Three things we love include: intimate weddings, our beautiful state of Montana, and our couples! The only thing that can make these better in our book is adding a mid century modern wedding twist, which just might be why we absolutely adored working on Ashley and Manny’s big day! These two lovebirds tied the knot surrounded by about 20 of their closest people and immersed in nature at Paddle Ridge. Their mid century modern wedding details included rich tones, an indoor/outdoor wedding reception lit up by twinkle lights and not one, but two wedding cakes!
If you’re not familiar with a mid century modern wedding, let us fill you in! The term “mid century modern” derives from an architectural and design style from the early 1900s. It can be recognized by drawing upon “retro” styles, clean lines, bold colors, and innovative materials. When translated into a wedding design, this can signify utilizing a sleek mix of saturated hues, various textures, and a playful combination of straight and curvy lines.
There are hundreds of ways to transform your big day into a mid century modern wedding, but in this post, we’ll illustrate how we did this for Ashley and Manny! We love to customize each of our couples’ wedding design to their specific personalities. This means a mid century modern wedding could look different for you, but we hope you find inspiration in this beautiful couple’s epic intimate wedding!
The Love Story:
Before getting to their mid century modern wedding day, Ashley and Manny fell in love through a magical journey that neither one of them saw coming. After various mediocre experiences on several dating apps, Manny recounts that he reluctantly downloaded just one more that promised to be “the last app” he’ll ever need. Naturally, he was skeptical of it, never having experienced much success from the apps, but turns out luck, divine intervention, or fate may have played a role that day.
He ended up matching with Ashley within minutes of him downloading this app. They each felt a connection almost instantly and quickly made plans to meet in real life. It wasn’t long before each of them were hooked on the other!
The Proposal:
Now is the time when we could tell you all about Ashley and Manny’s proposal prior to their mid century modern wedding. While we love recounting our couples’ journeys, we couldn’t possibly share this story better than Manny himself! In his own words, here is how Manny asked Ashley to be his wife:
“It took me a while to figure out how I was going to propose… I realized that my best shot was a romantic getaway where we could disconnect from life for a few days. This was also her birthday weekend, which would have been perfect (the old 2 birds 1 stone concept, but this stone was on a circular piece of gold).
So I had found a secluded cabin that overlooked the Great Smokey Mountains and I was going to use the ruse of a "birthday weekend escape." The cabin had a porch and the intent was that I would drop to one knee when either the sun was setting or rising (depending on if I could get her up that early). The scenery, the ambiance, there was no way she could say no.
She didn't have to say no, because work did it for me. I ended up having to work that weekend and couldn't get out of it. [Expletive redacted ;)].
Now weeks have passed, Ashley was still mildly upset at me for missing her "birthday" weekend, and I was struggling to find a way to propose. I was also getting anxious. Until one day I came to the realization that my proposal to her didn't have to be this larger than life gesture.
Maybe the best way to do it was in the home that we were building together... So I threw out the idea of a Hallmark proposal and got on board with proposing right inside of our living room. On one Friday, I filled the house with over 200 candles and exactly 2 dozen roses (thanks, Shenandoah), then patiently waited for her to get home from work. When she walked in, I couldn't hold it any longer, I dropped to one knee and asked her to marry me. In retrospect, I should have at least given her a chance to see the whole setup.”
We’re not crying, you are!
The Dress:
Ashley and Manny decided to have an intimate wedding in our beautiful Montana because they wanted a wedding that was like their relationship and future together: an adventure!
We found that Paddle Ridge was the perfect Montana wedding venue for them because of the indoor/outdoor element and gorgeous surrounding landscape. They could have their mid century modern wedding ceremony on the venue’s outdoor deck that overlooks the the lush forestry and mountain range. They could then celebrate under the twinkle lights of the reception pavilion, which would be decked out with the most romantic and lovely mid century modern wedding details.
But what kind of wedding dress would suit this adventurous mid century modern wedding? Just like Ashley never saw Manny coming, she didn’t see her perfect dress coming either! Originally, she thought she wants to wear a garden party-inspired dress with unique details and possibly some fun cutouts. However, once she tried on a more “classic” gown with off-the-shoulder puff sleeves, sweetheart neckline, and long, flowing skirt, she knew she found the one! Plus, it even had a sexy slit that gave her the uniqueness and boldness she was looking for!
The Ceremony:
Over the many years that we have planned and coordinated weddings, we have found that knowing the individual journey of each couple makes the wedding day itself that much sweeter. That was certainly the case with Ashley and Manny! Getting to know this amazing couple and hearing everything that led up to this mid century modern wedding made their big day even more epic!
On the day of, our owner and lead planner, Katie, managed set up while also navigating some rain drops! One of the biggest benefits in having a professional wedding planner in your corner is having the knowledge and experience to pivot and work around any unexpected thing that may come up on your most important day! So, while it was raining steadily all morning, Katie expertly liaised with the entire vendor team to set up the reception and then gauge if the ceremony could still take place outside and what to do either way. All the while, she ensured that Ashley and Manny remained relaxed, calm, and happy!
Luckily, divine intervention or fate once again stepped in on Ashley and Manny’s journey, as the rain magically let up as soon as it was time for the ceremony! They proceeded to tie the knot with a gorgeous wooden Chuppah and stunning floral sprays behind them. Not to mention the natural Montana landscape!
From the moment Ashley walked down the aisle to “I’m with You” by Vance Joy to when they signed the Ketubah to when their loved ones tossed flower petals in the air as they became husband and wife, this mid century modern wedding ceremony was the epitome of perfection.
The Cocktail Hour:
As the newlyweds captured family and couple portraits, their guests delighted in appetizers of charcuterie, smoked salmon crostini, Korean bison meatballs, and crab stuffed mushrooms. From the bar, they enjoyed the couple’s signature drink of a Montana Mule: a Montana twist on a Moscow Mule! This included bourbon with ginger beer and lime juice. Yum!
Once they wrapped up photos, our team repurposed the ceremony floral arrangements and all the bouquets to use as additional reception décor. We always love helping you maximize your décor and budget!
Katie then bustled Ashley’s gown before the party started!
The Mid Century Modern Wedding Reception:
In this couple’s mid century modern wedding reception, we set round guest dining tables covered in velvet emerald linens. Curved wooden chairs, gold rimmed chargers, metallic flatware, amber water goblets, and amber velvet napkins gorgeously decorated each place setting. We also set burgundy taper candles in gold holders, amber votives, and bud vases in the center of each table.
Ashley and Manny’s sweetheart table mirrored these tablescapes, complete with customized name place cards. A cozy lounge set sat caddy corner to the room, giving this mid century modern wedding reception an extra comfy and homey feeling.
Throughout the celebration that evening, we loved seeing Ashley and Manny overjoyed! From Manny’s welcome speech to the cake cutting (champagne cake AND Earl Gray Tea cake!) to this couple’s first dance under the antler chandelier, every moment was infused with sentimentality and bliss. Ashley even threw on her customized jean jacket that bore her new last name on the back for an extra shot of fun!
It was one epic evening!
Moody Adventure Session Photos in Glacier National Park:
But the fun didn’t end when this mid century modern wedding day did! The next day, Ashley and Manny embarked on an adventure session in Glacier National Park! Not only did they get to get all dressed up in their wedding attire again, but they got to explore the natural wonder of Glacier. Together with their photographer, they discovered incredible views, including open fields, meadows, and lakes, all with the mountains towering behind them!
Reason #523592 we love this couple? They are truly up for adventure! At the end of their session, they hopped in the lake to capture fun pictures in the water. This perfectly reflects the adventure and whimsy that is woven into their relationship and was the coolest way to finish off their adventure wedding weekend!
A Word from the Newlyweds:
When asked “What piece of advice would you give to couples planning their wedding?” the newlyweds said:
“I would recommend having a “Katie.” She was a wonderful wedding planner and made the wedding process seamless. I would also say don’t get drawn into tiny details and let yourself be stressed about something small. On the day of your wedding the only thing that matters is the celebration of you and your partner.”
-Ashley & Manny
A Word from Katie:
Ashley & Manny, thank you for being the most fun to work with! I had such a blast getting to know you both and bringing your mid century modern wedding vision to life! Everything turned out so beautifully and I wish you nothing but love and happiness forever!
-Katie
