Kootenai Falls Engagement Session | NW Montana Waterfall Inspiration
Kootenai Falls Engagement Session | NW Montana Waterfall Inspiration
Bridger + Bailey’s Adventure Engagement Session at Kootenai Falls
Videography + Photography by Montana Diaries
Kootenai Falls Engagement Session | NW Montana Waterfall Inspiration
Bridger and Bailey had the dreamiest summer adventure engagement session at Kootenai Falls outside Libby, MT. The weather was absolutely perfect and these two had a blast hiking to the falls while reminiscing about their relationship — in fact, one of their early dates was at this very location! Keep reading to get all the details of their engagement and gather inspiration for your own waterfall photography and videography couples session.
WATCH bridger + bailey’s MONTANA engagement VIDEO:
Bridger + Bailey
Their love story
Bailey had the *biggest* crush on Bridger in the 5th grade, and after 8 years of not seeing each other, Bridger came into the bar with his family where Bailey bartended at the time. He was chatting with another one of Bailey’s customers at the bar and she could not stop glancing over at him. When his family’s food was ready, Bailey told her coworker, who was his waitress, that she wanted to help her take the food to their table. About a week later, Bridger messaged Bailey on Facebook and they have been inseparable ever since! Bailey says Bridger is an amazing bonus dad to her daughter and she loves the way he talks about them to others in a way that is so caring. Bridger loves when Bailey writes him love notes. When asked what draws them to one another, they said they are aligned with their goals, dreams, passions, hobbies, spirituality, beliefs, and they are both very family oriented!
Planning their adventurous engagement session
Bridger and Bailey are getting married in Ronan, MT at their property with views of the Mission Mountains — they are a true Montana couple through and through and they love the outdoors. We knew we probably wouldn’t have a ton of time for an adventure session on their actual wedding day, so I wanted to be sure to incorporate some sort of hiking footage from their engagement session into their final wedding film. I’m always asking my couples questions to get deeper into their personalities, hobbies, and interests so that we’re planning sessions that truly reflect their stories — it’s so important to me that they don’t look at their engagement + wedding photos and videos and remember posing and feeling uncomfortable, but they remember the actual day and how much fun they had in this season of life.
Kootenai Falls Waterfall Engagement Session
Kootenai Falls is one of my favorite locations in NW Montana — I have a soft spot for it because I’m originally from the area. You know how everyone has those go-to spots that you HAVE to show friends + family when you’re giving them a tour of your hometown? This has alwayssss been one of mine. I think I’ve visited Kootenai Falls at least once a year for the entirety of my life, ha!
Bridger and Bailey love to spend time outdoors, and many of their early dates included hiking — in fact, they showed me an old iPhone selfie of themselves at Kootenai Falls from the early days of their relationship! It was the perfect spot to document their engagement season.
How to get to Kootenai Falls
Closest major town: Libby, MT (12 miles)
The Kootenai Falls parking lot is located right off of US-2 between the towns of Troy, Montana and Libby, Montana. This area of NW Montana is extremely remote — it’s an ideal picturesque location for locals who don’t want the craziness of Glacier National Park or other tourist destinations, but still want a super easy hike right off the main highway so that they aren’t trudging through backcountry in their nice clothes haha!
Picking outfits for their Montana engagement photos
Bailey came to me for advice about what they should wear for their engagement session, and she told me she isn’t much of a dress person. I told her to not wear a freaking dress haha! I know a ton of photographers send outfit guides so that their portfolio reflects a certain aesthetic, but I tell my couples to think about the following when choosing outfits:
You should feel comfortable — you aren’t going to like the final photos + videos if your clothes are ill-fitting, digging into you, or more revealing than you’re comfortable with!
You should feel like yourself — if you don’t look like yourself, the photos + videos will age poorly and you might have trouble connecting with them later on in life. Don’t make yourself a prop, we’re aiming to authentically document the season of life you’re in!
You should feel beautiful — yes, this goes for you fellas too!
Don’t match. This one is just my personal preference, lmao, literally match if you want to…but hey, you asked for my opinion, so I thought I’d sneak that one in there haha!
I’m so glad Bridger and Bailey both chose to wear casual outfits that they felt comfortable in — they looked incredible, comfortable, and like themselves!
Your Kootenai Falls Videographer and Photographer
Hi, I’m Shay! I’m your Kootenai Falls videographer and photographer for the adventurous and laid-back — I grew up in the area and it holds a special place in my heart. If you want a true NW Montana adventure for your couples session or elopement, then let’s put on our backpacks and hiking boots and explore the most remote parts of the Cabinet mountains…orrrr the stunning touristy spots of my childhood like Kootenai Falls. You can’t go wrong with ANY location in NW Montana — learn more about my process and pricing by clicking here.
BRIDGER + BAILEY’S MONTANA WATERFALL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS:
