Summer Star Ranch is a popular wedding venue near Helena, which is a big city in Montana that happens to have a shortage of venues. Matt and Starr's ranch on the plateau east of Helena is a welcome addition to the repertoire, especially because it offers expansive views that Montana brides are looking for and solitude to have the party you want all night long.
This photo was taken at dusk during a very typical Montana wedding reception. Guests gathered inside and outside during cocktail hour. This group was sitting around the fire between the tent and the teepee. I tried to include the cowboy hat to show the context of the location and the spirit of the west, which is what Montana is about.
One of the wonderful things about this venue is that it's isolated yet still only 30 minutes from Helena. So parties can extend beyond 10pm, which is sometimes the limitation in more residential areas, and guests can still get back to major hotels when they are ready to leave. The property is flat and surrounded by public ground so it's easy to set up a tent and you can take your choice of which direction to orient your ceremony site. Summer Star Ranch Phone: (406)461-2659 Website: http://www.summerstarranch.com/
Location: 7451 Owl Gulch Road, Helena, Montana 59602.
