Denise and Blaze hosted an incredible Scandia Inn McCall Wedding in the middle of the forest. These two are truly such a special couple to me. They went above and beyond to create an experience for their guests they'd never forget. McCall Idaho is the perfect destination for a wedding. Immersed in nature, you will feel spoiled with views of the lake, lush pine forests, and wildlife. As a Boise Wedding Photographer, it simply doesn't get better than a summer wedding in the Idaho mountains!
My number one piece of advice when looking for mountain wedding venues: make sure you can book enough lodging for all your guests and look at a calendar of local events by weekend. McCall is notoriously busy in the summer with lots of events happening on weekends. Book lodging for your guests as soon as possible so everyone can relax and enjoy their weekend away!
How did you and your partner meet & fall in love?
Blaze and I originally met at work and come to find out, we both had a huge crush on each other but we didn’t get together until happenstance. He came to a poker night that my brother-in-law was hosting one night and we’ve been inseparable since!
What was the first decision you made when planning your wedding?
The first decision we made was not to elope. No matter how much Blaze tried to convince me I knew that I wanted to have a wedding there is many of my closest friends and family members could attend. I think this is really important because weddings can be a huge financial expense for a couple starting a life together. Talk to your partner away about your priorities!
What were your priorities when planning your wedding day? What was most important to you about your wedding?
I wanted to give my guests a very memorable wedding experience. For me, that meant being very meticulous about my decor, venue and intimacy with guests. I wanted a very consistent theme that didn’t waiver. I’ve been to a lot of weddings I didn’t want mine to feel like one of many. I’m also somewhat of a traditionalist and one of the things that I really love about old-fashioned weddings is the vows being spoken out loud during the ceremony. I think that really gives guests a unique experience. Everyone’s vows are different but they can also invoke emotions that lets your guests share in the love and joy that has brought you and your partner this far! That has always been my favorite part about weddings.
Why did you choose to get married at your location?
My husband and I have spent a lot of time in the town we got married in. When we were looking at venues nothing felt right until we came across our venue. McCall is such an amazing town for a wedding. Having a Scandia Inn McCall Wedding felt so right for us. It fell out of thin air and seemed too good to be true when we came across the Scandia Inn. We knew it was the perfect wedding venue. Most of our guests came from Boise, Idaho. We've all been to every venue in Boise so many times to celebrate our friends and we wanted something new and fresh. Also, the Scandia Inn met all the right criteria for me. My number one priority was getting married outside surrounded by a lot of greenery and just being out in nature!
What feeling or moment sticks out the MOST from your wedding day? What part of the day had the most effect on you or your relationship?
My favorite part about our wedding day was the first look. It always gives me butterflies. It was the first moment that day that I realized that I was really getting married. The first look was when it all finally hit me!
What was the funniest moment of the day?
I still get a kick out of my husband’s vows! Although we’re pretty traditional, he didn’t want to write his down. He chose to instead speak from the heart and I will forever look back on his words and cherish them. That’s one of the many reasons I married him, he always keeps me on my toes!
How did you pick your wedding vendors? What were your priorities when choosing your vendors?
When choosing vendors it was very important not just to go off of their reviews online but see how quickly they responded to my inquiries and what their flexibility was. I want to people that I easily connected with and who we’re willing to pick up the phone anytime I had a question or concern. Maggie Grace Photography was also the very first vendor we chose! She gave us so many incredible recommendations and knew the best people to work with who I could trust. We love her laid back personality, her passion, and ability to take amazing photos all day long.
Any future advice for future couples, please share here!
Planning a wedding is not more important than your relationship. It can be very stressful so delegate and take all the help you can get. I think it’s possible to have a beautiful wedding regardless of your budget as long as you’re willing to make sacrifices and trim the fat. Forgo having a 300 people wedding if that means you can’t have the photographer/videographer of your dreams. It’s much more important to capture something beautiful you both can look back on and share with family, than an extra 100 people that you won’t talk to you in a few years! Invest in your photographer!
Here are a few McCall Wedding Venues I also love!
And here are a few McCall Weddings I have photographed!
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