A follow for a follow

I have now successfully been planning my wedding for a year and a month!

 Now on to the details to make our wedding the one(well one of the ones) of 2014! I would love to grab inspiration from you! My vow to you... if you are a bride, wedding planner, groom, bridesmaid, other important role of a 2014 wedding... I will follow you if you first pin this image and follow me on one of my boards. Follow me on Pinterest!! 

 Great way to see the gals and gents that this is their YEAR too!

 

 

 

 

 

More on the chaos of wedding planning later but I do have a couple updates... one on to caterer number three? really I am bad luck and with six months to go? yuppers. Hired an awesome photographer and videographer my dreams are complete... kinda am footing the bill on the luxary item of videographer not in our in-laws budget or my budget based on the numbers they gave us so I don't care I will be one happy bride-y. Photobooth check check, I do not know if they are 2012ish or still cool I have never been to a wedding with one but guess what guests you will have one... mil's request gotta love that :)

Pinterest wedding fun

Rants and Reviews on Montana Wedding Places

Well some will be more rants and some will be more awe! I headed to Montana two weekends ago and found the place where my other and I will have our wedding reception and wedding at!

Remember this list?

Bridger Bowl

{beautiful modern lodge}

Gallatin River Lodge

{pristine}

The Ponds

(worth a shot?}

Rainbow Ranch

{Please let the group area work}

Rockin' TJ Ranch

(okay the lady that called was awesome!! probably won't get to tour this time)

320 Guest Ranch

(Dude ranch on steroids great package pricing)

Union Pacific Dining Lodge 

(Rustic on the cheap and DIY potential and umm cheap)

our search for the perfect venue

 

Let me edit it for you! 

Bridger Bowl

{beautiful modern lodge}

This place is amazing! It is a bit out of the way (main reason for us not picking it :(  but Jesus Lord Almighty... The views are stunning! the place is a lot classier than your average ski lodge and oh the surroundings perfection! We had an awesome visit to this place! The staff were amazing! 

Gallatin River Lodge

{pristine} Didn't get to see

The Ponds

(worth a shot?}Didn't get to see

Rainbow Ranch

{Please let the group area work} :( Did not work for our size of group spendy but worth every penny

Rockin' TJ Ranch

(okay the lady that called was awesome!! probably won't get to tour this time) Didn't get to see

and then...

The BAD!

a place that shall remain nameless so they do not kill me ;) email if you want to know journalforourjourney@gmail.com

 :'O Umm let's just say we have a lot of inside jokes because of this place. I honestly thought at one point I was getting kidnapped. They have great views but the website glorifies a lot more than they actually have. This is a great place if you need people to tell you what to do. I work the other way I like to plan and have my plans executed. I mentioned about how to make the space work for our group and giving them some of my wedding planning insight they shot me down and well I was done with the rude attitude of the day. Sorry but this is not the place for me and I honestly would not tell my worst enemy to try it for a wedding. Accommodations were beautiful a pro and I did add it to our wedding email list telling people about there wonderful packages just not for us.

It just got creeper and creeper we started out in the lodge... dead animals everywhere I know Montana =hunt = food= décor but I am a vegetarian and I had a strict wall to animal ratio and they were just under it. We arrived early and got a nasty vibe that she did not want us there... early that is. She took us to the itty bitty dining space that they pass off as the reception area. That can accommodate the appropriate number but I doubt they could move if you had that many people in there. It was dingy stained and gross. Our guests would be sectioned off a little with apparent different areas. The dance floor was in the middle of the itty bitty room making the space seem smaller and became Closter phobic.  We were taken to the outside where it was freezing to sit on metal rusty chairs. To go over details. She asked me my name already and more information about me I didn't feel comfortable by the way she asked them in a prosecuting manner. I was doubting myself and felt like a child. We then went into a van that she had a little step stool she insisted that we use without a hand up nor down which is really hard I rather use the oh crap bar in the car to help get up and down. but no. so I got out before everyone and helped them down nana included. We stopped at a makeshift picnic area with a portajohn. A place that costs around 2000 dollars that you could honestly find better in a run down park. it was by the water and had a sand pit. The problem I really had with this place is their terrible ideas for pricing. Want an outdoor wedding? that's great but if you do not have a back up plan ie the icky dinning area or a tent you're sol... but guess what they can call the rental place for that $3000 tent or rent the dining lodge to "hold it" for you. at the same fee as if you were to have it there. Unfortunately they require you to book two different spaces for ceremony and reception. So if you get married in a field $2000 and want your reception at the dining area $2000 but need a back up plan for the field $2000(which you are required to pay!!!! just in case) Backward thinking and terrible hostess made this place extremely creepy!!

 

THE GOOD

Union Pacific Dining Lodge 

(Rustic on the cheap and DIY potential and umm cheap) {{Winner}}
Okay so if you've lived in this area I am sure you've been to a billion functions that have taken place in this beautiful lodge. But luckily for us we are having a destination wedding where only a couple people have ever sat foot in the lodge. I like that it is in town walking distance to accommodations or as I wrote before to a friend within stumble distance ;) I can successfully be extremely liberated and walk the five minutes to my cabin in my dress. They are currently changing hands of who operates it so we may have gotten the deal of the century which I am so so thankful for. They include a whole bunch of things that you typically have to pay extra for and rent. I am in love that it includes a full catering kitchen and enough space for everyone. I am sure our event will be the best this place has ever seen since our budget has  been saved without an extreme mark up of the wedding factor. We are blessed to have been introduced to this marvelous place by my others aunt err uncle.  

Journal Journey 

Off to where?

my search continues

 

I am going on a plane tomorrow...

to where?

to find the perfect wedding location .   .   . again!
I will be flying solo. Ah two fears together. With the cherry on top of my lover saying propeller plane. Thanks, thanks babe.

I will be going to the beautiful state of Montana to see if I can plan a destination wedding that kicks major @$$.

We as in me and myself and future mother in law, nana, and my future father in law will get to a chance to see first hand how drop dead gorgeous these venues are (hopefully) in person.

To make the list:
Indoor possibilities for reception
Accommodations at the place or within walking distance (maybe a few skipped this requirement)
Close to an airport
Can hold our group of 110ish awesome VIPs


I fly into Bozeman airport tomorrow afternoon!!


Places I wouldn't mind checking out: This trip is centering on West Yellowstone and Bozeman area.

Bridger Bowl

{beautiful modern lodge}

 

Gallatin River Lodge

{pristine}

 

The Ponds

(worth a shot?}

 

Rainbow Ranch

{Please let the group area work}

 

Rockin' TJ Ranch

(okay the lady that called was awesome!! probably won't get to tour this time)

 

320 Guest Ranch

(Dude ranch on steroids great package pricing)

 

Union Pacific Dining Lodge 

(Rustic on the cheap and DIY potential and umm cheap)