I had the pleasure of meeting up with Shelby High School class of 2012 senior Jordan and her mom this past week to make some fun senior photos - all whilst watching a storm approaching us, lightning included! While dashing between raindrops we had a great time walking and talking and even dodging a garter snake! (Thank you Jordan for braving the tall grass after that little surprise!) Jordan is a tall, beautiful girl, which suits her interest in both basketball and volleyball in Shelby. She's also a big fan of camping, which she was taking a break from up in Seeley Lake, to come hang with me in Missoula for a bit. :) Thanks so much ...
Green Tutus and Neon Shoes! – {Tessa’s Missoula Senior Portraits}
Tessa, a class of 2012 senior at Sentinel High School, is certainly on her way to exciting things - with her exuberant, bubbly personality and easy ability to laugh, the world really is her oyster. We had an absolute blast dashing around downtown Missoula to make some super cool images of Tessa being her brilliant, bright self - neon green tutu and colorful shoes not to be left out. :) Tessa's friend Courtney also joined us and was a most-excellent provider-of-jokes, feather-fixer, and wardrobe consultant. Tessa is a busy lady when she's not out and about making beautiful images - she's a part of DECA, community plays, her church youth ...
Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in Your Shoe – {Shannon and Shafer’s Double Arrow Lodge Wedding}
There was an abundance of happiness at Shannon and Shafer's wedding at the Double Arrow Lodge in Seeley Lake, Montana - and plenty of luck, too, since Shannon included a lucky sixpence in her shoe, according to her family tradition. Their bright yellow and gray wedding palette added colorful exclamation points to their smile-filled, and laughter-filled wedding ceremony - made even sweeter by the inclusion of 15 adorable children carrying golden balloons down the aisle. Shannon and Shafer are both early childhood special education teachers, so these little rays of sunshine walking down the aisle were especially meaningful to them as a ...
Wind in Their Hair, Love in Their Hearts – {Chris and Kelcy’s Montana Trash The Dress Session}
I met up with Chris and Kelcy a day after their gorgeous Missoula wedding for their super fun trash the dress/rock the dress session. It was roasting hot, but we all had a blast making some really fun images of the two of them doing something they mutually dig - jeeping! I hadn't ever been in a jeep before (I know, I know...I'm a woman of small, deceptively tough cars) and I've got to say, it was definitely a good time! We also made some stunning non-jeeping images of the two of them, and Chris definitely won the award for best veil assistant ever. With a veil as long as Kelcy's, it liked to grab onto twigs and such, and Chris was always ...
Of Love and Laughter – {Chris and Kelcy’s Missoula Wedding at The Keep}
And there was lots of both at Chris and Kelcy's wedding at The Keep in Missoula, Montana. From their absolutely sweet first look (I think Chris had his breath taken away when he first saw Kelcy) to the moving toasts given by family - it was a day to remember. The day started out sunny, but a little Montana microburst decided to sneak its way into things right when the ceremony was supposed to begin. This might have derailed things and jangled the nerves of many couples, but Chris and Kelcy took it in stride and instead shook up the schedule a bit, starting with toasts and champagne. When the sun came out, everyone gathered outside again and ...
Cowboy + Cowgirl = A Match Made in Montana: {Emily and George’s Double Arrow Lodge Wedding}
From the cowboy boots on Emily's feet to the cowboy hat on George's head, theirs was a wedding that truly spoke to who they are as a couple (remember their awesome e-session from a bit ago?). Every bit of their wedding was simply beautiful and simply THEM. A friend married them, their siblings stood up with them, and they looked to the mountains as they pledged their vows to one another. Even as the wind whipped and rain threatened, George and Emily took it all in stride and had a blast sharing their wedding day with their friends and family. Big Sky beers flowed (gotta love Summer Honey and Scapegoat), the conversation and toasts were ...
Naturally Beautiful – {Jeff and Lauren’s Creative Montana Bridal Session}
We are so darn lucky to live in Montana. I mean, just look at what our eyes get to feast upon on a daily basis! Lauren and Jeff took advantage of the exceptional natural beauty of the Two Feathers Ranch where they were married and met up with me a couple days after their wedding to have fun rocking their creative bridal session. It really couldn't have been a more gorgeous evening - we caught the tail end of a summer storm, so we had some beautiful clouds in the sky and golden light towards the end of our evening. We got to hang out with their horses as well, who were exceptionally curious about my cameras. (See outtakes towards the bottom ...
The Best Things in Life Come in Threes – {Darby, MT Family Portrait Session}
And this is certainly true for the Butler family who have two-year-old triplet boys to keep them on their toes. I swung over to Darby a few days after Lauren and Jeff's Two Feathers ranch wedding to meet up with them for their family session with their little guys. The triplets had a blast showing me the finer points of cowboy hat-throwing, hay tossing, rock-skipping, tree-"climbing," and grass-wading (since the tall grass is much, MUCH taller than these adorable little guys!). Thank you so much for having me photograph your handsome family! On to the photos of these little charmers. On the docket: a stunning bridal ...
A Ranch Full of Love – {Lauren and Jeff’s Darby, MT Wedding}
The skies were blue, the sun warmly kissed the rolling hills of the Two Feathers Ranch in Darby, MT, and smiles graced everyone's faces as Lauren and Jeff promised their love and devotion to one another. It really was a magical day - Lauren and Jeff enjoyed a sweet "first look" before their ceremony, then bid each other adieu until Lauren made her grand entrance by horse drawn carriage. The ranch's other horses even decided to add their own element of beauty and surprise by galloping alongside Lauren's carriage as she drew closer to the ceremony location. Cheering greeted Lauren and Jeff's first kiss as newlyweds, and guests merrily rode ...
Lovely in Lilac – {Millie and JD’s Great Falls Wedding}
Millie and JD's wedding in Great Falls was full of personal touches that made their day extremely special and even more meaningful. Millie's dress was made by her mother, using the skirt from Millie's grandmother's own wedding dress. (Millie's mother used the skirt for her wedding, too!) The groomsmen added a bit of playfulness to what would have been traditional pocket squares, instead opting for fun "fair ribbons" saying: first place, second place, third place and participant. Hilarious! The amazing cupcake sculpture (it can only be called a sculpture because it was truly a work of art) was created by Millie's father, and the cupcakes were ...