Let the Honeymoon Begin!

After the reception, we headed over to the west side of the mountains.  Our photographer Kelly was from over there, so she offered to follow us and take some sunset/mountain pictures.  We were so excited about this!  Of course, it was hard to leave the reception and all the people we love who were gathered in one spot just for us.  So that, coupled with the major wind storm that came up just as everyone was waiting in the drive way to see us off, delayed us a bit.  While we had good intentions of following each other, Kelly ended up leaving like 30 minutes before us.  Let's just say our first road trip as a couple turned out to be a little more stressful that we had planned.  I was stuffed in my dress in the car for like 2 hours and my husband was driving a bit faster than I would have liked.  It's just that after the sunset/mountain picture option was put in front of me, I fell in love with the idea.  I was seriously going to be crushed if I didn't pan out.  So, my amazing husband gave it his best shot.  We ended up pulling in to the lake just 5 minutes after Kelly, and since the sun stays up until like 10 p.m. in July, we were golden.  We had about 20 minutes of awesome pictures. It was totally worth it!

So besides agreeing on the location, I didn't have much to do with the planning of the honeymoon.  It was hard for me at first, since I too love to plan things, but it ended up being so perfect!

We spent the first two days on the west side of the mountains in Montana.  I think the two of us slept almost 12 hours the first night.  It was perfect not to have to get up at 6:00 a.m. the first day to catch our flight.  We spent the time walking around the shops downtown, eating delicious food, having huckleberry ice cream, and a mini adventure called "Walk in the Treetops" where we walked on wooden planks suspended 70 feet off the ground.

 

signing my new name :)

 

Our Photographer Kelly

Our photographer Kelly was absolutely fabulous, as was her second shooter, Sonesta.  We can't say enough good things about them.  They were spunky, chill, organized, and creative all at the same time.  Here is a snapshot of what the day was like courtesy of Kelly Kirksey Photography:

 

GNP + Cookout + Boat Ride = Rehearsal Dinner Perfection

Since we had so many friends and family in town for the wedding, we did something a little unconventional for the rehearsal dinner to accommodate the 60+ loved ones.  We headed up to the Two Medicine picnic area in Glacier National Park. I have so many fond memories from growing up just 12 miles from there and with the mountains/lake as a backdrop--no decorations necessary!  A big thanks to my mom and the many hands that prepared the delicious food and to my dad for treating us all to a private boat ride on the lake.  It was the perfect celebration!