Pricing/Booking Logistics
What is included in the venue price?
Absolutely! We offer a ton of inclusions here at Mountainside – please email weddings@experiencemountainside.com for our brochure with all of the amenities we offer.
What is not included?
There are five items we do not include as we feel these are personal selections we do not want to take away from you. Catering, DJ/Music, Photography, Hair & Makeup and Flowers.
How much does it cost to get married at Mountainside?
We base your package price both on guest count as well as the optional upgrades that you would like to include. Our pricing starts at $25,000 for 50 guests. Give us a call or email us so that we can give you more specific pricing based on your guest count and your vision for your big day!
How fast do your dates fill up for weddings?
Pretty quick! The summer weekends in Montana are notoriously busy! Give us a call today for our most accurate info and dates available.
Can we come to tour the venue?
We recommend that your tour if at all possible! Email us to inquire about availability. As long as it’s not on another couple’s wedding day, we can usually make any day of the week work for a tour. If you are from out of state and can’t travel, inquire with us for a virtual tour!
Do you allow winter weddings?
We are a fully outdoor venue (the Pavilion has a roof but is open air!), so while we do not have a restriction on the time of year for a wedding, we strongly recommend speaking with our on-site coordinator about the possibilities for a winter/early spring/late autumn wedding. The Roost could potentially seat/serve up to 30 people, so if your party is small then the answer is yes! If your party is larger than that, let’s talk!
Do I need to hire a wedding coordinator or wedding planner?
We provide you with a day of coordinator with your venue package price, so no need to hire out additional help! We also work with you in the months leading up to the wedding to help on the logistics and coordination side of things. Since we also include all of your decorating and clean up, most couples don’t feel the need to hire a planner. If picking vendors/planning isn’t your jam or you just don’t have time to plan, inquire with us about our planning packages- we can help a little or a lot, depending on what you need!
What kind of lodging do you offer?
Our packages include a two-night stay the day before the wedding and the night of. The Roost, a delightful house rental featuring two suites and The Coop, offering six individual suites with private access. Lodging sleeps up to 16 people. Click the Lodging link at the top of the page to direct you to our Mountainside Lodging + Retreats website.
How many guests can we invite?
We do not have a guest count cap! We have seating available for about 250, so if your guest count is larger than that, you might need to rent additional chairs/tables. Since we are also an outdoor venue, we would want to talk through any logistics for a large group with the ever changing Montana weather before you book with us.
How do I secure my date?
We require a 25% deposit of your total venue fee to secure your date! $1,000 of that fee is nonrefundable.
What is the payment schedule?
After your deposit, 50% of the remaining balance is due at the halfway point of the event, 45 days prior to the event, your final guest count will be provided to adjust your final bill accordingly. The remaining balance will be due 30 days prior to the event date.
Something came up with our original date – can we change it?
Yes! This happens sometimes with family schedules or local schedules, and we understand the need for flexibility. If something comes up, please let us know immediately and we will work with you to find another date that is open for us and that works for you.
Is event insurance mandatory?
Yes, we require you purchase an event policy which includes hot liquor liability. In the event you are selling alcohol at your wedding, you will need to add full liquor liability. Said policy will run approximately $175.
Venue Logistics
Are there bathrooms for guests?
Yes. There are two dedicated bathrooms on the outside of The Roost, close to the Pavilion, for guest use (flush toilets and sinks). Inside The Roost there are three bathrooms that many couples allow their immediate families to use throughout the evening.
Is there a separate location for cocktail hour?
There is a package upgrade available for cocktail hour at The Boathouse by the pond! Since we staff bartenders for you, we are able to set up a separate additional bar for cocktail hour. It is on a gorgeous lawn, partway between the front lawn, where most couples have their ceremony, and the Pavilion. It creates a really special, separate bonus party for your guests, and it helps with some of the logistics of finishing up family photos after the ceremony – and even sometimes allowing you some time with your new spouse before the party officially kicks off! Inquire with us for the price of adding on cocktail hour.
How many other events could happen on the same day as my wedding?
Here at Mountainside, we are exclusive. We believe that your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and everything that we do for you is based on that belief. We only have one wedding per weekend, and often only one wedding per week (sometimes two in the summer, but it’s rare!). We keep our quality of service at a very high standard, so we do everything we can to not overwhelm our staff (no turn and burn weddings!) and keep our focus on you.
Is Mountainside child friendly?
Yes! We offer a smores bar setup if you would like, which the kids love, and many couples will also have us set up a kids table/kids play area on the grass outside of the Pavilion. With the large rocks, pond, and natural grasses, kids absolutely love Mountainside.
Is Mountainside pet friendly?
While we welcome our wedding couple’s dogs for the ceremony and reception as long as someone is watching them and cleaning up as needed, we do limit it to just the dog(s) of the wedding couple, and we do ask that they don’t stay the night in any of our lodging.
Is there Wi-Fi and cell phone coverage?
Yes. There is Wi-Fi in various pockets throughout the property. The strongest Wi-Fi is inside The Roost or The Coop! For cell phone service, you will want to turn on your Wi-Fi calling for service to be available. Remember we are in the mountains! We will pass along the Wi-Fi password when you are on site.
What is your shutdown time?
The latest shutdown time is 11pm for the music/sound system! We have wonderful neighbors that we like to respect with no loud music after hours. You and your remaining guests are welcome to sit around the firepit or hang out in The Roost or The Coop, as long as there is no speaker music/loud shouting happening!
What is the parking situation?
We have a large parking lot that can hold up to 100 cars.
What do we do if it rains or snows?
We always have a backup plan for your event – since it’s Montana, it could rain or snow any day of the year! We will work with you to help prep your guests for the weather – layer up as needed, bring umbrellas, embrace the clouds (they make the best photos!!). We follow the weather closely on your big day, and enact plan B as needed to ensure a smooth day no matter what.
Can we do a sparkler sendoff?
Absolutely, as long as there are not fire restrictions in place! We will work with you in the days leading up and keep an eye on any restrictions. We work with your photographer to create the perfect backdrop for the sparkler sendoff, and we have staff on hand to help pass the sparklers out and dispose after it’s over.
Vendor Information
Does Mountainside provide catering?
We do not provide catering onsite but if you book with us, we will give you a list of local caterers that are amazing and familiar with our setup. You are not limited to that list, so you can choose whoever you want!
Are we allowed to bring our own food?
We have had guests whose Aunt/Uncle/Cousin has catering experience and we can work with them to give tips and tricks for food service at our venue, but since we don’t have an onsite commercial kitchen we still would highly recommend hiring a caterer for food safety considerations (and so your guests can enjoy the day!). That being said, if you have a super small party or add on a casual rehearsal dinner, you can cook in our normal house sized kitchen in The Roost.
Can your staff help serve our food?
Unfortunately, since we aren’t health department certified, that answer is no. If it is a logistical issue – helping set up tables, moving out the smores trays, etc, then yes we absolutely help – but we leave the actual service of food to the professionals!
Do you have a kitchen for my caterer to use?
We do not have a commercial kitchen onsite. Most caterers that we work with either bring a mobile kitchen, or they cook their food at their kitchen and transport it up in hot boxes. We work with them to set up a workspace in our bunkhouse (storage shed close to the Pavilion) where they can stage/serve out of, and we provide buffet tables with black linens for service. We do have a handwashing sink in the bunkhouse, and many tables available for their use. If a caterer is unfamiliar with our setup, we would love to visit with them ahead of your wedding – with an onsite visit if possible or a virtual tour.
Can I hire a food truck for dinner or snacks?
Absolutely! We have had taco trucks, ice cream trucks, oven fired pizza trucks, and a sweet and salty snack shack – just to name a few. We want to be mindful of where they park for photos and experience, so if this is something you are considering, we like to have a phone call and site visit with all of us together ahead of time!
Does Mountainside provide alcohol?
No, but we do provide amazing bartenders! We leave this piece open so that you can try to get the best deals out there for whatever beer/liquor/wine you would like to serve for your big day. We can help you figure out quantities, ice amounts, and garnishes needed, so don’t stress about any of that.
Can I have a live band?
Yes! We love live bands at Mountainside. Chat with us for more info.
Do you have speakers or do we need to rent them?
We do have speakers that are connected to a radio inside the Pavilion that you can plug into as needed, but most DJs bring their own speakers and equipment. We do not have sound at your ceremony site, but we have plenty of extension cords and we will run power to the site for you. If your DJ isn’t able to bring their own speakers/system, please have them contact us so that we can over what we do have.
Do you have microphones or do we need to rent them?
We do not have microphones onsite. Usually your DJ can supply these for the ceremony and speeches.
Decor Questions
What do you provide for tableware?
We provide a basic table linen for the round tables (tons of color options) and linen napkins (tons of color options), along with a basic dinner plate, water glass, and silverware set (fork, knife, spoon). If you want something a little bit fancier than the basic, we just ask you to pay the difference for the cost (for example if the plate you like is $.90, and the basic is $.70 it would just be $.20 per plate extra). If you want additional glassware (wine glasses, pub glasses, etc.) or dishware (salad plates, dessert plates, forks for each, etc.) just let us know, and we can add to your rentals that we already have coming, and we will add the extra cost onto your final invoice – that way you don’t have to stress about coordinating the rentals.
How much decor do you provide?
You are welcome to use whatever decor we have on hand that coordinates with your vision! After you book, we have you out to the property and we have a “playdate” where we will pull options for you to check out from our decor stock based on your style and needs. The short list of decor items we have includes: votive candle holders (multiple sizes/colors), hurricane candle holders, various small wooden boxes, a few styles of table numbers, many signs, accessories, water dispensers, silk flowers in almost any color, and beyond!
What type of tables do you provide?
We have 7 rectangle farmhouse tables that seat up to 10 people each, and we have a ton of round tables (which we put a linen on) that seat up to 8 people each. We have multiple smaller table options if you would like a sweetheart table or any additional tables like guest book, dessert, etc. Some people choose to rent their own tables – for example, if your vision for dinner are long farmhouse tables throughout for a large wedding – but most people use a combination of the farmhouse and round tables for their guests.
Do we need to rent special tables for dessert, guest book, etc?
No, unless you have something very specific in mind! We have a number of small tables that we will suggest for you based on your style and your needs.
How is the reception laid out?
Based on your guest count and reception needs, our designer will come up with multiple custom layouts for you to choose from. Every wedding is a little bit different, so we will take all of your unique needs and figure out the best flow for what you want.
Is there a dance floor?
The Pavilion doubles as your dance floor! Our team works with you and your timeline to determine when the “shift” will happen – usually there is a natural break after dinner/speeches/first dances where guests will move around the property, grab another drink, etc. and our team will come in and move tables out onto the gravel to create a custom sized dance floor based on your wedding party. We will work with you in the months ahead of your wedding for a plan.
Can we use taper candles?
You may use taper candles as long as they aren’t lit! Since there is almost always a slight breeze up at Mountainside, the tapers either do not stay lit or they make an enormous mess on the tables, are costly to remove/replace tablecloths, and look terrible! We often have couples rent hurricanes specifically designed to go around tapers, or sometimes we will have people still use them unlit in combination with votive candles for a pretty boho look.
Are we allowed to have confetti?
We welcome flower confetti or other kinds of organic confetti (just send us a link to what you are thinking)…. basically anything that we can easily clean-up for our next event, and that won’t damage the grass if we leave any behind! Many couples opt to use dried flowers.
Do we need to stick to a rustic decor theme?
Absolutely not. Mountainside works great for so many different styles. Rustic to elegant, boho to country chic, minimal to glam – we can transform into all.
When can I drop off my bar items, extra decor, flowers, etc?
We have the Bunkhouse (storage space) available to you starting the Tuesday of your wedding week to drop off items. Inside, there are labeled shelves for each category (bar, decor, dessert, etc.). We also have a wine fridge that houses 164 bottles, 3 regular fridges, and a stand-up freezer for ice. Also, if you are ordering things online (neon sign, cocktail napkins, etc.) feel free to send them to Mountainside, send us the tracking, and we will hold onto it for you!
Do we need to bring lighting?
No. The Pavilion has gorgeous chandeliers and string lighting throughout, and we have string lighting down a path to the bathrooms for your guests as well.
Can I hire my own vendors, or do I have to use ones from the list you provide?
You will hire all of your own vendors. Once you book with us, we provide our Like, Know, and Trust list to you – jam packed full of vendors that we know and love! You are not required to use people from the list, but it gives a great start to the hunt for vendors. If that sounds like more than you want to handle, chat with us about our planning or partial planning service and let us do the legwork for finding vendors!
What do you do with all of my wedding decor after the wedding?
Great question. The Mountainside team will work on breaking down and sorting out your decor the morning after your wedding, and will work with you for a custom pick up time that works for your schedule the day after the wedding. If there is anything you would like to donate to the decor room onsite, we would love to use it for a future wedding couple! We also have an optional flower program where we can take your leftover flowers the next day – we create small bouquets and drop them off at a local hospital to spread more love into the community. Just give us a heads up if you would like to donate anything so that we can make sure we have staff to organize it into our inventory or create the bouquets!
