Humans are creative beings and are always creating, whether painting on walls, creating tools for farming, pottery, or even photography, we have had this need to create since the beginning of our existence. And I think that this might be one of the reasons why I connected so well with Ashely and Jeff and their wedding. So much of their gorgeous wedding was created by had, either by them or their friends. Let’s take a look!
We started out in the gorgeous area of Swan Lake. If you’ve never heard of Swan Lake, it’s near Glacier National Park, another destination location for weddings in the state. Forests and wildflowers surround the lake as it sits quietly alongside the Swan Mountains. The lake is clear and perfect for fishing, swimming, and boating. At night, the stars are incredibly bright and when the moon is out, it lights up the whole lake. As soon as you step foot in this area, you smell a fresh mix of pine, water, and sage that can only be experienced in the mountains.
Rehearsal Dinner
The day before the wedding, all the bridal party arrived, and we prepared for the rehearsal. Ashley and Jeff spent quality time with family and friends. Something that just warms my heart as a photographer is when it’s clear that there are cherished relationships between the bride and groom and their guests, Ashley and Jeff were the model examples of what this looks like. Not just in the way that they had real conversations with everyone around them, but also in the fact that they carved out time to spend time with everyone.
Having photo coverage at your rehearsal dinner is a good way to help you and your guests get used to the idea of having a camera around, giving me more opportunities on the wedding day to capture genuine moments. It also allows an opportunity to help coordinate staging for the ceremony and other parts of the wedding day.
Getting ready in a beautiful historic cabin, Ashley’s support crew helped her get ready and finish all the last-minute touches a wedding requires.
Once the wedding arrived, so did the style!
One thing to know about Ashley and Jeff is that they are creators and have an eye because of that. Their vision for their wedding was well thought out; and fell into place beautifully. From the gorgeous banners at the head of their ceremony that matched the bridesmaid dresses to the stunning custom rings, everything was so uniquely, and perfectly… them.
They also encouraged others to embrace their own personal styles. This showed in a cheetah print suit worn by the speedy-quick ring.
The ceremony was intimate, touching, and visually stunning, with the lake in the background, the trees providing shade, and the mountains behind the guests. It’s hard to compare this wedding to any other wedding I’ve ever attended. It was groovy, kind of reminiscent of the 60’s, and felt like a little fairytale happening up in the mountains.
Ashley walked down the aisle with her father in one hand, and a bouquet of stunning flowers in the other. The rest of the ceremony was intimate and heartfelt, they spoke personal vows to one another and then finished up the ceremony with a joyous kiss.
Dream Boats and Swan Lake
After the ceremony, it may have been my personal favorite moment of the entire weekend. Growing up, Ashley, her sister, had a tradition of creating dream boats at the end of the summer. Dreamboats are made out of driftwood, moss, mushrooms, and other natural bits, with hopes and wishes from family and friends written on biodegradable paper.
Jeff and Ashley climbed into their canoe, appropriately named the “Moonshine” and paddled out into the middle of the lake, shared a moment, and sent off their first dreamboat together as a married couple.
Guests entered the tent decorated with homemade decor made by other friends. The desserts, and stunning cake, of course, were also homemade. They had a talented group of friends, The Foxes, run the DJ booth and set the vibes with some groovy tunes all night long. Keeping with the creative DIY theme, when it came time for Ashley to change into her party outfit, she donned a self-made poofy white shawl!
And this group knew how to party!
Although I had never met this group of people before, I did feel quite a connection to them in their creative spirits. I was inspired by the way the unique way they each saw the world, as well as being a photographer I am also a leatherworker, and can’t quite explain the sort of ‘high’ I get from creating things with my own two hands. Getting to document this wedding was truly an honor.
It was also great because a few months after the wedding we actually got to reconnect for some more photos in Helena, they hauled The Moonshine back out and they enjoyed a beautiful summer’s evening drinking champagne and paddling in their canoe while I captured their time.
Hi, thanks for being here!
I’m Zak, I’m based in Billings and have been in the wedding industry for the past 12 years. I am passionate about capturing stories, especially when love is involved. My handmade craft is small leather goods.
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