A Magical “Western Chic” Wedding Weekend in Montana

The wide expanses of the American West have been special to bride Haley for a long time. When she was growing up, her dad would take the family out to Big Sky Country for adventurous trips full of fly fishing and exploring. When Haley first brought now-husband-Adam with her for a visit, he quickly understood why the West had won her heart.

“There is nothing like it out there,” the couple says.

So Haley + Adam—based in Florida—decided to plan a destination wedding weekend in Montana with help from planners and event designers Josiah + Justin of SAMKOMA that would capture the “adventure, spirit, and rugged charm of the West” while still staying true to the couple’s unique personal style.

“We knew many of our guests would be flying in from across the country, some going west for the first time,” the couple says, “and we wanted them to experience the magic of Montana that we had grown to appreciate and love so much.”

Haley + Adam began the celebrations by skipping the traditional rehearsal dinner and opting for a hoedown complete with chuck wagons! And the following day’s wedding at Rock Creek Cattle Company was an elegant Western dream.

Hats. Boots. Beyond beautiful scenery. There was so much to love about Haley + Adam’s chic-yet-rustic Western wedding weekend, and Presley Gray took the pics to prove it.

The Night Before

What a way to start the weekend! “We wanted our guests to feel like they weren’t just there for a wedding,” Haley + Adam say, “but also for their own little adventure in the state known as the “Last Best Place.'”

If Haley + Adam’s unforgettably unique pre-wedding plans have you feeling inspired to think outside the box, check out our guide on how to plan a rehearsal dinner! It’s full of creative planning ideas!

How cute are those personalized leather drink holder from Circa ’62 Leather Works! Love that they’re stamped with the wedding date. 🥰

Oh, and that engagement ring! Round-cut, diamond band perfection.

“I picked a Monique Lhuillier floral mini-dress that broke the mold of rehearsal night tradition,” says Haley of this absolutely adorable white embroidered flowery look. “I paired it with green Tecovas boots and a straw hat with florals in it that Meshika made for me that day.”

Take a peek at our list of the best rehearsal dinner dresses if you’re still searching for your own night-before look!

The Wedding Day

We spy some white, Western wedding boots!

These absolutely gorgeous deep green wedding invites were created by Lettered Press. LOVE the bison envelope liner!

Even Haley’s wedding hairstyle captured the rustic-yet-elegant feel of the day! So into her piecey updo from Bridal Hair By Victoria and her natural glam wedding makeup by Fumi.

The First Look

“We met organically at a local coffee and tea shop, just before the world hit pause for COVID,” remember Haley + Adam. “We had some mutual friends and had both been regulars at the shop for over a year.”

“It was one of those perfect situations where our paths finally crossed.”

The Ceremony

These gorgeous arrangements from The Wild Blume captured all of the colors innate to the gorgeous Montana prairie landscape.

Adam’s groomsmen skipped the traditional suits and instead rocked jeans, black cowboy hats, and bolo ties to keep with the elevated Western feel of the day.

Our Favorite Memory
The most memorable moment of our wedding day definitely has to be when Adam got stung by a bee right in the middle of the ceremony. Adam tried to play it cool, Haley told him to play it off, but you could see the surprise on his face! Haha. It definitely added an unexpected twist to the day and gave everyone a good laugh. In that moment, we realized that no matter what happens, it’s all part of our story—and that’s what makes it so special. 
Another memorable moment was having Meshika Hats set up a custom hat bar for our guests right there on the ranch. It added a fun, personalized touch that perfectly captured the spirit of the weekend. Guests were able to pick out their own unique straw hat which Meshika custom fitted to their heads and helped decorate. Guests were able to wear the hat to the rehearsal night (we did a hoedown style night with chuck wagons) as well as the ceremony. This created a festive atmosphere that had everyone feeling like part of the celebration. It was such a memorable way to embrace the western theme and ensure that everyone left with a special keepsake from the day!
The custom bourbon bottles were another memorable detail. Customized with our wedding branding and story about us on the back, forever cherished! All guests got these in their welcome bags to take home with them.

Prairie Portraits

“Finding my wedding dress was quite the journey!” says Haley of how she chose her strapless Reem Acra gown and created this stunning long sleeve lace bridal silhouette. “After hitting four stores in Miami and feeling disappointed, I was ready to throw in the towel. But on a whim, I decided to check out one last place that day—Chic Parisian in Coral Gables. And that’s where the magic happened!”

“I said yes to the second dress I tried on, and it brought all of us to tears,” Haley says. “Everything about it felt perfect, from the long sleeves, the low back to the high neckline. There was something about a classic dress being worn on a muddy ranch that made perfect sense to me.”

“I knew I wanted a cathedral veil,” says Haley. “I wanted to wear the veil over my face as I walked down the aisle, along with a good pair of Lucchese boots to complete the vision I had in mind. Plus, I envisioned something I could eventually pass down if we had a daughter one day.”

“The Monique Lhuillier lace bolero was detachable, giving me the choice to wear the Reem Acra gown with or without the lace.”

A great idea from Haley to help pace the excitement of the dress-buying process: “Plan a fun try-on day with your best girlfriends before you go on your “real” dress journey! I’d never tried on dresses like this before, and it was such a blast just going to a local spot and enjoying the experience with my girls. My “real” dress day with my mom, sisters, and Adam’s mom was even more relaxed and enjoyable because by then, I had a clearer vision of what I wanted.”

There’s just something so romantic about wearing your groom’s Stetson. 🤠 🖤

The Reception

A clear top tent and twinkly string lighting from Montana Party Time made for sunset sky views and a romantic, glowy reception.

Delicately patterned white table linens from BBJ La Tavola echoed the elegant lace details of Haley’s gown and paired beautifully with the more rustic table decor elements.

These floral plates from Montana Party Rentals perfectly picked up all the colors of the day’s prairie-inspired flower arrangements.

“Whenever the long distance planning from Florida felt overwhelming, we’d shift our focus to the iconic road trip we had lined up for the day after,” says the couple of their post-wedding adventure on the road. “It was the perfect reminder that this weekend was just the start of our incredible journey together!”

Bradshaw Media kept the couple and their guests on their feet and dancing all night long!

Can we just take a moment for this intricate, sparkly reception dress from Yolan Cris?!

Our Advice
There are no rules! Sure, everyone loves to talk about tradition, but sometimes you just have to do what feels right for you. We kept some tradition alive but also ditched a lot of it and don’t regret it for a second. No bouquet toss, no huge bridal/groom parties, cowhide coasters that went with floral plates and horseshoes. A rehearsal dinner? Nope. We ended up throwing a western chuckwagon hoedown. Stay true to yourselves and have fun with it.
Also, we recommend spending the morning together before parting to get ready. Seriously, 10/10 recommend! You spend so much time stressing over every detail, and then the big day arrives, and you barely see each other until the ceremony! It goes by so fast! We even spent the night before (again, breaking traditions!) just hanging out and watching movies, which was a blast and really helped ease any wedding day jitters.

Congratulations, Haley + Adam! Your western wedding weekend was elegant, Montana magic. Best wishes to you both from GWS!