It was one heckuva gorgeous Montana day for Alexis and Joe’s Bowman Lake elopement in Glacier National Park. We had a bluebird sky above, pristine reflections on the lake in front of us, and oh so much sun! Suffice it to say, Montana really pulled out all the stops for Alexis and Joe’s special day!

These two originally met in Denver at a bluegrass show and moved to Missoula a little over two years ago. Because they love their time in the outdoors (camping and hiking especially), Joe proposed to Alexis in Glacier. So it was particularly fitting that they tied the knot there, too!

We started out the day by meeting up at their Air BnB just outside of the park, and then hopped in the car to make the trek to Bowman Lake. Along the way we made a quick pitstop in Polebridge so Alexis could change into her dress, and so we could make some fun images. (Because one must always stop in Polebridge if passing through, amiright?)

Eventually, after driving the winding, bumpy roads, we arrived at the lake and, honestly, couldn’t have had a more spectacular view. We immediately began making portraits to take advantage of our light (and also dry eyes, just in case tears started up during their ceremony!). And I swear, our faces hurt from sharing so much laughter and giggles together.

Soon it was time for Alexis and Joe to say their “I do’s.” Their dogs, Bodhi and Copper (who are great pyrenees mixes) were their “best people,” Alexis’s sister, Izzie, officiated, and their friends Hannah and TJ stood up with them as well. As Izzie got the ceremony started, there was plenty of laughter, a few tears, and so much excitement as Alexis and Joe made it all official with kiss!

Even the nearby bystanders cheered for the newly married couple, and Bodhi and Copper danced about, too, excited for their humans. Everyone signed the marriage license to officially make it official, and then we all meandered back to the vehicles where the last, and essential thing to do, was to toast and share a few shots together (and of course, more laughter).

On our way back to the AirBnB, we passed through Polebridge again, and this time, everyone picked up a few of the Merc’s legendary huckleberry bear claws as a celebratory sweet. (Who needs cake when you’ve got huckleberry bear claws?!)

Alexis and Joe! Thank you so much for inviting me to capture these moments for you! I wasn’t kidding when I said I was about to smile my face off, and I truly appreciate our time together and fun conversation on those gravel roads. Here’s to you both! I hope you have a lifetime of Glacier adventures ahead of you, and I cannot wait to document your reception in June, too! Woot woot!

On the Docket:

Portraits and editorial work! Don’t miss ’em!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Every time I go to Glacier it’s always a little bit different, which is something that I just adore about zipping on up there. Kelsey and John live in Pennsylvania but worked in Glacier for 6 months in 2017 and had many fond memories of their time in the area. So they knew the perfect way to start their married life together would be to have a summertime Glacier National Park elopement.

And perfection it was! John’s sister, Mary, joined them as well as Kyle, John’s longtime best friend, who was also their officiant. We had such a wonderful time checking out the park together, all of us piled into their rented Subaru, and started out at Lake McDonald where they had their official ceremony and exchanging of vows and rings.

After they tied the knot (quite literally – they used some climbing rope!), Kelsey and John exchanged high-fives and everyone shared in celebratory champagne too. The cork ended up shooting off into a nearby stand of trees, but, not wanting to be litter bugs, and because we all subscribe to the “leave no trace” way of existing, we all scoured the ground for the cork, eventually found it (which also was cause for much celebration!), picked up some additional litter that we found (PSA moment…people – don’t litter!!!), and went on our merry way, winding through the park.

Words can’t really do justice to just how much fun it was to make images with these two (and with Kyle and Mary as well!). Kelsey and John were up for anything and easily scrambled over rocks (Kelsey was rocking a pair of Chacos with her dress) to make some beautiful images. We all had a blast laughing together, and in general, just had a grand old time hanging out.

Along the way, because we were all feeling a bit peckish, we stopped to indulge in some seriously giant burritos and sodas together (to which Kelsey and John had treated all of us) with probably the best views one could hope to get to get while scarfing down aforementioned grub.

After filling our bellies, we all continued on, and to our delight, and especially Kelsey’s, we discovered that the beargrass was in full bloom! Kelsey absolutely loves beargrass, and even though the wind had picked up by that point and we were all getting a little chilly, Kelsey and John were game to brave the gusts, and hoooooo boy. Was it ever worth it! The beargrass delicately danced and swayed in the wind, Kelsey’s dress flowed (I’m pretty sure her dress was made to work with the wind), and I nearly lost my mind it was so unbelievably gorgeous.

We continued up higher, gaining elevation and definitely losing warmth, but onward we went, despite the wind (which I think we had determined had things feeling like 40-some degrees). Again, Kelsey and John (and Kyle and Mary) were absolute troopers, and we all made the most of the gorgeous evening, even though I think we may have been on the verge of totally freezing Kelsey. Again, I (and I think everyone else) would wager that it was totally worth it because the clouds parted briefly, we were treated to the most beautiful slivers of sunlight peeking through the clouds to highlight Kelsey and John, and got to check out a bunch of gorgeous Indian Paintbrush, too.

To top off the evening we swung by to a “secret spot” Kelsey and John liked to frequent with their dog when they had lived in Glacier. Not only was the light absolutely stunning, we were even treated to a bumper crop of deliciously perfect huckleberries, which, you know, is always a win.

Kelsey and John! Oh my goodness – how do I even express how wonderful it was to document your day for you, but also get to spend time getting to know you both, as well as Mary and Kyle! I loved every single second of our time together, and I’m so glad that our paths got to cross as you celebrated such a happy day in your lives. Here’s to the two of you, to oodles of adventures in the future, and a steadfast love for each other and for Montana. :) Thank you again for inviting me to document your day!

On the Docket:

Weddings and portraits galore! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Fittingly, as I write this post, it’s pouring rain and storming in Missoula. Montana has had a very wet summer, which Kelly, Dustin and I also experienced firsthand during their East Glacier elopement at Lake Josephine. (Though I can’t say I’m complaining – this means we’ve also had little-to-no wildfires and their subsequent smoke to deal with, so I’m all for some soggy weather that’s devoid of lightning strikes.)

As soon as we met up at the trailhead the rain began, but they weren’t going to let a few (or many) raindrops deter them. So we started out on our hike armed with rain jackets, umbrellas, bear spray and lots of smiles.

Soon we came to the shoreline of Lake Josephine and, as the rain began to get stronger, we wasted no time in getting their ceremony started. A family friend of Kelly’s officiated, Kelly and Dustin shared their vows, exchanged rings and became husband and wife with a celebratory kiss as the waves lapped the shore and the wind whipped.

We all cheered, made some fun portraits and then hightailed it out again to gain some tree cover and find a dry place where Kelly and Dustin could sign their marriage license and really make it official.

We didn’t let the weather dampen our spirits, though, (no pun intended), and, as is wont to happen in Glacier, I knew we weren’t far from some sunshine, so off we chased it through the entire park, dodging raindrops, braving large gusts of wind (and some cold temps!), and when we found the sun, BOY did we ever find it!

Despite being soaked (and despite one of my cameras biting the dust due to being waterlogged – this is why you always hire a professional, folks – we’ve got loads of backup gear), Kelly and Dustin were so gung ho for their images and we had such a great time meandering through the park, finding little patches of wildflowers here and there, and that glorious sunshine we were chasing, not to mention a beautiful, ethereal pastel sunset over Glacier’s rugged mountaintops, swirls of low-hanging clouds and mist included.

Kelly and Dustin! What a beautiful, special day for you two! Thank you again for inviting me to document this gorgeous, unforgettable day for you! Here’s to years of happiness for you, in rain or shine, and hopefully some more Montana visits in the future, too! Congratulations! Have fun at your party! :)

On the Docket:

Weddings, elopements, and portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I truly, honestly feel like I am the luckiest person in the world getting to do the job that I do. And it’s because I get to meet people like Kate and Tommy. Their smoky summer Glacier National Park elopement was magical, romantic, and chock-full of love, emotion tenderness and true beauty. Their love, their happiness, their joy just filled my soul to the very brim and left my entire being grinning.

But let’s back up a bit. From the moment Kate contacted me about her elopement in Glacier, I knew we’d have a fantastic time. We had such a great conversation over the phone and she told me that she and Tommy first met playing a video game, specifically while in a dragon fight. At the time he was living in St. Louis, and she was in Chicago. They eventually Skyped and realized, oh hey, you’re attractive! When they finally met she told me it was love at first sight. He moved to Chicago and they’ve been together ever since (five years!).

Kate had been to Montana before – actually to Glacier, but it was when she was in 6th grade and she didn’t have clear memories of it. Tommy had never been before, but they both knew it was where they wanted to be married. (They’re avid hikers and love exploring and learning about new places.)

Fast forward to their wedding day. The smoke from Canadian wildfires hung over Glacier like a thin veil, but thankfully, their elopement was literally a week before the latest fires in Glacier started, so we really lucked out and still had access to the Going to the Sun Road.

Though there was some concern about the smoke obscuring the mountain views, Kate and Tommy just went with it and I’m so glad they did because, in my opinion, the smoke just added to the romance and the beauty of their day. And it gave us a bit of an early “sunset” (hey there bright orange sun!), which made for some particularly unique images!

They held their ceremony on the shores of Lake McDonald, and as Kate walked out from the tall stand of cedars, Tommy saw his bride for the first time and he broke out into a huge smile, as did Kate.

Their parents were in attendance, and as these two spoke their vows to one another, there were a few tears, but so much joy and love and laughter. We had a blast making images along the shoreline and even had a family of four Common Mergansers photobomb us by zipping around the lake like tiny, energetic motorboats. (Mergansers are are type of duck, for those of you who aren’t bird nerds like I am.)

From there we toured around the park a bit, encountered a black bear who Tommy spied on the next shoreline away from us, and had a great time finding some beautiful little nooks and crannies of the park in which to make photos. Kate especially loved the old cedar forest and all the mossy rocks and logs in its interior. As we walked around, she told me that she loves moss so much her friends have given her the nickname “Kate Moss” – haha!

I could seriously write pages here, so suffice it to say that it honestly couldn’t have been a more perfect day for these two, and I seriously loved every second I got to spend with them.

Kate and Tommy! It goes without saying, but congrats, congrats, congrats again to you from the bottom of my heart! To witness your love and be invited to capture it for you was such an honor. You two are incredible together and I’m so happy you got to make it all official in Montana! Come back to visit soon – drinks are on me! :)

Vendors for Kate + Tommy’s Smoky Summer Glacier National Park Elopement:

Venue: The amazing Glacier National Park
Officiant: Sally Hanger
Florist: Conrad Floral, Bigfork, Montana
Jeweler: Love & Promise Jewelers, Chicago, Illinois

On the Docket:

Weddings, elopements and portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine