Kirby and Sam- Montana Destination Wedding

I wasn’t going to photograph Kirby and Sam’s wedding. Kirby is the son of one of my really good friends, Mary, and I had fully intended to attend their Montana wedding as purely a guest. Our mutual friend, Nate, was on-point as the photographer for the day and so I knew they were in good hands.

But then I arrived and I saw the mountains, the green grass, and breathed in the lovely, clean air and I couldn’t let the idea go that I had to photograph this wedding, at least in part.  Nate had everything covered but I wanted to give my passion and talents as a gift to my dear friend and her newly-married son.

And so I called Nate the night before the wedding and asked if he would mind if I took some shots of the ceremony. Gracious as he is, he welcomed my participation.

Photographing people you know is such a wonderful experience – a blessing – and having a group of good friends in one place makes the event even more joyful to-boot.

Held in a beautiful clearing, Kirby and Sam’s celebration was casual, rustic and easy-going. Mary hand-made all the amazing, decorative flowers from paper (even the bride and bridesmaid’s bouquets) and made a beautiful curtain of pine cones and beads that hung from the logwood alter. The intricacy of both was amazing and I have no idea how many hours something like that must have taken.

Kirby is such a wonderful young man and I just loved the way he looked at Sam throughout the ceremony. Some of my personal, favorite moments were capturing Mary with her children (who are so rarely all in the same place at one time) and photographing Kirby’s dance with his mother later in the evening.

Big thanks to Nate for allowing me the freedom to be present with my camera, without the pressure to deliver. It meant that I could comfortably wear three hats for the evening: guest, friend, and photographer. And that is a rare moment indeed.