How to Plan A Montana Elopement

After being in the wedding industry for over 25 years, we have seen a lot of trends come and go. (Anyone else noticing the baby’s breath comeback??) One trend that has steadily grown into a favorite of ours? Eloping! What was once looked at as a less than desirable way to celebrate a wedding has become something more and more clients walk in describing as their perfect day.  And truthfully, a Montana elopement is hard to beat.

If you are out of state or just not sure where to start we rounded up some of our best advice to help your day go smoothly.

Decide on your favorite season!

We realize this might seem like a weird first step when planning a Montana elopement, but our seasons vary so much that they present different options.

Summer Season – mid June through beginning of September

Summer elopements often include large mountain views with dinners served outside underneath our beautiful sailcloth tents. Our summer brides have also been known to hike to their ceremony – the best way to get stunning alpine views!

Winter Season – end of October through end of April

Whereas, our winter elopements tend to focus on traditional winter activities (like a horse drawn carriage ride) that don’t veer too far from the fireplace and are always supplied with plenty of blankets.

Once you are able to narrow down what YOU envision for your dream elopement, you can pick a date and start planning!

Find your dream photographer.

We feel so lucky to live in one of the most beautiful states full of talented photographers who know how to capture it.  We always suggest to start your search with our our preferred photographers!

Pick a Montana Elopement Venue

The beautiful thing about elopements is you get to be creative! If you are wanting a traditional venue with just a smaller celebration there are a few local venues that offer elopement packages. Or you can always go with a local Airbnb! (This beautiful lodge is only a mere 5 minutes away from our showroom.)

Montana is filled with trails and offers two National Parks, meaning you could have some really stunning elopement backdrops! That being said certain locations require specific permits.  For instance, Glacier National Park has different stipulations compared to Yellowstone National park. (To our out of state guests: the National Park seasons vary greatly. We highly suggest looking up typical opening and closing days for the parks.)

Choose your rentals.

Naturally, our favorite part.  Not every wedding needs an eight course meal, but every wedding should be memorable! With a smaller guest count, toss tradition out the window and let your guests sit on plush chairs and couches.  A few of our sweet brides this summer even discovered that our velvet rust colored couch can make for a fun photo op!

A beautiful way to add style to your tabletop is to mix glassware.  Whether you want bold options or something more classic, mixing glassware can bring an unexpected element of design.

Our Pure Glassware blends beautifully with our more simplified Recycled Glassware on top of a traditional white linen.  Even our more ornate Amber Goblet complements the Bella Goblet in a rustic Montana elopement. View our entire glassware collection here!

No matter what you choose for your Montana elopement we are always honored to be a part of your day. Here’s to creating the wedding day you always dreamed of!

Quick references for a Montana Elopement:

• Marriage licenses for Gallatin County
• Don’t forget to bring your birth certificate along with you if you are from out of state! This is required to get a marriage license.
• HitchSwitch – take the guesswork out of changing your name!