An Emerald & Terracotta Wedding at Great Northern Resort

Together with our sister company, An Epic Elopement, we love breaking the wedding mold by planning and executing unique and maybe unconventional weddings. From destination elopements to intimate micro weddings, our couples prove time and time again that a wedding doesn’t have to look one certain way. Kaitlin and Brandon understood this, as they chose to host an emerald and terracotta wedding with blush accents with just 25 of their closest people. This was a destination wedding in Montana. Although you may think of a destination wedding to be in Hawaii or Mexico, we’re here to show you that having a destination wedding in the mountains is just as good, or an even better, option!

In this wedding story, you’ll learn why Kaitlin and Brandon decided to have their terracotta wedding in Montana. You’ll get to know how Kaitlin chose her stunning wedding dress, perfect for a wedding in the mountains. Finally, you’ll see how we put their emerald and terracotta wedding together, and perhaps gain some inspiration for your own unconventional destination wedding!

Get ready. The mountains are calling!

Why Choose a Destination Wedding in Montana?

Montana is the perfect destination wedding locale! It is home to Glacier National Park, a breathtaking expanse of untouched land. Within Glacier, you can experience the awe-inspiring majesty of the mountains, rugged forestry, sparkling lakes, wildflower meadows, and much more! Not to mention that the sunrises and sunsets over the mountains are truly magnificent!

Some of our couples opt to elope right within Glacier National Park. A couple of our favorite spots are Sun Point and Bowman Lake, for example. Others select a Montana wedding venue close to the park entrance. Either way, our couples love exploring the national park and capturing their wedding photos there! It’s a MUST if you get married here. Just check out how beautiful the images turn out!

But the thing we love most about a destination wedding in Montana is that the mountains truly go with any wedding style! Some couples want to play up the mountain vibe and incorporate colors like sky blue and emerald green. Others prefer a timeless color palette, like blush and gold, or they go for a fun and whimsical vibe by utilizing bold colors.

No matter what style and wedding colors you choose (maybe Kaitlin and Brandon’s terracotta wedding style will inspire you!), the mountains create the perfect backdrop for your big day.

Choosing their Terracotta Wedding Style:

Kaitlin and Brandon love greenery and wildflowers. This was an excellent starting point when choosing and building their wedding style! Kaitlin also loves pink tones, so we ended up utilizing a lot varied pink and orange hues, like blush, coral, peach, champagne, and terracotta. To incorporate their love of greenery, we added in plenty of natural emerald greenery to their décor.

The end result was their beautiful emerald and terracotta wedding with blush and pink accents!  

In their big day, you could see this color palette exemplified in every detail, from the terracotta bridesmaids’ dresses to the perfect blend of colors in Kaitlin’s bridal bouquet. We used white, ivory, terracotta, and blush blooms in it as well as deep emerald greenery. The ceremony arch floral sprays and reception table centerpieces also included these flowers to create a seamless design.

Keep reading to find out what our favorite décor details of the entire terracotta wedding were!

The Perfect Mountain Destination Wedding Dress:

What makes for the perfect mountain destination wedding dress? Honestly, it’s your big day, so any dress that makes you feel confident and beautiful is perfect!

If you are getting married directly within Glacier National Park though, we would encourage you to consider the size of the train and ease of movement in the gown. While Glacier makes for the most incredible wedding photos, it is also still a national park. This means that there will be some light hiking to get to the best sites, or even heavy hiking to reach the most untouched and gorgeous spots, if you’re up for it!

Pro tip: Consider a detachable train if you crave a wedding dress with a longer train!

For her terracotta wedding, Kaitlin chose a white sheath gown with a subtle train. The dress had spaghetti straps and lace details from top to bottom. The soft champagne underlay gave the gown a warmer tone and went perfectly with the blush and pink accents we used in the wedding décor!

Kaitlin told us that she knew this dress was the one for her because “it was unique and classic at the same time! And it looked like it had nature-y Montana vibes!”

Kaitlin paired her dress with a simple fingertip length veil and of course, her amazing bridal bouquet. She was an absolute vision!

The Big Day:

Kaitlin and Brandon’s terracotta wedding took place at Great Northern Resort, which is situated at the base of Glacier National Park. On the morning of the big day, we set up their terracotta wedding details together with their wonderful vendor team.

On the Ceremony Lawn, we set a hexagonal wooden arch with two big, fluffy floral sprays. We also set a wooden welcome sign that read, “Welcome to our happily ever after.” Lastly, we placed paper cones filled with rose petals on every chair.

The reception took place under the venue’s reception tent. There, we set one long king’s table for all the guests. We placed an ivory table runner down the center of the table, along with wooden lanterns, bud flower vases, gold votives, and cylinder candles. Later that evening, the newlyweds and their guests would dine here underneath the delicate white fabric draping and twinkle lights that hung from the tent’s ceiling.

But our favorite décor detail from this terracotta wedding? The dessert table!

Not only did Kaitlin and Brandon have a wedding cake, but they also treated their guests to chocolate chip cookies and vanilla frosted cupcakes! To display these treats, we set a circular wooden table and laid a terracotta table runner across it. We set the one-tiered white wedding cake on a wooden cake stand with a gold accent and the rest of the goodies on white dessert trays. We laid out a gold cake cutting set for Kaitlin and Brandon, and as a finishing touch, the florist added gorgeous terracotta and coral flowers on the cake itself.

A First Look Before Tying the Knot:

When all of our terracotta wedding details were just right, we headed up to Glacier National Park, where Kaitlin and Brandon had their first look on the banks of Lake McDonald. It was the most beautiful day with the sun shining and skies as blue as they could be.

We had Brandon face the lake and mountains while Kaitlin walked up behind him to tap him on the shoulder. Then, he turned around and saw his bride for the very first time. They both wore enormous grins as they savored the moment together.

Then, it was time for the ceremony!

We made our way back to Great Northern Resort, where we kicked off the processional with the wedding party walking down the aisle. The guys looked dapper in their navy blue suits and terracotta ties and the ladies were striking in their long terracotta dresses. Kaitlin and Brandon chose this attire because it perfectly suited their terracotta wedding!

Kaitlin’s father escorted her down the aisle. It was one of many emotional moments to see her lock eyes with Brandon, knowing that they were just minutes away from becoming husband and wife.

When the officiant pronounced them officially married, guests threw white petals in the air in celebration! The joy on everyone’s faces said it all.

Time to Party!

During the terracotta wedding cocktail hour, guests took Polaroid selfies for the newlyweds’ guest book. They hung out in the lounge area that we created with a plush cream sofa and emerald green chairs. They also enjoyed the wooden ornament favors that Kaitlin and Brandon gifted to everyone.

The rest of the evening was marked by sweet dances between the newlyweds and their parents, a delicious dinner, and sentimental toasts. Everyone then indulged in the carrot cake and other sweet treats. It was a beautiful night spent with a beautiful group!

After the festivities concluded, Kaitlin and Brandon shared a romantic private last dance under the twinkle lights. This private and quiet moment was the perfect way to end their big day! They would later tell us that this was their favorite part of the whole day!

A Word from the Bride:

“The table decoration was our favorite!! It was so beautiful and exceeded all of our expectations!! It was like Katie took the picture out of my head for what I was hoping for and put it to life!”

-Kaitlin

A Word from Katie:

“Kaitlin and Brandon, congratulations on a gorgeous terracotta wedding! I just adored working with you both! It was so much fun getting to know you and be a part of your wedding. I’m so glad that you did things your way and had an intimate destination wedding. It was perfect!”

-Katie

Vendor Team:

Planner: Big Day Celebrations

Venue: Great Northern Resort

Photographer: Joanna Adams Photography

Florist: Conrad Floral

Baker: Miss Patti Cakes

Hair & Makeup: Melanie Hobus

Caterer: The Kopper Kitchen

Rentals: Empress Tents & Events // The Party Store

Linen: BBJ Linen

Place Cards: Two Peas Paper Co.

Let’s Plan Your Terracotta 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!