I think we all were a little nervous in the days leading up to Margaret and Grant’s Rich Ranch Wedding in Seeley Lake Montana because we weren’t sure if their wedding day would be smoke-filled or not. (Notice a theme of this summer’s weddings? Suffice it to say, Montana’s experienced an especially bad fire season this year, and Seeley Lake has been hit particularly hard!) But somehow we completely lucked out, the smoke thinned and Margaret and Grant were treated to a wedding day where really the only reminder of the fires was a little haze, and the helicopters that would fly by every few minutes or so to pick up more retardant down the road. (Thankfully, they only started this AFTER their ceremony!)

Their day started off with Margaret and Grant getting ready at the Heritage Lodge at the ranch – the girls on the top floors, and the guys down below. There was all sorts of excited energy as everyone spiffed themselves up, a few happy tears as bride and groom gifts were opened, and soon it was time for the couple’s first look.

We zipped on down the road a bit in Margaret’s uncle’s truck (and I had fun riding in the truck bed!) to have their first look at Margaret’s family’s cabin. (Part of the reason they decided to get married at Rich Ranch, is because Margaret and her family have been spending time at the ranch since Margaret was just a wee thing, so the ranch is full of memories for them!) Grant waited patiently near the cabin as Margaret walked up behind him, gave him a hug, and told him he could turn to see her. And what a reaction he had! Such a fantastic moment!

We hopped in the truck again to head back to the ranch where we had a great time continuing pictures and portraits before it was time to get their ceremony started. Soon it was time for everyone to walk down the aisle – though their little ringbearer had other plans and burst into tears. He received encouragement from everyone, made it down the aisle in one piece, and even got a lollipop for his troubles. After he successfully made it down the aisle, Margaret and her dad stepped out from the lodge – and she was simply radiant on her dad’s arm as they smiled and sang along to the music.

Margaret and Grant had eyes only for each other as they shared their vows, punctuated by a few tears and lots of laughs. And before they knew it, they were pronounced for the first time as husband and wife, and got to seal it all with a smile, a kiss and a big hug. Friends and family grinned and clapped as the newlyweds walked down the aisle together, beaming with happiness.

Guests were treated to tasty appetizers, a delicious meal, and had a great time laughing and tearing up during touching and memorable toasts. Margaret and Grant cut their huckleberry-adorned cake (they had huckleberry cheesecake too!), and not long after enjoyed their first dances. Margaret even surprised her parents with a first dance of their own, since at their own wedding day, the band (very unfortunately!) played a breakup song! It was Margaret’s goal to remedy this for them, and everyone was moved by this gesture and her parents’ reaction, too. As the band switched to more up-tempo music, friends and family joined the dance floor as well and kicked up their heels to the tunes as the evening wound down.

Margaret and Grant! What a beautiful day you two had! You are both beyond sweet, as are all your friends and family, and I had such a delightful time making these images for you on such a special day in your lives! I am so excited for our next photo shoot (yay!), and am truly happy for you both. Here’s to many Montana years together, filled with love, and of course, huckleberries! Congrats again!

Vendor Information for Margaret and Grant’s Rich Ranch Wedding in Seeley Lake Montana:

Venue: Rich Ranch, Seeley Lake, Montana
Coordinator: Shannon ZurMuehlen with Rich Ranch, Seeley Lake, Montana
Florist: Bitterroot Flower Shop, Missoula, Montana
Cake Artist: Kelly Carey
Band: Nashville 406, Missoula, Montana
Makeup Artist: Moxie Makeup, Missoula, Montana
Hair Artist: Hair by Brandy, Missoula, Montana
Officiant: Jack Rich with Rich Ranch, Seeley Lake Montana
Wedding Dress: A Da Vinci design from House of Brides
Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse

On the Docket:

Weddings and portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

There’s nothing quite like a beautiful Montana summer day to inspire love and happiness, and Kinsey and Lars’ Seeley Lake Wedding at Grey Wolf Ranch certainly embodied both of these things perfectly. Not only that, but the moment they first saw one another was sweet, emotional and full of joy. A great way to start their day.

They continued this warmth and loving by having a small family gathering where they spent time with loved ones and received advice and well-wishes from them, something I found to be incredibly special – what a gift!

Soon, it was time to begin their wedding ceremony. Both Lars and Kinsey walked down an aisle lined with their beaming family and friends, and began to speak their vows to one another against a beautiful mountain backdrop. There were a few tears and plenty of smiles as the two pledged their love to one another (and planted plants in the pair of boots that initially brought them together).

Everyone cheered as Kinsey and Lars sealed their vows with a kiss and walked back down the aisle together as newlyweds, with smiles a mile wide.

Friends and family continued the happy tone of the day and enjoyed mingling with one another, playing lawn games, and sharing some fabulous toasts to the new couple.

The party continued into the evening as Kinsey and Lars kicked off the dancing in the grass as the sun turned golden and transitioned to an inky Montana sky.

Kinsey and Lars – what a truly wonderful day for you two! I loved seeing your love for one another as well as for your friends and family, and it was such a pleasure to be able to capture all of it for you! Here’s to a life full of smiles, barefoot dancing in the grass, and lots and lots of love!

Vendor Information for Kinsey and Lars’ Seeley Lake Wedding at Grey Wolf Ranch:

Venue: Grey Wolf Ranch, Seeley Lake, Montana
DJ: Kris Mooney
Rentals: EastGate Party Supply and Rental, Missoula, Montana

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

Cheers,

-Kristine

If there’s one word to describe Sarah and Matt’s wedding it is, without a doubt, the word happy.

There was just so much joy, happiness, and love during their wedding that it nearly radiated! And even though we all had to duck in and out of bouts of rain, it didn’t faze anyone. Also, I swear, it resulted in one of the most incredible sunsets I’ve seen at the resort. Just stunning.

Mother Nature must’ve been paying attention to the wedding day timeline, because the rain dissipated in time for Sarah to walk down the aisle to her smiling groom. There was laughter, there were happy tears, and there was oh-so-much jubilant celebration as Sarah and Matt were announced for the first time as husband and wife.

Folks mingled in and out of the rain after the ceremony, dined on a tasty dinner, chortled at the both touching and humorous toasts, and began to truly kick up their heels as the music played, the sun set and the evening turned into night.

Sarah and Matt – what an awesome, beautiful day for you two! Thank you again for inviting me to document such a fantastically special day in your lives. I wish you both all the happiness and smiles life can give you – you both have such a truly beautiful, positive, and kind way about you, and I know life will recognize those qualities in the best way possible. Congratulations again!

Vendors:
Venue: Double Arrow Resort, Seeley Lake, Montana
Florist: Monaco Flowers and Gift Baskets, Missoula, Montana
Cake: Black Cat Bake Shop, Missoula, Montana
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Hair and Makeup: Randa Hanson with the Do Crew Salon, Missoula, Montana
Wedding Dress: An Enzoani design from AniA Bridal, Portland, Oregon
Bridesmaid Dresses and Menswear: Banana Republic
Tent: Eastgate Rentals, Missoula, Montana

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

Cheers!

-Kristine

It’s not every day that I get asked if I’ll photograph a Montana waterfall wedding. But holy moly, I wish it were! When Megan contacted me a while back and asked me if I’d be willing to hike up to the falls for an intimate wedding with just her, her fiancé Zach, and their families, I was absolutely stoked. I truly love this type of creativity, adventure, and pure Montana awesomeness, and I knew we’d all have so much fun together.

Megan told me that she and Zach had been road tripping in Montana a few years ago (they are both from Ohio) and had stumbled across this hike to the waterfall. When it came time to get married, they both knew they wanted to return and have their ceremony at the base of this beautiful, tumbling cascade of water. And so they did!

We all hiked up together, everyone carrying their respective finery on their backs. We started out fairly early in the morning to avoid the heat, and meandered our way through tall, tall trees, fields of ripening huckleberries, and a smattering of beargrass and wildflowers. Soon, we could hear the roar of the falls, and everyone’s reactions were priceless as we rounded the corner to see the spectacular sight.

Makeshift changing rooms were set up (i.e. a sheet tied between two trees), and folks started getting ready. Smart phones were used as mirrors, real mirrors were propped up in tree roots, and branches made the most perfect way to hang dresses. Hiking boots were traded for dress shoes and heels, Megan wore her mother’s wedding dress that had been redesigned just for Megan, and soon it was time to start.

Everyone stood on a small rocky “island” of sorts as we awaited Megan and her father to emerge from the forest. She beamed as she made her way through the trees and across the shallow streams, and Zach had eyes only for her as he smiled at his bride.

Vows were said, rings were exchanged, knots were tied, and kisses were had – all to the background music of the roaring waterfall. We all cheered and laughed as Zach scooped Megan up in his arms to carry her over the watery “threshold,” and they kissed again as newlyweds.

Zach’s brother popped the cork and we all shared in a champagne toast. Soon we had time to zip around and make some fun portraits. These two were brave enough to stand in the freezing cold water, traipse around in the surrounding streams, and clamber up some fairly large boulders – to which I say, thank you!

I returned home, boots soaking wet, pants muddy, hands stained by huckleberries and with a smile wider than you can imagine, full of pure happiness for Megan and Zach. This is what I live for and what I love.

Megan and Zach – congratulations again! I am SO grateful that you invited me to document such an incredibly special day for you and your families. What an absolute honor! I wish you many, many years of happiness, love and laughter, and frequent trips back to Montana and your waterfall. :)

Montana Waterfall Wedding Vendors:

Flowers: Paula Jean’s Garden, Missoula, Montana

Officiant: Beth Rennick, Bozeman, Montana

Lodging: Double Arrow Lodge, Seeley Lake, Montana

On the docket: weddings, weddings, portraits, and more weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

What is it about autumn that is just so magical? The beautiful colors? The exceptionally golden light as the day winds down? The crisp, cool air? I’m not exactly sure what the answer may be, but I can tell you that Lindsay and Paul’s wedding day was magical, too. (Remember their beautiful autumn engagement session?)

Laughter and jokes bounced around as Lindsay and Paul got ready with their friends. Soon, it was time to walk down the aisle, and the setting couldn’t have been more brilliant. The sun was shining, the mountains were dusted with a fresh layer of snow, and everyone looked amazing in their wedding finery. Lindsay and Paul’s two dogs even made a cameo appearance as well.

Lindsay’s eyes sparkled just like her dress as she saw her groom for the first time, and the two became husband and wife to cheers from their friends and family.

Guests dined on a tasty dinner as kids ran and played, and soon people began kicking up their heels as the temperature dropped outside, but definitely rose inside.

Lindsay and Paul’s evening was topped off with a magnificent show of stars – big dipper prominently displayed – as their celebration continued on into the night.

Congrats again, you two! What a fun, beautiful day you had. It was such a pleasure to document such special moments and memories for you, and I hope you have many more years of that coming your way. :)

Vendors:
Venue: Double Arrow Lodge, Seeley Lake, Montana
Florist: Family and friends
Cake Artist: made by Teresa, a friend of the bride
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Makeup Artist: Jacqueline Kukay, Missoula, Montana
Hair Artist: Aryn Crawford, friend of the bride
Wedding Dress: a Maggie Sottero design from Beautiful Weddings, Missoula, Montana
Bridesmaid Dresses: from Nordstrom
Men’s suits: from Rococo Bridal, Missoula, Montana

On the docket: one more wedding for the year and some more portraits! Don’t miss ’em!

Cheers,

-Kristine

It was a bit of a blustery day for Sara and Ryan’s wedding, but the sun was still shining and it was gorgeous despite the gusty breezes. Sara and Ryan were picture perfect standing at the altar as they pledged their love to one another and as friends and family looked on. Guests were treated to a delicious dinner, great toasts from family, and tasty cake. (Several young men decided frosting might make a nice beard, too!) Dancing wasn’t far behind, and everyone had a blast cutting a rug and laughing up a storm.

Sara and Ryan – thank you again for inviting me to document your day! You two were absolutely radiant and I wish you many happy years together!

Vendors:
Venue: Double Arrow Lodge, Seeley Lake, Montana
Coordinator: Habitat Events, Missoula, Montana
Florist: Habitat Floral, Missoula, Montana
Cake Artist: Black Cat Bake Shop, Missoula, Montana
Ceremony Guitarist: James Wallace, Missoula, Montana
Reception Vocalist: Kira Means, Missoula, Montana
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Makeup Artist: Alchemy Mineral Blends, Missoula, Montana
Hair Artist: Sugar Tree Hair Salon, Missoula, Montana
Wedding Dress: from Terri Lynn Bridal – a Martina Liana design, Bethesda, Maryland
Table Linens: Eastgate Rental, Missoula, Montana
Presiding Officiant: Pastor Chris Flohr, Missoula, Montana

On the docket: weddings, portraits and more weddings! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Rock the dress sessions – I seriously can’t get enough of them, especially when they’re as fun as Sarah and Jeff’s! I met up with them at Sarah’s family’s cabin on Placid Lake in Seeley Lake, and we had a blast traipsing about the area making some gorgeous day-after images of these two newlyweds. Placid Lake is especially important to both Sarah and Jeff because Jeff actually proposed in a kayak not too far from the family cabin. We even got a photo of them with the kayak!

Sarah and Jeff – thanks again for having me do this! Oh my gosh – so much fun, and so beautiful! And now, to the photos!

On the docket: weddings, portraits, and more weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Montana brought out all its loveliness for Sarah and Jeff’s wedding at the Double Arrow Resort – blue skies, brilliant sun, and even a nice little breeze made the day just perfect for these two.

Sarah and Jeff very sweetly gave each other beautiful and thoughtful gifts before their ceremony, each delivered to one another by their respective maid of honor and best man.

Guests signed a paddle for Sarah and Jeff and the rings were carried on a mini wooden canoe – both of great significance to Sarah and Jeff, because Jeff actually proposed to Sarah while kayaking together on Placid Lake.

These two couldn’t stop smiling at each other at the alter as friends and family looked on, and as Jeff’s uncle officiated their ceremony. Friends and family cheered for the newly married couple as they walked down the aisle, and hugs, kisses and tears of happiness flowed freely.

Guests dined on scrumptious appetizers while soaking up the golden evening light, and the bridal party was treated to Dom Perignon champagne, courtesy of groomsman, Jeremy. Kiddos had a blast playing with glowsticks while adults danced under twinkling lights.

Sarah and Jeff – what a beautiful day! Thank you so much for having me photograph such an important event in your lives! It was such a pleasure – you two are just so sweet – and I had a blast! Thank you again! Here’s to a lifetime of happiness for you both! :)

Vendor Information:
Venue: Double Arrow Resort, Seeley Lake, Montana
Wedding Coordinator Extraordinare: Patti Ashmore, the bride’s mother
Videographer: Rogue Heart Media, Spokane, Washington
Florist: Habitat Floral, Missoula, Montana
Cake Artist: Black Cat Bake Shop, Missoula, Montana
DJ: Adam Goodover
Makeup Artist: Shae Saunders
Hair Arist: Kathy Allen
Wedding Dress: from Celebration Bridal in Las Vegas, Private Label by G
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Men’s Suits: Tuxedo Gallery, Missoula, Montana
Minister: Ed Goldsmith

On the docket: portraits, weddings and more portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

The Big Sky state was in full-on awesome mode for Molly and Andy’s gorgeous Montana wedding near Placid Lake. Fluffy clouds rolled on through the blue sky, the sun shined down brilliantly and Montana seemed to be celebrating Molly and Andy’s wedding day just as much as they and their friends and family were.

Guests sipped on drinks from their very own personalized mason jars as they witnessed Molly and Andy vowing their love to one another, tears pricked people’s eyes as beautiful emotions sprang forth, and laughter was always quick to surface.

Little kiddos had a blast using the grounds as a giant playfield, hugs were given freely and often, and smiles beamed from everyone’s faces.

Molly and Andy – your wedding day was so beautiful and such a joy to document – thank you so much for inviting me to witness and capture such special moments on the start of your new life together. May you experience such beauty and love in your lives for many long years!

Vendor Information:
Venue: Grey Wolf Ranch, Seeley Lake, Montana
Coordinator: Posh Paper Weddings, Missoula, Montana
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Florist: Friends and family
Videographer: Scenic Route Films, Missoula, Montana
Cake Artist: Sonja Lloyd, Missoula, Montana
Makeup and Hair Artist: Clare Dreyer
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero from Beautiful Weddings, Missoula, Montana
Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew
Rentals: Eastgate Rental, Missoula, Montana and St. Char-Ro Rentals, Ronan, Montana

On the docket: weddings and more weddings, and portraits and more portraits! Stay posted!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Sarah and Neil traveled all the way from Alaska to get married at Montana Pines Hideaway, a picturesque spot on Seeley Lake that Sarah’s family owns.

Sarah walked down the aisle naturally created by historic buildings on the property as friends and family watched, many with a tear or two in their eye, especially after the two read their handwritten vows to one another, voices quavering with emotion.

Afterwards, guests enjoyed a scrumptious dinner put together by friends and family, and enjoyed a pretty great cake smash followed by lively music.

Sarah, and Neil – thank you so much for choosing me to be your photographer – it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of your day and witness such a beautiful love between you both.

Vendor Information:

Venue: Montana Pines Hideaway, Seeley Lake, Montana
Florist: Family
Cake: Bernice’s Bakery, Missoula, Montana
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Hair Artist: Gina
Wedding Dress: From Artic Rose Bridal Boutique in Wasilla, Alaska; design by Alfred Angelo – Sapphire collection dress #854
Bridesmaid Dresses: Romy’s, Missoula, Montana
Rentals: Eastgate Rental, Missoula, Montana

On the docket: weddings, portraits and more weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine