A Boho Summer Wedding at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake

Picture this: A vividly blue Montana sky brushed with fluffy clouds. A sparkling lake that gently ripples. Lush green mountains stand majestically at the horizon. Your closest friends and family look on as you share your first married kiss with the love of your life. Your summer wedding reception that embodies your Pinterest board come to life awaits you. You feel an overwhelming joy wash over you, as you realize that this is everything you’ve been dreaming of and more.

As a seasoned Montana wedding planner, we’re here to say that this can be you! You can have the wedding of your wildest dreams without stressing yourself out or going crazy. With our help, you can enjoy the planning process and not worry about a single detail on the day-of. With Big Day Celebrations in your corner, you truly can have your cake and eat it too!

In this post, we’ll illustrate this for you, as we designed, planned, and coordinated our couple, Jen and Chase’s, boho summer wedding at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. We worked with them to infuse meaningful, personalized details into their big day while creating a beautiful place for them to celebrate with the ones who mean the most to them.

We’ll take you through their summer wedding design, the intentional moments that ended up being their favorite of the day, and what a true wedding experience looks like. After all, your wedding is not just a formality or ordinary day. It’s a day you and your guests will cherish forever… So why not make it as gorgeous and fun as possible?

Boho Summer Wedding Inspiration

Jen and Chase selected The Lodge at Whitefish Lake for their boho summer wedding. They were inspired by Montana’s dazzling summer season and the bright wildflowers that blossom during this time. Family means everything to them, so it was also important to intentionally plan for high quality family time during their wedding weekend. That’s why the Lodge fit Jen and Chase perfectly!

Nestled between Whitefish Lake and the Viking Creek Wetland Preserve, Montana’s natural beauty is showcased no matter where you go on property. The lodge also offers comfortable accommodations and luxurious amenities, so Jen and Chase’s guests could all stay at the hotel, making it easy and convenient to get to the wedding.

Their summer wedding ceremony took place at the lodge’s Lakeside Lawn, a sprawling, grassy area with Whitefish Lake shimmering behind it. Their summer wedding reception then took place adjacent to this space underneath an open-air tent. Since the wedding site already had so much natural beauty, all we needed to do was add Jen and Chase’s personal flair!

This manifested as various, bright colors, from pink to orange to purple to blue. We incorporated these hues in the floral arrangements, tablescape elements, memorial table, and dessert display. Keep reading to find out more!

Before “I Do”

On the eve of Jen and Chase’s summer wedding, they hosted a welcome dinner for their friends and family at The Patio on Wisconsin. We arranged for private shuttles to transport guests to and from the Lodge for this pre-wedding event. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful barbecue meal and each other’s company that evening, as they prepared for the main event the next day.

When the big day arrived, our team along with Jen and Chase’s stellar vendors got to the lodge early for set-up. The team set a wooden A-frame arch with colorful floral sprays at the Lakeside Lawn for the summer wedding ceremony. They added pampas grass to the floral arrangements to give the ceremony that extra special boho touch. We also set customized tissue packs on every ceremony seat that read “Dry those happy tears.”

A Summer Wedding Ceremony

Jen’s dress went perfectly with their summer wedding style! With its all-over pattern and tassels along the hemline, it screamed boho summer. Chase matched the theme as well with his tan linen suit.

Their ceremony began when Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” resounded through the air. Our team cued the processional to begin at that time and started sending Jen and Chase’s wedding party down the aisle. This included Jen and Chase’s beautiful baby girl being pulled in a greenery-lined wagon by their ring bearer. Their other daughter then followed, scattering petals down the aisle as she went.

Although the kids sure were adorable, Chase’s reaction to Jen was unmatched. A huge grin stretched across his face (and hers!) as she floated down the aisle to the tune of “Love Her in the Morning” by Rising Appalacha.

This summer ceremony itself was emotional and jubilant, filled with both humorous moments and the romantic exchanges of vows. The sun glittered down upon the proceedings and when Jen and Chase officially tied the knot, claps and cheers rang out.

Cocktail Hour at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake

Immediately after the ceremony ended, cocktail hour began on the lawn. The catering team served delicacies like elk meatballs with huckleberry BBQ and stuffed mushrooms with herbed blue cheese and pecans while the couple took formal photos with their family. During this time, guests also enjoyed the couple’s signature drinks of ranch water and huckleberry margaritas.

Meanwhile, our team brought the ceremony floral arrangements to the reception tent to use on the tables there. We also repurposed Jen’s bouquet to use as reception décor when she was finished with photos. We always repurpose as much décor as we can to make the most of your budget!  

Summer Wedding Reception Design

After they completed newlywed portraits and we helped Jen bustle her dress, it was time for this summer wedding reception to begin! We invited guests into the reception tent, where they found tables in ivory linens with white chairs waiting for them. We had decorated the head table with a rust orange table runner. Glass vases with colorful bunches of wildflowers dotted the centers of each table and we interspersed them with gold votives and wooden lanterns with pillar candles. These décor items were from our in-house décor inventory that we offer to our couples complementary; just another perk of being a BDC couple!

Each guest place setting had an amber water goblet, custom mountain-inspired placecard, and a rattan charger. Around the perimeter of the room, guests saw the memorial table and the wonderful dessert display, made up of the couple’s two-tier wedding cake, mini cake donuts, and cupcakes. Last but not least, the ruched white fabric from the reception tent swooped up overhead and dainty, gold chandeliers cast a soft glow when the sun went down.

Celebrating a Summer Wedding

The reception started with the introduction of the newlyweds and their first dance. Jen and Chase shared this special moment together, and then invited their two little girls to join them in a true representation of family unity. Later, they would share another family dance set to the song, “Waka Waka” by Shakira, which ended up being Jen’s favorite part of the day!

As the night went on, everyone enjoyed delicious Mexican cuisine and then indulged in the white wedding cake with huckleberry filling and vanilla bean buttercream. The DJ kept the party going all night, as guests dominated the dance floor and wandered down to the lakeside when they needed a break. Everyone loved the indoor/outdoor nature of this summer wedding reception, as it allowed them to mix and mingle by the water while still being part of all the fun.

Jen even had a second reception outfit! It was a gold, sequined number in which she shined. After a late night snack of chicken and waffles and more dancing, the reception drew to a close. Our team lined everyone up outside for Jen and Chase’s grand exit. We handed out bubbles for guests to blow as the happy couple walked through everyone.

And they lived happily ever after!

A Word from the Bride:

When asked “What piece of advice would you give to couples planning their wedding?” Jen said:

“Hire you (Katie) or the closest thing to you (Katie) they can find! You (Katie) made my vision come true, even more perfect then I ever could have imagined. And made everything flow seamlessly the day of the wedding. Having [Katie’s] assistance throughout the planning process and day of made all the difference. Oh and to savor every moment! It’s so beautiful and so fleeting.”

-Jen

A Word from Katie:

Jen & Chase, it was my honor and privilege to be a part of your incredible summer wedding! You and your family are bright rays of sunshine and I loved every second of our time together. Thank you for inviting me to design, plan, and coordinate your special day. It means everything to me! Cheers to a lifetime of happiness!

-Katie

Vendor Team:

Wedding Venue // The Lodge at Whitefish Lake

Wedding Designer // Big Day Celebrations

Photography // Thewmatt Photography

DJ // Sidecar Audio

Videography // Treasure State Entertainment

Floral // Conrad Floral

Rentals // Empress Tents & Events

Cake & Desserts // Montana Wildflour

Hair & Makeup // Covet Beauty

Invitations & Paper Goods // Minted

Babysitter // Field to Forest

Welcome Dinner Venue // The Patio on Wisconsin

Welcome Dinner Catering // Piggyback BBQ

Let’s Plan Your Summer Wedding!

Big Day Celebrations offers full-service wedding planning, coordination & design services, and micro-wedding packages, so no matter how you envision your wedding, we will make it happen and have a whole lot of fun along the way!

Ready to get started? Drop me a note below and let’s do this!