Two years ago I put out an offer to a friend who was helping organize Missoula’s Queer Prom that if they would like it photographed, I’d love to do it for free. She happily obliged and suggested that of the two nights, I should come on adult night. Once there, she let me in on a little secret, which was that both Zooey Zephyr and Erin Reed would be in attendance and there would be a proposal. The photos I took resulted in my most popular Instagram post ever.
So I was immensely honored when Erin and Zooey reached out to have me photograph their Missoula wedding. It’s a big deal, being invited into one of the most intimate and meaningful days of a couple’s life. The importance is magnified when the couple spends each day fighting for their right to simply exist. Erin and Zooey are prominent figures in the trans community – Erin as a leading trans reporter through her daily Substack newsletter, Erin In the Morning, and Zooey as a legislator in the Montana State House.
We had a very early start so we could do morning portraits at Missoula’s Butterfly House. During those dark morning hours of hair + makeup, they told me stories about how many of their friends had to put plans in motion after the election to move out of the country. Zooey shared that a number of Republican legislators whisper to her in Helena that they support her and think the anti-trans panic is nonsense. Erin told me how, last fall, she was only the second non-mainstream media reporter ever allowed into the Supreme Court as a journalist. They don’t mope about their plight, they literally lead the fight.
A wedding story hits me harder when the couple has to fight so hard just to love each other. I photographed a similar wedding a few years back where the couple’s vows referenced how most of their ten years together was deemed “illegal”. That’s one of the few times I have cried at a wedding.
The authenticity I felt with Erin and Zooey made the day touching and magical. We had an hour alone in the Butterfly House – a nice warm place to be on a December day in Montana – then we all took a little break before having the wedding in the afternoon in the same place where they became engaged two years ago. The fairgrounds’ barn was filled with their favorite people and it was such a pleasure to feel and document it all. This was one of my favorite wedding stories, I hope you enjoy the slideshow.
Vendors
Venue: Missoula Fairgrounds
Portraits: Missoula Butterfly House
Planner: Ariel Borg
Hair + Makeup: Rachel Rockwood
Floral: Garden City Florals
Catering: The Silk Road
Dessert: Bolt and Bruizers + Frosting Cakery
Bar Service: Bamboo Bar
DJ: DJ Suka
Documentarian: Kim Reed