Fall Wedding Videography & Photography at the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon in Bozeman, MT
Fall Wedding Videography & Photography at the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon in Bozeman, MT
Drew + Nikki’s Stunning Fall Wedding in Bozeman
Videography and Photography by Montana Diaries
Drew + Nikki’s Fall Wedding at the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon
This gorgeous fall wedding at the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon was such a joy to film + photograph — Drew + Nikki balanced alone time with each other and time with their friends and families perfectly. The structure of the day + the design was absolutely lovely, but what I loved more than any of that was how they kept sneaking off to chat alone — in the upstairs suite before the ceremony, on a bridge covered in string lights outside their reception, you name it. Read on for some Fall Montana Wedding inspo + for more insight on how Drew + Nikki planned their wedding day with intention.
Getting ready at the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon
The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon has dressing rooms for both partners to get ready in on the wedding day. Nikki got ready in The Loft, which is the upstairs bridal suite, and Drew got ready in the Mancave, which is the downstairs room complete with a pool table. Click here to read more about the dressing rooms at the Woodlands.
First look in the woods
Drew and Nikki had their first look in the woods behind the main building at the Woodlands — while it was early afternoon, the sun sets super early in the fall in Montana and the Woodlands is surrounded by trees, so we got a super early “golden hour” effect for their first look. I love that the dressing rooms both have windows facing the spot in the woods where we had their first look because it allowed friends and family to watch the special moment from a distance — most of my couples really want a private first look and I advocate for them the day of their weddings to make it happen, but when there are little ways to compromise to help loved ones feel included, it’s always nice. Drew and Nikki opted for a first look so that we could get all of the group photos done before the ceremony — this was the right choice for them because they wanted to focus on having fun at their cocktail hour and reception, NOT on taking photos!
Ceremony in the meadow
The ceremony was set up in the meadow at the Woodlands and we seriously lucked out with the PERFECT Montana autumn day — it was crisp with a light breeze, but nobody was freezing! I love this spot at the Woodlands for a ceremony because it is surrounded by cottonwoods with views of the mountains, and it’s also super close to the reception area for easy accessibility. It’s also right in front of a ledge with the parking lot down below — it’s a huge parking lot with plenty of room for everyone’s vehicles, but the hill keeps the cars from view of the ceremony!
Watch Drew + Nikki’s wedding film above to hear their vows — they were so lovely and FUNNY. My favorite part of the ceremony was when Drew told Nikki he’d love her until they “were separated…by death.” That pause was so charming and has me laughing every time I think of it.
Montana Fall Wedding Portraits
We did the majority of Drew + Nikki’s couples portraits after their first look, followed by the wedding party, and then switching locations to the bridge for family portraits at the bride’s request. For family photos, we send a list of typical combinations and let our couples delete/add combos and add names for us to call out. This helps us make group photos go SUPER quickly, and then everyone can focus on having fun!
We did go off-site during the first bit of cocktail hour for some couples’ portraits — the only thing about the Woodlands is it gets dark super early there, but you can drive a couple miles down the road where it opens up into the valley for better lighting. We honestly probably had enough couples portraits from the first look, but Drew and Nikki really wanted a ton of time together, so it was just a nice breather away from the crowd and we had a blast. Andddd the fall colors were showing out down the road haha, no regrets!
Reception in the Great Room
Drew + Nikki’s reception was incredible. They hosted a dinner in the Great Room at the Woodlands and their wedding parties gave the most beautiful, heart-felt speeches. Then, they did the formal dances outside on the patio underneath string lights and ughhhh — this is the scene in my head when I try to explain how magical the Woodlands is. I love when evening comes and the string lights over the patio are on, and everyone is huddled around the patio watching the dancing.
How Drew + Nikki Made Their Wedding Their Own
Drew’s romantic surprise during the first dance
During their engagement session, Drew pulled me aside and told me he was LEARNING THE VIOLIN to surprise Nikki at their reception so that I would be able to mic him up for their first dance for their wedding video coverage. I seriously teared up when he told me his secret — Nikki is a highly talented musician with a deep appreciation for music, and I knew she would LOVE this surprise from Drew. The moment finally came, and he CRUSHED it. They started off with their first dance as normal, and then Drew pulled away to go get the violin — Nikki’s sweet friends came and held her so she wouldn’t be standing out on the dance floor alone, and her face when he started playing was priceless. She was crying, I was crying. Ha!
Finding pockets of alone time
Drew + Nikki are two of my faves because they didn’t give an eff, haha! If they wanted to take a few minutes to chat alone, they did it. They took their time to visit after their first look, they excused themselves for some alone time before the ceremony, they sat and had a drink together before I took them off-site for portraits after the ceremony, and they even slipped away from their reception while everyone was dancing to sit on the bridge covered in twinkle lights on the property — that’s when I got a little creepy and snuck over to take some photos, haha! Can you blame me!?
All About the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon in Bozeman, Montana
Why the Woodlands is a great choice for a Montana wedding
The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon is a great option for a Montana wedding for those who want a beautiful all-in-one venue where you can get ready, hold your ceremony, and host your reception all in one place. It’s super close to Bozeman, Montana proper and every part of the venue is easily accessible. There are multiple gorgeous backdrops for photos + videos as well!
How to get to the Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon
CLOSEST AIRPORT
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport: 35 min (21.7 mi) via US-191 S/Gallatin Rd
Do you need to download offline maps? Will there be cell service?
I always have service at the Woodlands, but service in Montana is always iffy so pleaseeee download your maps when you have good service!
Do you need a 4WD car to access this location? Is the road rocky/rough?
Nope, you should be okay! The road is paved all the way to the venue!
The best time of year to get married at the Woodlands
The venue is open from May until October. There is always a possibility of snow in May, early June, and October — so if you’re opposed to that, then choose late June, July, August, or September. Be sure to Google when the sun sets for your chosen date, and then to be safe, subtract a couple of hours because the venue is completely surrounded by hills and trees, so it gets dark early!
The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon Wedding Videography and Photography
Hiii — I’m Shay, your Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon videographer + photographer! I love, love, love serving couples in Bozeman, Montana with story-driven videography and photography. If you need a videographer and photographer for your Bozeman wedding or elopement, click here to view the info + pricing page.
