Mackay Bar Ranch

Mackay Bar Ranch was the PERFECT place for our small (30 person) backcountry wedding. There are many reasons to do a wedding at Mackay Bar, but here are our top 10: 10. Turn Key Services: Planning a wedding is a lot of work – especially for a couple working full time. One of the benefits of a wedding at Mackay Bar is that Joni and team will take care of all those little details the day-of that make the wedding so special. 9. The Food: The food at Mackay Bar is great. It is perfectly fitting for the remote wilderness setting – hearty, healthy, simple, and tasty. One tip: rather than a wedding cake or cake balls, look into pies from a local bakery. We had several fresh fruit pies and they were absolutely amazing. 8. Jet Boat Ride: The jet boat ride up to Mackay Bar was super fun for everyone on the trip. Even our parents (aged 63-73) loved the exhilarating ride. Beyond the rush of powering through rapids upstream, the ride offers a great opportunity for viewing wildlife and scenery. 7. Activities At The Ranch: There is so much to do at Mackay Bar – swimming, hiking, horseback riding, jet boat tours, hunting, fishing, etc. Simply relaxing by the beach with a cold beer should not be overlooked! 6. Joni and Buck: Mackay Bar would not be what it is without Joni and Buck, and their son Dax. They make you feel like family and were so helpful and accommodating in planning our wedding. 5. Mackay Bar Staff: They are all super helpful, courteous, and friendly. They welcome you in a warm and genuine way – not just the minimum “I’m doing my job”, but the creative, above and beyond attention to detail. 4. The Ranch: The Mackay Bar Ranch is a great facility. The main lodge rooms and cabins have been recently renovated and are immaculately decorated. There is a nice beach for hanging out and playing whiffle ball, bocce ball, and other games. If you have the chance, stay in a wall tent – they look fit for the cover of Sunset Magazine! 3. The Salmon River: The Salmon River is what originally led us to Mackay Bar. There are great fishing opportunities and it is great for swimming on those hot summer days. It provided a perfect backdrop for the wedding as well as our pre-wedding photos. 2. The Benefits Of A Small Wedding: Although it is difficult to cull down a typical wedding invite list to a number that can be accommodated by Mackay Bar, the ultimate benefits of a small wilderness wedding were totally worth it for us. 1. The Scenery: The Frank Church Wilderness is stunningly beautiful around every corner and twist in the river. It was the perfect backdrop for our wedding photos.

I'm still on cloud 9 after leaving Mackay Bar last week! My husband and I wanted a wedding where we could explore and adventure while giving our families time to connect. My expectations for the weekend were blown out of the water (literally) in the first ten minutes on the jet boat ride. I don't think we stopped smiling for 3 days. I can't imagine a more beautiful setting for a wedding if rivers and mountains hold a piece of your heart. Mackay Bar has endless options for where to set up the ceremony i.e. shade, trees, sun, river background, mountain background. We just got back some of our wedding photos and the backdrop almost doesn't look real it's so breathtaking. The confluence of the Main Salmon makes for unbeatable photos. I come from a family of chefs and they were all raving about the food. Everything was hearty but still healthy and delicious. Buck and Joni created a wooden space right on the water that was perfect for dinner and dancing the night of the wedding. The staff was incredibly fun and accommodating. They even danced with us the night of the wedding! Dax is the cutest 6 year old host you'll ever meet and I felt almost no stress before the wedding because I knew Joni had everything under control. Buck is the go to man for fishing and unforgettable jet boat rides. Mackay Bar is truly a hidden gem in Idaho. All of my friends and family are texting me that we forever ruined their expectation of a wedding. Sunset horseback rides, fishing, hiking and phenomenal food. I am forever grateful for our wedding at Mackay Bar and the thoughtful hard work from Joni and Buck.

Mackay Bar (Buck & Joni) provided us the chance to marry in just the fashion we always wanted. It was such a good time on the River of No Return.!!

We got married in September 2014 at Mackay Bar, and I know I'm biased, but it was the best wedding ever! We wanted a nice wedding combined with a party, and that's exactly what we got. The Mackay Bar staff were great; they were excited for us, and always available when needed. The staff made sure everything we wanted happened, from our giant bonfire both nights to a beautiful wedding cake. The food was delicious. Family and friends loved the jet boat ride in and the scenery, we even had elks bugling the morning of our wedding! Most importantly we had a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends over our 3 day stay. We just attended another family wedding and I was a little embarrassed and proud to say that our family was still talking about how great our wedding was, while at the current wedding. I would highly recommend Mackay Bar. I highly recommend this venue, and honestly, cannot think of anything I would have changed.