How To Use The Naturally Untamed Beauty Of Your Wedding In Idaho
With the Rocky Mountains photobombing every one of your wedding photos it's hard not to have epic wedding photos to look back on. But this Idaho couple took what could have been quite literally a "hot mess" with lat summer wildfire burning in the area and captured some of the most beautiful moments with all their friends and family.
The gorgeous atmospheric quality of this couples wedding photos is due in part to the wildfire smoke as well as the talented Megan Robinson who captured the whole day with her camera lens. You can see all the photos in our full gallery.
What Are You Wearing?
From the Bride: I always wanted a gold dress, and I only tried on three or four dresses before I found the one I wanted.
My bridesmaids all got their dresses from different places! I just gave them a color to look for, because I wanted them to get dresses that they felt good in and would wear again.
A Naturally Untamed Beauty
Stanley is a really special place to us. We wanted everyone to see how beautiful it is and experience what Idaho has to offer. We just tried to let the scenery speak for itself. We also wanted it to be easy and fun for all our guests. Our goal was to create a full weekend experience for them so they could relax and let go as much as possible.
We didn't want to interfere with the landscape very much, so we kept our decoration minimal and we used things that are found in Idaho naturally, like the antler altar, the wildflowers, and the sage and feathers. We also really wanted our friends and family to feel valued because they have all played such an important role in our lives and have supported us so much, so their comfort and happiness were our first priority.
The huge wildfire helped make it memorable too! There was one near disaster, but we didn't even know about it until much later! There was a huge forest fire nearby which was blocking one of the roads, and the caterer almost didn't make it in time. Luckily they did and everything went off without a hitch!
Make Plans & Then Let It Go
If a wedding planner fits your budget, they are the best investment! Our planner was wonderful and made everything so easy for us. Even if its just a partial planning package, it is so worth it.
Also, if a lot of people are traveling to your wedding from out of town, it is helpful to make the guests a guide to things to do. It can just be a list of hikes, museums, restaurants, bars, etc. so that they feel empowered to plan activities and make the most out of their visit to the area.
Don't worry too much about the little details! What matters most if the people who are there. No one will remember if there are small mishaps or details missing. They WILL remember the feelings of joy and love that they experience
Budget Breakdown
We ended up spending more than we thought we would, mostly because more people came than we thought! Our venue was relatively cheap (we just rented out a park), and our flowers were inexpensive because a lot of them were grown in the garden of a very generous family friend. Click to find the budget!
Planned Budget: $30,000
Actual Budget: $40,000
Number of Guests: 175
- Cakes & Catering: Open Table Boise
- Cakes & Catering: Hank & Sylvies
- Event Planning & Design: Ivory and Beau
- Event Planning & Design: Idaho Wildflower Events
- Flowers: Tarabella Flowers
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: The Feathered Flip
- Photographers: Megan Robinson
- Wedding Dresses: Sarah Seven