Ruthi and Soren's Wedding

Ruthi and Soren are just really cool people. Two days before their "official wedding" ceremony, they and 40 of their family and friends climbed Lone Peak and performed a ceremony on top of the peak. Soren's mother sewed a cape for the wedding which they used at both ceremonies. On one side it said "Soulmates" and on the other side it said "Earthmates". Each ceremony represented a different union one here and one in the universe.

The two are passionately committed to each other and to our planet and both were evident at the their wedding at Moonlight Basin Lodge in Big Sky. Something in the way they look at each other just gives you goosebumps. They just fit together so well!

Their reception was wildly fun with everyone dancing up a storm to the music provided by Fresh Tracks, my number one pick for DJs in the area. Ruthi and Soren were incredible dancers and really wowed the crowd with their first dance.

However, the sweetest, most beautiful part of the evening was when Soren picked up his acoustic guitar and sang Ruthi a song which he had written for her specifically for their wedding day. Incredible. I was honored to be a part of this wedding. All the best in the world to you both!

Rose Grabowski 1917-2008

This week we said good-bye the the happiest person I have ever met in my life, Gram Rose. She was Justin's (my husband) grandmother and neither Justin nor his mom can remember her ever being angry. What a beautiful thing to be able to say about someone. She lived her life surrounded by people she loved, like her husband of 69 years, Joe Grabowski, and her love of others and of life was infectious.

I will always remember her sweet voice at our wedding singing the Polish celebratory song "Sto Lat." Justin and I had the opportunity to live in Poland for a year and go to the small farming village where his grandparents came from. When we came back we were able to talk to his grandparents in Polish, which made them proud but made us even prouder of them and all they had accomplished and given up so that Justin's mother and uncle and Justin and his brother could live the life they do now. So to be at our wedding and hear Gram Rose sing to us in Polish is something we will always treasure.

She will be greatly missed but the lessons she taught everyone will last. She will be a constant reminder to me of the power of a smile and a positive outlook on life.

Heather and Jeremy's Wedding

I was happy to finally have the chance to photograph Heather and Jeremy's wedding. We met them while photographing Dena and Jeremy's wedding last fall and it is always a pleasure to see familiar faces. It's like photographing old friends!

The ceremony was performed under beautiful blue skies amid the stunning scenery at Chico Hot Springs. Their guests had travelled from far and wide to celebrate with the couple and the toasts at the reception reflected the love and caring felt for this special couple.

We also got to catch up with Dena and Jeremy and were excited to hear that they are expecting their first baby this fall. I always enjoy watching as a couple move from bride and groom to mom and dad.

I always love weddings at Chico Hot Springs, and this wedding reminded me again of why it is a special place. Wishing you all the best Heather and Jeremy! Thanks for having us there on your wedding day!

Amanda and Ryan's Wedding

When Amanda and Ryan and I met to talk about their wedding details, they told me that they loved the photos I have of the whole wedding party jumping.  They asked me to please get lots of fun, active shots of them and their wedding party.  I promised to do that and knew that the wedding would be fun.  What I didn't realize at the time was just how much fun Amanda and Ryan would be!  

They met as while both working at a camp and still had some of that camp spirit in them.  Amanda had "bridal" Chaco sandals that she had had laced with white netting the match her wedding dress and during their portrait session after the ceremony, the two laid down in the grass for some of the shots.   So, so fun!

Best of luck you two.  I'm sure that your life will be full of laughter.

Emily and Casey's wedding

Emily and Casey's wedding in Big Sky was a beautiful occation. The wedding ceremony was held at Soldiers Chapel which is one of the most amazing locations in all of Montana. Lone Peak is perfectly framed behind this stunning chapel.

I met Emily and Casey last fall when I did their engagement session last fall. I knew they would be easy to work with when it was about 10 degrees outside and they braved the weather with smiles on their faces. I also noticed that their smiles got bigger every time they looked at each other. The same was true on their wedding day-the bride was positively glowing!

Emily planned every detail of the wedding perfectly. One of the best details was the red wedding cake decorated with pine cones and branches. This matched perfectly with the bridesmaid's dress and Emily's adorable red shoes. Guess what Emily's favorite color is!

The reception was held at Buck's T-4 lodge in Big Sky and everyone enjoyed dancing and singing with the happy couple. Even the DJ got into the spirit of the party! Congratulations Emily and Casey, best of luck!

Stacy and Mike's Wedding

Stacy and Mike's wedding was so full of love and fun! Mike is from Australia, where he and Stacy currently live. They area a wonderful couple and you could tell they were loved because about 40 family and friends made the trek from down under to Springhill Pavillion to attend the celebration. Their friends were great and while the Aussies showed the Montanan's how to party the Montana contingent didn't disappoint! A fantastic time was had by all with much laughter, tears and hugs (especially from Stacy)!

This was also a special day for Justin and I. We were married there about 3 years ago and have not had the opportunity to go back together. Being at Springhill brought back a lot of special memories and we both had a great time. I am so glad that it was for this wedding as the bride and groom were obviously very special people and so full of love.

We wish them all the best and wish we were going to Fiji with them! Safe travels Stacy and Mike and hope to see you again.

Tiffany and Steve's Wedding

Steve's mom, the adorable Sodie, got in touch with me this winter and I just feel in love with her.  She was so full of life and so excited about this wedding.  The wedding plans sounded pretty spectacular.  All the groomsmen and the groom were planning to arrive at the wedding (at a private residence in Big Sky) on horseback while the bride and bridesmaids would arrive in a horse-drawn carriage.  It would take two photographers to cover the event and Sodie was delighted to hear that I always work with a second shooter/ assistant.

The wedding was just as awesome as it sounded over the phone, partly because how delightful Tiff and Steve were.  The weather was dicey with thunderstorms coming in and out of the area, but Tiff and Steve were cool and calm.  The weather cooperated well for the lovely outside ceremony were Tiff and Steve read their own personal vows to each other and more than a few tears were shed.

The best part of the evening though was Tiffany and Steve's first dance.  They started out with your traditional slow song, when suddenly the music skipped and they sprung into a choreographed hip-hop routine.  So cool.  Overall, it was a wonderful. wonderful evening and I am so happy I was there to document it!

Ruth and Ted's Wedding

Ahhh.  The coveted 8-8-08 wedding date (yes, I am aware that, that rhymed).  Ruth and Ted were the couple lucky enough to snag this wedding date and I was lucky enough to be invited along for the ride!  I am so happy I was- they are truly wonderful people and I feel honored that I was there to share their special day.

They were married at the lovely First Presbyterian Church in downtown Bozeman, which was beautiful in it's own right,  but the best part was that we were able to do a photo shoot with the bride, groom and wedding party in downtown Bozeman afterwards.  We stopped traffic to take some shots at the mural on the side of Heeb's and headed over to old train depot to get some fun shots there.  Even the bus driver got in the spirit suggesting places for us to stop.

We managed to get to the reception at Bridger Bowl just before a huge rain storm rolled in.  The rain didn't last for long and when it cleared the clouds stayed and hugged the peaks, adding a romantic feeling to the setting.  It was a really magical evening.

Kally and Ken's Wedding

Kally and Ken's wedding in Big Sky was an amazing wedding to photograph. The location was stunning, the light perfect and the couple was so full of love and hapiness that the photos just came naturally. Ken was the perfect groom to shoot since he is a photographer himself. He was really into modeling for me and the pictures came out great as a result.

I knew their wedding would be fun because I met them while photographing Trish and Matt's wedding last summer. They really went out of their way to make my husband Justin and I feel at home during their celebration. It was a truly raucous party and everyone had a great time including my husband Justin and I.

Kally and Ken were both great to work with and their photos are some of my favorite of the season. It helps to have to beautiful Lone Peak as a backdrop and two beautiful people in love!