Cannnnn you say DREAM SENIOR PHOTOS!? I am absolutely obsessed with everythinggggg you’re going to find in this post —  we’re talking the ultimate adventurous Montana senior photo inspiration. Gretchen’s multi-season senior experience had everythingggg —  Free People/boho vibes in the summer on a Montana ranch full of purple wildflowers + a pond and canoe moment, fall photos with the most gorgeous golden light and woodland vibes, a family mini-session that showcased her dad + sister and sweet dogs, and even a few photos in her volleyball jersey at school. Gretch didn’t come to play haha! 

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

Bus Lifers Elope on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park

Jordan + Hollie’s Montana Elopement Adventure on Going to the Sun Road

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

Ahhhh this Montana fall senior session is STUNNING —  I was so honored to capture this season of Reece’s life at a location that means so much to her and her family: her great grandmother’s house. Scroll for some fall senior photo inspo, a sweet family mini-session, and a cap + gown mini session with Reece and her bestie. 

OMG Jaden is literally the cutest person on the planet —  we had the best time taking her senior photos at Georgetown Lake, Montana and on Montana Tech’s campus in Butte. Keep reading for some good ol’ Montana college senior photo inspo.

Adventurous Elopement in Polebridge, Montana and Glacier National Park | Alex + Emily’s Montana Elopement to Polebridge + Bowman Lake | Videography + Photography by Montana Diaries