Grizzly Creek Ranch Wedding of Rebecca and Carter

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This past August, I had the pleasure of photographing Rebecca and Carter’s Grizzly Creek Ranch wedding up Tom Miner Basin in Emigrant, Montana.

Rebeca and Carter are both veterans of the Hollywood film industry and these two Californians met on a southwest Montana film project. Their first encounter also introduced them to the beauty and splendor of the Yellowstone River and the surrounding Paradise Valley. It would soon become a favorite place to visit during the downtime of their busy schedules.

They found love in the time of COVID, and moved in together during lockdown. During those challenging times in the closed-down city of Los Angeles, their relationship and bond only strengthened.

Rebecca commented how Carter makes her feel calm, warm and offers an endless amount of patience. He’s a steady hand in the relationship and she shared how his presence creates a calming flow in their house.

To her, Carter feels like home.

Carter loves how Rebecca removes all stress from his daily existence. She’s very loving and always has his best interests at heart. She’s sponteanous, enthusiastic and always up for anything, like an on-a-whim weekend cabin trip to Montana.

Rebecca and Carter’s adventurous spirits and love of nature made the big sky state a natural setting for them. They chose to have their wedding celebration in Paradise Valley, south of Livingston, Montana. It was the place where they first met.

Happily, their community of friends and family traveled from across the country to Emigrant, Montana where Rebecca and Carter hosted their elegant wedding celebration in a place that instilled such reverence for them.

Under the guidance of their talented wedding planner, Killian Flanagan Payne (of Events by Killian), the charming, rustic, working cattle ranch Grizzly Creek Ranch, became the perfect Montana backdrop to their wedding. All of their loved ones had the convenience to stay on and near the ranch which lies just north of the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It was a perfect destination wedding vacation to soak up this time together. For many of their guests, this was the first time many of them had visited the Big Sky Country. Their Montana experience was complete with brief afternoon rains that evolved into a picturesque sunset.

As the evening settled in and with the Montana stars at full shine, the dance floor came alive. The sounds of music, laugher, and energetic celebration went well into the night. This was an amazing crowd to behold! Everyone was in high spirits.

Rebecca and Carter, thank you for inviting me into your story. It was an absolutely pleasure to photograph you and your loved ones in such a striking setting! Congratulations on saying “I DO” in Montana. I wish you all the best! -M

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Gallatin River Family Portraits of the Childress Family

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A recent Gallatin River family portraits session with the Childress family helped turn their Montana vacation into an opportunity for a documented celebration!

“I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”

― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring Montana then I know this quote from John Steinbeck resonates. And it’s no wonder. Montana truly is spectacular! I have my own family roots in this glorious state. I’m always thrilled to see the excited faces of my clients when they come to know the awesome beauty of this timeless place for the first time.

It’s a pristine land that’s raw, wild, and just begging to be explored.

When you vacation in Montana, you are surrounded by the freshness that comes with changing your rhythm and being in this new environment. This state has a way of helping us let go of the busyness of our lives and slow down to really take in beauty of your loved ones and its amazing landscapes. Time shifts and you are more present, perhaps, than in the daily grind. You have fewer distractions. You get to see your family experience new things, exactly as you do the same. This has a way of letting us relax deeply into the moment, to be curious, and to play.

Over the last ten years, I’ve regularly worked with families that want to turn their Montana vacation into an opportunity for documented memories. Many visitors who have vacationed here have reached out for my photography services because they know that these moments, together, are unique, special, and worth doing right now.

Your family vacation is the perfect time to take advantage of this unique time you all have together.

With the Childress family, they make the annual trip from Texas to Montana every year to explore with their kids and soak up the family time during their Gallatin River family portraits session.

Big changes are on the horizon for this family.

With their daughter already in college, their son was about to enter his senior year of high school. Tina and John were soon-to-be empty nesters. They wanted this year’s Montana vacation to celebrate their kids with a family portrait session. It also proved to be a chance to highlight their son with his senior pictures. Talking with them on the phone, we discovered all that they cherish about their adult children. We also talked about how Montana has positively helped shaped their kids’ lives. Through their parents, their children have fostered an afinity for being riverside and a love of flyfishing.

To commemorate this special time together, the choice to hike along the banks of the Gallatin River was clear winner. It is a place filled with so many happy family memories for them.

I’m completely mobile with my photo studio, we were able to capture both a natural setting and a studio feel look for their son’s senior photos. I loved the ease of this family’s way of being together and enjoyed experiencing the calm Montana afternoon right alongside them.

What can you anticipate on your vacation family photo experience? That’s where the fun begins! We will schedule a phone chat to better understand what you value most about your loved ones and the special moments you hope to create. If you love the outdoors, I can help you find just the right setting. Or, perhaps, you are coming together for a family reunion or birthday celebration, and want candid photos around the celebration. I’d love to hear more about your plans for your 2023 Montana vacation adventure.

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