The Montage in Spanish Peaks is Big Sky's newest lodging and event destination, looking over Lone Peak from the same side as the Yellowstone Club. Nettie and Jeff had planned to ride the lift up from Big Sky Resort and get married on top of Andesite Mountain, but late afternoon thunderstorms snuffed out that plan and we had to pivot to a ceremony on the lawn at the Montage, then tour around the local neighborhoods for their portraits.
I always ask of my clients to trust me if I ask them to do something crazy, like venture out into sheets of rain. In this case, we were running low on light so I knew they'd be back at the hotel shortly and were unlikely to suffer frostbite or die, so I made them get wet. Only once we were out on the golf tee box did I see the sun peeking through the storm overhead, casting a broadside shaft of sunset light through all the raindrops. We shot a lot in that before this rainbow emerged and then we shifted to wider view to capture all its majesty. This turned out to be one of my best photos of 2024, winning a Junebug award and being honored by World's Best Wedding Photos.
Location: The Montage Big Sky, 995 Settlement Trail, Big Sky, MT 59716.
