I was so excited when Taylor contacted me about making some baby and family photos at her family’s place on Flathead Lake, because I had photographed her little sister, Kristi’s, senior photos there 7 years prior! Not only that, but I had made a few images of Taylor and Matt during that session, too. And they had only just been dating at the time! Fast forward a few years, and Taylor and Matt are married now and have a darling little baby boy, Maximilian!

Max was 2 months old during our most recent session, and what a little trooper he was! He loved looking at the sky, getting kisses from his doggo siblings, is a huge fan of all of his parents’ smiles and tickles, thinks his Aunt Colleen and Uncle Carter are pretty rad, and got super jazzed when he had the opportunity to stand on the dock (with a little help from his mom). Max wasn’t the biggest fan of hanging out in a bowl of cherries, though it was still pretty cute. (There’s a cherry orchard on the property, and Taylor and Matt told me that it’s become a family tradition to photograph their family’s babies in bowls of cherries.)

As per usual, Flathead Lake and Montana treated us to a gorgeous backdrop with a stunner of a sunset – you know, to put the proverbial cherry on top of the session. (Sorry, not sorry for that pun!)

I could go on and on here, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves – it was such a special evening with everyone!

Taylor, Matt, Max, Carter and Colleen (and doggos, too!) Thank you so much for a truly delightful session – I loved getting to see you again, and am so glad you got to spend some time introducing little mister Max to Montana! What a sweetheart he is – congrats again!

On the docket:

More portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Tim, Courtney, Teddy, Violet, Bill and Lorie’s family session last year was an absolute blast, so I was beyond excited to hear from Courtney again this summer to set up some more summertime family photos at Flathead Lake while everyone was together again at Bill and Lorie’s lake house.

Flathead Lake put on a stunning show that evening, and Teddy, almost 5, was super stoked to show me all the tricks he’d been saving up since our session last summer. Violet, almost 2, motored around everywhere, tiny little pockets full of rocks to throw in the lake at a moment’s notice, and was always interested in what her big brother was up to.

Teddy immediately took me to the dock where he’d set up his minnow-trapping contraption. And my heart just about melted upon seeing it, especially after hearing Teddy tell me that so far, he just hadn’t caught any minnows. But he wasn’t about to give up, and diligently checked it throughout the evening, rigging up even more elaborate minnow traps to catch those sneaky little guys.

At one point as Teddy worked on a mega knot, his grandpa looked at him and said, “If that’s not a knot, I don’t know what is!” which caused Teddy to just crack up and dissolve in a fit of giggles.

And giggling, happiness, and laughter pretty much sums up our entire session that evening. Everyone had a fantastic time tossing rocks into the lake, Teddy showed me how high he could kick his kickball, Violet demonstrated some super stellar somersaults and rolls all around the grass, the kiddos chased each other laughing and squealing with happiness, and then rushed back to dole out kisses to their parents and grandparents, Twizzler treats were a fan favorite, sparkler time was beyond exciting (and Teddy insisted that “picture lady” had sparklers to play with too – how sweet!), and before we knew it the sun was setting, and it was time for Teddy’s favorite thing – to fly into the air alongside his sister, Violet. And fly they did! Laughing and giggling and completely delighted as their parents tossed them, over and over, all silhouetted by a beautiful sunset on the lake.

But before we said our goodbyes, Teddy and Violet wanted to show me a few more of their moves on the swing set, swinging as high as they could into the sky, pure joy on their faces. After one last cool move down the slide, it was time to bid them farewell, and Teddy gave me the ultimate compliment, a high-five foot five with his feet – haha!

It completely goes without saying, but Tim, Courtney, Teddy, Violet, Bill and Lorie – thank you again, tenfold, for another fabulous session. The joy and love in your family is so beautiful, and I just feel completely honored getting to capture it for you, and having the opportunity to document your kiddos as they grow. What an absolute treat! Here’s to another wonderful evening on the lake and many more in the future!

On the Docket:

Weddings, portraits and elopements! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Sarah and Matt truly had the definition of a perfect wedding at the Barn at Finley Point in Polson Montana. It wasn’t too hot, nor too cold; they got to visit some of their favorite places on earth whilst enjoying their wedding day (Sarah grew up visiting her grandparents’ place on Flathead Lake, which is just a hop and a skip away from the Barn at Finley Point); and they enjoyed it all with the people closest to them.

Their day started out with their first look in Ronan by a favorite barn of Sarah and Matt’s – and some “bushwhacking” through fields (we had permission, don’t worry!), which ended up being pretty memorable (I think most of us had wheat kernels in our shoes by the end of our trek!), and stunningly beautiful. (Can’t beat the gorgeous Mission Mountains set off perfectly by a beaming couple!)

Soon it was time for Sarah and Matt to walk down the aisle and say their “I Do’s.” Willow leaves and a pond framed their ceremony, and friends and family smiled and laughed along with Sarah and Matt as they spoke their vows to one another. They kissed to a chorus of cheers and walked down the aisle again, this time as beaming newlyweds.

Not long after they sealed it all with a kiss, we bopped on over to Sarah’s grandparents’ place on the lake to make some images at one of her favorite places – and they were both brave enough to jump into a canoe and paddle out onto the lake a bit. Worth it!

We rejoined everyone at the barn for a tasty dinner, some heartfelt toasts, an abundance of donuts and candy, some fantastic dancing, and fun photobooth shenanigans.

Soon, the sun slid behind the clouds, leaving the warm light of the dance floor and peals of laughter spilling out into the dark Montana night.

Sarah and Matt! What an amazing day for you two! I just loved every second of your wedding, and had such a wonderful time photographing such a special day for you both. Your friends and family are the sweetest, as are you two, and it’s a complete understatement to say that I wish you all the best this world has to offer! And here’s to being back in Montana again soon! :)

Vendor Information for Sarah and Matt’s Wedding at the Barn at Finley Point

Venue: The Barn at Finley Point, Polson, Montana
Videographer: Jon Gednalske, friend from college
Florist: Dawn’s Flower Designs, Polson, Montana
DJ: Big Mountain DJs, Whitefish, Montana
Makeup Artist: 406 Beauty, Bigfork, Montana
Hair Artist: Dylen Zetterberg McCrumb
Officiant: John Christopherson
Caterer: Bravo Catering, Missoula, Montana
Rentals: Celebrate Rentals, Bigfork, Montana
Bar and Spirits: Glacier Brewing Company, Polson, Montana
Wedding Dress: the bride’s grandmother and mother’s dress
Bridesmaid Dresses: the Lauren Conrad collection from Kohl’s
Menswear: Norman’s Menswear, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

On the docket: portraits and weddings in abundance! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

There’s something about Flathead Lake that is just so magical. So when Sarah asked me about coming up to Bigfork to meet up with her and her family who were all going to be together to celebrate her dad’s 70th birthday, I was excited.

It ended up being a super hot day (think 98 some degrees!), but that didn’t faze this group one bit! The kiddos kept us going and we had a nice time wandering the areas near the lake, as well as even taking a wade into the lake itself. The girls had a lot of fun showing off their rock-throwing skills, got kisses from their grandpa, and led us all in a little walkabout.

Thanks again, you guys! It was so nice to meet your family and your darling little girls! I hope you all had a wonderful birthday celebration in Montana!

On the docket: portraits and weddings and weddings and portraits! Don’t miss out!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I met up with the Hoopers, their kids and grandkids at Flathead Lake in Polson the other day, as they all gathered to celebrate Don and Gayle’s 50 years of marriage – what an impressive milestone! Their family had come from all over the states to help celebrate, so we wanted to make some nice portraits of all of them while they were together in Montana. And what a great group they were! We had such a great time, giggling and laughing as we made our more traditional images. And then, because it’s Flathead Lake, we let loose with the kids and had fun with some yoga poses and cheer moves.

Thank you again, everybody! I had such a wonderful time meeting you all and left with a perma-grin. You all are so much fun, and I’m so glad you had the opportunity to be together in one place to celebrate such a great occasion! Congrats again!

On the docket: weddings galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

What’s better than Montana’s Flathead Lake in the summer? Not much. But… if you add the adorable House family to the mix- Hallie, Ryan and their kiddos Jude, Lyla and Piper….then you’ve got a recipe for pure sweetness for lifestyle family portraits.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with them at their family’s lake house on Finley Point to make some fun, spontaneous photos of them as they enjoyed the woods, lake and cherry orchard surrounding the property.

We skipped stones, said silly words at the top of our lungs, wiggled our toes in the lapping waves, ran races, rolled around in the soft grass, climbed trees, and ate ripe, juicy cherries – just to name a few things we all had a blast doing. :)

Thanks again for inviting me into your evening to document your lovely family – I had such a great time! And here’s to a family full of love and happiness – come visit Montana again soon! :)

On the docket: portraits, weddings, and more portraits! Don’t miss out!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Could there be anything better than spending time on Flathead Lake? I’m pretty sure that the lake is a recipe for paradise. And the Chandler family enjoys a piece of this every summer at their family’s Flathead Lake cabin.

I met up with them there to document their 7-month-old daughter, Marianne’s, first time at the lake, and make some fun images of them hanging out and doing their thing. Marianne showed us all how best to munch on rocks and mangoes, how to splash in the lake properly, and how to grin so adults hearts melt (I know mine certainly did!). :)

Thank you so much for inviting me to spend a little time with you all and capture some super fun memories! I had a blast!

On the docket: portraits and weddings! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine