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.

Jon and Taijah’s stunning summer wedding at Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks, Montana was a hugely joyful, wild, beautiful celebration of their relationship with their closest loved ones. This was the warmest and most FUN crowd imaginable! I adore J + T more than I can even say — they’re two hilarious teachers who are down for a good time, and my husband and I always have a blast with them.

Tyler + Jamie’s fall country wedding at Mountainside Weddings in Whitefish, Montana

FULL guide to having your wedding at Glacier Outdoor Weddings & Events outside West Glacier National Park!

As a NW Montana + Glacier National Park photographer and videographer that captures both traditional weddings AND adventure elopements, I oftennnnn get asked how couples can combine the two styles of wedding to start off their marriages in a way that feels completely true to them. I get it! You’re adventurous, you love nature, you feel most like yourselves when you’re exploring together, you LOVE the stunning elopement photos + videos you see on social media…buttttt, you just can’t imagine getting hitched without your friends and family there to celebrate with you. TOTALLY understandable — soooo let me tell you about the perfect venue that will give you the best of both worlds: Glacier Outdoor Weddings & Events by Glacier Raft Company, which is a beautiful venue located RIGHT outside of West Glacier National Park. This venue has freaking everything you could want — a park-view pavilion with stunning mountain views for your ceremony, a covered area for your reception, rooms for getting ready, on-site lodging, multiple package options to suit your needs, and a location that can’t be beat. In this blog post, I’ll break it alllll down for you.

Torin & April’s Greece Elopement: Adventurous Destination Wedding on Santorini and Ios | Sunrise engagement photos on Santorini + Intimate Destination Wedding on Ios | Videography + Photography by Montana Diaries

Helena, MT Vow Renewal and Adventure Elopement Session on the Continental Divide Trail

Taylor + Lex’s Intimate Vow Renewal

Videography and Photography by Montana Diaries

Alex + Lyndsie’s DIY Farmhouse Wedding

It wasn’t just a wedding that Alex and Lyndsie asked us to capture — It was their home.The land they’re tasked with caretaking, the farmhouse they’ve made their own, the place in which they’ve built their lives together. Lyndsie asked us to document their home exactly as it is, and when I crossed the threshold through their bright yellow door I found a space bursting full of laughing family members eating snacks straight from the containers, walls full of photos and personal mementos, every color of fabric imaginable, their dog Mac trotting around to beg for pats and treats. And I understood her request completely, because it was all life and love. Every square inch.

Crafting an INTENTIONAL Large Wedding

Although we tend to take on small/intimate weddings, we don’t shy away from large weddings like this one — the common thread in the stories we tell is the INTENTIONALITY of our couples.

Not only did Alex and Lyndsie ask us to document their home and their wedding day exactly as it was — IE, no overly posed shots or centering the day around staging moments for Instagram, they also made it clear that they wanted to honor their loved ones as much as possible throughout the day. Alex and Lyndsie also prioritized plenty of small, intimate, sneak-away moments to just enjoy one another.

Intentional and intimate weddings have little to do with the size of the guest list — when planning your wedding day, be sure to think about how you both want to feel more than how you want everything to look.

Virgin River Inspired Vow Renewal Outside Missoula, MT

The BEST Dance Party We’ve Captured at a Wedding! | Robert + Mikayla’s Summer Wedding at Skyridge Ranch in Ronan, MT | Videography + Photography by Montana Diaries

We rang in the new year with this elopement-style session at Oi! Yoi! in Missoula, Montana and it was the sweetest day with Meghan and Donovan! They both laughed and teared up during their first look, had a blast playing with confetti and disco balls, and cut into a delicious cake from Posy Cake Studio.