VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody

Looking for a beautiful wedding facility with charm, class and also more than a touch of Wyoming history & folklore, all packaged in a welcoming community that is also really really (really!) close to a world-class travel destination? Then Buffalo Bill Center of the West, in Cody, Wyoming, a hop, skip & jump from Yellowstone National Park, is perfect for you! Custom Events Manager Josie Hedderman takes pride in constructing show-stopping events & weddings, and she’d love to help you create your dream! Below is just a little information on the amenities the center provides, and keep reading on for a look into the care that Josie takes into each & every day …

About Buffalo Bill Center of the West…from Josie Hedderman:

Looking for a unique location to host a private, intimate dinner? Business luncheon with board room seating and smart screen presentation access? Planning a wedding for your special day?  Whether your group is 25 or 250, please give me the opportunity to customize an event for you. We are five museums in more than seven acres of world class collections with artifacts from the original wild west to exhibits of present-day culture, art, and ecosystems. We have indoor and outdoor options with flexible pricing. events@centerofthewest.org

A Day in the Life of Organizing a Showstopper Wedding at Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody – by Josie Hedderman, Custom Events Manager for Buffalo Bill Center of the West …

It was a Sunday early in September. For many moons, I had been planning a beautiful outdoor wedding reception in the garden. With six hours to set up and prepare the magic, I looked to the skies to make a judgement call. A dark mass had been accumulating over Cedar Mountain and the deep, mottled gray extended through much of the visible sky.

We spent the next several hours dressing the tables with linens, name cards, glasses and delicate china. We arranged the fragile crystal centerpieces. In neat rows, champagne glasses lined up near the three-tiered, velvet cake. The band plugged in their sound system and tested their instruments. All the while, the sky continued its ominous, ever-threatening approach. “It’s NOT going to rain,” I said again, this time with just a hint of fear wrapped around the tip of the final word. It was 6 o’clock. Guests were on their way from the chapel. I half scolded and half pleaded with the rain gods and refused to allow myself to picture the kind of damage a Wyoming rainstorm could inflict on our delicate, intimate garden dinner.

As the bride made her way to the garden, the sun came out and chased the storm clouds away. It was a moment of perfection. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Wedding guests indulged in delicious food, and champagne glasses clinked to a touching toast before they danced the night away.

It was a gamble worth taking.

About Josie Hedderman…

Josie Hedderman is the Custom Events Manager for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. She is passionate about providing outstanding service and customizing memorable events for her guests in a unique, world-class setting. When she is not juggling details for events, she enjoys pursuing her love of travel, taking her horses to the back country, spending time with friends and family, and discovering new novels. Both sides of Josie’s family have been proud to call Cody, Wyoming home for as many as five generations.