Ideas for your Special Getaway Together!
Here are some ideas based on other groups we have hosted at Kirkwood Resort & Marina...
Lodging
We have 11 cabin units in 6 buildings (5 buildings have 2 units in them with an adjoining door).
The 11 units have 24 beds with "pillows" for 48 people.
The RV Park has between 10-14 spots with full hookups available, depending on the dates.
We can take many more RV's or tents with limited or no hookups, at a reduced price.
The RV Park has a shower house with bathrooms, showers and a coin-op laundry available
for guests to use. Also, there is a large Center Park between our cabins and RV Park,
with a volleyball net, horseshoe throw and a large bonfire area that is great for large
groups to enjoy at night together under the beautiful stars and mountain moonlight.
The Rendezvous Gathering Kitchen and Bunk units are usually the hub for family reunions.
We recommend the bride and groom stay in the Bighorn unit the night of their wedding,
as it is the only one that isn't a duplex and is a lovely unit.
View a list of all our available rentals, with explanations about how many beds in each room and the prices. Contact us and depending on the size or your group and the length of stay, we can discuss a group discount for the lodging reservations for your gathering.
Marina
The marina has about 30 slips available for rental...prices vary a bit depending on the
size of the slip, but the typical slip has a per day slip rental with a one-time launch fee.
We also rent 3 fishing boats and a large deck boat for relaxing, waterskiing,
tubing or fishing. View pictures of those boats on the marina page.
Also at the marina is a large boathouse that we can set up for large groups.
We have tables and chairs for about 90 people and a grill in the boathouse.
You can rent the boathouse for all the days your group is here...or, just for
selected meals or gatherings. Our Kirkwood Roadhouse Grill can cater meals;
contact us for estimates and ideas.
Your Special Event and Other Activities
The first decision you should make (once you are sure you will have your special event or wedding at Kirkwood Resort) is where on the property you want to have your service or gathering. You'll want to come see the location before you finally decide, but here are options:
- The Center Park is located between the RV Park and the cabins--and people who aren't in your group won't be walking by. It is convenient to the entire resort and it has electricity available so you can plug in electronic equipment for music. We've had several weddings in this space, which is very nice.
- There is an open space in the aspens in a field at the base of a mountain on our property that is about 400 yards from the RV Park. It is beautiful...also private. There is no electricity there, but it is lovely.
- We've also had weddings at the marina, either outside overlooking the water, or in the boathouse, where there is electricity. On a summer weekend, the people who have their boats in the Kirkwood marina will come and go at the marina, so you may have people walking by.
If you choose any of these locations--and your group has rented all our cabins,
there is no extra charge for us getting the space ready for your wedding, except we
would charge you for any materials/equipment that we would buy/rent to meet special
requests you might have. (e.g. an arch to walk/stand under, extra lights, etc.)
Next, the reception after the wedding service.
We've had people do the reception in the boathouse and outside in the Center Park
where the service was held. We can put the tables/chairs and trash cans in either
spot for you. Any additional set-up/take-down would have a charge to it, which we'd
have to discuss when we know what more you want. (People who have wanted to keep their
costs way down have made arrangements for their family/friends to do this work and
bring whatever they need for the "look" they want.)
The weather for the weekend you have chosen is generally fairly predictable.
If, the week of the wedding, it looks like rain, we can always have a backup plan
using the boathouse.
Now, the meals.... we can cater all, some or none of these for you...
- Wedding reception: You need to decide if this is a full meal or snacks or just cake, etc. We have a great chef who operates a grill onsite at Kirkwood. We can cater your entire meal/snacks/cake...or, you can do the food yourselves. When you give us a bit more info, we can ask the chef to give you an estimate of the per person charge for a couple of options. The reception food is one of the biggest expenses for a wedding, so you should decide a budget for this. Unless your family is geared up to do a lot of work in the midst of your wedding (which some families love to do!), we recommend you have us cater your reception meal. This way, you and your family don't have to worry about the "big day" and you all can enjoy the moments and memories of the wedding. We also can provide the beer/wine/soda/juice for your event. Often, brides have special plans for their wedding cake, so we should talk about how you want to do that.
- Rehearsal dinner: We can give you a price for this also, or you can do it yourselves. We find that wedding parties do this differently. Of course, the benefit of us doing it for you is that you don't have to worry about any of it.
Sample Wedding Weekend
So, here is a possible schedule for your big weekend. After we talk, we will give you a
proposal that is designed specifically for you.
Thursday: Guests arrive, get settled, say hello to
each other, pu boats in water and generally relax with each other. Everyone gathers for
a simple bbq (hot dogs/brats/hamburgers) at the Center Park bonfire area at about 7:00pm.
(Food handled either by your family or by Kirkwood.) (Complimentary S'more makings for
this first bonfire.)
A fun addition could be this: When people check-in, we give them a
welcome gift that has a disposable camera, small sunscreen,
small bug spray, discount card for our grill and a note from the bride and groom saying
thanks, giving the schedule for the weekend and asking that they take pictures throughout
the weekend and leave the cameras with us when they leave. We can have them developed
on a website that all the guests can access when they get home and have their own digital
photo album of the entire weekend.
Friday: Guests take care of their own meals...not everyone has a
kitchen in their unit, so they have to hook up with others in your party...or eat at our grill
onsite (excellent breakfast, lunch and suppers). Guests are on their own
to relax, go boating, fishing or sight-seeing.
--Quake Lake Interpretive Center is just 7 miles from us...and VERY interesting.
Easy drive for a 1 - 1.5 hour visit.
--Besides boating, people can take short (or long) hikes into the Gallatin National Forest
(up Kirkwood Creek Trail) from the resort.
--There are lots of rivers/streams for fishing in addition to the lake for those who
want to do that.
--Take a day trip into Yellowstone National Park. We can arrange a tour bus,
set guests up on scheduled tours from West Yellowstone, or they can take their cars and go
into the Park on their own. Here's a website with various day trips into Yellowstone:
http://westyellowstonechamber.com/trip-planning/one-day-trips
The wedding party will rehearse the wedding service on Friday.
We recommend you rehearse as close to the time of day of the service as you can, so you
know where the sun is, etc. (The sun goes down below the mountain during most of the summer
between 6-7pm, and gets a bit cooler. In mid-afternoon, it could be very hot in the sun...
depending on weather.)
You need to decide if the rehearsal dinner involves everyone,
or just the wedding party. Most groups that bring guests here like to include everyone.
To make it the REAL start of the wedding, we recommend you have this dinner at the boathouse
(with CD music in background), catered by Kirkwood, with something different than the other meals.
How about a spaghetti feed and ice cream sandwiches, etc. that is available between 7-8:30 pm.
(Keeps the cost down and people don't have to all sit down at same time, since they are doing
different things during the day and might not be ready at same time.)
There is also a bonfire area at the marina...we can start a bonfire there about
8:30 for your entire group. This is a REALLY pretty spot.
Saturday: People are on their own again for the meals and activities
for the day.
We can give you the names of people to contact in this area who can
perform the wedding service. We need to know what type of service
you want. Or, you can make arrangements yourself to have someone you know come for the
weekend to do the service.
There is a suggestion for pictures above. That and the pictures your family
takes may be all you need or want. We can arrange for a photographer
from the area, if you want more formal wedding pictures.
Wedding reception again in the boathouse, decorated for
the event (by your family...or by Kirkwood for a service charge). We can arrange to have some
flowers and other decorations, depending on your budget.
Another idea: if there are still nice wildflowers growing in the area at the time of year
you choose...you can ask family/guests to gather flowers for the reception...or we can do
it and decorate with those. (Also, you will need to decide about bouquets for you and the
people in the wedding party, if you want them. We can get flowers from the florist in town
or use wildflowers.)
Dinner & dance (grilled chicken, steak, or pork roast, hamburgers
for kids, with potatoes and veggies ) catered by Kirkwood. Can have music
with a band, DJ or CD. We can arrange any of those, can give you names here to contact
or you may have someone you want to do it.
Sunday: Breakfast available to all guests at the Kirkwood Grill
between the hours of 9-11. You could provide a roll and coffee/juice or they could order
a breakfast sandwich or plate from the grill at a discount. You could offer special beverages
for adults at this breakfast, if you want. This will get everybody
gathering when they are ready in one place to talk about the wedding!
You could open wedding gifts at 11 if you want...or not.
The afternoon is open for everyone to do what they want on their own,
including lunch and dinner.
Sunday eve bonfire in the Center Park again...
to gather the eve. before everyone leaves.
Monday: People are on their own for the day as they
prepare to leave....and say good-bye until next time...
CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE YOUR GROUP GATHERING!
