A few disclaimers before I dive in:
1. My husband and I may have had a very different experience than others.
2. Our actual ceremony day was beautiful.
3. Brundage is first and foremost a ski resort that also does weddings—it is not a full-service wedding venue.
4. I planned the entire event myself, without a planner.
5. We live out of state, so logistics were bound to be tricky.
6. This was their first wedding season post-Covid, so some kinks were expected.

Why we chose Brundage: We wanted a unique outdoor venue in McCall for about 50 people that wouldn’t completely break the bank. We’ve skied at Brundage for years and loved the idea of a mountaintop ceremony with panoramic valley views, plus their brand-new reception tent at the base. Excited, we paid a deposit in December 2024 without a final walkthrough, trusting our familiarity with the resort.

The planning process: At first, working with Joe was smooth, but once he left, we were handed off to Mary, then eventually Sally (all names redacted). When we tried to set details like catering and bar, we were told a new chef and new menu were coming soon. Months passed with promises but no menu. We were assured we’d be able to taste the food before committing thousands of dollars—but dates kept slipping. By the time invitations went out, we still had no menu or tasting.

Venue walkthrough in June: We flew in for a final visit with our parents. The reception tent looked great—tables, chairs, and lawn space were exactly what we hoped for. We ask about extension cords and power no less than 4 times. Our best man still ended up going to Ace hardware to get one on the wedding day anyways…

More issues started appearing. The “bridal suite” was a locked storage area in front of their daycare area: no mirrors, chairs, or atmosphere. On the wedding day, there were storage bins and garbage stationed right outside these doors as my dad and I got ready to board the lift. The groom’s suite was better, upstairs in the old lodge, but still basic.

Thunderstorms delayed the lift, so staff drove us up the mountain. Instead of the breathtaking site we’d imagined, we were shown two options:
• A small platform directly behind a ski patrol shack with tools spilling out, or
• A clearing about 100 feet from the nonstop chairlift—and only 15 feet from a permanent pit toilet.

We were assured the lift wouldn’t interrupt the ceremony, but during our vows the alarm went off anyway. That was heartbreaking and something I won’t forget.

Stress builds: At this point, I hired a day-of coordinator—one of the best decisions I made. Sally worked hard to accommodate us, but when we finally scheduled a tasting, it turned out to be leftovers from another event, not our selected menu. We had no choice but to pay thousands for food we never tried.

Adding to the frustration, we discovered on Brundage’s own website that a drunk yoga class and a concert were scheduled the same day as our wedding, just feet from the reception tent, during our setup, photos, and guest arrivals. No one had disclosed this.

At rehearsal, yet another surprise: every other life chair were blocked with mountain bike racks, which could impact photos on the chairlift. Sally thankfully fixed it the day of.

We decided it would be best if I didn’t communicate with the venue any longer as I was having a near total stress meltdown. We also decide to get ready at a different location in McCall to avoid the venue as long as we could and relax on the morning of. Another excellent decision.

The wedding day: Despite everything, the ceremony itself was beautiful. Guests loved the setting, cocktail hour was fun, and drinks were excellent. But dinner—our biggest stress point—fell very flat. The chicken and elk we chose were dry and salty. Not good at all. Some guests said theirs was fine, but I suspect they were just being kind.

To top it off, my coordinator later told me staff were rude to her during cleanup and reluctant to help distribute a surprise pretzel snack a family member had gotten up at 5 for to prepare for guests leaving the venue on the shuttle…

Final thoughts: We did have a lovely wedding day, but it came with an enormous amount of unnecessary stress. I can’t say I would recommend this to everyone. The price we paid ended up being no less than other full-service McCall venues, yet the professionalism and communication were lacking.

If you are considering Brundage, go in with clear eyes: get every single detail in writing, hire a coordinator, and remember this is a ski resort that happens to host weddings—not a true wedding venue.