An Outdoor Wedding with Intimate Dinner Reception

Many times, when couples struggle to envision their dream wedding day, we advise for them to reflect on their current lifestyle together. Do you have a large friend group, hang out with your family 2-3 times a week, or love being outdoors? Or do you prefer movie nights at home just the two of you, enjoy exploring new cities, or have a small, close-knit inner circle? Either way, the life that you and your partner have built thus far can inform how you may want your wedding to be.

If you have a large family and friend group, maybe you go with more of a traditional wedding with a full bridal party and reception. If you have a handful of close loved ones and would enjoy the opportunity to spend quality time with each and every one of them, consider having a private outdoor wedding with a more intimate dinner reception.

The latter is just what one of our awesome couples, Kasey and Andrew, did for their adventure wedding in Montana! They knew they wanted an outdoor wedding because they could be surrounded by nature, especially the beauty and majesty of Montana. This couple decided on an intimate wedding with a sweet dinner reception so they could maximize one-on-one time with each of their loved ones.

If you’re looking for an alternative to a traditional, large wedding, keep reading! Kasey and Andrew’s wedding story is so inspirational, from the way they exchanged vows to their outdoor wedding ceremony to the Pinterest-worthy al fresco dinner to their Glacier adventure session. We’ll forever swoon over this day!

Before “I Do:”

Kasey and Andrew got married at Historic River Ranch in Kalispell, Montana. This 6 bed, 2.5 bath ranch house boasts private beach access, an epic outdoor patio for entertaining, a lush garden and endless mountain views. It’s no wonder it was perfect for this intimate, outdoor wedding!

On the day-of, our owner, Katie, led the vendor team in dressing the ranch up for Kasey and Andrew’s perfect outdoor wedding day. Part of this entailed setting out the wooden welcome sign, unplugged ceremony sign, reserved signs and Bluetooth speaker from Big Day Celebration’s inventory. We have a collection of items in-house that we offer to all of our couples complementary, including signage to candles to table runners and more! This is our way of saying thank you for being a BDC couple – and one less thing you have to worry about sourcing!

First Looks:

After the outdoor wedding ceremony site was ready, Katie helped facilitate the first look between Kasey and her dad. We love a father/daughter first look because it helps set the tone for the day in the sweetest way. Kasey followed this up with a first look between her and her soon-to-be husband!

Wearing a strapless ivory gown with an iconic, oversized bow at the back, Kasey made her way over to Andrew by the riverbank. The veil that her mom wore on her wedding day almost 47 years ago floated down her back and gently blew in the breeze. It goes without saying that when Andrew saw her for the first time as a bride, he couldn’t have been more thrilled!

This couple then exchanged their wedding vows privately. They had written custom vows and simply wanted these special words to be kept between the two of them. Thus, doing a first look with a private vow reading was the perfect solution for these two!

Outdoor Wedding at Historic River Ranch:

Then, it was time for this outdoor wedding ceremony! Katie invited their 30 guests to have a seat amongst the towering forest trees and lush foliage and prepared Kasey and Andrew for the processional.

This couple chose to forgo a traditional wedding party and simply had the most adorable ring bearer walk down the aisle before Kasey. We love that they stayed true to themselves in so many ways for their wedding day, including this one.

The outdoor wedding ceremony was sweet, joyous and romantic. Kasey’s mom did a special reading, adding yet another personalized and sentimental touch to this wedding story. This couple was incredibly intentional about incorporating their loved ones into their day, from Kasey’s first look with her dad to wearing her mom’s veil and having her do a special reading for the ceremony. This is such a perfect example of how you can include your loved ones in your day in unique and meaningful ways even if you don’t want to have a full wedding party!

Earlier in the day, some rain drops had sprinkled down, but the sky cleared up just in time for Kasey and Andrew to tie the knot. After they kissed for the first time as husband and wife, they threw their arms up in the air. Their smiles as they recessed back up the aisle truly said it all.

Outdoor Wedding Cocktail Hour:

Remember the epic patio that we mentioned at Historic River Ranch? Well, it was perfect for this outdoor wedding cocktail hour! There, My MT Kitchen set up a gorgeous charcuterie display and Katie set up the newlyweds’ memorial table. For this special display, Kasey included her grandmother’s veil to be draped around framed photos of their departed (but never forgotten) loved ones.

While guests munched on charcuterie and appetizers, they also enjoyed the couple’s signature drink from the bar called “The Henry.” Named after their dog, this was a delicious Moscow Mule. Kasey and Andrew also gifted their guests custom koozies to use for their drinks and as a keepsake to remember this amazing outdoor wedding.

Montana Al Fresco Dinner Reception:

Adjacent to the patio for cocktail hour, Katie and the vendor team created the most swoon-worthy al fresco wedding reception! They set a long king’s table for everyone with our ivory gauze table runner down the center. We repurposed the Chiavari chairs from the ceremony for dinner seating. Katie scattered the wooden lanterns from our in-house inventory down the length of the runner and interspersed them with silver votives and pillar candles. Each place setting had a custom-made place card that were actually handwritten notes to each individual guest!

But the best part had to be the market lighting we set up over the entire outdoor wedding reception table! This instantly elevated the entire space, creating a dreamy and romantic atmosphere, perfect to celebrate this couple’s new marriage. Plus, as the sun went down, the lights cast an ethereal glow over the festivities, making it seem like something out of a film. It truly couldn’t get any better than this!

That evening, when the outdoor wedding reception started, everyone sat down to share a meal together at this lovely tablescape. Both Kasey and Andrew’s fathers and two of their close friends gave toasts afterwards. It was so heartwarming to see the emotions that these special words sparked in the couple, showing just how much it meant to them to share this momentous day with their loved ones.

After dinner, Kasey and Andrew cut their wedding cake! It was a cream colored, two-tiered cake with a “wheat” stencil print and dried floral clusters that served beautiful boho vibes. The inside was just as fantastic as the outside with its raspberry filling and cream cheese buttercream. A sweet ending to a sweet day!

Glacier National Park Adventure Session:

The rest of the outdoor wedding reception was filled with fun quality time together. When the evening wrapped up, Kasey and Andrew then headed over to Glacier National Park for their wedding adventure session!

One of the benefits of having a summer wedding in Montana is that the sun doesn’t set until after 9pm! On this gorgeous night, the sun even set close to 10pm, giving the newlyweds ample opportunity to capture breathtaking newlywed portraits amongst the mountains.

But the fun times didn’t stop there! After these photos, they made their way back to the ranch for an after party with everyone! Together, they spent the rest of the night around the fire pit, creating even more memories to look back on forever.

A Word from the Bride:

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

“Find a Katie 😉 Another thing I’d say is to stick to your true selves. It’s hard to not listen to outside opinions but having your day, YOUR way is truly something special. Tune out the noise and tune into your dreams as a couple. We did and there is nothing we would change!”

-Kasey

A Word from Katie:

Kasey and Andrew, your outdoor wedding was an absolute dream! You two are just the sweetest and I had a blast working with you for your day. It was so special to see the love that you have not only for each other, but for your entire family and friends. Thank you for letting me be a part of your big day!

-Katie

Vendor Team:

Wedding Planner: Big Day Celebrations

Venue: Historic River Ranch

Bridal Salon: Something White Bridal Boutique

Bartender: Michelle Schumann

Cake & Desserts: Montana Wildflour

Catering: The Salty Calf

Charcuterie: My MT Kitchen

Floral: Mum’s Floral

Hair & Makeup: Glow Salon

Invitations & Paper Goods: Zola

Photography: Sydney Breann Photography

Rentals: Barn Door Event Rentals

Transportation: Wild Horse Limousine

Menswear: Paolini Garment Company

Let’s Plan Your Outdoor 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!