Real Montana Weddings – Christopher _ Crystal

Christopher and Crystal have been dating since September, 2007. Crystal is from San Diego and Christopher is from Havre. We met when Chris was living in Los Angeles working for a large accounting firm. Our journey together has taken us to Los Angeles, Silicon Valley and now Missoula. Along ourway we have met some of the most amazing people, and we wanted a wedding that would be a celebration big enough to include all of our friends and family.

We wanted everyone on our guest list of over 200 to enjoy Montana. We decided on Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork because of its convenience and breathtaking scenery.

The cocktail hour was provided with hor d’oeuvres of some of the couple’s favorite items like chicken and waffles, bacon wrapped dates, and prosciutto wrapped melon.

After we cut our wedding pie, we all danced the night away. There were very few people left in their seats because the dance floor was the place to be. After the wedding died down many of the guests stayed around a campfire and recapped on the great night. It was a perfect way to end an amazing day.

What was unique about your wedding?

We planned a three-day party for our wedding guests. We had most of our guests check into Flathead Lake Lodge on a Thursday and stay on the property until Sunday. We had friends and family come from all over the U.S. and Canada and even as far as Belgium. It was unbelievable that we had over 200 people come together to witness such a joyous event for the two of us.

We also used all things Montana that we could offer. Our guest book was a bench made by a local carpenter (Blue Dog Furniture). Dance lessons were from Downtown Missoula Dance Collective. Our wedding favors were honey from bee hives in Chinook (Bears Paws Atiariesas). The paper goods were all done by Noteworthy in Missoula. All attire was from J Scott Couture from Bigfork. All floral arrangements and wedding planning was provided by Conrad Floral from Bigfork. We offered pie instead of a cake and the pies were done by Break Espresso in Missoula.

Advice for THose sTarTing To Plan?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. It is not worth the stress. Also, enjoy every minute. When you are up at the altar, take a breath and look out at everyone. They are all there to celebrate this union.

I also think that having at least a day of a planner is priceless. They are great to track a timeline, keep everyone on track, and make sure that all your big day’s details are catered to. Joyce at Conrad Floral was a huge asset.

What would you change if you could go back?

I would have not changed a thing. Everything went so smoothly. I would only want to go back and enjoy it again.