An Outdoor Ranch Wedding with Wildflower Accents

In Montana, nature is an unpaid actor in every scene, from towering pine trees and glistening mountaintops to crystal clear lakes and roaming wildlife. It isn’t just a backdrop here. It’s a main character! That’s why we often draw inspiration for our Montana weddings straight from the landscape. That could mean earthy color palettes, organic textures, or simply the way golden sunlight filters through the trees.

And what better way to embrace all that beauty than with an outdoor ranch wedding? Think, a backyard celebration, but elevated, where you’re surrounded by evergreens just as much as you’re surrounded by your family’s love. 

That was exactly what Mollee and Max envisioned for their big day at Walking Lightly Ranch! They said “I do” in a wide open, outdoor ceremony before celebrating al fresco. They danced beneath glowing Edison bulbs as the sun dipped below the treeline and later, under a sky full of stars and moonlight. Accentuated by wildflowers and thoughtful, organic touches, their ranch wedding felt beautifully ethereal. It was a true reflection of who Mollee and Max are, both individually and together. 

And one of the best parts? They not only celebrated for one day, but three days! Let’s explore how this ranch wedding weekend came to life! 

Day 1: Rehearsal Dinner

Having a 3-day wedding weekend is becoming one of our favorite wedding trends in recent years because the intention is to spend as much quality time with your people as possible! When we first meet our couples, so many of them express the desire to have a relaxed, laidback celebration. They don’t want to feel rushed or like the day flashed by in a blur. They want to savor every moment with their loved ones and with each other. After months, possibly years, of planning, we couldn’t agree more! 

Day 1 of your wedding weekend is all about kicking off the celebration! No matter if you want to ease into the festivities with a casual welcome dinner or dive right in with a Glacier adventure, day 1 sets the tone for the weekend and should reflect your personalities. 

For Mollee and Max, day 1 of their ranch wedding weekend included a rehearsal dinner at Walking Lightly Ranch. Because spending time with their family and friends was the ultimate goal, they decided to invite all their guests to this event! It was an easygoing way to welcome everyone to Montana and catch up with those they hadn’t seen in a while. Together, they shared good food by The House of S & M and built excitement for the big day. 

A welcome party or rehearsal dinner like this is an especially fun idea for couples having a destination wedding here! With guests traveling in for the wedding, having a full wedding weekend is a chance to maximize everyone’s trips and showcase more of the fun and beauty that Big Sky Country has to offer. 

Day 2: Ranch Wedding Day!

Day 2 of Mollee and Max’s wedding weekend was their ranch wedding! They started off the day getting ready with their family and wedding party. Mollee’s mom helped her transform into a bride by donning a romantic wedding gown with beaded spaghetti straps, floral embroidery, and a blush underlay that made Mollee positively glow! For his groom’s look, Max sported a classic gray suit with a fresh, white floral boutonniere. 

Once they were all dolled up, we set them up for their first look against a backdrop of the mountains, lake, and lush forestry. While the background was stunning, it was no match for Max’s jaw-dropping smile when he first saw Mollee that day. It was the sweetest thing to witness his pure joy as he saw his beautiful bride! 

On your big day, it’s our job to bring all of our plans and your unique vision to life! That means communicating with your vendors to manage the setup and layout, setting up all of your personal decor, seamlessly handling any challenges that may arise, and ultimately, making everything as beautiful as possible. So while Mollee and Max captured pre-ceremony pictures, our team put the finishing touches on all of their ranch wedding elements. 

Led by our owner and lead planner, Katie, the team set flowing ivory draping on the wooden ceremony arch along with an unplugged ceremony sign and welcome sign from our in-house wedding decor inventory. For this outdoor ranch wedding reception, we set wood slices on each table topped with a wooden table number and a colorful arrangement of wildflowers and natural greenery. Hazel linen napkins provided an extra pop of color at each place setting. 

We also set cocktail tables with ivory linen and juniper table cuffs for cocktail hour along with ping pong and lawn games. We made sure the bar was stocked while setting the cake and dessert table, and we added layers of details, including candles, lanterns, the guest book, card box, signage, and more. So much goes into making a wedding day come together! 

Ranch Wedding Ceremony

After we took care of all the details, it was finally time for Mollee and Max to get married! To get things started, Katie lined up the wedding party for the processional and cued the music. Having an outdoor ranch wedding ceremony meant that the entire atmosphere was spectacular, from the views to even the scent! The surrounding evergreens tinged the air with a pine scent that perfectly complemented the fresh mountain air. This made their ranch wedding even more special and unique!

Once the processional was underway, Katie did a final hair and makeup check for Mollee, fluffed her dress’ train, and sent her down the aisle on her dad’s arm. She had chosen “Rainbow” by Piano Dreamers as her wedding entrance song, and it couldn’t have been more perfect! When she met her soon-to-be husband at the altar, the sun was shining just right and they both were smiling ear to ear. 

From there, the ceremony was sweet and heartfelt. Mollee and Max exchanged romantic personal vows that brought a tear to many eyes and as they shared their first married kiss, all their loved ones leapt to their feet to clap and cheer. 

The moment they walked back up the aisle as husband and wife was truly nirvana! 

Ranch Wedding Cocktail Hour

Following their ranch wedding ceremony, Katie assisted the newlyweds sign their marriage license. What’s typically a formality became something extra special for Mollee and Max because they invited Jack, their three year old nephew, and Vesta, their dog, to serve as official witnesses of their marriage. Between these two cuties, it was the most adorable marriage license signing ever! 

Then, it was time to get the party started at cocktail hour! That evening, guests enjoyed blackberry caprese skewers and antipasto skewers while playing lawn games and enjoying drinks out of the John Deere tractor beverage display. Max had driven the tractor in place himself earlier in the day and it was a fun, rustic touch that everyone raved about throughout cocktail hour!

After they finished pictures, Katie repurposed Mollee’s and the bridesmaids’ bouquets to use as additional decor around the reception. Then, she bustled Mollee’s dress as the final touch to get her ready for the rest of the night! 

Ranch Wedding Reception

This ranch wedding reception was everything Mollee and Max dreamed of, from the incredible food to the funny and sentimental toasts from their loved ones to their first dance beneath the setting sun and twinkle lights. They got to enjoy their lemon and raspberry wedding cake before stepping out for sunset photos, and then took to the dance floor the rest of the night with all their favorite people. They captured the perfect blend of having all the traditional wedding festivities while still maintaining a sense of relaxation. Because of this, they got to fully immerse themselves in all the fun, soaking up every precious moment of their best day ever! 

Day 3: Post-Wedding Brunch

The day after their ranch wedding, Mollee and Max invited everyone back to the ranch to share brunch together. This is a wonderful way to spend day 3 of your wedding weekend because it gives you one more chance to hang out together before everyone heads home. Some of our newlyweds will enjoy brunch with everyone before going into Glacier National Park for their adventure photo session. Others choose to set off on their honeymoon afterwards. Whatever you decide to do, day 3 is all about spending your first day of marriage together, surrounded by family and love! 

A Word from Katie:

Congratulations Mollee and Max! Your al fresco ranch wedding was truly something magical. The entire day felt like we were in another world filled with wildflowers, horses, and pure, true love. Thank you for inviting me into such a special part of your lives together and I wish you two nothing but joy and love forever! Big hugs!  

-Katie

Montana Vendor Team: 

Wedding Planner: Big Day Celebrations

Venue: Walking Lightly Ranch

Photography: Thewmatt Photography

Catering: The House of S & M

Cake: Miss Patti Cakes

Floral: Gariss Gardens

Rentals: The Party Store

Linen: BBJ La Tavola

Let’s Plan Your Wildflower Ranch 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!