Weddingbee

You may have noticed that when I posted the final layout of our invitations, I listed “Bowman Lake” as our ceremony location and provided directions.

Bowman Lake is beautiful and peaceful, just 8 miles past Polebridge inside the remote Northwest reaches of Glacier National Park. It’s also flat and accessible, with plenty of parking and restrooms. We figured it’d be a perfect place to hold the ceremony, with a reception following in Polebridge.

Well, at the time I posted those invite proofs, I was operating under the assumption that our permit to wed in the Park at the lake had been approved. Two days later, I found out it had been denied.

It turned out that while the Special Permits coordinator had been optimistic, the on-site ranger had decided that our event (90-110 people) was simply too large and would prevent regular use of the lake. It was disappointing to hear, but not entirely unexpected, so we switched back to our original plan of having both the wedding and reception in Polebridge.

On the down side, the plates for our invites had been made that day and we had to recast three of them to reflect the changes. I’m only out an extra $45, so it’s not too big of a deal, but it did add some more time to the turnaround.

Oh well, at least our invitations reflect our actual ceremony location this time… and it’s the same location it was to begin with: Polebridge.

We visited Polebridge the second day of my Montana “Super Wedding Weekend.” It was a relaxing change of pace after all the wedding-errand related madness of the day before.

And now, for your enjoyment, here is the “somewhat grand” tour of Polebridge:

1. The approach

New growth in the wake of the 2003 Roberts Megacomplex, which burned along both Camas and North Fork roads on the approach to Polebridge

Mountains in Glacier Park set back against one of the many fields lining North Fork road.

2. The Mercantile & Saloon

The classic red roof of the Polebridge Merc, which will bake our wedding cake (vanilla with huckleberries and a buttercream frosting) and mini-pies (cherry and huckleberry)

To the left, the Northern Lights Saloon & Restaurant, which will provide our food and drink as well as function as a cash bar for guests. To the right, a sand volleyball court (yay!). In the center, set back, you can see the main stage

3. Stage and soft seating

The wooden stage, currently shuttered, where our band will play post-reception. To the left, by the old BBQ, you can see a little covered nook, which we will decorate and use to offer guests ice water, bottled coke, signature cocktails, and beer/wine during the dancing.

The raised sound booth (left) has a beautiful, shady alcove underneath it, which we’ll use for a bride and groom’s retreat during the dancing. The center path leads to the volleyball field and mercantile. The building set behind the benches and tables is the saloon. The benches will serve as soft seating before the ceremony (while everyone mingles), during the cocktail hour, and during dancing. We plan on setting out tea lights in mason jars. The “fence” wraps around the whole stage area and is strung with lights… we might add ribbons and flowers to the mix.

4. Field for our ceremony and reception

Ignoring the wheelbarrow and burn pile, this is where our ceremony will be held. We’ll set up rows of chairs facing the mountains and we will be married standing on the edge of the creek that runs behind those reeds. In the late afternoon light, it should be beautiful. (Wildfires and weather permitting!)

Looking the opposite direction, you can see that the flat, grassy area extends back quite a bit toward several rental cabins and houses. Our tented reception will be set back from the ceremony in the field.

South of the field, there is a path that runs along the creek to a series of beautiful brushy areas and a small wedding circle. We thought about using this area for our ceremony as it is much more private than the lawn, but even with the brush cleared, the ground is too uneven for chairs and the approach is a bit too rough for the older guests.

5. Cabins

The old icehouse is one of several cabins for rent in Polebridge. This is where our wedding coordinator will be staying the nights before and after the wedding. It’s so cool (in temperature AND aesthetic) inside!

Very rustic - you have to bring your own bedding! We’ll also use the icehouse cabin for bridal staging after I drive in from the Park. (I plan to wear my dress for a few photos at Lake McDonald Lodge and then wear street clothes to Polebridge in the car before changing back into it in the cabin.)

The front of another of the cabins. Some of these will make wonderful backdrops for wedding photos!

6. Video walk-through

I put together a video walk-through of Polebridge so you can get an idea of what this all looks like in 3D. The walk-through is from the road by the mercantile (where guests will park or be let off the shuttle bus), past the volleyball field, into the stage and soft-seating area (for the pre-ceremony gathering, cocktail hour, and music), past the stage and into the field for the ceremony and reception. The last part of the video shows some of the wild areas along the creek.

Our wedding will be set up with signs and pathways so that guests will hopefully follow a similar route from the road to the ceremony.

And that’s it for the tour. Any questions?

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