Tamaracks Resort owner Jessica Kimmel ditched the typical booth-to-booth wedding fair in order to best showcase what the partnering vendors were capable of creating for a destination wedding at Seeley Lake.
Lindy Gracey and Michael Bernstrauch of Seeley Lake won the first place wedding package that was raffled at the Ultimate Wedding Giveaway Event at the Tamaracks Resort on Saturday, July 20.
Ashley Todd poses with decor from Perfect Events and floral arrangements by ReMarkable Floral at the Ultimate Wedding Giveaway Event at the Tamaracks Resort.
SEELEY LAKE - Tamaracks Resort hosted the first annual Ultimate Wedding Giveaway Event at its new wooded wedding venue Saturday, July 20. The event was created to bring local vendors together to make Seeley Lake a spot for destination weddings.
According to Kimmel, the plan to make Seeley Lake a spot for destination weddings came after she noticed the rising popularity in lakefront and open-ranch weddings in Montana.
"Nobody was in the forest," explained Kimmel. "I really wanted to bring in that element and capture it. But I can't do it alone."
Kimmel wanted to show brides-to-be what vendors in Seeley Lake were capable of producing for a destination wedding so that they wouldn't have to pay delivery fees or outsource.
The unique wedding fair event ditched the typical booth-to-booth model and instead invited couples to the Tamaracks Resort with the wooded venue set up as if a wedding were taking place. Couples got more one-on-one time with each of the vendors because there weren't any competing vendors. Partnering vendors were all present at the event, such as Pop's Place, ReMarkable Floral, Bre Rachelle Photography, Perfect Events of Missoula and Hair BY Nikki also out of Missoula.
The customizable wedding packages allow couples to pick a variety of services from partnering vendors in hopes to highlight the services unique to Seeley Lake. Kimmel said that they intend to partner with locals first before outsourcing.
"I think that it's just a super opportunity to show what we can do," said Margot Wilcox of ReMarkable Floral who did the floral arrangements for the event. "This was just so comfortable to be in an actual wedding atmosphere. I talked to a couple of people here and they felt like this was their wedding. I think that's one thing that made it really unique."
Three wedding packages were raffled at the event totaling nearly $15,000. The first place package was valued at nearly $11,000. It included the wedding venue, a photography session, appetizers, a bridal hair package and bouquet, as well as a wedding rental package from Perfect Events.
Lindy Gracey and Michael Bernstrauch of Seeley Lake won the first place package. The couple has been engaged for almost a year.
"It's extremely overwhelming [to win this]," said Gracey. "For prizes, I didn't expect that much. I thought it was just going to be the venue but then they swung in all the vendors."
Kimmel explained that the couple's next steps include meeting with each of the vendors to plan the wedding. The package is totally customizable to what the couple wants for their wedding.
"She has a lot to choose from," said Kimmel. "All she really has to do is pick a date and the rest of us will coordinate and we'll all be here to make sure she has the things she needs."
Event organizers estimate that about 15 couples attended the event. Kimmel expects to host the event again next year.
"It was so much more than we expected it to be," said Kimmel. "I'm really, really, happy with the results."
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