Tag Archive for: Southwest Montana

Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Photo Session of Tara and Sky

With the help from some fellow wedding vendors, we created a Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Photography Session in under 24 hours time.

The idea sprouted last Tuesday as I was talking on the phone with my friends Jacy and Matt, owners of Gallatin Valley Botanical. I’ve been photographing and supporting their local organic farm here in Gallatin Valley for the last couple of years now.

They mentioned that they would soon be taking over management of the popular Rocky Creek Farm (another farm down the road from theirs) and in addition to farming the increased acreage of land, they would also be pushing to make it a successful new farm wedding venue. While gathering material together for their wedding advertisement for this past weekend’s Bozeman Bridal Walk, they realized they would need some wedding photography to showcase their new venue to prospective wedding clients.

I told them I could help. The answer…

We decided to have a Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Photography Session. The next day.

Our time was short. We set our photo shoot time for 2 pm the following afternoon and let them know I would take care of everything. After hanging up the phone, I sprung into action. First and foremost, we would need models. I decided to get in touch with my engaged friends Sky and Tara and invited them to be my models for the afternoon. Thankfully, they agreed.

If we were going to have a properly styled wedding photo shoot, we would need to make our volunteer models look amazing.

In need of obtaining a fine suit and beautiful wedding dress for my models to flaunt, I called upon the talents of Persnickety Formal Wear owner Anne Porter. In between all of her fittings for the busy prom season, she happily agreed and got Sky and Tara outfitted with some classy wedding attire.

For their hair and makeup, I stopped into Indulgence to have my friend, the lovely Deirdre Quinn, see to it that Tara looked radiant as a bride for our Rocky Creek Farm Styled Wedding Photography Session

It all came together so well. In all, we organized our impromptu wedding photo shoot in under 24 hours.

Our styled wedding photography shoot turned out awesome.

The Wednesday morning rain clouds had subsided by the time of our two-hour photo shoot commenced, and we were given a nice, calm weather window to utilize.

It turns out Rocky Creek Farms has a lot to offer both in capacity and scenery.

We photographed varies canvases of old barn wood backdrops, orchards and open farmland accompanied with views of the Bridger Mountains in the distance. We even took photo opportunities along the on-property spring creek.

I could have photographed there for hours.

We even utilized a few baby lambs and my new labrador puppy, Tippet, to be featured in our photo shoot.

It was a perfect way to spend a Montana afternoon. None of this could have happened without the hustle and team effort by all the vendors who worked together to make something special on such short notice. I’m so grateful for their willingness, enthusiasm, and professionalism.

Congrats to Sky and Tara on their engagement and well wishes to Matt and Jacy and they grow their new wedding venue out at Rocky Creek Farms! -M

To view all of the photos from our styled photo shoot, click here.

2016 Best of Weddings Greener Visuals Photography

Winter has arrived and it’s snowing in Montana now. I’ve been reminiscing about the past year. It’s funny how time flies when you’ve been having so much fun. 2016 was another great year of documenting the fun memories of my client’s wedding day. I kept busy this year photographing over the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Southwest Montana offers up so many beautiful places to get married and I feel thankful that I was able to continue to explore the hidden pockets throughout. It was such an honor to be a part of my client’s wedding celebration.

I feel so grateful to be doing the candid wedding storytelling photography that I do.

My travels this year took me all over Montana. Traveling up to Whitefish down to Yellowstone National Park and as far away as downtown Chicago, Illinois. I even got to witness a wedding in northeast Mongolia.

In addition to having fun documenting the love, one of my favorite highlights of the year was when I moved into my new photography studio inside of Gallatin Event Rentals. It has been a wonderful place to house my wedding and portrait photography business. Having an inviting, comfortable space to host my clients and hear their wedding story has been such a pleasure. If you haven’t stopped by already, I’d be happy to give you the dime tour and geek out on photography with you.

Here are a few of my favorite wedding images that stood out to me from this past year.

I am now booking for the 2017 wedding season and I travel all across the country. I’m looking forward to the new smiles and faces I’ll meet and photograph in the new year.  Wishing you all a fantastic new year ahead! -M

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending my third A Montana Wedding Bridal event at the Gran Tree Inn in Bozeman, Montana. The event is hosted by my former coworkers at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. I really enjoy participating in these events. It’s a fantastic way for brides to connect with vendors and be inspired. In between chatting with lots of wedding couples about their plans, I wandered around the event and made some images from the day. It was fun to see all the excitement in the bride’s faces. I look forward to attending it next year at The Commons. I was proud to be a part of it. -M

A few weeks back I returned to Chico Hot Springs in Pray, Montana to photograph the wedding day of Elizabeth & Ryan. When it came to these two New Mexican residents planning their wedding day, they opted to return to their old stomping grounds of southwest Montana. Their destination wedding brought 150 of their close family and friends to the historical hot spring wedding venue in Paradise Valley. It was a fantastic day-long celebration with warm weather mixed with the occasional feisty wind gusts. Just the right amount to kick up a wedding dress in dramatic fashion. Soon into the reception, the wedding guests took to the dance floor in droves and celebrated with the newlyweds late into the evening. Good times with great people. I had a fun time meeting everyone, hearing the stories and photographing the festivities. Congrats again to the newlyweds! Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness. -M

To view all of the photos from Elizabeth and Ryan’s wedding day, click here.

Bobbijean & Chris Wedding Day in Yellowstone National Park

I recently photographed Bobbijean & Chris’ Wedding Day in Yellowstone National Park. What a cool experience! It’s not every day that I get to photograph a wedding in the most famous national park in the country. I’m excited to show the full celebration but for now, I give you a preview of a few favorites so far. I’m hard at work editing the whole lot. Many more great wedding photos to come. Stay tuned… -M