Behind-the-Scenes of a Spring Wedding in Montana

Spring is the season of new beginnings. It’s the start of wedding season here in Montana, the start of the wildflowers blooming all over the state, and the start of so many new, wonderful marriages! As we enter into spring this year, we’re reflecting on Danielle & Leif’s spring wedding from last year at Snowline Acres. Marked by a light blue and ivory color palette, delicate wildflowers and countless sentimental touches, their big day felt timeless in its aesthetic and full of joy from beginning to end. 

In this post, we’ll take you behind-the-scenes of this spring wedding. We’ll show you the design elements that brought the vision to life, the flow of the timeline that made the day feel seamless, and all the meaningful moments that made this one of the most heartfelt weddings we’ve done. 

Reliving this special wedding day is the perfect way to celebrate the start of the spring season!

Spring Wedding Design Details: 

Let’s start by hearing from the bride herself! When asked how she chose their spring wedding color palette, Danielle said: 

“Since we were getting married in May, I wanted our wedding style to reflect the fresh, vibrant feel of spring. I chose a light blue as our main color because it felt soft and timeless. Our venue, Snowline Acres, was already so beautiful on its own, with warm wood tones and big windows. We kept our décor simple and tried to complement the space rather than compete with it.”

Snowline Acres is an indoor/outdoor wedding venue in Montana. Here, you can get married with the mountains right behind you, then celebrate in a rustic reception space with built-in market lights and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. So Danielle was absolutely right in saying that we didn’t need elaborate, over-the-top decor to accent the venue. The mountain views spoke for themselves!

Spring Wedding Ceremony Design:

As a result, we went with a wooden hexagonal arch for the ceremony site. Conrad Floral enhanced this with floral sprays in shades of peach, ivory and coral. The arch framed the unity ceremony table and of course, the mountains that Montana is named after. Eucalyptus markers with white ribbons hung from the chair ends on both sides of the aisle and perfectly complemented the floral on the arch. 

In the first row of white garden seats, we set up special memory chairs, reserved for Danielle and Leif’s loved ones in Heaven. These meant so much to them and their families, adding to the emotion and sentimentality of the day. 

One underrated ceremony design detail is your wedding party’s attire! When everyone gathers at the altar for the ceremony, your bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmens’ suits become prominent design features that draw the eye. That’s why it’s so important to select their attire carefully, ensuring it blends well with your overall wedding color palette. For Danielle and Leif’s spring wedding, the bridesmaids were in light blue chiffon gowns with her maid of honor in a special dress with a blue floral pattern. The guys wore dapper tan suits with light blue ties and colorful pocket boutonnieres. Together, everyone looked incredible, beautifully enhancing the natural scenery and the newlyweds’ overall spring wedding design. 

Spring Wedding Reception Design:

For Danielle and Leif’s spring wedding reception, we set simple but impactful table centerpieces. Some of the guest tables had wooden lanterns with hurricane candles and natural greenery. Others had dainty wildflowers in bud vases with mercury votives surrounding them. The head table sat at the front of the space right in front of the large windows that overlooked the ceremony site and mountain range. Here, we placed a lush floral arrangement at the center and after the ceremony, we repurposed Danielle’s bouquet and the bridesmaids’ bouquets to use as additional decor. 

One of the perks of being a Big Day Celebrations couple is that you get complimentary access to our in-house decor! We know that gathering all the little items you’ll need for your wedding can be overwhelming and that’s why we’ve sourced them for you! Here are some examples of pieces from our in-house collection that Danielle and Leif utilized for their spring wedding design: 

• Wooden Welcome Sign
• White Wooden Card Box
• Wooden Reserved Signs
• Votives
• Table Numbers
• Wood Slice Dessert Stands  

From signage to cake knives to lawn games and more, we have a wide variety of both functional and beautiful items you’re always free to pick from as a BDC couple!

Emotional First Looks:

Danielle and Leif’s spring wedding was not just stunning. It was filled with romance too! On the morning of, they began the day with two emotional first looks: one with Danielle’s dad and one with each other. The choice to include these tied into the overarching theme of the wedding: Intentional moments of connection. Planning a private first look with Danielle’s dad was her way of showing her appreciation and love for him. Danielle also made sure her mom felt extra loved on this day by gifting her with a custom portrait of the two of them together. Many happy tears fell that morning! 

Danielle and Leif’s first look together also doubled as a private vow exchange. Tucked in a quiet corner of the venue, Leif was especially emotional, the tears starting to prick his eyes even before he saw his blushing bride. Needless to say, the moment when he did turn around and see her was priceless! Danielle later told us that this was her personal favorite moment of the entire day. 

Here’s what she had to say about it:

“It was such an emotional, quiet moment just between the two of us before everything got busy. Being able to say our personal vows in private took a lot of pressure off and made it feel even more meaningful. It was calm, intimate, and exactly what I needed to soak everything in before the ceremony started.”

Spring Wedding Ceremony: 

Upon arriving for the ceremony, guests signed Danielle and Leif’s guest book, which was a custom wooden sign with their last name and wedding year on it. They greeted one another on the open lawn until we invited everyone to take a seat and cued the music for the processional. 

Danielle’s grandmother and great-grandmother were the first to walk down the aisle, escorted by Leif. Both of their moms were next, followed by the wedding party, flower girls, and ring bearer, who rode into the ceremony in style in a little white wooden wagon, swagged with light blue drapery. So cute!

Finally, Danielle’s dad escorted her down the aisle to the melody of the timeless “Canon in D.” She looked positively radiant in her strapless wedding gown, accentuated with a classic white pearl necklace and her vibrant wildflower bouquet. 

It was an absolutely beautiful spring wedding day made even better by the meaningful touches infused throughout. One of our favorite examples of this was the candle unity ceremony! Typically, this involves the bride and groom lighting a candle together to symbolize their union, but Danielle and Leif put their own twist on this tradition by inviting their moms to light the candle as well. This represented their two families coming together and was a heartfelt way to showcase how important family is to Danielle and Leif. 

Spring Wedding Cocktail Hour:

Once Danielle and Leif officially became husband and wife, it was time to celebrate! We kicked things off at cocktail hour, where their loved ones enjoyed appetizers of Korean meatballs, vegetarian empanadas, and caprese skewers. Through their signature drinks, the newlyweds invited guests to sample a taste of Montana! The state fruit here is huckleberry, whose taste is similar to that of a blueberry, except a little more potent and tart. Their distinct flavor and signature purple color make them perfect to go in cocktails and desserts! 

That day, guests sipped on huckleberry vodka lemonade and old fashioneds with Montana made bourbon. Later, they would get to indulge in wedding cake infused with huckleberry mousse. Just talking about it makes our mouths water! 

Spring weddings are the ideal time to take advantage of the outdoors, and this couple’s outdoor ceremony seamlessly transitioned into an outdoor cocktail hour. Guests mingled and played lawn games like cornhole and ladderball while the newlyweds captured portraits. When they were done, they got to join in the fun, visiting with their friends and family before the reception. 

Spring Wedding Reception:

Meaningful Reception Moments:

This spring wedding reception kicked off on a high note and that infectious energy buzzed in the room all night long! Starting with introductions, the bridesmaids donned hot pink cowgirl hats and sunglasses, and did a pre-choreographed dance together for their grand entrance. After each of the groomsmen made their way in with cheers, excited screams, and much laughter, Danielle and Leif made their debut as husband and wife. Together, they danced in, ending in the center of the dance floor with an iconic dip kiss! 

They then shared their first dance to the song, “God Gave Me a Girl” by Russell Dickerson. It was such a special moment, as all their favorite people encircled them with palpable love. Following this, Leif gave a sincere welcome and thank you speech to their guests before dinner service began. That evening, they all shared a wonderful meal of herb roasted chicken, beef tri-tip with chimichurri, and an assortment of comfort food sides, including a five cheese mac and cheese to die for, courtesy of The Kopper Kitchen. 

Then, it was time for the toasts. This tradition is always a meaningful one, but it was extra special at this spring wedding because of the family heirloom wine goblets that Danielle and Leif used. Originally used by Danielle’s great, great, great grandparents at their wedding, these glasses were passed down through FIVE generations. Yes, you heard that right! It was an incredibly significant touch to their wedding that meant so much and one they will truly never forget. 

Dance Floor Fun:

After honoring Leif’s mom and Danielle’s dad by dancing with each of them, the dance floor opened to all! The song to start it all off was “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, chosen specifically because one of the bridesmaids lost the March Madness family bracket, which meant she had to dance to a song of the winner’s choosing. It just so happened that her husband won and selected this silly, fun song just for her! 

This definitely set the bar for the rest of the night, as the dance floor remained packed, especially when the glow sticks came out! When we say this was a fun crowd, we’re not exaggerating! 

Nobody wanted the night to conclude, but when it did, it ended on a high! The final group dance was to “Sweet Caroline,” an absolute classic. Then, our team lined everyone up outside for Danielle and Leif’s final exit. As we did so, the newlyweds shared one last dance together, just the two of them. With the house lights dimmed and the market lights twinkling, it was one of the most romantic moments of the day. They swayed in each other’s arms to “I’m Gonna Love You” by Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood. When they were ready, they headed out to join their family and friends, who blew bubbles around them to close out this spring wedding in the most perfect of ways!

A Word from the Bride: 

After their spring wedding day, we asked Danielle, “What piece of advice would you give to couples planning their wedding?” and she answered:

“Get yourself a Katie! Hiring a wedding planner was hands-down the best decision we made. Katie helped us stay organized, brought our vision to life, and made sure everything ran smoothly so we could actually be present and enjoy the day. I truly don’t know how we would’ve done it without her.”

-Danielle

A Word from Katie: 

What an absolutely perfect spring wedding! Danielle and Leif, it was my pleasure and honor to help you plan your dream wedding. Thank you for placing your trust in me to pull this off, especially with handling your family’s wine goblets! I’ll truly never forget all the special moments and memories we all made together. Cheers to you! 

-Katie 

Montana Wedding Vendors: 

Wedding Planner: Big Day Celebrations

Venue: Snowline Acres

Photography: Dina Remi Photography

DJ & Photobooth: RMF Entertainment

Floral: Conrad Floral

Rentals: Empress Tents & Events

Cake: Miss Patti Cakes

Catering: The Kopper Kitchen

Bartending: Mavericks Casino

Officiant: Pastor Jim Johnson

Hair: Platinum Beauty Bar

Makeup: La Vita é Bella

Invitations: Minted

Suits/Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Birdy Grey

Let’s Plan Your Spring Wedding in Montana!

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!