Montana Wedding Photographer | Alex & Lily | Lake McDonald Engagement
Alex & Lily
This wedding was a full-circle one for me. Alex works at Costco with my husband Obi, and that's how we first met and became friends a few years back. So when Alex and Lily asked me to be their Montana wedding photographer, it wasn't just another booking on the calendar. It was getting to show up for friends on one of the biggest days of their lives.
A couple winters before the wedding, I took them out to Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park for their engagement session. The lake was frozen at the edges, the mountains were dusted white, and the whole valley was that hushed kind of quiet you only get in Glacier in the off-season. They braved the cold and we made photos I'll always be proud of: moody, soft, completely theirs. Getting to document the snowy version of them and then the sunlit, summery version felt like bookends to the same beautiful story.
Their wedding day came with a little bit of everything: sunshine, clouds, and a few stretches of rain that decided to show up uninvited. Classic Montana. But nobody flinched. Alex and Lily kept their guests smiling, the rain gave us some of the softest, most cinematic light of the day, and the whole thing just rolled forward on its own rhythm.
The weather didn't cooperate, and somehow that ended up being the best part.
Alex and Lily are the easiest kind of people to be around: warm, low-stakes, all heart. You could feel it in the way their friends and family showed up for them. From the ceremony to the dance floor, the day moved between laughter and quiet tears and back again, and I just got to follow it with my camera.
I'm grateful I got to be there for both chapters: the snowy lake and the summer ceremony, the engagement and the wedding, friends first and clients second. Alex and Lily, thank you for trusting me with all of it. If you're planning a wedding in the Flathead Valley or anywhere across Montana and you're looking for a Kalispell-based wedding photographer who'll feel like a friend by the end of the day, say hi.
P.S. If you liked this one, you might also like Annie & Blaine's western wedding at Jewel Basin (with a Lake McDonald engagement of their own) and Janet & Jordan's dreamy elopement at Big Bend in Glacier.
Alex & Lily, in frames
Tips for a Montana Summer Wedding
Prepare for all four seasons in one day
Montana summers are gorgeous, but the weather flips quickly. Sunshine, wind, an afternoon downpour, all possible. Have a tent option or a covered space lined up so an outdoor ceremony doesn't depend on luck.
Use the long daylight
One of the best things about a Montana summer: golden hour stretches late. Build your timeline around it. The soft window after dinner is when the most cinematic portraits happen.
Dress for the swing
Days can run hot in July and August, but mornings and mountain evenings stay cool. Tell guests to bring layers, and lean toward breathable fabrics for your wedding attire.
Book early. Really early.
Northwest Montana is a busy summer destination. Venues, lodging, and the best vendors fill up a year or more out. Lock your dates and key vendors as soon as you can.
Make it easy on your guests
Remote venues are part of the charm, but they ask more of the people coming. Send clear directions, parking notes, and any tips for navigating the area. Shuttles are a love language.
Bug spray. Sunscreen. Bottled water.
Set out a small comfort station for guests at outdoor weddings, especially anywhere near water or woods. It's a small thing that everyone quietly appreciates.
Build in a minute to breathe
You picked Montana for a reason. Carve out ten minutes, alone or with your partner, to actually take in the place. The day moves fast. That pause is the one most couples tell me they remember.
Planning your own Montana wedding or elopement? I'd love to hear your story and help you build a day that actually feels like the two of you.
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