There’s a reason White Raven is a favorite Montana wedding venue and Olivia + Josh’s summer wedding was absolute proof of why. Their dreamy destination wedding weekend just outside of Missoula, MT started with exploring the area with some outdoor fun like whitewater rafting, celebrated the couple in a stunning ceremony, and ended with a late night dip in the river.
Based on their plans for a wedding weekend extravaganza, I knew Olivia + Josh’s entire guest list was going to be a good time. Not a single person was local to the area, so everyone treated it like their own little getaway, which is such a fun idea for your wedding.
Leah + Aaron did something similar at another top-tier Montana wedding venue, Lone Mountain Ranch! Get more destination wedding inspo from their blog, too!
Olivia + Josh’s day started off with Olivia getting ready with her mom, hair + makeup by Micha V Beauty and doing a first look with her bridesmaids! Rather than doing a first look with Josh, they opted to do a “first touch” – this is a great option if you want the emotion of seeing each other while you walk down the aisle, but still want a moment together alone before the chaos of the wedding day ensues.
This first touch was incredibly sweet. They spent time talking about everything that got them here and that’s when Josh told the best story. They went on a trip together a few years earlier and when they got home, he immediately started writing his vows because he knew he’d want to marry her one day. It was always gonna be her for him. COME ON, how amazing is that? Olivia couldn’t help but turn around and give him a little squeeze. I won’t lie, I’m not a huuuuuuuge first look fan personally, but this one easily goes down as one of my favorites.
When it came to their ceremony, they centered it entirely around them. Even the wedding party was seated, so just Olivia + Josh were up under the altar. The entire weekend was planned by Emily Summer Studios and was perfect. They chose a ceremony site with a sweeping mountain valley in view – one of the multiple incredible spots to exchange vows at this particular Montana wedding venue. The altar was covered in greenery and stunning wildflower flower arrangements by Earth Within Flowers were laced through the bouquet + decor. I’m a sucker for wedding florals and Melissa killed it with these drool-worthy blooms!
When it came to the reception, I knew it was a small group, but wasn’t sure what to expect. Would they party hard? Just chill + hang together? (Both equally fun, by the way!) They did all of the traditional wedding reception things: family photos, cake cutting, cute toasts, sunset wedding photos, and a sparkler exit. They partied hard lol.
But all night long, there was talk of going to the river. Of getting crazy and jumping in, something I wouldn’t dare miss! And eventually they did! The wedding party piled into golf carts and off they went, down to the river nearby! One by one, they jumped in, Olivia still in her dress + Josh in his suit pants, wedding party losing their clothes along the way lol. I was right there with them, camera flashing to capture some seriously epic after-dark photos!
Straight from the river they headed back to warm up in the hot tub, leaving more water on the ground than in the tub itself. It was spontaneous, fun, and an absolutely fitting end to an incredible wedding day at White Raven.
Take a look at these photos! Make sure to scroll until the end so you don’t miss those river photos. They’re too good!
And if you’re thinking about getting married at White Raven (or any Montana wedding venue), I’d love to be right there capturing it all. You can tell me about all of your plans right here!
Xx, J
