Zach & Paige: Western Wedding in Twin Bridges, MT!

The Round Barn at Twin Bridges, MT – 10/09/2021

There is no better place to host a western-inspired wedding, than under the big skies of Montana! From earthy florals to leather accents, and beautiful turquoise additions, there is something about a western wedding that makes our hearts flutter. As such, we are incredibly honored to share Zach & Paige’s beautiful wedding, hosted at the Round Barn at Twin Bridges!

Photographed by Amber Renee Photographer, a Cheers MT Vendor, Zach and Paige’s gallery truly represents their western lifestyle. Amber Renee, a photographer based out of Billings, MT, not only captured the connection between these two lovebirds but offered this couple a collection of photos that they will forever cherish. As Amber puts it, “I LOVE wedding season. Nothing makes me happier than seeing two people so in love and starting their lives together. I love sunsets, giggling, and dancing in open fields.”

Their Love Story Begins

When Paige and Zach first met, she was actually dating one of his friends. In fact, they often hung out with one another as couples! On one of their double dates, Paige casually told her boyfriend at the time that the only reason that he liked her was that she was the female version of Zach – little did she know, there was more truth to that statement than she thought!

Months later, Zach and Paige both ended up splitting from their partners. One magical night, they both ran into each other at a bar and spent the entire night talking – that was the beginning of their forever!

Their Proposal Story

When Paige had graduated from MSU and was preparing to start her first job out of college, the couple decided to plan a local vacation to Glacier National Park. Featuring an array of stunning landscapes ranging from alpine meadows, carved valleys, lakes, and dramatic mountain views, Glacier National Park garners the attention of tourists from all over the world and locals that have spent their entire lives within the big sky state.

Fairly last minute, this was the first trip that the couple had taken with one another without the company of their families. Anyone who has lived in MT for some time is aware of how unpredictable weather can be during the month of June, as such, the weather forecast for their trip was cold, rainy, with a chance of snow! While many people may view this forecast as unfavorable, there is truly nothing more beautiful than Glacier National Park on a moody, rainy day. As Paige recounts:

Our first full day, we decided to hike up Avalanche Lake which was one of the few long hikes we could do with the road not being totally open. It was a long and somewhat difficult hike to start our hiking season, but it was so gorgeous. The whole hike up, Zach kept doing 2 things. The first was grabbing his knee. I kept asking if he was okay because I knew that he had injured one of his knees awhile ago. Second, he kept grabbing rocks (and one time moose poop) and asking if I wanted it. When we got to the top, we sat on a log in the pouring rain, ate our lunch, and asked a family to take our photo. After they had left and we finished our lunch, he told me he had something else for me. I asked if it was another rock because if so, I didn’t want it. He got a little irritated that I was turned away from him while talking because I didn’t realize that he had a ring box in his hand. When I turned around and saw it, I was in such shock that the first thing out of my mouth was “Is his real?” Next was, “Are you serious?” Then, finally “Yes!” He apparently had the ring box in a pocket by his knee and kept grabbing it to make sure it was still there.
Paige McCarthy

Their Wedding Day

The Bride

Dressed in a beautiful lace gown from Lulu’s, and wearing an array of jewelry from Turquoise & Teepees, and Elouise Kee, a talented Navajo artist, Paige was truly the most beautiful western bride. With hair and makeup styled by Beauty & The Belief Salon, Paige showed off a subtle glam, allowing her natural beauty to shine through!

The Bridal Party

Dressed in colors ranging from red, orange, and jewel-toned turquoise, Zach and Paige’s bridal party sported the ultimate fall-inspired color palette. With denim accents, and florals designed with pampas grass, the getup of each and every bridesmaid and groomsman stayed true to the western vibe of this couple’s big day!

The Details

The details of Zach & Paige’s wedding day were truly out of a western fairytale. From Paige’s beautiful cowhide boots to the custom groom’s shoes and bridal bouquet wrap designed by Whiskey Bound Leather Co, we are head over heels for this stunning setup!

While each and every detail of their big day was sentimental in some way, there were a few details that meant a lot to both the groom and the bride. As she puts it:

The necklace that I wore, Zach had purchased and given to me on valentines day in 2021. He knew what one I was wanting but couldn’t afford. So, he surprised me with it and included a note saying “because he wanted everything on our wedding day to be perfect for me.” Another one of my favorite details was our phone guest book where our guests could pick up the rotary phone and leave us a voicemail message.
Paige McCarthy

Did we mention that almost all of their wedding day decor was designed by Paige and her mom, including the florals (aside from the bouquets)? It’s truly these little details that make a wedding day one-of-a-kind!

The Ceremony

While each and every wedding ceremony is unique and beautiful in its own way, we are enamored by the unique details that this couple included to make their unity truly distinct. For example, Zach and Paige had talked about branding a cowhide during their ceremony. As such, Paige’s dad surprised the couple with a custom branding iron. Both Paige and Zach’s dads heated the iron and delivered it to the couple during their wedding ceremony! In addition to this sentimental act, the bride and groom had their mothers wrap a blanket around them while their officiant led a prayer. This unique addition is extremely special to the couple, as whenever they use the blanket, they are reminded and surrounded by the prayers of those who attended their wedding!

To stay true to their western theme, this couple included a custom macrame at their alter, a cowhide slab, and Paige’s personal antelope skull. These accents in combination with the stunning mountainous backdrop were truly a recipe for perfection!

The Reception

Spent with their friends, family, and loved ones, Zach and Paige’s fun-filled reception was nothing less than a true Montana party! Hosted at The Round Barn at Twin Bridges, each and every detail of their beautiful wedding expressed their individuality as a couple.

When I was young, I saw a wedding at The Round Barn in a magazine and fell in love with it. I had in my mind that we could never afford it, however, and I actually toured a few other venues and felt unsettled by them. I finally reached out and discovered that the barn was available on our date and was more affordable than the venues I was touring before. So, in a way, I did have my dream wedding!
Paige McCarthy

The entirety of the McCarthy wedding reception was spent laughing, sharing fond memories, and dancing the night away. The autumnal design of their unique wedding reception was to-die-for. One feature that we are truly obsessed with was their table numbers, which featured photos of the couple at the ages leading up to your union. As Paige states, “Everyone thought that was a very unique feature and our guests got to know more about us even if they did not know either of us personally!”

P.S. Do any of you recognize that cake topper? The Prairie Rose Cowboy Cake Topper is now EXCLUSIVELY sold by Cheers MT. Check it out in our shop! 😉