Wedding Gallery

Choteau, Montana Wedding: Jenna + Carden

March 13, 2019

The most intoxicating force on a wedding day is connection.


My favorite weddings are those that have sub-plots of connection. Maybe the venue holds some significance, maybe the people involved are linked to the couple, maybe the date has a history.


Jenna and Carden’s Montana ranch wedding on the Rocky Mountain Front near Choteau, Montana had connection in all those places.


The entire wedding occurred on the bride’s family ranch, which has been in the family for multiple generations.


The alter was handcrafted by father-of-the-bride himself.


Chairs were set up in the backyard, facing one of Montana’s most spectacular mountain scenes in the distance, with overflow seating in the trees next to the shop.


In leu of traditional Save-the-Date invitations, the couple decided to place an ad in the local, once a week, newspaper… and nearly 500 people showed up.


Father-of-the-groom, a practicing minister from Missouri, performed the ceremony, as his son wept watching his bride walk off the back porch and down the aisle towards him.


Dad’s working ranch garage, typically filled with tractors and farm equipment, was transformed into a reception hall, complete with a dance floor sporting oil stains from said farm equipment.


The sunset overlooking the mountains was unlike any other seen from this very location, thousands of times before, because of the new companion to share them with.


In this case, the photographer (yours truly) grew up with the bride, sharing both preschool and college classrooms together, and we knew how these sub-plots all intertwined to create such a magical day.


That’s our job as a photographer. See the unseen. Connect the dots.


That is why it is so important to hire a photographer that understands your goals, recognizes the significance of these pieces, and aligns with the way you want your day documented.


Each detail, each piece of the puzzle, each connection is what elevates your wedding day above almost every other day in life, and if captured properly, can serve as a timepiece that celebrates your story for decades afterward.