From the moment Riki and I chatted on the phone about her wedding day, I knew it was going to be beautiful and full of emotion (we may or may not have teared up on the phone together – it was a very sweet moment!).

And their wedding day absolutely was – everyone readied themselves inside the church, and Riki and Paul were eager to see each other for the first time. Their first look was exceptionally sweet, and included some very happy tears.

Soon family and friends began to arrive, smiling and hugging as they greeted one another.

As Riki walked down the aisle to her groom, Paul beamed at his beautiful bride. Throughout their ceremony they gazed deeply upon one another, Paul occasionally gently wiping tears from Riki’s smiling eyes. As they kissed for the first time, they grinned and laughed, happiness brimming as they walked down the aisle together.

Friends and family lined the stairway outside the church to send the couple off with a flurry of bubbles and cheers.

We all took a little detour on our way to the reception and stopped over at the University of Montana campus, where Riki went to school. It was such a beautiful day – the M was glinting in the sun, the sky was blue overhead and I heard passing students whisper, “You don’t see this every day!” and “Oh look! They’re so beautiful!!!” We had a blast making images at this special spot, and then continued on to the Ranch Club where Riki and Paul had their reception.

Friends and family showered Riki and Paul with heartfelt toasts, the sweetest little song from Riki’s niece, and a special welcome-to-the-family Scottish ceremony toast from Paul’s parents to Riki.

It wasn’t long before everyone began dancing, enjoying the bonfire outside, and having a grand time. The evening ended with a special song, and everyone gathered in close, singing, swaying and laughing together. It was a fun moment, so I decided to catch a little video of that, too. :)

Riki and Paul! Congratulations again! You two are so sweet, and so beautiful to watch as a couple. It was such an honor to photograph such a gorgeous, emotional, happy day for you both, and I wish you all the best in the world! Here’s to fantastic adventures in Germany, plentiful, tasty beer always, and happy tears forever!

Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: First Presbyterian Church, Missoula, Montana
Reception Venue: The Ranch Club, Missoula, Montana
Officiant: Chaplain MacGregor, father of the groom
Florist: Monaco Flowers and Gift Baskets, Missoula, Montana
DJ: RMF Entertainment, Missoula, Montana
Cake: Crave Catering & Cakes, Missoula, Montana
Makeup Artist: Skin Chic, Missoula, Montana
Wedding Dress: Belle en Blanc, Billings, Montana
String Players: from the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana

On the docket: one more wedding and portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Is there anything more serene or magical than watching snow fall at night? We had a little storm a couple of days ago in Missoula that blanketed our town with about 7 inches of beautiful, fluffy snow. I couldn’t help but document it in a simple video and as a still photo, too. Check out the small slices of the evening below – the first is the final photo; the second is the behind-the-scenes video. (To watch it in HD, which makes a huge difference in viewing quality, hover over the video, click the HD button at the bottom right and click the corresponding link that pops up.) Enjoy!

A Simple Snowstorm from Kristine Paulsen Photography on Vimeo.

Missoula, Montana gets its first December 2012 snowstorm.

On the docket: portraits and the last 2012 wedding!

Cheers,

-Kristine

And now, here’s a little video to showcase the very best of 2011 – your smiling faces, the love in your hearts, and moments that have changed your lives. Thank you for inviting me to document this for you. It’s truly been an honor.

On the docket – portraits!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I call this: { Peter the Pie Guy – an Ode to Betty Lou } Now, let’s let him do the talking! (Click the play button below to get it started. You may want to press play and then pause to let the video start loading. To watch in HD, click the HD button and follow the instructions.)

On the docket: engagement sessions!

Cheers!

-Kristine

So, I love dairy products. There. I said it. It’s out. I love them unabashedly, wholeheartedly, forever. Especially ice cream. And especially when it’s ice cream made by Big Dipper in Missoula, Montana. Their rich, creamy, unique flavors are just several of many reasons to love their ice cream. Throw in great community involvement and business-to-business collaboration and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a wonderful, local ice cream shop. There’s a reason people love this place.

There have been some great changes and additions to the shop in Missoula (new neon signage as well as the Coneboy ice cream truck) and I was asked to make some photographs for Big Dipper to highlight these changes. I have a weakness for multimedia, too, so I made a short video to document the fun atmosphere of this business. But enough chit chat – on to the photos and video! Be sure to have your sound on for the video and click the play button to get it started. (There are two versions – a longer one with a staff interview and shorter one without the interview.) Also, I’ve got to give a huge thanks to the participants in the photos and video! You were great!

P.S. Can you find the actual big dipper in the sky? I was so happy the sky was clear so the stars were visible!

Here’s the long version of the video (2 minutes 16 seconds):

Cheers!

-Kristine