Lexi and Jimmy's North Idaho Lakeside to Mountaintop Wedding
lexi + Jimmy
welcome party - hope, idaho
bride’s parent’ lake house
wedding - schweitzer mountain
august 2023
Lexi and Jimmy came to me with dreams of hosting their wedding at the Bride’s parent’s lakeside property. Through our discovery process it was clear that the property was an ideal fit for the welcome party, but that Schweitzer was a great fit for the actual wedding and reception. The couple are quite the athletes and LOVE the mountain! It allowed us to create an experience for the guests showcasing their love from lakeside to mountaintop! Read on to hear how a Thunderstorm and mandatory mountain evacuation added to the adventure!
“Heidi, Jonathan and their sweet family are amazing! Heidi is an incredibly talented designer who made our wedding weekend vision a reality. She was with us every step of the planning process but proved invaluable the week of the wedding, seamlessly adjusting plans to accommodate weather, handling relatives and creating a fun and relaxing environment that allowed us to soak in every moment of our wedding. We love Heidi, having her on our team was the best decision we made!”
welcome party
Guests were shuttled from the mountain down to the lake and then transported across the lake by Pontoon. Jimmy and Lexi and their beloved fur baby, Sunny, greeted guests dockside. Guests enjoyed a spread created by The Drift catering in a vintage canoe, a beer truck, corn hole and an interactive guest gifting station at our “general store”.
We never miss an opportunity for some mixed seating options and soft seating lounges are ALWAYS a guest favorite. Umbrellas could be moved around as the sun shifted.
wedding
schweitzer mountain, idaho
“I wanted to thank you and your team for your professional, poised and gracious presence during Lexi and Jimmy’s wedding. Every parent wants their child’s wedding day to be perfect and your expertise throughout the planning process was invaluable. Your calm approach to everything helped keep me calm and ever present to enjoy every single second of the day. I am especially thankful for your ability to react quickly to an unexpected weather event, and turn it into an extremely special experience. Your team is amazing and I am incredibly grateful for all of you!”
I will never forget finding this gown for Lexi and immediately sending her photos and lining up the dress with A and Be Bridal boutique for one of her Seattle visits. This dress was made for Lexi! Paired with a cathedral length veil…., perfection!
Sometimes the unexpected happens! We woke up to smoke from wild fires and some questionable weather. Our teams kept a very close eye as we moved through the production timeline. On schedule we had our bridal party, immediate family and Priest on the top of the mountain for photos and sound check when a mandatory mountain evacuation was called in as a thunderstorm was rolling in VERY quickly!
As the general public was moved down the chair lift - we had to make a call AND FAST! I spoke with the Schweitzer team (LOVE working with them) and the couple and we opted to quickly run the ceremony with the bridal party and parents with the Priest without guests. Guests were escorted to an indoor ceremony set up while we quickly held the intimate ceremony as the wind picked up! It was truly INCREDIBLE! We all agreed that it actually was even more special than our original plan A. We then got the bridal party on the lift and down the mountain and inside JUST as it started to downpour! We repeated the ceremony for their guests who all went along with the adjusted plans and STILL it was such a remarkable experience. As the second ceremony happened we scrambled to move all the cocktail hour furniture from the outside deck to inside to modify our plans for indoor while the rain dumped on us!
Lexi had her heart set on this moment! We had to make sure we could do all we could to get her “Just Married” chair lift moment - and I am so so happy we could make it happen!
“My fiancé and I have been working with Heidi for a bit over a year now, the typically millennial year and a half engagement! We are getting married this summer, but I found it worth the time to comment on the process we have gone through and our experience so far:
Although there are many great things I could say about Heidi, what I found more important to me is that she is super confident and takes the stress out of everything. As most could probably expect, planning a wedding is one of the most stressful times of your life, and Heidi has truly made this process seamless. Her ability to integrate technology into the process is also great because it creates accountability for all involved (mothers, fathers, bridal party, etc.), encourages collaboration, and helps keep everything organized. Her connections with vendors and ability to negotiate pricing and get contracts agreed to on time and under budget are skills that I don’t think most wedding planners truly have. I don’t even want to think about where we’d be in this process without her!”
This was one of my most favorite weddings in 12 years. Jimmy and Lexi…. I love you guys so much and will forever cherish the time we shared planning your wedding celebration. You are more than “clients” - you are great friends now! Your family and friends welcomed us into your circle and we felt so loved and appreciated. Our vendor team was INCREDIBLE! Everyone worked so seamlessly together. The communication and joy we shared working together was irreplaceable. I could work with this team over and over again!
VENDORS
Planning, Design & Production | Ira & Lucy
Beauty | Alicia Delvechio Hair, Anna Mumau Makeup
Dress | A and Be Bridal Boutique
Cake | Hello Sugar
Welcome Party Catering | Drift Lakeside Kitchen
Beer Truck | Off the Tap
Film | Moor Pictures
Photography | Tayler Ashley Photography
Entertainment | Royale Live Band, Scott Bender
Florals | Pearl and Tin
Rentals | BBJ La Tavola Linen, Patina Events, Lake City Rental Tenting, Royal Flush PNW, Table Du Jour
Paper | Pale Press London
Venue | Schweitzer Mountain, Family Property