The Woodlands

Elsa and her husband have built a perfect location to hold a wedding. Or any event I'm sure! We saw The Woodlands first, then went on to about 3-4 more venues. We returned to The Woodlands and signed as soon as we could. It is secluded from everything except drop dead beautiful scenery. I know not many of my friends can say they said their vows with mountains in the background. The venue has a perfect blend of indoor and outdoor space, and it accommodated everything we needed. There were dressing rooms for both the bride and groom sides (with a private entry to a bathroom for the brides' side), space for our escort card/photo table, a photo booth, gift table, dessert table, and DJ table, in addition to 12 dinner tables and our sweetheart table. We had dancing and the bar outside, and it was absolutely perfect weather. Who knows what you're going to get in Bozeman in September!? Elsa was very helpful at providing floorplans and options for our setup with the amount of guests. And, as the number kept fluctuating (99% of our guests came from out of state) she was right there with a revised floorplan for us. There is a huge parking lot, but because our guests were unfamiliar with the area (and would be drinking quite a bit) we provided transportation to and from the event. It was a perfect idea. Everyone had a great time and everyone had a ride home. We stayed on the premises in a cabin after the night was over, and she even brought us food and dessert for us to eat later. She also allowed our friends to decorate the cabin so we would have a nice surprise when we got there. The space requires almost no decorating (which was a concern of mine - we were coming from so far away that I couldn't bring anything with me even though I had grandiose visions at one point). We had flag banners for the banquet tables, flowers on the dinner tables, and 200 tea lights strategically placed. With the sconces, chandeliers, and fairy lights in the dining area you really don't need much else. Another benefit was that Elsa also had worked with almost all of our vendors on prior weddings (and even her own!) so our "team" was a well-oiled machine. I'd love to do it again...

Elsa has been wonderful to work with during this past year of planning and especially on the day of. It was also a great help that my other vendors (DJ, caterer, photographer, officiant, bartender etc) knew the layout of the Woodlands and knew you. They all said the same thing: “Elsa is so great to work with!” The Woodlands itself was gorgeous. So many guest came up to me during the reception telling me what a beautiful location it was—worth the drive! (most of the guests had driven from Billings or further). I loved that the bridal party and then my dad and myself crossed the bridge on our way to the isles—the way I felt coming across that bridge is something I will never forget. The patio with the gas burners was also a huge hit and keep people up and mingling. A few initial pictures are up at Blu.Bird’s blog and they look so beautiful with the backdrop of the lush wooded hillside in some, and the mountains in others. This woodsy yet elegant feel was exactly what we were looking for for our wedding—and the Woodlands was perfect!

They were so helpful and accomodating - it made it a wonderful day for us.

Beautiful site, I had the wedding of my dreams! I didn't plan for the costs of renting linens and plates, silverware, glasses, etc. which got pricey but otherwise was perfect.