Christine and Alex’s summertime Gibson Mansion wedding was pretty much as close to a fairytale, storybook wedding as one can imagine. The day was beautiful, the happiness in the air was tangible, and even the little bit of rain that showed up in the evening just added to the overall romantic feeling of the day. It was perfect for these two, who actually met when Christine was cast as a princess in a Missoula Children’s Theater production, and Alex was cast as the prince. Talk about serendipitous!

We started the day off by documenting Christine and her ladies as they all readied themselves at the mansion. Everyone was laughing and giggling, and it was so fun to see Christine peek out the second-story window to check out the goings on below, about which she was just so excited!

As soon as she had her dress on, it was time for a first look with her father, which was so sweet, and so special (there may have been a few tears, but that’s what made this moment so touching!).

Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Christine’s uncle officiated and as Christine and her dad walked out from the garden, Alex’s response to seeing his bride for the first time nearly had me choking up too – emotions are truly beautiful!

Throughout the ceremony there were more happy tears, lots of laughter, and Christine and Alex poured sands together from New York and California coasts. Soon it was time to seal it all with a kiss! And these two were eager and delighted to do so – everyone clapped and cheered and Christine and Alex walked down the aisle as beaming, happy newlyweds.

After their ceremony we took a moment to take advantage of the breeze that was blowing that afternoon and zip off for a bit to make some photos of just the two of them. Christine’s cathedral veil caught the wind MAGNIFICENTLY – I may have been slightly beside myself it was so gosh darn gorgeous! And we all had a blast making those images together – these two are certainly made for one another.

We rejoined the party where everyone was treated to tasty appetizers, a scrumptious meal, an insanely beautiful cake, and oodles of fantastic toasts that had everyone cracking up. Oh, and lest we forget, folks were treated to a smorgasbord of cookies, all to pair with Big Dipper ice cream from the Big Dipper ice cream truck.

And then the party really started up! Christine is the founder of a dance studio in Missoula so epic dancing was definitely on the list for the evening. And dance they did! They defied gravity, they bent their backs in ways I didn’t think were possible, they worked it for the camera, they danced with ice cream cones, they created a conga line – they DANCED! And it was fantastic.

The evening wound down with a perfect bouquet and garter toss from the second floor balcony of the mansion, and I managed to steal Christine and Alex away for some quick romantic, rainy portraits. And I’m SO glad they braved the rain for those photos, because talk about an awesome mood for a prince and princess, right?

Christine and Alex! I could write so much more here, because you two are flipping amazing, but I’ll do my best to keep it short(ish). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for inviting me to capture such a memorable, amazing, joy-filled day for you both. I adored meeting your family and friends, and getting to work with you two again, was of course, my favorite. I hope you had a blast on your honeymoon, and I’m just SO excited that you two get to live together, happily ever after! Congratulations again!

Vendors for Christine and Alex’s Summertime Gibson Mansion Wedding:

Venue: The Gibson Mansion, Missoula, Montana
Officiant: the bride’s Uncle
Florist: Garden City Floral, Missoula, Montana
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Haie & Makeup Artist: Kelly with Bella Sauvage, Missoula, Montana
Caterer: The Silk Road, Missoula, Montana
Cookies: Mary’s Mountain Cookies, Missoula, Montana
Ice Cream: Big Dipper Ice Cream, Missoula, Montana
Rentals: Eastgate Rentals and Oh So Chic, Missoula, Montana
Cake: made by a friend of the bride
Wedding Dress: Velvet Bride, Missoula, Montana
Menswear: Joseph A Banks

On the Docket:

Weddings, elopements, portraits and more! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I was so happy to hear from Courtney when she called me up to ask me about photographing her Missoula courthouse wedding because 1) she was just so darn excited! And 2) I’d met her originally at Michelle and Dave’s wedding last year where she was a bridesmaid, and I knew that we’d have a wonderful time getting to work with each other again – this time at her own wedding to Branden!

Courtney told me that she really loves the architecture of the courthouse, so we all had a good time making images out front and inside of the building. And I’ve got to say, Courtney’s two kids, Tony and Avery, are just the sweetest!

Soon it was time for Courtney and Branden’s ceremony to take place, so we popped into the judge’s chambers where the two spoke their vows to one another, exchanged rings and sealed it all with a kiss (Avery’s reaction to this was just priceless!).

The celebration of the newlyweds continued as everyone went to Big Dipper and treated themselves to some delicious ice cream.

Courtney and Branden! It was such a pleasure to be invited to document this moment in your lives, and I am so happy for you all! Thank you again, and here’s to a lifetime of happiness together, and always room for ice cream. :)

On the docket: weddings and portraits galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine