Wedding Blog

After our bouquet and garter tosses, the Good Wood Band again took the stage for the second half of their three-hour set. By this time it was very dark - the kind of pitch blackness you can only experience on a cloudy night in the middle of nowhere - and quite cold. But the rain from earlier had still not returned, and between dancing, drinking, and huddling near the wood stove, we were staying warm and content.

Maybe it was the booze talking, but I really felt like Good Wood kicked it up a notch after intermission. We spent the last part of the evening dancing furiously, me with my skirt hiked up over my boots. You can see that the wet grass and mud have taken a toll on the hem…

My sisters were getting their shimmy-shake on with each other when they couldn’t find other dance partners…

At this point in the evening, we’d also invited all the Polebridge regulars to join the party, so some folks from the merc and saloon, including several out-of-town visitors, were enjoying the food, drink, and music with us.

We had brought over 400 tea-lights from Seattle with the hope that they’d be used to set the mood, and they were lit in various locations around the stage. Some candles sat in the open, along the tree house windows and in the grotto. Others were placed in mason jars hanging from our shepherd’s hooks, which made a path from the reception tent to the stage, and were clustered around the stage and bar area.

On the tables by the stage seating, we placed our DIY tin can lanterns, each with a tea-light inside, and interspersed between them the flowers that had hung from shepherd’s hooks during the ceremony. Backlit by the twinkle lights strung along the fence, the effect was stunning:

From the top of the tree house, here’s what the stage seating looked like after dark:

And my favorite shot of the lanterns and flowers:

On stage, Good Wood kept us dancing. The gentleman with the beard is band leader Christian Johnson, who was earlier playing the mandolin. He’s got real talent!

Because you asked for it, here’s a short clip that my aunt took of Good Wood playing. Be warned that the video isn’t of the highest quality, but the audio is still decent. (It skips in the middle because I stitched together two smaller clips.)

As the evening drew to a close, Mr. CP and I were surrounded by our close friends, who embraced us into a whirlwind of dance. Everyone was laughing and crying as they congratulated us and wrung their hands at the thought of leaving. No one wanted to go, but the last dance was drawing closer every minute…

I could have been sad but by then, I wasn’t feeling anything but love. Dancing the night away in my favorite place with my favorite people, nothing could have been better.

Nicole caught me mid-dance move in this next photo, and while it’s a bit bizarre, I think it captures perfectly what I was feeling. (Also, my boobs look fab-u-lous!)

Though I would have preferred that the moment never came, Good Wood soon announced that their second encore would be their last . Sadly, no amount of heckling (from me) could get them to stay. So I drew near to my new husband and we wrapped our arms around each other for one last dance…

Now, I can’t remember what the song was, but apparently we both knew it, because here we are singing right along, howling at an invisible summer moon…

We couldn’t draw the song out forever, so with a final dip…

…and a sweet kiss to savor the moment, we finished our last dance.

Then we said goodbye to Good Wood.

After the band started to pack up, there were only a few of our family members and close friends remaining.

The rain had held off as long as it could. As soon as the music stopped, skies opened once again, sending us running for cover.

Those who had driven to Polebridge headed back to their cars. Everyone riding the bus home pillaged the cocktail bar for the last of the infusions (here I am with the dregs of the “purple stuff”) before joining us in the Northern Lights Saloon for an impromptu “after party”.

Between our group, the Polebridge regulars, and some weekend visitors, we filled the saloon to the brim. Can you spot me in the photo below?

I decided that it was a good time to break out my cowboy hat. Better late than never, right?

The drunker I get, the more generous I am, so I tried to buy everyone a round…

…but of course no one would let me. The drinks flowing were free, and we had half a keg left on top of that, so no one was for want of any libation.

A note on the tip (sip?) jar in the saloon. If this is true, we certainly racked up some good karma that night…

Everyone was still very concerned with making sure I had everything I needed, particularly Heather from the saloon (who took care of our catering and beer) and our coordinator Katalin from Katalin Green Design (who was responsible for putting our event together behind the scenes). Here they are at the end of the night, heads together, still working.

I found them both at the saloon and expressed my sincerest gratitude. Then, we all boogied down to the music… Good Wood wasn’t there to serenade us, but there were people playing the guitar and piano by the bar!

I’m amazed that I still look this well put-together after having been done-up and dressed over twelve hours ago.

I was feeling pretty haggard though, and my dress had definitely seen better days. When I first saw this photo, I thought, “Ugh, what is this!? A dirty diaper?” Nope, this is the hem of my dress…

After a good professional cleaning, there’s no more dirt on the hem, but no amount of treatment could repair some slight yellowing from water damage to the silk. Oh well, I’m a tall girl (5’ 11″) so whoever next wears this dress will just have to be a few inches shorter than me.

While we were partying in the saloon, we had a bit of a surprise. At exactly eleven o’clock, the lights went out.

It wasn’t that the storm had knocked down a line somewhere, but it was a power outage of sorts… Polebridge is the only town remaining in the lower 48 states to be run entirely by generator. Every evening after night falls and the dinner crowds have been replaced by the drinkers, the generators power down. There is only a moment of darkness, and then the electric lights throughout the town are replaced by hurricane lamps and gas lanterns.

I can tell you now that the warm, relaxed atmosphere in the saloon was only amplified by this transition. My best girl Rachel and I were all laughter and smiles.

But we were also, all of us, utterly exhausted. We’d been at Polebridge since 1:30 PM that day, and in some form of wedding-related preparation since 10 AM. It was only midnight, but it felt much later. When I noticed a few of our friends snoozing sitting up on the piano bench, and considered the 40-minute drive back to Glacier, we decided it was time to cash in our chips and call it a day.

With that, we all stumbled aboard the last bus back to the Lake McDonald Lodge. Sleepy and sauced, the ride passed in a blur of half-sleep and drunken conversation. But soon we were all back to our rooms and tucked into bed, warm and safe as the rain was falling. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day.

Thank you all so much for sharing our wedding day with us! And stay tuned: I’ve got two more posts in the pipeline that will recap (with lots of new photos) all the little details in full, glorious color.

Following that, I still have to share our Zihuatanejo honeymoon with you. Mrs. Cherry Pie ain’t going anywhere for a little bit!

[Credits: All original images and post-processing courtesy of Piknik Studios.]

Previously:
Married in Montana: The Rehearsal
Married in Montana: The Girls Get Ready
Married in Montana: The Guys Get Ready
Married in Montana: The Bus Ride to Polebridge
Married in Montana: Pre-Ceremony Preparations
Married in Montana: Staging the Ceremony
Married in Montana: Our Wedding Ceremony (Part 1 of 2)
Married in Montana: Our Wedding Ceremony (Part 2 of 2)
Married in Montana: Receiving Line & Refreshments
Married in Montana: Cocktail Hour
Married in Montana: Bride & Groom Portraits
Married in Montana: Family Photos
Married in Montana: Wedding Party Portraits
Married in Montana: Our Rustic Reception
Married in Montana: Toasting
Married in Montana: Just Desserts
Married in Montana: Making it Official
Married in Montana: Glamour Shots!
Married in Montana: Portraits of Our Guests
Married in Montana: First Dances
Married in Montana: Bouquet and Garter Toss