Seeley Lake turned Hollywood April 9 for the Seeley-Swan High School Prom. Prior to the red carpet event, students were invited to a Pre-Prom Party at The Lodges on Seeley Lake. See page 12 for the story. Pictured (L-R): Tyler Haines, Aubrey Matthew, Seth Dunster, Ava Thornsberry, Kyla Conley, Klayton Kovatch, Owen Hoag and Trista Alexander.
Photographer Chelsea Cahoon captures Trista Wendel and Cullen Bertsch dancing in the snow on the shores of Seeley Lake April 9.
Vicki Voegelin handing Tru Good a mocktail across the counter at The Lodges Pre-Prom Party.
Students enjoy their drinks and lounge during the Blackhawk's Hollywood Pre-Prom Party.
Blackhawks helped themselves to a variety of appetizers to enjoy at the party.
On display at The Lodges was this 1936 Oscar won by the grandfather of The Lodges' Owner Kerry Bertsch. Sheridan Gibney won his Oscar for the Best Screenplay and Original Story "The Story of Louis Pasteur."
SEELEY LAKE – Young women in stunning dresses, young men dressed in suits and ties mingled about the Main Lodge at The Lodges on Seeley Lake Saturday night, April 9. For the second year in a row, The Lodges on Seeley Lake hosted a complimentary pre-prom party for Seeley-Swan High School students and their dates. In keeping with the Hollywood-themed Prom, students enjoyed appetizers, fancy drinks and a relaxed Happy Hour atmosphere to visit and take photos.
"We want them to gather and get to live their life in the dresses they are in and thinking about looking nice and being social," The Lodges Owner Kerry Bertsch said.
While they have hosted a prom dinner event in the past, last year was the first year to offer appetizers, drinks and photos prior to dinner.
"It is intentionally created to be a 'Happy Hour' setting allowing the students time to move onto the next course of their evening," Bertsch said.
Bertsch said her husband Brian came up with the idea for the pre-prom party last year. They agreed it would be a fun place for photographs down by the water on the dock. Local photographer Chelsea Cahoon agreed to photograph the event both years.
"Chelsea has been wonderful to be a part of that," Bertsch said. "We really want to thank her for that."
Bertsch said The Lodges has also had fun matching the elegance of the night.
"The kids take the time and put a lot of costs into their dress and how they look and how they want to present themselves," Bertsch said. "It is fun to match the elegance of the kids' spirits and also to add to the amount of time they can be dressed and in that vein."
Students could order mocktails, non-alcoholic iced drinks made with various ingredients including fruit, juice, whipped cream, flavored syrups and herbs, that were served with extra embellishments. The drinks were all named after Hollywood stars including "The Chris Evans Mocktow Mule," "The Sandra Bullock Huckleberry Tini," "The Anne Hathaway Strawberry Daiquiri," "The Ryan Reynolds Pina Colada," and "The Zendaya Mango Spritz." The Oscar featured drink of the night was sparking cider with raspberries.
"It was fun for them," Bertsch said.
While the preparations and the evening of Prom can be expensive, The Lodges offers this event free to the Blackhawks.
"We don't want [cost] to be a deterrent, we don't want that as a factor," Bertsch said.
She continued, "It is an open invite trying to lengthen the evening and provide a pre-function before their dinner. It gives them more courses of the evening."
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