Guests at Madison and Justin’s Whitefish Mountain Resort wedding took a chairlift to their mountaintop ceremony, then had the option of riding an alpine slide down to cocktail hour. The newlyweds were the last to take the slide, making their entrance before heading straight into their first dance on the outdoor patio. With 113 of their 115 guests traveling from out of town, the couple also planned a weekend of activities, including a Montana rodeo and a brewery welcome party.

Montana was already a familiar place for Madison, whose family has a home in Whitefish. After getting engaged in February 2025, the couple remembered visiting the resort and thought it would be a fun place to get married. There was just one date left for 2026: June 13, opening weekend. Madison was nervous about the unpredictable early summer weather, but they decided to go for it. Fortunately, the weather cooperated, giving them blue skies, beautiful mountain views, and the outdoor wedding they had hoped for.

What We Love About This Whitefish Mountain Resort Wedding

• A mountaintop ceremony reached by chairlift, followed by an alpine slide ride to cocktail hour
• A ceremony officiated by the friend whose wedding was where the couple first said “I love you”
• More than 80 pairs of funky sunglasses inspired by Justin’s signature party trick

Extra Time With Guests Before the Mountaintop Wedding

Madison and Justin met on Hinge while living in Los Angeles after the pandemic. When they started planning their wedding, they turned to local contacts in Whitefish for recommendations, eventually finding photographer Stan Todorov and planner Sam of Emery Peak Events.

With nearly everyone traveling to Montana, they wanted more opportunities to spend time with their guests. On Thursday, they invited everyone to the Columbia Falls rodeo, which nearly all their guests attended. The following evening, they hosted a welcome party at Blackstar Brewery and Restaurant, with simple arrangements of Costco flowers put together by Madison’s mother’s best friend. “I cannot recommend a welcome party more,” Madison shares. “It allowed us so much more time to actually hang out and talk with our guests.”

Madison’s Floral Lace Gown and Mismatched Pastel Bridesmaid Dresses

For their Whitefish Mountain Resort wedding, Madison and Justin chose a spring-inspired color palette of light pink, blue, green, and peach, with wood and lace details that suited the Montana setting.

Madison wore a strapless A-line gown with a sweetheart neckline and floral detailing, which she found at a boutique in Los Angeles’ Fashion District. She assigned each bridesmaid a color and let them choose their own dress, resulting in a mix of prints, fabrics, and shades. Justin wore a medium-blue suit he found during a Black Friday sale, while his groomsmen wore navy.

Personal Vows, Last-Minute Wardrobe Fixes, and a Mountaintop Ceremony

The couple couldn’t have asked for better weather, with blue skies and picturesque clouds above the mountains. Their first look, however, didn’t go quite as planned. Madison had arranged a reverse first look, but Justin ended up walking backward down a long dirt path to reach her, leaving him flustered by the time they saw each other.

There were also last-minute wardrobe emergencies. Madison’s uncle Denny’s suit had been left in California, requiring a wedding-morning shopping trip. The groomsmen also wore the wrong ties for their pre-ceremony photos, though the correct ones arrived before the ceremony.

One of Justin’s closest friends officiated the wedding. The couple had first exchanged “I love yous” at his wedding, making his role particularly fitting. They wrote personal vows that balanced humor and sentiment, with several guests later telling them how emotional the ceremony had been. 

Featured Vendor:
Stan Todorov Photography

An Alpine Slide Entrance and a First Dance on the Patio

After the ceremony, guests could choose between the chairlift and the alpine slide for their trip down the mountain. Madison and Justin waited until everyone else had descended before taking their turn.

They arrived at cocktail hour on the slide and went straight into their first dance on the patio. Guests enjoyed two Montana-inspired signature drinks: Justin’s huckleberry margarita and Madison’s huckleberry spritz. Later, Madison shared a mother-daughter dance with her mom, who had also walked her down the aisle.

Funky Sunglasses and a Dance Floor That Stayed Packed

The reception tables featured light blue lace runners, bud vases filled with colorful flowers, taper candles, gold flatware, and mismatched vintage Depression glass water glasses. The couple saved on rentals by using the venue’s white linens and served Costco sheet cakes alongside a small cutting cake.

On the dance floor, guests had their pick of more than 80 pairs of funky sunglasses inspired by one of Justin’s favorite jokes. He loves stacking several pairs on his face and removing them one by one, a trick he even featured on his Hinge profile that Madison found hilarious.

Along with the sunglasses, guests waved light-up batons while the DJ kept the music going all night. Friends jokingly complained that she played too many great songs in a row for anyone to take a break.

The couple also used a mail-in camcorder service, The Wedding Weekender, to capture candid footage of their celebration. They later received the raw clips and a four-minute edited wedding video.

Their Advice: Prioritize What Matters, Trust Your Team, and Make the Wedding Yours

Madison and Justin were happy they prioritized good food, drinks, and flowers while trusting their vendors to handle the details. “Focus on the few details that matter to you and trust that your team will make it all happen. Vendors are experts in what they do and I just leaned into trusting them and not stressing about the small stuff.”

She also encourages couples to plan an additional gathering if possible, especially when guests are traveling. Their rodeo outing and welcome party gave them more time with friends and family before the wedding day.

And after a night of nonstop dancing, Madison has one last piece of advice: drink plenty of water, unless you want to wake up with leg cramps the next morning.