Name Story // Ana-Leigh and I picked Porter out as a puppy from the Humane Society when she was only 4 months old.  She had been named “Harper” when she was still living at the shelter, but that just didn’t feel right to us.  We love all forms of booze, and had previously named our first cat together, Jameson (and our second cat, Tito, was yet to arrive in the family, but we carried on the tradition), so it only felt right to find a boozy name.  Her dark chocolate color of course reminded us of a porter beer, and so here we are, with a glass of Jameson, a pint of Porter, a Tito’s and soda, and…...a vase of Flora???  Whatever, Flora is the oldest so she can be named whatever she damn well pleases.

Favorite Toy // Porter doesn’t really have a favorite toy, but enjoys tug ropes, bigger versions of Flora’s favorite bone, and sometimes chewing up her mom’s favorite baseball cap (R.I.P. to my favorite Yankees hat).  She loves all forms of treats, including but not limited to: Salmon flavored squares, Greenies, and licks from her mom’s dinner plates without asking moms first.  

Favorite Pastime // Porter loves going on unnecessarily long  and treacherous hikes with Ana-Leigh, cuddling on the couch with her moms, barking at and terrorizing the neighborhood deer and wild turkeys, and licking cat butt holes.  She can be a naughty dog sometimes, like when she she eats Floras fifth collar, but she’s very concerned with house security and likes to warn the whole neighborhood if Alicia or Mariah come over to the house.  

​Now that's enough about our dogs...tell us about yours! 

One of the first steps of wedding planning (and the most fun) is picking a venue! Lucky for us Montanans, there are many options of all sizes, styles, and locations. It’s easy to get caught up in how beautiful a venue is, but it’s important to take a step back and ask the venue some practical questions. Here are the top questions we ask:

What is your capacity?​ Follow up with their seating arrangement options. Keep in mind that the weather can affect capacity. For example, maybe they have a beautiful outdoor space but a tent would be required if it rains. Tents are a little pricey, prevent sticker shock and ask ahead of time! 

What is your deposit and refund policy? Life happens. Might as well be prepared for everything!

What is include in the rental fee? Hours, tables/chairs, arches, linens, etc. Keep in mind that sometimes rental fees are super low, but they only include the space. A perfect example of this is having a wedding on family property (or a park). This sound great, but not so much when you have to rent all the chairs, tables, linens, restrooms, generators. All. The. Things. 

Do I need to use your on-site services (catering) or vendors on your preferred list? Sometimes it’s a lifesaver if you have to have all your vendors through the venue - hello one stop shop. Sometimes it will cost you an arm and a leg. Make sure you get quotes from any required vendors before booking.

What is your alcohol policy? Some venues require your to purchase alcohol through them, some allow you to BYOB, some only beer + wine. Also ask if you will need to purchase liability insurance or hire bartenders.

When will I have access to the venue? The more time for set up the better - and less stressful!

What areas do I have access too? Bridal suites, kitchen, restrooms, river access, gardens. Follow up with what time they’re available at.

What time does music have to be turned off? There is no greater buzzkill than having to have the music be turned off early.

When does the venue need to be cleaned up? The next worse buzzkill is having to be cleaned up at the end of the night - but you can always hire a day of coordinator to take this off your plate ;). And how “cleaned up” does it have to be?

What parking is available? Some venues have very limited parking which then requires transportation to bus people in. Some might not allow overnight parking. Know this before booking!

Is camping allowed? What a Montanan question. There are many venues that allow overnight parking, but there are some who allow access fees. Make sure you know this before offering this option to friends and family!

No answer to these questions is the wrong answer, just some might be better fit for you (and your budget). Don't be scared to ask questions, it is your big day and no one likes surprises!

Cheers!
C+L

Here at C+L, it's extremely important to us that we support local businesses and are environmentally cautious. Lucky for us, Melissa Lafontaine embodies both of those things. We first met Melissa before we first launched back in 2016. Ariel was off honeymooning in Mexico, Mariah and I started scheduling meetings with different vendors just to introduce ourselves.

Melissa was one of those first meetings! We met at the Lake Missoula Tea Company. If anyone knows me, you know I'm the introvert of C+L. I'm so lucky to have Mariah + Ariel who kill the networking game. But this meeting with Melissa was my first solo mission. Thankfully, we clicked and talking was very easy. Until Melissa asked me one question - what is your mission statement?

Well, at the time that was a tough question. The three of us are very like minded, I knew what we believed, but putting that simply was difficult. I rambled about how we don't have a definitive statement but we want to be approachable to couples and support local business.

Melissa knows exactly what her values are and we sat down to talk to her about all things Earth Within Flowers.

Working with local farmers is such a joy. In the winter months I meet with them and provide feedback on the colors and types of flowers to plan for in the upcoming season. I believe local flowers compliment the surrounding environment best. That's a big reason why we used dried flowers in the winter-time when all is sleeping (i.e. the gorgeous flowers from C+Ls very first styled shoot, featured below). It's also lovely to support the livelihoods of the folks in my local community and surrounding states with whom I have direct relationships with.  ​

​85% of the flowers in the USA come from flower farms in Columbia and Equador where labor and environmental practices are less than ideal. Think about the journey that a flower takes from the soil, the pesticides (some of the ones they use in South America are illegal in the USA), the people's wages that grow, cut and package the flowers.  The transportation, the design process and then finally having them displayed at your wedding. When flowers comes from local sources people are paid fairly, the soil and environment are treated with more respect and the flowers are more fresh and in my opinion more beautiful. It is truly a win-win. If you are interested in learning more about flower justice and how Valentines day is known as the 'International Day of the Flower Farm Worker' please visit our website.

Melissa will be hosting a Ethical Valentines Day Bouquet Workshop on Tuesday, February 13th from 6-8 pm at MUD. The three of us attended this last year and it was a blast! I still have my bouquet next to my bed.

We are so so glad that Melissa was willing to meet with us before we launched C+L. We cannot wait to finally have a wedding with her this summer.

If you're looking for a florist, make sure to check out Earth Within Flowers.