I’ve been shooting weddings for five years now, and sometimes there are those weddings that just stick with you. All the feels, emotions, and love. This St. Regis Montana backyard wedding was all of that and more. Although this wedding took place almost 2 years ago, this favorite wedding of mine never got a permanent spot on my blog- until today!

How we met the happy couple:

My husband and I met Tarrah and Brian on a campout through some mutual friends at Redfish Lake, ID. Tarrah is super fun and outgoing; just the person you want to go on a camping trip with! As we chatted by the lakeside while our kids played, she told me about her plans to get married on her dad’s property in St. Regis, Montana. I told her to look no further because I am a wedding photographer! A backyard wedding in Montana- right up my ally!

Montana!

A drive to St. Regis, Montana would’ve taken a hot minute (8+ hours), so Cameron and I flew out to Spokane, WA the day before the wedding. We rented a car and drove through Coeur d’Alene to St. Regis, Montana. Along the way we stopped at this cool burger place called the Surf Shack in Coeur d’Alene. It was the perfect spot for burgers for lunch. Once we got to St. Regis, we met up with Tarrah and Brian and met some of the family. I went location scouting all around the property and found a great place down by the river to do the sunset married couple portraits.

A relaxed backyard wedding experience

Tarrah and Brian truly wanted the focus of their wedding to be all about celebrating their love with their three kids and their close family and friends. This family-friendly atmosphere made it so much fun to capture all the details of the day. Everyone was so relaxed and excited to enjoy each other’s company. Brian renovated his custom camper van; I loved capturing him getting ready in it. Tarrah wore her mom’s wedding dress and it was such a sweet, tender moment to have her mom help her get dressed in it.

First Look Along The River

Tarrah and Brian had a first look before their ceremony. They shared some time with each other and then had their children join them after their couple photos were done. I always HIGHLY recommend doing a first look, especially if you have a wedding party or children involved in your wedding. We were also able to do most of the extended family photos after the first look as well.

The Ceremony

The ceremony took place in the backyard overlooking the river. Tarrah’s mom and step-dad did the live music. During the ceremony they had a rope tying ceremony and had everyone touch the rings. Brian had his step-sons and two pups walk him down to the altar. Tarrah had her daughter walk her down the aisle. It was such a personal touch to their special day.

The Reception

The reception food was all done with family and friend’s help. Check out that whole roasted pig! It was delicious by the way. Everyone danced the night away after dinner!

Sunset Married Couple Photos

This was my favorite part of the evening! The lighting around sunset was the best type of lighting us photographers could ever hope for! It’s soft, golden, and plays a huge factor into making a photo not only great, it makes the photo AMAZING.

We snuck away in a red jeep from the reception around sunset. The spot I had pickout the day before turned out to be a great choice and we got some really great frame-worthy photos there.