Weddings by Greener Visuals Wedding Photography

A few weeks back, I photographed the Ennis Montana wedding of Riki and Lee overlooking the Madison Mountain range.

Getting to know these two over the past year leading up to their Ennis Montana Wedding day has been wonderful. Right from the start, the shared, rich intellect and loving kindness of Riki and Lee were an apparent, magnetic force.

Lee and Riki met four years ago while pursuing their PhDs at Northwestern University. They are now both budding powerhouse chemists on the East Coast.

In our first conversations, Lee shared what they admire most about Riki. They love how Riki is so good at genuinely seeing people. Riki is kind and doesn’t hesitate to help others. “Whether it be her colleagues, students, friends, or our community of loved ones, Riki shows me how to be a better partner,” Lee said. They also admire Riki’s intellect, “She is extremely smart and was the best in her class. I love how she challenges me.”

Riki feels the same – she loves Lee’s mind. This couple’s roots began first as friends. Riki immediately felt that she could be herself around Lee and with their first conversations, they dove deep. Riki, who describes herself as straight-edged, admires the diversity of Lee’s rich life experiences. Lee’s adventurous approach to life makes it easy for Riki to walk outside her comfort zone, in all the best ways. 

We met up last Fall to highlight their relationship and photograph their engagement couples photos in Lee’s hometown of Butte, Montana.

When it came to choosing their wedding location, this couple knew that Montana was the only place they wanted to be.

Riki and Lee gathered an intimate group of close friends and family out at their uncle’s property for their DIY Ennis Montana wedding day. It has been a wet June in Montana this year. Upon arriving at their wedding venue, guests were greeted by the vast mountain landscape covered in a lush pallet of green colors. As far as Montana standards go, you could not have had nicer wedding weather.

Their wedding day was carefree and relaxed. The couple got ready together with their friends while sipping coffee, eating bagels and BBQ, and telling countless funny stories. There were numerous special details of their day on display. Riki wore her grandmother’s wedding dress from the 1950s and a sapphire wedding ring she and Lee found in Phillipsburg, Montana mine.

Everyone in attendance worked together to make Riki and Lee’s wedding day special and uniquely their own.

After a lovely, emotional wedding ceremony, Riki and Lee with their wedding guests took in the sunset during the cocktail hour. Guest dined on a satisfying taco buffet provided by Fork and Spoon catering under the reception tent where many heartfelt toasts were made.

Weather moves fast through the Madison Valley. Throughout the day, we had an assortment of epic clouds roll through that created beautiful pockets of sunlight. The group came together to batten down the reception tent when a strong wind and rainstorm moved through. Thankfully, the rainstorm was a short-lived event. At its conclusion, we were rewarded with a lovely rainbow over the Madison Valley and beautiful golden hour light we were able to photograph.

After everyone was fed, tables were cleared to make room for the epic dance party. Orchestrated by the incomparable DJ Missy O’Malley, Riki, Lee, and their wedding guests went wild dancing late into the evening.

In all, this couple’s warmth, adventurousness, kindness, and focus on each other created such an amazing energy to be around. I love documenting love and had such a great time celebrating and photographing Riki and Lee on their big day.

I could not be happier for these two. Congratulations to the bride and gride! I wish them a lifetime of happiness! -M

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A week ago, I photographed The Woodlands rainy wedding day of Shannon and Liam outside Bozeman, Montana.

It has been lovely getting to know this couple and their five-year-old husky/shepherd, Iroh, over the past year.

Shannon and Liam met in Monterey Bay, California in the Fall of 2014. What started off as a friendship, quickly blossomed into a strong relationship. Together, they have been exploring the world together ever since. As an introvert, Liam loves Shannon’s extrovert energy. She cares so much about her relationships with others. She is loving and fits perfectly into his family dynamics. He admires her moral compass and how it constantly helps him navigate toward the right decisions.

Shannon loves how Liam truly understands her. He has helped her grow as a person and gives endless support to her. He keeps her accountable and showers her with love and patience.

Last summer I photographed their Mount Ellis trailhead engagement portraits in Bozeman. If one thing was clear, this couple was head over heels for one another and they were so excited for their approaching wedding day.

With friends and family traveling in from California and New Jersey, this engaged couple wanted a venue that could accommodate all of the fun.

They choose to celebrate their wedding day at The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon under the guidance of their wedding planner, Events by Killian.

The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon offered plenty of space for the wedding party to get ready – girls upstairs, gentlemen downstairs. The venue also offered plenty of space for the wedding guests to take shelter in a pinch.

Right before the wedding ceremony was to begin, a rainstorm came through that forced everyone to leave their ceremony seats.

As it turned out no amount of water could dampen the spirits of this group. Forward-thinking from the talented wedding vendors provided guests with clear umbrellas before the ceremony, just in case. The Woodlands Rainy Wedding didn’t phase anyone in attendance. After a brief delay, everyone returned to the outdoor lawn ceremony site for a heartfelt exchange of Shannon and Liam’s wedding vows under sunny skies.

Smiling ear to ear, Shannon and Liam welcomed their guests for a reception evening filled with great BBQ from Just a Taste Catering and the good tunes from Catered Rhythms DJ coaxed the wedding guests into dancing all night long. It was a really fun evening with everyone. Here are some of my favorite moments from Shannon and Liam’s wedding day.

I’m excited for these two and wish them a lifetime of happiness! -M

Wedding Vendors for Liam and Shannon’s Wedding Day

Venue: The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon

Wedding Planner: Events by Killian

Photography: Greener Visuals Photography

Catering: Just A Taste Catering

Rentals: Montana Party Rentals

Bartender: Jade Pierce Bartending Services

Dessert: Sweet Pea Bakery

Entertainment: Catered Rhythms

Florals: Bouquets and More

Videography: Cosmic Cine

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Gallatin River Lodge Winter Wedding ceremony of Amanda & Harley.

It has been such a fun time getting to know these two high school sweethearts over the past year.

They met at the age of 16-year-old. From the get-go, they shared an easy-going sense of humor and appreciation of the little things in one another.

Harley, usually a shy kid, recalled how profound it was that she could always bring him out of his shell and how to completely be himself around others.

Thinking back on what was a difficult childhood, Amanda loved that meeting Harley showed her the possibility of a better life and how to be a kid again.

More often than not, this usually takes the form of dancing and singing to music while cooking together.

Over the next ten years, Amanda and Harley’s relationship flourished.

“We were able to develop around each other and made up for each other’s perceived “faults”, Amanda said.

It was a wonderful, mutual balance of support, love, and acceptance. Each knew they had found their person.

What began with an April phone call, culminated into a really fun and pretty unique portrait photography experience for them last summer.

Through discovering all that they valued in their relationship, we ended up highlighting some of their fondest memories growing up together.

For them, it was going on dates to the historic Washoe Theatre in downtown Anaconda and dining at one of their favorite restaurants in Butte, the Pekin Noodle Parlor – the oldest Chinese restaurant in the country.

The experience was a hoot.

Needless to say, the build-up of excitement for their Gallatin River Lodge winter wedding day could not be overstated.

These two wanted to spread out their wedding celebration so they could highlight the seasons of Montana through their photography.

They loved the idea of having a snowy wedding and opted for a winter ceremony in Bozeman with their immediate family.

Later this summer, they have plans for their wedding reception to be in their old hometown of Butte, Montana.

As their wedding day arrived, unseasonally warm temperatures, unfortunately, melted most of the snow outside but that small detail didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.

They rolled with it, put on boots along with a good attitude and we were able to make some creative outdoor portraits for them.

After a brief ceremony, the two families came together for a lovely evening to celebrate, laugh and share stories then settle in for a nice intimate dinner.

I look forward to photographing their grand wedding reception in August.

Congratulations to the newlyweds! – M

Wedding Vendors:

Venue/food/drinks: Gallatin River Lodge

Flowers: Sola Chic Boutique LLC

Cake: Julie Hoskins and Big Sky Wild Flour

Hair/makeup: Alex McDaniel and Alli Abraham with Running Bare Aesthetics.

Signs: Kayli Renae Designs

Rings: Jewelry Studio and Millers

Videography: Eterna Films 

Photography: Greener Visuals Photography


I had the pleasure of photographing the 1915 Barn winter wedding day photos of Kathy and Robert in Bozeman, Montana.

Initially meeting online, Kathy and Robert’s relationship blossomed over their shared love of animals and hiking around Montana. Four years later they now have a home together complete with their dog “Annabell” and two house cats “Kitty and Binks”.

Robert cherishes Kathy’s friendship, honesty, and ability to get his humor. Kathy, loves that Robert treats her like her father treated her mother, lovingly and kindly. He cares, believes in her, and supports what she loves to do.

I loved getting to know these two and was looking forward to photographing their wedding day photos.

Typically in Montana, a late October wedding tends to look more Fall-like with foliage colors golds, oranges, and reds. For Kathy and Robert’s wedding, we had record cold temperatures and it snowed four inches of snow.

It didn’t phase them in the slightest.

The 1915 Barn offered a warm, beautiful atmosphere to celebrate comfortably inside the barn venue. This wedding couple and their guests had a wonderful time venturing outside to laugh and play in the big snowflakes. Thankfully, they could return to the warm, cozy interior of the barn.

The rustic barn setup worked perfectly for their small gathering of 100 guests.

For Kathy and Robert, they wanted their small, intimate DIY Montana wedding day to be relaxed. A celebration where they could just be themselves around their friends and loved ones. Rather than a formal ceremony, they opted for a short exchange of vows and then gave a toast of thanks to their guests.

After a great dinner, the tables went to the sides to make way for dancing, socializing, celebrating, and playing ping pong and bean bag toss. It was their perfect way to spend the evening.

Here are a few favorite photographs from their wedding day.

I’m feeling grateful to have been a part of the wonderful celebration. Congrats to the newlyweds Kathy & Robert! -M

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About a month ago, this Montana destination wedding photographer photographed the Murrieta California Destination Wedding day of my two artistic friends Rex and Tandy.

There are few things in life that bring me more joy than being able to photograph the wedding celebrations of dear friends.

This wedding was particularly special for me to document.

Rex and I have been close childhood friends since elementary school. What started as a shared love of artistic endeavors growing up, went on to foster countless visual creative collaborations in our formal middle school and high school years.

It was with Rex at my side that I first discovered the possibilities of what a camera could create. Together we explored our surroundings and even went as far as to build a darkroom in my mom’s spare closet. Soon we were off to the races chasing this new creative rabbit hole. Little did I know then that those times with him would be the beginning of my life-long pursuit of exploring the photographic medium. I wouldn’t be the same person without knowing him in my life.

Rex also followed his creative muses through life. He graduated from art school and now makes his living in Missoula, Montana working as a remote video game designer. I heard he had found himself an equally talented creative partner in Tandy, a successful illustrator, I knew he had found his person.

When Rex and Tandy asked me to photograph their wedding celebration on her family’s property in Murrieta, California, I could not have been more honored.

Their Murrieta California Destination Wedding day was a lovely, intimate DIY wedding staged at Tandy’s mother’s large home. Their friends and family worked together to transform the newly renovated yard into a special and memorable wedding atmosphere. Cute, homemade gray and yellow decorations added a lovely pop of color to the green surrounding landscape.

As the sun set over the valley, the wedding couple said their vows witnessed by their close loved ones. They cheered as the newlyweds kissed to seal the deal. The rest of the night we laughed, told stories, ate homemade pies, and danced the night away.

Here is a selection of favorite photographs I made throughout their day.

I could not be more excited for these two. I wish them a lifetime of happiness! -M

Bozeman Wedding Photographer Springhill Pavilion

I’m still buzzing with excitement after photographing the Springhill Pavilion Wedding Day of Allison and Matt this past weekend.

I’ve gotten to know these two Montana transplants over the past year and have been looking forward to documenting their wedding day for some time now. Both got their Ecology graduate degrees from UC Davis, a place where I used to live and a place that is close to heart. We bonded immediately over Davis stories and the realization that we knew many of the same people. Sometimes you encounter certain people in your life that you know will instantly become friends.

These two are wonderful, hilarious goofballs.

Their Montana wedding day was everything you would hope one could be – lovely Spring-like weather, the perfect setting, and a gathering of friends and family that were ready to get down on the dance floor. Their wedding day was an absolute blast to photograph. As I begin editing through all of the photographs, I wanted to share a preview of them. Many more to come! Stay tuned… -Mike

 

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Spring in Montana lately has been a sight to behold. Yesterday could not have been a better setting to photograph the Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding day of Camille and Matt just outside Bozeman, Montana.

The warm spring rains promised in the weather reports failed to dampen the day. Not that it would matter.

This was a group that shrugged off inclement weather.

The wonderful combined family energy of Wisconsinites and Montanans raised the level of a wedding celebration to a new high bar.

They raised their Coors Light libations with smiles and focused on the task at hand, celebrating two special people through hugs, laughter, songs, and dance during their Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding.

I met Camille at a fishing friend’s house over ten years ago. I was working at a newspaper in Northern California and spending my weekends chasing steelhead in the multitude of incredible nearby rivers. We ran in the same flyfishing circles. Camille was about to graduate high school, and the buzz in the fishing circles was that she was already quickly becoming one of the most successful women anglers in the United States.

Camille was raised between Montana and Alaska. Every summer growing up she was at her family’s fishing lodge on the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay. She began guiding at a young age. She has since enveloped herself in the national fly fishing community and has become an advocate for the great outdoors.

Presently, Camille is dominating the internet. She divides her time advocating against the Alaskan Pebble Mine efforts and works as Alaska & Christmas Island Program Director for Yellow Dog Flyfishing. She is living her dream of traveling the world guiding with a fly rod in hand.

It was only natural that she would find a partner with the same passion for the outdoors. Through Camille, I got to know Matt. He’s a kind, caring, and incredibly talented hunting and outdoor lifestyle photographer based here in Bozeman.

Their shared love of the outdoors helped influence their Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding day style.

Yellow flowers intermixed with whitetail deer antlers accentuated the venue. As their wedding guest dined on wild game appetizers and sipped local Montana wine and microbrew. The wedding couple’s mutual love of fishing was highlighted by artwork details of fly fishing files for the table settings and incorporated into the bridal party boutonnieres and corsages.

Their wedding day was a wonderful and complete representation of all that was important to them in their lives. I loved meeting all of their loved ones and photographing the festivities during their wedding day.

I could not be more thrilled for these two newlyweds! Congrats Camille and Matt! It has been a pleasure getting to know these two over the past year. I am convinced that anyone would be hard-pressed to find a better pair of people so perfectly suited for one another. Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness! -M

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Spring in Montana is a sight to behold and yesterday could not have been a better setting for my couple Camille and Matt’s wedding day celebration at the Springhill Pavilion just outside Bozeman, Montana.

The warm spring rains promised in the weather reports failed to dampen the day and the energy of Wisconsinites and Montanans was raised to a new high bar.

It was such a fun day.

So much so, that I have my work cut out for me editing through all the 10,000+ awesome moments taken throughout the day. For now, here are a few of the many favorites photographs that stood out. I could not be more thrilled for these two! Congrats Camille and Matt! Thank you so much for letting me and my photo team be apart of your special day! So much more goodness to come. Stay tuned! -M

Paradise Valley Montana Wedding bride groom hug

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing the beautiful Paradise Valley Montana Wedding day of Brita and John along the banks of the Yellowstone River.

Unlike most of the weddings I photograph, these two opted for my two-hour elopement collection where I focused on documenting their wedding ceremony and making portraits of their friends and family.

While perhaps one of the shortest wedding days I’ve ever photographed, Brita and John’s wedding celebration was still just as fun.

These two had all of their wedding guests meet at this really cool VRBO rental south of Livingston, Montana in Paradise Valley right on the river. The long grassy property had room for their hundred guests and had great access to interesting geography the wedding couple and I could explore during their portrait.

As the sunset over the mountains, their family and friends circled around them for their intimate ceremony then the celebration evolved into a riverside pig roast. For a DIY small wedding, this VRBO worked really well.

In my brief time with them, I had so much fun getting to know them and their tribe. Here are a few of my favorite images from their wedding. It was a true pleasure to be able to document their union. Congrats to the newlyweds! -M

I just picked up some copies of the new A Montana Wedding magazine and was excited to see that the new issue features numerous wedding photos from Greener Visuals Photography inside! The annual publication put out by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle is a helpful guide chocked full of inspiration, tips, and content from local wedding vendors for couples planning their wedding day in and around Southwest Montana. It never gets old seeing one’s labor of love in print. I’m proud to see my photos grace its pages. Check out the goods! Thanks, Bozeman Daily Chronicle! -M

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting dozens of new brides-to-be during the annual Montana Bridal Tour event at the 1915 Barn in Bozeman, Montana. Greener Visuals Photography has participated in the Fall bridal event (run by the talent event planner Abby Turner, of Reed & Lee Event Planning) for the past couple of years and really enjoy the face time connection with all of the excited brides as they begin their wedding planning process. As a whole, the Montana Bridal Tour is a chance for the newly engaged couples in the Gallatin Valley to tour multiple wedding venues around the Bozeman area and meet talented wedding vendors at each location. For a fun-filled day, four buses rotate driving participants from place to place where they get to sample the wares, get inspiration for their own wedding day and ask questions to participating wedding vendors. It’s so much fun to see the excitement on their faces.

In between chatting with brides all day long, I made some photos from the event at the 1915 Barn in Bozeman, Montana. For information on attending next year’s tour, you can visit their website here. What a fun day. -M

I recently photographed the Big Yellow Barn destination wedding day of Kim and Preston in Bozeman, Montana.

These two lovebirds hail from Washington D.C. and wanted to make their Big Yellow Barn Destination Wedding day special for their out-of-town guests with an authentic Montana rustic barn wedding in Bozeman.

I’ve photographed a few weddings at the Big Yellow Barn over the years and it’s a great Bozeman barn wedding venue option for hosting your celebration.

Situated 10 miles north of Bozeman, the big yellow barn looks out to a prominent unobstructed view of Ross Peak and the surrounding Bridger Mountains. Take some time with your wedding photographer during the “golden hour” to walk the grassy property. It’s a perfect, clean mountain backdrop for wedding portraits.

The barn itself has plenty of space for them and their guests. Kim and Preston set up the catering downstairs which created a good flow to feed their guests via buffet. It worked really well to get everyone through and fed.

The upstairs barn loft is massive. There’s lots of room for seating your guests for dinner and it can double as a spacious epicenter for your wedding dance floor. In between songs, you and your guests can mingle out on the elevated deck and down on the lawn. Overall, it serves as a really great layout for a wedding.

Kim and Preston wanted their special day captured in a documentary photography style so they reached out to me. The Big Yellow Barn offered the perfect setting for them. Warm weather, a couple in love, great people, excellent Montana barbeque, cupcakes, and an assortment of epic dance moves made the day not only memorable but one heck of a party.

I love the energy they and their guests brought to the celebration. I was so glad I could be a part of it. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day. Wishing these two all the best and many years of happiness. Congrats to the newlyweds Kim and Preston! -M

Had a blast photographing the fun at the destination wedding celebration of Kim and Preston this past Saturday at the Big Yellow Barn in Belgrade, Montana. Warm weather, a couple in love, great people, excellent Montana barbeque, and cupcakes and an assortment of epic dance moves made the day not only memorable but one heck of a good time. I’m hard at work editing through all the wedding photos of the day but wanted to share a few that have stood out so far. Congrats to the newlyweds Kim and Preston! So many more fun photos to show you all. Stay tuned…M