What else should I know?

Question

Can you tell me a bit more about The Big Day?

Answer

We cannot wait to celebrate this day with all of you! In order to ensure that we're all set and ready to go, we ask that guests show up at least half an hour before the ceremony. Don't worry, the beer and wine will be tapped to help keep you occupied before we say we do. We booked two school buses to shuttle everyone to/from Grizzly Gardens, so check out the next question for more details. We highly recommend that everyone take the buses because parking is limited at the venue!

Question

How do we get to the venue?

Answer

There's one tiny hitch to our location: the beginning of the road leading to the venue is undergoing massive construction, including during the day of the wedding. So to make it easier for all of you, we booked two school buses to shuttle everyone to/from the venue to avoid getting caught up in traffic and avoid any intoxicated driving later that night. Plus, the venue has very limited parking so we highly encourage everyone (besides family) to take them. The buses will be running from 2:30pm-4pm and 8pm-12am to ensure everyone arrives/leaves when they want. They'll be picking people up at 2:30pm and 3:15pm at the Women's Mural bus station across the street from The BaseCamp at the bottom of Broadway Street. Parking for the pick-up is available in the parking lot next to Park Ave. Shuttles will then return people to town from 8pm-Midnight. If you do intend on driving, please give yourself enough time to make it through the construction with a possible 20min wait.

Question

What's the weather going to be like?

Answer

June in Montana is absolutely beautiful, especially since it's right before the wildfires tend to kick in and make our lives miserable. Last June it hung around the low 80s during the day, dropping down into the high 50s at night. But this is Montana and weather is never predictable, so just assume it'll be both hot and cold when you're here.

Question

What should I pack?

Answer

Your typical summer clothes will do just fine. But it does drop down at night, so be sure to bring some warm base layers. Most of the ceremony and reception will be outside, so we'd recommend bringing a rain jacket or umbrella in case it rains. And for those of you wearing high heels, maybe bring a pair of flats or sneakers to throw on during the reception.

Question

What's the food like?

Answer

That's a bit of a tough question. Honestly, Helena for some reason is twenty years behind most major cities in food trends, meaning that there are now more burrito places here than there should be. However, for those traveling around the state, be sure to keep your eyes out for local wild game delicacies like elk, antelope, and bison. Personally, antelope backstrap is one of our favorite meals out here.

Question

I want to learn more about Montana before I visit. What would you recommend?

Answer

Any nonfiction books by Timothy Egan (The Great Burn, Lasso the Wind, The Immortal Irishman), or American Serengeti by Dan Flores, or check out Pete Fromm's memoir about taking care of salmon eggs for a whole winter in Indian Creek Chronicles. Finally, Where Roads Will Never Reach by Frederick Swanson is a must-read for conservation history in Montana (Mike's also a bit biased because it's practically a history of MWA). If you're in the mood for some fiction, Ivan Doig or A.B. Guthrie do amazing jobs writing about frontier life on the Rocky Mountain Front. But honestly, anyone visiting Montana MUST pick up Callan Wink's amazing book of short stories, Dog Run Moon. As for travel books, you can't go wrong with Falcon Guides. Sure, Rick Steves and Lonely Planet are great, but Falcon Guides also lists out all of the amazing hikes and backcountry attractions that many guidebooks tend to skip over.

Question

How easy is it to travel around Big Sky Country?

Answer

Easy. And hard. It all depends on where you go, honestly. Montana has a great highway system that connects all of the major cities and national parks, not to mention that you can gun it up to 80 to get where you need to go. Once you're off the major thoroughfares, though, it's a different matter. Keep in mind that MT is the fourth largest state in the US and almost three times the size of Pennsylvania, so what looks like a short distance on Google Maps may turn into an hour spent on dirt roads. That being said, for those of you only traveling on the major thoroughfares, you'll be totally fine renting a compact car. But for those wishing to get into the backcountry and do some exploring, we'd recommend something with high clearance and 4 wheel drive. Also, always be sure to top off your tank because you never know when you'll hit the next gas station.

Question

Why do I need a piece of paper to drink at breweries?

Answer

Ah, the Montana brewery ticket. Montana has some weird laws when it comes to drinking, and that's saying something since we have a good amount of you visiting from Pennsylvania. To keep it short, breweries are required to serve no more than 48 ounces to a single person, per day (except when said brewery serves food, but then it gets complicated). So when you go to a brewery, you'll be presented with a ticket that has 3 or 4 check boxes, depending on whether they do 16 or 12 ounce pours, respectively. MT law dictates that you can't drink more than this prescribed amount when you visit a brewery. If you "finish your ticket", as we say, and drink all of the beers you're allowed, you can't leave and just come back later. Nor can you drink someone else's beer, even if they don't want it. Not only will you get in a lot of trouble with the law, but the brewery could even be shut down. On the flip side, you can simply finish your ticket then head to the bar next door. It's weird like that.

Question

What's up with the grizzly bears?

Answer

Yes, Montana does have the largest concentration of grizzlies in the Lower 48. And sure, our venue is named after one, on a road named after a gulch named after one. But fear not, while Lewis and Clark County does have a small grizzly population, Helena itself doesn't. Glacier and Yellowstone do, however, so for those of you traveling in those National Parks, be sure to buy some bear spray or borrow some off of us. To avoid bear encounters, talk, sing, and make constant noise when walking through the woods. Honestly, wildlife in MT is more scared of you than them. You may be lucky enough to see some of these amazing creatures, from moose, bison, and elk, to bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and antelope, to wolves, badgers, bald and golden eagles, and all the little guys in-between.