I knew the moment that Danielle and I first started chatting on the phone that we’d have such a wonderful time working together at her intimate Gibson Mansion wedding in Missoula. And that really is such a huge understatement because she and Clay are the sweetest of people with such big hearts.

They both grew up and live in Casper, Wyoming, but knew they wanted more of a destination wedding and the Gibson Mansion fit the bill perfectly for them. They love food so they celebrated their day with both a tasty brunch as well as a scrumptious dinner.

Their wedding ceremony was early that morning, and, as weather this year would have it, it was pouring! But that didn’t thwart Danielle or Clay from thoroughly enjoying their day and they just went with it, getting married beneath the tent outside as the rain came down all around us.

To listen to Danielle and Clay share their vows with one another was so special – I don’t think a single person had a dry eye after we were privy to such true love and heartfelt emotion. But smiles broke out once again as soon as it was time to exchange rings and seal it all with a kiss!

Brunch was on the docket soon after, and, as the day moved along, the weather cleared up and treated everyone to some sun, just in time for dinner and dancing!

Kiddos played in the dappled, golden light, everyone cheered as Danielle and Clay cut their cake, ladies eagerly leaped for the bouquet Danielle tossed off the balcony, and soon everyone was laughing and kicking up their heels on the dance floor.

Danielle and Clay! Thank you again for inviting me to document such a truly beautiful, happy day for you and your families! It was so nice to finally get to meet you both, and I’m just so happy for the two of you and your future together! Getting to document your kind of love is why I love doing what I do. Cheers to you both!

Vendors for Danielle and Clay’s Intimate Gibson Mansion Wedding:

Venue and Brunch: Gibson Mansion Bed & Breakfast, Missoula, Montana
Cake: Cakes in the Zoo, Missoula, Montana
Catered Dinner: Notorious P.I.G. Catering, Missoula, Montana
Florals: Habitat Floral Studio, Missoula, Montana

On the Docket:

Weddings, portraits and elopements galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

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

A major storm loomed on Christine and Pete’s Gibson Mansion Missoula wedding, and folks constantly checked the radar and glanced at the sky as the day progressed. But Christine and Pete are so laid back, and so happy, that it didn’t faze them one bit. This didn’t come as a surprise to me, since we had such a blast during their engagement session – these two are totally in love and I knew that’s all that mattered to them.

And the thing is – it rained – heck – it poured! But it was absolutely beautiful, truly unique and added to the many happy memories of their day.

To start the day off, Christine readied herself in the mansion, smiling and laughing, chilling out to some tunes and enjoying the process. Her sister, niece, and friends helped her into her dress, and she was excited to have a “first look” moment with her dad. Ladies – this is such a sweet thing to do, and the moment with Christine’s dad was no exception.

Before long it was time to start the ceremony in between rain showers. Friends and family smiled out from under their umbrellas as the bridal party made their way down the leaf-and-petal-strewn aisle.

Christine made her grand entrance and Pete had nothing but smiles for his bride as she beamed right back at him. There was a lot of laughter during their vows, touching words, and so many smiles for one another. They were showered with what looked like sparkling gold as the rain fell, the sun shined, and they kissed for the first time as newlyweds. To top it off, as they dashed down the aisle, grins wide and hearts happy, a rainbow suddenly appeared! Talk about serendipitous!

In between raindrops we made some more portraits of the two of them, and soon folks began to enjoy dinner, tasty desserts, and some sweet toasts to the newlyweds.

Pete “tossed” the garter via aid of a football (which the boys loved!), and people soon kicked up their heels to the music as darkness fell and the storm rolled in.

Christine and Pete – what a way to end my wedding season! You two are so sweet and have been such an absolute joy to work with (as have all your awesome friends and family)! I’m so excited for you both as you continue your lives together, and wish you many days full of love, laughter, sunshine through the rain, and surprise rainbows always! Congratulations again!

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Gibson Mansion, Missoula, Montana
Officiant: Laura Guay, friend of the bride and groom
Cake Artist: Park Avenue Bakery, Helena, Montana
Catering: Murray Pierce, friend of the bride and groom
Florist: Bitterroot Flower Shop, Missoula, Montana
Hair: Allison LeProwse with The Total Look, Missoula, Montana
Makeup Artist: Dawn with Skin Chic, Missoula, Montana
Wedding Dress: Rococo Bridal, Missoula, Montana
Reception Dress: Beautiful Weddings, Missoula, Montana
Menswear: Rococo Bridal, Missoula, Montana
Bridal Party Dress: Rococo Bridal, Missoula, Montana
Music: Hannah Kochel, friend of the bride and groom

On the docket: portraits!

Cheers!

-Kristine