Ashli and Garrett are some of the kindest and warmest souls I have ever photographed. Ashli, on multiple occasions throughout the day, checked in on my well-being and reminded me that she trusted my style and decision-making, which is such a nice confidence boost to receive. Also, a couple weeks after the wedding I received a card from Ashli and Garrett and both of them had written me personal thank you messages. That made me fall a little bit more in love with them. 🙂 Then I got to edit their photos and it made me so happy to relive their day!
I always ask my couples for both their “how did you meet?” and “how did you get engaged” stories on a pre-wedding questionnaire to help me understand the couple a little more. At face value, this one is interesting (a three-day blind date?), but be sure to keep reading afterwards:
“My sister set Garrett up with one of her friends, but it didn’t work out. She liked him too much to not see him around, so she set up her younger sister (me) on a blind date with him. I had just broken up with my 3-year long boyfriend and was NOT looking. He wasn’t looking either. This blind date happened to be at a wedding, for a whole weekend, in Hamilton (Garrett lived in Helena at the time). He took a risk and came to the wedding. I said ‘screw it’ and went on a blind date. The wedding was on august 11th, 2013 at the StockFarm. We’ve talked every day since and we couldn’t let each other go even though I was still a little broken from my previous relationship, and he wasn’t looking. ”
So, aside from this story being really gutsy on both their behalfs (but especially Garrett who drove from Helena to spend three days with an unknown quantity), the wedding they attended together was on August 11, 2013. August 11th was the date of Ashli and Garrett’s wedding! And guess what? The 2013 wedding was at the Stock Farm Club, which is where Ashli and Garrett also were married! This was too much for me, so I wrote it down on my timeline to bring up during their portraits (“where were you guys exactly four years ago NOW?”). I was so excited, in fact, that I forgot to bring along a little book of emotional thoughts to each other that were meant to be read earlier in the day but for which time didn’t allow. I had golden material for them to read during portraits, but this August 11th coincidence overwhelmed me. Luckily it didn’t matter, their portraits didn’t need emotional readings. 🙂
I had never shot at the Stock Farm Club before so when I found myself in the area a couple days before the wedding I took a scouting trip and quickly realized I would have no shortage of places in which do do “large landscape, little people” portraits, which Ashli had specified that she liked. The Club is a gem of the Bitterroot with impressive views in all directions and well-mannered and professional staff (and one of the coolest dinner displays I have ever seen with at least three different cuisine ‘stations’ to choose from).
The photos below are some of my favorites but be sure to watch this 85-image slideshow for a complete story of the day:
Vendors:
Venue: Stock Farm Club
Coordinator: Nansu Roddy
Dress: Allure
Caterer: Stock Farm
Music: RMF Entertainment
Videographer: Reid Graham
Officiant: Sean Ward (cousin)