idyllic, hidden venue in Northwest Montana. We had looked at close to 15 wedding venues prior to Green Valley and could not come to a mutual
agreement. The second we stepped onto this property we fell in love with the spectacular mountain backdrop, remote setting, and ability to create the wedding of our dreams.

What special details did you include in your wedding or reception??
Fortunately, travel is a key passion for the two of us along with drinking good wine, dogs, and cooking. Therefore, a lot of our details revolved around these things. Our cake was designed with 1 tier featuring the world continents and the topper was a special, personalized clay figurine representing some of our favorite places we’ve traveled. We used the cake knife Andrew’s parents used at their wedding. We had baskets of flip flops for people to change in to if their feet started to hurt. One of our favorite things was our bar signage which included our dog and Andrew’s dog from growing up, who sadly passed away just days before the wedding. We also made sure to have beer on tap, which was served out of a refrigerated keg truck. Each place setting featured a personalized wine cork that held our calligraphed name cards. There was a map with pins at the entrance showing some of the places we’ve traveled. Our guestbook was a photobook also featuring our adventures! Each table marker was a place we had been, with a description of why it was so important!

How did you make your wedding day special and make it about the two of you??! We spent over a year planning the wedding, and no detail went unconsidered. Although we both focused on making it intimate, a key goal was for our guests to have a blast! Nearly 200 out of town guests came, so the weekend featured various events including white water rafting, laser tag, and a BBQ at Andrew’s family home. We took some time outside of the tent on the night of our wedding to reflect on our new marriage and life together. This was a special moment for the both of us.

Most memorable moment (s) of your wedding day?
From The Bride: My favorite moment was walking down the aisle, seeing Andrew standing at the end waiting for me. That feeling was completely surreal and there are still days when I think “did we really do that?” His vows were beyond what I could have imagined and I so enjoyed trekking through Glacier and frolicking through flower filled fields on our wedding day. I also LOVED dancing with family and friends during the reception and the feeling of comfort that comes with knowing everyone in the room.

From the Groom: It’s hard to single out a particular moment as the most memorable. Looking back, the entire week went by in the snap of my fingers. If I had to pick, it was dancing with Erin, my friends and family. The energy was intoxicating. On one hand, it felt like Erin and I were the only two people under that tent, yet we were shrouded in love the entire night. It was a high I’ll never forget.

What was your favorite part about the wedding planning process? The food and cake tastings were by far our favorite parts; we are big foodies, so
carefully picked the meal for our guests. We also loved taking the time to really plan out what vendors we wanted to make our wedding truly “us.”

Any advice for those planning now? Don’t sweat the small stuff. Delegate as best you can to family and friends. We were really worked up about the details at the end and you know what? We barely remember those things now. The day is yours- try to enjoy every second because it goes way too fast. If possible, have events before the wedding where you can socialize with your guests; that way at the wedding you can dance and enjoy yourself without feeling obligated to make your rounds. Start everything two hours earlier than you think.

Music
o Processional: Lord, In Thy Bosom We Will Rest by Peter Ostroushko
o Brides Entrance: Medicine Bow by Peter Ostroushko
o Recessional: Scottish Wedding March by The Devil’s Box Cowboy Show
o First Dance: Bigger Than Us by Adam Doleac

How was your experience working with The DeLauras?? We absolutely LOVED working with The DeLauras- Kendal and Anthony both really went
above and beyond, coming out to Montana nearly a week before our big day. Although we spent some time with them before the wedding, it gave us an opportunity to hike with them, enjoy dinner and wine, and get to know them better. They both helped answer our pre-wedding questions and even helped with the day-of timeline; this was not their job, but we were so appreciative of their help. Being people who are not used to having cameras around, it meant the world to us to be able to trust and feel comfortable with our photographers on our wedding day. Not only did the DeLaura’s make us feel comfortable, but they also attended ALL of our wedding events, shot everything for us, and quickly delivered our sneak peek photos. We really feel that we have made some great friends with Kendal and Anthony and look forward to spending more time with them going forward.